When did Dave Mustaine and Metallica stop feuding? In the second installment of our Behind the Feud series, we look back on how the rivalry started, what happened and when it ended.
Most metalheads know that Mustaine was originally the guitarist for Metallica, but was fired in early 1983 due to his destructive behaviors caused by his drinking. If the situation hadn’t played out the way it did, Mustaine never would’ve formed Megadeth, but it still led to a longstanding rivalry between the thrash groups.
While Mustaine was pretty transparent about his feelings toward his former bandmates in the press, Metallica’s James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich weren’t entirely innocent either. Both parties took turns firing shots at each other in interviews, but sometime in the ’90s, the fire started to die down.
When Metallica’s Some Kind of Monster documentary came out in 2004, fans got to see Ulrich and Mustaine hash things out a bit more. And then in 2011, he played onstage with Metallica for the first time since ’83 during their 30th anniversary performances in California.
READ MORE: Slipknot vs. Mushroomhead: The Bitter Feud
Since then, there have still been some ups and downs between the Megadeth frontman and Ulrich and Hetfield, but their relationship is certainly stronger than it was decades ago. Mustaine has found great success with Megadeth and Metallica are still on top of the world — so the fans are the real winners here.
Watch the video below to learn more about the feud between Mustaine and Metallica.
When Did Dave Mustaine + Metallica Stop Feuding?
The Best Thrash Album of Each Year Since 1983
A history of the best thrash metal albums, year by year.
Gallery Credit: Joe DiVita
