Depending on how in the know you are, you may be aware that a songwriting credit dispute between Megadeth‘s vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine and Metallica drummer Lars Ulrich has sidelined Metallica‘s plans for an expanded re-release of “No Life ‘Til Leather“. Mustaine was of course an early member of Metallica before being sent packing while on tour due to his then problems with substance abuse.
While the two parties were seen to have reconciled in the early 2000s, it would appear their relationship has once again grown to be precarious. Speaking recently with RockHard, Mustaine opened up further about the credit dispute, while also slinging a few barbs:
“I’m not gonna give him [Lars] my credit, so I’m not gonna be part of it. I wrote all of ‘Mechanix‘, I wrote all of ‘Jump In The Fire‘, so me giving any percentage of that to Lars Ulrich, he can pound sand. And as far as the song ‘Phantom Lord‘, I wrote every note of that music, James [Hetfield] wrote all the lyrics. That’s 50/50. If James wants to give his percentage up to Lars because he’s afraid of him, that’s up to him.
I’m not afraid of Lars Ulrich, and I’m not giving him my percentage. And the same thing with ‘Metal Militia‘; I wrote every single note of that music, James wrote every note of that lyric — that’s 50/50. If James wants to give Lars his percentage, that’s fine if he’s afraid of him. I’m not afraid of him. I’m not giving nothing to Lars Ulrich.
Now, they took it in the past — everybody knows that — and the past is the past. But I could not willingly enter into a new agreement with these guys predicated on Lars getting credit for something that not only he did not do but he was incapable of doing — he was incapable of writing songs that good back then.”
When asked if the dispute officially closed the door on the potential for another show from ‘The Big Four‘ (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, Mustaine replied: “Oh, I don’t know about that. That has nothing to do with the ‘Big Four.’ I think Lars is just afraid to play with Megadeth.”
[via Blabbermouth]
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