Long before Megadeth became one of thrash metal’s most fearsome forces, Dave Mustaine, then an up-and-coming guitarist in the early ’80s Bay Area scene, briefly played lead guitar for another young band called Metallica. In a recent reflection on that pivotal moment, Mustaine shared a striking anecdote about how he actually earned that early gig — not through a formal audition, but simply by picking up his guitar and warming up.
When Mustaine first met James Hetfield and bassist Ron McGovney to try out for Metallica, he brought his own sound and gear, setting himself apart from the start. According to Mustaine, his presence was distinctive enough that Metallica’s members offered him the role without a conventional tryout.
“I said, ‘Man, where’s my audition?’ They said, ‘You got the gig,’” Mustaine recalled in that moment — a spontaneous and surreal introduction to what would become one of the most influential bands in heavy metal history.
Mustaine’s tenure in Metallica was brief — lasting from 1981 until April 1983 — but remarkably influential. In that time he helped shape the band’s early sound and contributed riffs and co-writing to tracks that would later appear on their first two albums: Kill ‘Em All and Ride the Lightning.
Even though he didn’t record any official Metallica albums before his dismissal, Mustaine has pointed out that several early signature riffs and compositional ideas originated from his time with the band.
Mustaine’s departure from Metallica was turbulent and has become rock lore. He was eventually fired and driven to Los Angeles on a bus — a moment he later described as transformative, eventually leading him to form Megadeth, one of the pillars of thrash alongside Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax.
Over the ensuing decades, Mustaine’s relationship with his Metallica past has been ambivalent. At times he’s reaffirmed his pride in both his role in the band’s early formation and his subsequent achievements; at other times he’s expressed frustration about how his early contributions have been remembered or credited.
Now leading Megadeth into what has been announced as its final chapter — with the band’s 17th and expected final album due in January 2026 followed by a farewell tour — Mustaine’s reflections on his Metallica origins take on new resonance. His story is not just about a missed moment but about how a legendary metal career was forged from humble — and unexpected — beginnings.
