Dave Mustaine Calls Himself 'Alpha Male’ And 'Leader' Of His Former Band Metallica

Famous guitarist and singer Dave Mustaine claimed that he was the leader of the popular metal group Metallica. Almost 30 years after leaving the band, he opened up to Classic Rock magazine about his position in the heavy metal band formed in 1981.

This claim came after the interviewer, Paul Elliot, recalled a statement in his autobiography “Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir,” published in 2010. In the book, he claimed to be the “leader of the band” before leaving in 1983 to start his own band.

Elliot revealed how “strange” his claim was since Drummer Lars Ulrich and lead singer James Hetfield co-founded the group.

Keep reading to find out more.

“I am clearly the alpha male between the three of us,” Mustaine said in his interview with Classic Rock Magazine. He revealed that he took up most of the responsibilities as a band member. He said, “Why did they always ask me to talk to the promoters and collect the cash? Why was I the one who had to do the fighting? Why did I have to talk in between songs?”

The star left the band in 1983 to form his own band Megadeth. When asked about the switch, he revealed the tension between the two bands after he left. Mustaine also talked about his reason for going into music in the interview.

The guitarist previously shared that he grew up with an alcoholic father, which affected his childhood. He ran to music and drugs for peace and later joined Metallica. While his “alpha male” claims confused fans, Mustaine is used to controversy.

As per Newsweek, during the pandemic, the “Master Of Puppets” singer triggered some fans during a performance in New Jersey. He spoke against being forced to wear masks and the medical strictness that came with COVID-19. Mustaine also went viral for allegedly calling a fan some misogynistic and homophobic slurs at a concert in 2013.

While the singer has been involved in several controversies, it hasn’t affected Megadeth. The band received positive feedback from fans after releasing “The Sick, the Dying... And the Dead!” The album released on September 2 was their first album in almost six years.

During the Classic Rock interview, the metal singer revealed that many fans believed he was a typically “angry” man and “out of control.” He referred to his encounter with fans, for example, the one during which he said some slurs. He then explained that his angry version was mostly an “on-stage persona.”

Mustaine said, “It was getting out there and tightening your belt and taking a swig and just screaming at whoever would listen. However, behind the persona, he is caring and loving. He recalled reaching out to his former band member, James Hetfield, “a couple of days ago” after Hetfield opened up about something.

Mustaine revealed that Hetfield had shared his insecurities about playing. He recalled encouraging Hetfield, saying, “James, I love you and I really like your playing.” Mustaine even complimented Hetfield and called him “one of the best guitar players in the world.”

Amidst the controversies Mustaine has dealt with, the singer has maintained that he’s proud of his achievements in the music industry. The star reflected on how he started his career, joined Metallica, and formed his own band.

While he planned to be in the “biggest metal band” ever, he was still proud of his accomplishments with Megadeth. “There’s not many bigger than Megadeth,” he said of the band. He also assured fans that he had a bright future “ahead of” him and would not be retiring anytime soon.

The rockstar is a throat cancer survivor. He announced  on his Instagram page in June 2019 that he had been diagnosed with the deadly disease and was undergoing treatment. Mustaine wrote, "I've been diagnosed with throat cancer. It’s clearly something to be respected and faced head on - but I’ve faced obstacles before. I’m working closely with my doctors, and we’ve mapped out a treatment plan which they feel has a 90% success rate. Treatment has already begun."

By September of the same year he got diagnosed with throat, Mustaine revealed to fans that he was on a steady recovery path. His Megadeth bandmate, Ellefson later announced in October that he was through with treatment and all that was left was a full recovery which, as per NME, they were "optimistic" about.