Lawrence.com

It may be hard to believe, but Dave Mustaine � a man who's spent most of his life singing songs about death and carnage � is an avowed computer nerd.

"I had a terrible meltdown yesterday," he says, phoning from his San Francisco office. "I've been writing a lot of stuff lyrically for the new record, and I started working on a book to lay out all my lyrics and what that's all about � kind of explain to people what I was thinking about when I was writing the songs. If this thing crashes, I'm going to buy a gun and I'm going to shoot my computer."

Mustaine, who's spent the better part of two decades pounding out molten metal for both Metallica and Megadeth, has a passion for silicon that goes far beyond the traditional paradigms of computer-based geek-dom. While just about every present-day musician out there probably has some working knowledge of Pro Tools, there are few that own a Web-design company and operate an Internet Service Provider. Yes, Dave Mustaine is a rare breed.

"I'm very computer knowledgeable," he affirms. "And I'm so unbelievably plugged into the Megadeth.com site, it's not even funny. In fact, right now I'm conducting a full-out assault on the Megadeth/Metallica feud by way of initiating and enlisting some really diplomatic people to go to both sites and say, 'You know what? This feud is only being perpetuated by (the fans). Let's stop it.'"

Hetfields and McCoys

The Megadeth/Metallica feud is among the longest running themes in the history of modern metal, stretching back to 1981 when Mustaine formed a pioneering speedcore band with his pals Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield. The group � dubbed Metallica because of the members' intense commitment to all things metal � spent two years erecting a huge underground following amongst California's hard rock elite, before Mustaine was unceremoniously booted out and replaced with axeman Kirk Hammett. The rift, according to both camps, was caused by Mustaine's drug and alcohol-fueled lifestyle, which had reached highly combustible proportions by 1983, and spawned internal battles galore, both mental and physical. Mustaine, a devoted martial artist who cleaned up his act years ago, still regrets the addictions that drove him from his first band.

"There are still times where a cold beer looks good to me," he says. "But I know that with me and my background ... the reason I got fired from Metallica is I'm a violent drunk, and when I beat up James, that cost me my job. I'm at an unbelievable disadvantage to other people. Because with my fighting skills, if I get drunk and someone tries picking a fight with me, I may be little, I may be skinny, but having two black belts, I know how to hurt people."

Fade to black

Following the Metallica debacle, Mustaine immediately formed Megadeth with bassist Dave Ellefson, toiling away on the road in order to build a strong following for the new band. By 1985, after numerous lineup changes, Megadeth had signed with independent label Combat and released its debut, "Killing is my Business ... And Business is Good." The album did exceptionally well for an indie, prompting a bidding war that soon found the band signed to Capitol Records. In 1986, Megadeth barnstormed the charts with "Peace Sells ... But Who's Buying?," which quickly went platinum, fueled by heavy MTV rotation for its title cut. The band toured the globe successfully and recorded a follow-up effort in 1988, "So Far, So Good ... So What?"

By this point, Mustaine's drug addictions � a deadly cocktail of alcohol and heroin � had by all accounts spiraled out of control. During this period the singer-guitarist fired everyone in Megadeth (except for Ellefson) several times over, creating a less-than-consistent sound that led to a partial erosion of the band's fan base. It was a dark time, one that Mustaine is happy to leave in the past.

"I don't want to be really square and come off as being holier than thou and saying drugs and drinking isn't cool, because I loved drugs and I loved drinking," he explains. "But it didn't love me. It was like having sex with a gorilla: You're not done 'til the gorilla's done. And when I wanted to stop, I just couldn't."

By early 1990, Mustaine's life had truly faded to black � he was arrested for driving under the influence. Faced with losing everything a second time, Mustaine finally entered a rehabilitation program, a topic he's still hesitant to broach.

"I can't ... I can't talk about that," he says. "I would love to tell you about it; there's a tradition of being in a program of recovery where it's an anonymous thing. If you have the same problem with me, I'll meet you anywhere, anytime and I'll talk with you about it. But if you don't, I can't really say anything. Because you know what happens, if I (mess) up and you see me drunk someplace, there's a good chance you'll say, 'That stuff that Dave went and did, it don't work.' And the reality would be that 'I' didn't work it. So I don't ever want to do anybody a disservice. As long as people know that I used to be a junkie, and I'm not right now."

Who's buying?

The early '90s proved to be a time of revitalization for Megadeth. Though most of the music world was enamored with the grungy sounds of Seattle, Mustaine and company returned with a pummeling, technically precise record, "Rust in Peace," which rose to No. 23 on the pop charts and went platinum at a time when most metal bands were laying low. In 1992, Megadeth's "Countdown To Extinction" entered the charts at No. 2, its most successful effort to date. Though grunge (and the triumph of Metallica's phenomenally successful "black" album) helped reignite an interest in guitar-driven bands, Mustaine was never a big fan of the genre.

"Grunge and alternative were exciting," he demurs. "There were some great bands there, it's just not my cup of tea. I'm metal. It's like asking me what I think about country music. I think Johnny Cash is a badass; he reminds me of me. But are all his songs good? No, they're all country."

