The ’90s was a pretty excellent time for metal – well, that is nu metal to be more specific. Other genres of metal certainly had their fair share of success during that time, but the dominant musical forces in the ’90s were that of nu metal and grunge.
At one point during an interview with WSOU 89.5 FM, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine is asked about the technical and sonic variety that is present on the band’s latest album, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!; speaking to that variety, Mustaine shares that it was really a matter of creating a record that satisfied him. He then goes on to bring up the challenges of the ’90s metal scene, and how those challenges taught him to stick to his guns.
“[Speaking to The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!]: I wanted to make a record that satisfied me… you know, in 1992, when Nirvana and Def Leppard and Pearl Jam and Soundgarden all happened to radio in America, radio in America changed. It changed, and you either had to be an alternative band, or you needed to be a glam kind of a band.
“Remember Warrant, Poison, Def Leppard, all these bands – God, there’s millions of them. Faster Pussycat, blah blah blah. All these glam bands, and then you think about all the alternative bands – well, what happened to the metal bands that were on the radio at the time? Well, they kind of got swept up into the dark, and only the strong survived. And for us, we went through a period where, admittedly so, we were trying to do what we were told. And it backfired.”
Dave continues, “And so, there were several situations where we would make decisions – and they were presented to us in a way kind of, like, ‘You got to do this,’ or ‘That’s just how it is.’ I can’t tell you how much we would laugh about the bands that we were forced to take out on tour with us, especially during the nu metal period that we went through several years ago. You know, all these bands that wouldn’t play solos and stuff.”
Ultimately, Dave stuck to what he wanted to do and what would make him happy (and look where the band is today)! That said, could you imagine a world where Dave felt the pressure of the ’90s music scene and had taken Megadeth down the path of making grunge or nu metal? That would have been super interesting, to say the least!
In other Megadeth related news, the band have been on the road supporting that of Five Finger Death Punch. Below you can find all the upcoming dates and locations associated with that tour. You can also find the full video interview featuring Dave below as well.
9/28 – Cincinnati, OH – Riverbend Music Center
9/30 – Tinley Park, IL – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
10/1 – Noblesville, IN – Ruoff Music Center
10/4 – Cleveland, OH – Blossom Music Center
10/5 – Clarkston, MI – Pine Knob Music Theatre
10/7 – Milwaukee, WI – American Family Insurance Amphitheater – Summerfest Grounds
10/8 – St. Louis, MO – Hollywood Casino Amphitheater
10/10 – Atlanta, GA – Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
10/12 – Rogers, AR – Walmart AMP
10/14 – Denver, CO – Ball Arena
10/15 – Salt Lake City, UT – USANA Amphitheatre
** Five Finger Death Punch, The Hu and Fire From The Gods only