Megadeth guru Dave Mustaine was the lead guest on last night’s episode of ‘That Metal Show’ (Dec. 3). He spoke about having to have neck surgery, which almost cost the band its appearance at the Big Four show in New York in September. Mustaine soldiered on with the heart of a champion and played through the pain. He has had the surgery, is feeling better and even showed the scar last night. How metal!

Mustaine talked about working with producer Johnny K for the first time on the new album ‘Thirteen’ and exclaimed that he loved making the record, which is one of the band’s best. He also took viewers inside the reunion with bassist Dave Ellefson. Mustaine was convinced that it would never happen until the inevitable fork in the road came, in the form of the ‘Ruse in Peace’ anniversary.

“Dave just had this natural ability and when he left, he was a good bass player but now he’s even better,” Mustaine said about his bassist.

The funniest quote of the night? When Mustaine revealed that when he came out of the studio while recording ‘So Far, So Good…So What?’ he found the producer feeding whole apples to deer while in his underwear. That had to be a sight.

He also said, “I was born to play music and that’s how I am going to go out.” Nothing, not even neck surgery, will interrupt that life’s goal for the one and only Dave Mustaine. That’s good news for metalheads.

Other metal legends appeared on the episode! Pantera bassist Rex Brown and journeyman drummer Vinny Appice (Heaven & Hell, Black Sabbath) were also the guests for the second interview segment. They talked about their new project Kill Devil Hill. Brown, who recently left Down, which he was a part of with former Pantera singer Philip Anselmo, said “There is no animosity there. I talk to Philip all the time” about his split with Down. Read Anselmo’s opinion about their relationship, here.

Brown also shared his struggles with his health and constant pain in his pancreas. He says he only began to feel better when “they opened me up” and treated his pancreatitis and removed polyps that had formed.

It was quite a medically-themed episode of ‘That Metal Show.’ It just goes to show you that metal and its musicians cannot be stopped, even by excruciating metal maladies.

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