Metallica vs Megadeth

Metallica vs Megadeth is one of metal's most legendary and bitter rivalries - rooted in a very personal firing that created decades of animosity, competition, and eventually something resembling reconciliation.

The Origin: Dave Mustaine Gets Fired

The whole rivalry stems from 1983, when Metallica fired their lead guitarist Dave Mustaine and replaced him with Kirk Hammett, right before they were about to record their debut album Kill 'Em All.

Mustaine was kicked out due to his excessive drinking, drug use, aggressive behavior, and clashes with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. The firing was reportedly brutal - they put him on a bus back to California, and he was furious and humiliated.

Megadeth is Born

Mustaine formed Megadeth almost immediately, driven by rage and a desire to destroy Metallica commercially and musically. He's been incredibly open about this - revenge was literally his motivation. The band name itself came from a political pamphlet but perfectly captured his destructive intent.

The Musical Battle

Both bands became thrash metal titans:

- Metallica had the bigger commercial success - Master of Puppets, the massive Black Album, stadium tours, becoming the biggest metal band in the world
- Megadeth was more technical, faster, with Mustaine's snarling vocals and virtuosic guitar work - albums like Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? and Rust in Peace are thrash masterpieces

Mustaine's bitterness was palpable for years. He'd complain that Metallica used riffs he'd written, that they stole his ideas, that he should have been part of their success.

The Personal Animosity

This wasn't just business - it was deeply personal:

- Mustaine struggled with addiction for years, and you could hear the pain and anger in Megadeth's music
- He'd take shots at Metallica in interviews constantly
- There was real hurt there - feeling rejected, watching your former band become the biggest in the world while you're fighting for recognition

Metallica generally took the high road publicly, though there was definitely tension when they'd encounter each other.

The Reconciliation (Sort Of)

In the 2000s, especially after the Some Kind of Monster documentary (where Mustaine breaks down discussing his feelings about Metallica), things started to thaw. Mustaine got sober, found religion, and seemed to make peace with what happened.

The bands have shared festival bills, there've been respectful comments in interviews, and while they're not best friends, the nuclear-level hatred has cooled.

Legacy

Both bands are metal royalty. Metallica is the commercial and cultural giant. Megadeth is beloved by thrash purists and musicians for their technical prowess. The rivalry pushed both bands to be better - Mustaine's desire to beat Metallica drove him to create incredible music.

It's one of rock's great "what if" stories - what if Mustaine had stayed in Metallica? But the firing created two legendary bands instead of one, so metal fans ultimately won.

20.5bn all-time streams (2 Nov '25)

6.7bn all-time streams (2 Nov '25)