A long time ago, Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine famously sang “if there’s a new way, I’ll be the first in line.” After yesterday, he’s looking for a new way, or at least a new record label. “Today marks the end of an era with Roadrunner,” he said in a Twitter post yesterday (9). “Hopefully we can finish strong with a Grammy.” Yet it doesn’t seem like he’s too upset with the label, at least not lately. Earlier this month, after being nominated for a Grammy for Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance, Mustaine thanked “God, our fans, families, manager & Roadrunner” in a separate post.
Whether or not the label’s recent restructuring is the reason behind Megadeth choosing not to re-up their contract, it’s not like Mustaine hasn’t had any other run-ins with Roadrunner. In fact, he’s publicly trashed them several times in the past. The band’s decision to seek another label might stem all the way back to 2010. when Mustaine wrote the following:
“We’re getting ready to start the next record in January and the funny thing is my manager is telling me now how Roadrunner is going out of their way now to try and give me this new huge deal and I just don’t want it. I don’t want it. The treatment’s been terrible over the years, and I just don’t want it. I would rather retire than continue to play like that. Either we’re gonna release digitally or [see] what happens next. We’ve got this last record [that we owe to] Roadrunner [as part of our current contract]; it’s gonna be a great record ’cause the songs are really, really good. ‘Cause I don’t want my side of the bargain to be tainted — I wanna be a gentleman and be respectful and deliver my side of the deal, whether or not the other party has or not.”
I guess it’s time to see what happens next. Will Megadeth be able to form their own label and release music independent of a major label deal? Will they seek a more lucrative deal with a label? Either way, with three successful albums on Roadrunner, and a Grammy nomination to boot, it doesn’t seem like MegaDave has too much to bitch about. Then again, considering it doesn’t take much to get him started these days, we can’t say we’re too surprised. Best of luck to him.
[via Blabbermouth]
