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| Heavy metal's heavy hitters |
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Megadeth brings with it more than 20 years of history — and plenty of metal — when it invades Verizon Wireless Amphitheater on Tuesday, May 1, as part of the Heaven and Hell Tour. The tour is headlined by Heaven and Hell, which is made up of members of Black Sabbath with Ronnie James Dio on vocals. Machine Head also is on the bill. Before the trio of bands rings some ears at Verizon, Megadeth drummer Shawn Drover chatted with 210SA.
Absolutely dude, it's a no-brainer. We've known that for years, and it's one of my favorite places to play, so it's definitely something that I'm looking forward to. Maybe it's because it's so f**king hot down there. Certain states just seem to latch on to metal more than others, but I don't know why. With the new album (United Abominations, due May 15), is it more of the same Megadeth or a change of pace? I don't know if, going in, we had any perceived notions. (Lead singer) Dave (Mustaine) wanted to make a good, solid metal record, so we just went in with a bunch of ideas and started going. It turned out the way it did. It's a well-rounded record, with a little bit of everything for people who like metal. How has Megadeth been able to keep going for so long now? I would say with Dave and his drive and determination. He's the most driven person I've ever seen. To me, he just can't be stopped. Once he gets his mind on something, nothing will stop him. The results speak for themselves. He's been in this business for more than 20 years, so he must be doing something right. He wants to do everything right, so certainly part of that longevity is his drive and determination. Dave Mustaine said United Abominations is Megadeth's best release to date. Would you agree with that? You know, I don't know. I'm extremely proud of it, and it's a very strong record, but I'm not really big into comparing previous work. I certainly think it's one of our strongest records, but I'm not going to start saying it's better than this or that. I never like to compare. From what bands did you draw inspiration as you were coming up? Musically speaking, there are so many. Rush, right off the bat. To this day, that's my favorite rock band because of their whole approach to the industry. They're doing things the way they want to do them, and they've always done what they wanted to do. In reading up on Megadeth, it sounds like you guys aren't too big fans of the current metal scene. I keep my ear to the ground with metal, but it really has no bearing on what Megadeth does. In terms of listening to music, there's a lot of great stuff. A lot of stuff I listen to is not quite as popular, but just because it's not popular doesn't mean it's not good. What's it like playing alongside your brother (guitarist Glen Drover) every night? Yeah, isn't it funny? We just sit back sometimes and laugh about it. When Glen joined Megadeth, I was so happy that he had joined the band. Then, I got the call, and it was like lightning had struck twice. It seems like metal fans are the most loyal of all music fans. Why do you think that is? The real fans never go away, which is part of its longevity. The people who love it are the most passionate because it's such an emotional type of music. It evokes anger, happiness, sadness, and every band can cover every part of the map. It's something that kids and adults can latch onto. Once you get it, you've got it for life. Clint Hale | 210SA |
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