Megadeth released their record “The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!” in 2022 which marked the band’s first new studio record since 2016’s “Dystopia.” Fans won’t have to wait six years for the band’s next offering, however, as frontman Dave Mustaine has revealed that he’s already been plotting the follow-up with producer Chris Rakestraw. The band will join them early next year to begin recording.
“Right now I’m in the studio working with Chris Rakestraw,” Mustaine said during a Dec. 22 X spaces event. “And everybody else is gone. Teemu is in Switzerland and James and Dirk (Verbeuren, Megadeth drummer) are in Los Angeles. So it’s just me here by myself with Chris.”
Mustaine continued: “Chris leaves tomorrow to go on a vacation, and I’m working up to the last second today to get as much done as I can before he takes off, because we won’t be starting again until he returns somewhere around New Year’s Day. And at that point, it’s only a matter of a couple weeks before everybody converges on to the studio. And for that I’m pumped. And you guys are gonna be excited.”
The record will mark the first with new guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, and it will also be the first appearance of bassist James LoMenzo since 2009’s “Endgame.” Mäntysaari told Megadeth Digital that he’s already been working on songs with Mustaine.
“It feels really good at the moment,” the guitarist said. “Yeah, we’ve been working remotely. So Dave is in the studio in Nashville, and I’ve been working from home, and now from the vacation location where we are with the family. But I’m working a little bit every day. And just today I was working on some solo ideas, and I am talking with Dave on the phone every day and doing Zoom meetings and exchanging ideas. So, there’s progress every day, which is nice. I feel really good about the album. We have already so many good ideas. I think it’s gonna be a great one.”
