Megadeth’s legendary frontman Dave Mustaine has openly shared his disdain for the nu-metal genre, expressing relief that it has largely faded from the spotlight.
In a recent interview, Mustaine discussed his thoughts on the nu-metal bands of the 2000s, pointing out that they lacked guitar solos because, in his view, they “couldn’t do any solos.”
“There was a period in [the 2000s] where we had these bands called, I think it was ‘nu-metal’, and they didn’t do any solos,” Mustaine remarked. “Why didn’t they do any solos? They couldn’t do solos. Thank God that genre went away. People started to learn how to do solos.”
He added, “I would say if you’re in a nu-metal band you probably would be challenged even playing [Chuck Berry’s] Johnny B. Goode. I’m glad it went away.”
Mustaine did not hold back in his critique, and when speaking about genres he admires, he reminisced about older music. “I like some of the older music because new stuff, I mean, all the good chords are taken. And if you think back where I started 40 years ago, the music playing field didn’t have millions of kids sitting at home doing guitar riffs into their computer and then posting it online. There’s good and bad in everything.”
However, Mustaine took issue with the rise of manufactured music, asserting, “When people do things for their own art, that’s great, but when you start seeing these manufactured records that band members didn’t play on, that’s fraud!”
Praising classic artists, Mustaine acknowledged the brilliance of Pink Floyd’s David Gilmour. He praised Gilmour for his ability to evoke deep emotion with simplicity, saying, “He’s one of the simplest guys in the world, and he could do more with one note than some of the guys playing nowadays can do with 12.”
For Mustaine, the essence of guitar playing lies in the feeling it conveys. “The guitar, you’re touching it, so it’s an extension of your spirit, your soul, and how you make it sound.”
While Mustaine may celebrate the decline of nu-metal, the genre appears far from gone. With bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit, and Linkin Park still playing major headline shows in 2025, it’s clear that nu-metal has a lasting impact on the music scene.
