MUSTAINE WAS ALWAYS SWEATING BULLETS AFTER GETTING THE BULLET FROM METALLICA

Dave Mustaine is a heavy metal guitar hero to a generation of headbangers. Quitting Metallica wouldn`t go down as being a real smart career move, but that`s what the fiery red haired king of speed metal done back in 1983, even before Metallica released their first album `Kill `Em All`.

If you believe what a lot of people in the metal business have said over the years Mustaine was fired and didn`t quit Metallica of his own doing, but he made out he was the one to pull the pin to save face.

Doesn`t really matter over 25 years on, because Megadeth and Metallica are now way past their use by date, Mustaine is still trying to keep the theatrical speed metal flame burning, while Metallica have attempted to go back to their speed metal roots on their latest album `Death Magnetic.

Maybe Mustaine and Metallica rhythm guitarist and singer James Hetfield should concede defeat while they are still ahead and graciously head off into the sunset of speed metal retirement. I dont think their egos will allow that to happen anytime quick.

Metallica always had the edge on Megadeth if you are a thrash metal fan. Hetfield, regardless of his excessive aggression at times, knew how to play some mighty big guitar riffs which packed a concise and uniquely melodic wallop for someone in a heavy metal band, and on occasions he matched those abilities with some doom laden and epic lyrical storytelling.

Other times Metallica were basically just an overrated and glorified punk hardcore band who just had the ability to create three times as much volume as a typical punk band. Mustaine for the most part always stuck to the safer territory of only playing more controlled and traditional speed metal, in place of Metallica`s more brutal and stadium sized sound.

He always had this thing for Alice Cooper, Megadeth always sounded more `poppy` and like something you`d hear out of a real amateurish B-Grade horror movie from the 80`s, like `The Howling` movies.

Mustaine cant sing for shit, he never could, but here and there he had the ability to sing within his limitations and play no nonsense, campy, pisstake theatrical metal which was genuinely humourous and slightly shock horror.

Metallica`s Hetfield always had one of the meanest mouths in heavy metal, he really was the most convincing headbanging yeller ever, and combined with his greater songwriting abilities and the volume eminating from his rhythm guitar, he would have to go down as being better than Mustaine.

Metallica`s best album will always be `Master of Puppets` from 1986, more melodic and refined than the preceding thrash metal classic `Ride The Lightning` in 1984, and better by far than the badly mixed and clunky `And Justice For All`, an album so badly produced that you can barely hear the bass of new bassist Jason Newsted in the mix.

Megadeth released a string of forgettable albums in the 80`s, such as `Peace Sells`, which were only watered down Metallica most of the time, `Rust In Peace` in 1990 was typically another apocalyptic doomsday laced parody from Mustaine, albeit with a bit more sophistication, probaly the best and most convincing Megadeth album would still have to be `Countdown To Extinction` from 1992.

My favourite Megadeth song comes off this one, it`s called `Sweating Bullets`, a totally hilarious song which Mustaine narrates his way through with some tongue in cheek aggression and side splitting satire.

Along with that, `Sweating Bullets` has one of the most booming and geninely blues heavy guitar riffs propelling it that Mustaine ever layed down, a bit like the best song Metallica ever recorded `Leper Messiah'.