The parallel achievements of Metallica and Megadeth helped spawn a wave of hard-hitting bands who were undoubtedly influenced by their gear-grinding forefathers. Though Mustaine was outspoken at the time about the numerous lesser acts riding his coattails to platinum heights, he just seems bemused by it all now.

"A long time ago I was really bent out of shape, because all these other bands that have been influenced by us have gone on to bigger and better things," Mustaine says. "And I just think my whining about not having credit has hurt me. So you know what? God bless 'em. Go on, get big, have fun. Just be careful."

Nu metal mooks

Speaking of groupies, Mustaine professes a decidedly less live-and-let-live attitude about the nu breed of metallic mooks currently topping the pop charts. Staind? Linkin Park? Limp Bizkit? Forget it, says the Megadeth frontman.

"Fred Durst is a fraud," Mustaine says of Bizkit's singer. "Like him talking (expletive) about the guy from Creed, and the guy from Creed saying, 'You know what? Put your money where your mouth is, dude. Let's get in the ring for charity.' And him chickening out. He's a (expletive) coward. When we went out on tour with OzzFest, every single night he thanked everybody on the tour except us. What's your problem? Evidently he doesn't want to be associated with greatness."

On the other hand, Mustaine does have a fevered desire to be associated with heavy-music greatness. At the top of his current agenda is putting an end to the aforementioned feud between Megadeth and Metallica, a move that he believes would reassert real metal's dominance once and for all.

"I think it's almost over right now," he says of the rift. "The seed's being planted, and I'm hoping that within a matter of time I'll be able to go over to Slayer and Pantera's (Web) sites and say, 'Guys you know what, (expletive) all this infighting. Let's take back what's ours. Let's make this community strong again. Because there are a lot of people that like heavy metal that like more than one band. And I think if Slayer, Megadeth, Metallica and Pantera did a Clash of the Titans IV, it'd be awesome."

Part of this fence-mending occurred last year, during Metallica's highly publicized (and much-criticized) lawsuit against Napster. In a move that surprised many, Mustaine remained a staunch Metallica supporter throughout the trial, though he disagreed with the band's decision to sue in the first place.

"I thought it was really disappointing," he says. "There was no way to come out of that looking good. Even though Lars was doing what he thought was right, and even though the person from Napster did what he felt was right, there are a lot of people out there that've misused this wonderful opportunity to file transfer, and they've just taken advantage of it. It's different if you go into someplace and someone says, 'Here, why don't you take a taste of this.' Or like when you're walking out of a restaurant and you take one of the mints on the way out. But how often have you seen some piece of (expletive) dump the whole bowl of mints into their purse? That's kind of what it's like when you go to Napster and you download a band's entire catalog. But, do I mind that people are downloading mp3s of Megadeth music? Absolutely not. I don't care. My career started with tape trading. If you want to listen to our music, listen to it, baby."

Despite his support, the prospects of Mustaine ever working with his former band are increasingly dismal.

"I've been talking to Metallica for the longest time, 'Let's do something,'" Mustaine explains. "I don't think they're interested. Sadly enough, but I just don't think they're interested. I think something that would make people crap their pants right now is if David Ellefson and I got in a plane with our guitar cases, and Lars and James met us in a studio, and the four of us made the real Four Horsemen on record. The world would end."

Family hero

Currently, Megadeth is back on tour supporting its latest effort, "The World Needs a Hero," released in mid-May to the usual positive reviews and platinum sales. Though the band has gradually shifted towards a more radio-friendly sound in the past few years, Mustaine's cat-scratch riffage and politically informed lyrics remain wholly intact. Amazingly, bassist Ellefson also is still around.

"It's the best lineup I feel I've ever been in," Mustaine enthuses about the band, which also includes guitarist Al Pitrelli and drummer Jimmy De Grasso. "Because they all love playing Megadeth metal."

Mustaine's newfound happiness also has a lot to do with his current status as a happily married family man. The Megadeth frontman talks at length about his children with the enthusiasm of one who's found his place in the world. Adding to the domestic vibe, Mustaine's wife phones at one point to remind him to pick up a few groceries on the way home from work.

"That's my better half ... poor woman," Mustaine deadpans. "She's perfect in everything she does. The only thing I question about her is her taste in men."

Sounds like a pretty tranquil life for a headbanging, guitar slaying, distortion-pedal pounding band leader. And it is. But Mustaine insists that married life hasn't changed him or his passion for hard music a bit.

"When I was 12, I started doing martial arts," he explains. "I hold a black belt in Ukito karate, which is sensei Benny the Jet's personal style. It's a mixture of karate, tae kwon do, akiro judu, jujitsu, moon tai kick boxing, Greco-Roman wrestling and American boxing. I have a second black belt in tae kwon do.

My wife has a green belt in tae kwon do and kickboxed with sensei Lilly Rodriguez, who is one of the toughest women in the world. Her last fight was against (renowned fighter) June Castro, and she had a fracture in her femur � the femur is the biggest leg bone. So my wife could probably kick both of our asses if she was mad enough. To answer your question, has it softened up my music? Uh-uh."