Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has given his first full interview since his throat cancer diagnosis back earlier this year, speaking to Rolling Stone this week, saying that while he’s not yet in remission, he has finished the necessary treatment and is in rehabilitation.
“I thought about every single trick that I had learned about healing my body and the things I’d learned from martial arts, and I did everything that the doctor said to a T, and hopefully this is the end of it and I never hear of it again. But I feel great,” Mustaine says in the interview, which overall seems very positive.
“I’ve got people around the globe praying for me. I take good care of myself, and I don’t know how anybody can expect any other outcome than this, knowing me. I never settle for anything but complete success or, in this case, victory.”
The metal legend also talks about how his faith helped him keep a positive mindset throughout the experience, even giving a shout out to Kanye West with new album Jesus Is King, and expresses his excitement to get back on the road as part of his touring schedule – “I can’t wait to fire up my guitars.”
Megadeth are set to begin touring again early in 2020 with Five Finger Death Punch in Europe.
Interestingly, Mustaine talks about receiving a text message from former Metallica bandmate James Hetfield, saying he was “so, so happy to hear from him.”
“Contrary to what anybody says and contrary to any of the act that we put on, I love James and I know that James loves me and cares about me. You can see that when the moment of truth is here and I’m telling the world that I’ve got a life-threatening disease. Who comes to stand next to me? James,” Mustaine added.
The Megadeth bandleader says he also received messages of support from the likes of Ozzy Osbourne and Paul Stanley.
“I’m really grateful for everybody. Even the people who have a hard time with my behavior and my big mouth, I’m just so grateful for them showing care for me. Like they say, at the end of the day, all we’ve got is each other here in this crazy metal community.”
Read the full interview via Rolling Stone here.
