According to Guns N' Roses guitarist Slash in the foreword of the new Megadeth book Rust in Peace: The Inside Story of the Megadeth Masterpiece, he was once considered for the role of Megadeth's second guitarist. Then recently during an interview with Metal Hammer, interviewer Clay Marshall pointed out that it might've been odd for Slash to join Megadeth considering Mustaine's "technical precision meshing with his loose fluidity." Mustaine then clarified that was not the case.
"I think you have that backwards, and that Slash is actually a little more technical than I am," said Mustaine. "What we were playing, it was a very punkish/metal kind of vibe. For me, I love the way I can pick up the guitar and say 'Fuck you' to anybody with it. It's an art. A lot of people can't do that (laughs). A lot of people don't even know what that means.
"You have to completely command your guitar. There's great, powerful, beautiful players like Eric Johnson, and they kind of just adoringly caress their guitar. Me? I like to punch it in the stomach."
Rust in Peace: The Inside Story of the Megadeth Masterpiece is out now and is available here. Megadeth is still working on their new album, which is expected out in 2021.
