🎸Dave Mustaine: “It’s not that I don’t want to stay — it’s that my hands are betraying me”

Dave Mustaine reveals how his hand condition is bringing Megadeth to an end

As Dave Mustaine’s health continues to decline, the legendary guitarist has admitted that his time as a player is coming to a close.

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine has confirmed that worsening issues with his hands are effectively forcing the band into retirement, marking the end of nearly five decades of one of thrash metal’s most influential acts.

The band’s final studio album, fittingly titled Megadeth, was released last month. Dave Mustaine made headlines by closing the record with a cover of Ride the Lightning by Metallica. The album also marked the official Megadeth debut of Finnish guitar virtuoso Teemu Mäntysaari.

Earlier, Dave Mustaine had already stunned fans by announcing that his guitar-playing days are limited. He has been diagnosed with Dupuytren’s contracture, also known as Viking’s Disease, a condition that makes playing guitar increasingly painful.

Speaking with Eddie Trunk on SiriusXM’s Trunk Nation (via Louder Sound), Dave Mustaine offered deeper insight into how the diagnosis ultimately shaped his decision to bring Megadeth’s long journey to an end.

“It’s not that I don’t want to stay,” Dave Mustaine admits. “It’s that my hands are betraying me. If there were another way around this, I would swallow my pride and say, ‘I found some miracle cure.’ Or I could try playing left-handed or something. But I’m at peace with stepping away right now, where we are. It feels right. It’s beautiful.”

Dupuytren’s contracture is a condition that worsens steadily over time. It causes the connective tissue in the palm to thicken, eventually forcing the fingers into a permanently bent position.

Despite the pain, Dave Mustaine is determined to push through and bring Megadeth to a powerful and dignified conclusion. However, fans should not expect a farewell tour filled with former members — Mustaine has made it clear that he does not want the band’s final chapter to turn into a “puppet show.”

Meanwhile, former Megadeth guitarist from the band’s classic era, Marty Friedman, has stated that leaving the group after ten years was the best decision of his life. Dave Mustaine has also previously explained why he and James Hetfield are no longer on speaking terms.