He and Ellefson auditioned about 15 drummers, hoping to find one who understood meter changes in music. Despite his enthusiasm, Mustaine had trouble finding other members to fill out the lineup.
While Handevidt would only last a few months, Mustaine and Ellefson formed a tight musical bond. As the founder of the band, he added to the band his new neighbors David Ellefson and Greg Handevidt, who had moved from Minnesota to Los Angeles and played bass and guitar.
He formed the band Fallen Angels, and after numerous band members, the band's name was changed to Megadeth. Īfter arriving back in Los Angeles, Mustaine began the search for new bandmates for his band. On the bus trip back to Los Angeles, Mustaine found a pamphlet by California senator Alan Cranston that read: "The arsenal of megadeath can't be rid no matter what the peace treaties come to." The term "Megadeath" stuck with Mustaine and he wrote a song with the spelling slightly changed to Megadeth, which, according to Mustaine, represented the annihilation of power. Afterward, Mustaine vowed revenge by forming a band that was faster and heavier than Metallica. As Metallica's lead guitarist since 1981, Mustaine had composed some of the group's early songs and helped hone the band into a tight live unit. On April 11, 1983, Dave Mustaine was fired from Metallica just prior to the band recording their debut album Kill 'Em All due to substance abuse and personal conflicts with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.
but Who's Buying?, was released in 1986 and was a major hit with the underground metal scene. Their first major-label album, Peace Sells. It caught the attention of bigger labels, which led to Megadeth signing with Capitol Records. and Business Is Good!, on the independent record label Combat Records, to moderate success. In 1985, Megadeth released its debut album, Killing Is My Business. Their music features complex arrangements and fast rhythm sections, and lyrical themes of death, war, politics, personal relationships, and religion. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along with Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer, responsible for the genre's development and popularization. Megadeth is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson.