According to Megadeth's frontman Dave Mustaine, the genre's future is bright – as long as bands keep delivering quality music.
In a recent interview with Diario El Salvador, Mustaine addressed concerns about the longevity of metal. He acknowledged a rough patch in the 90s where "a lot of musicians tried to jump into the metal community" without truly embodying the spirit of the genre. Mustaine believes this diluted the scene, but sees it as a temporary blip. He's optimistic about the current state of metal, highlighting a strong and passionate community.
"Well, I think as long as people make good records, there's nothing to worry about. It went through a period in the '90s when a lot of musicians tried to jump into the metal community and say they were metal players and they weren't, really; they were just kind of normal players, and you could tell, and it really hurt our community. But these things correct themselves all the time, and I'm glad to see the community's looking strong right now," Mustaine said.
Mustaine was asked last month by Lucía Sapena of Paraguay's Trece channel regarding his opinion about the state of the current thrash metal scene. He acknowledged the vast and ever-growing subgenres within the heavy metal umbrella, an expansive landscape that seems to leave him focusing primarily on Megadeth's own creative direction.
"Well, it's hard to say how I view the genre, because there are so many different subsections of heavy metal. When it first started, it was hard rock and then heavy metal came, and then The New Wave Of British Heavy Metal came and then there was power metal and speed metal and thrash metal and black metal and white metal and death metal and core metal and true metal. God, how many metals can you possibly have? So for me, what I'm aware of is what Megadeth is doing."
So, what's the secret to Megadeth's enduring success? Mustaine says it's all about honesty: "The secret, I think, is being honest with yourself. And I don't try and act like I'm better than other people, because I know I'm not. I know there's a better singer out there than me. I know there's a better guitar player out there than me. So I enjoy what I possess, the gifts I have. I enjoy the friends that I've made, and I love my job, so I can't wait to do it."
