Kerry King, best known as the guitarist of Slayer, recently shared his candid thoughts about his brief time in Megadeth and his relationship with Dave Mustaine, the band’s founder. In a new interview with Gastão Moreira of Bangers Open Air, King opened up about the brief collaboration in 1984, when he temporarily joined Megadeth before ultimately returning to Slayer.
Despite their mutual respect, King acknowledged that staying in Megadeth long-term would have been challenging. “I love Mustaine to this day. I think he’s one of the greatest guitar players out there — still,” King said. He recalled being flattered when Mustaine asked him to join as a second guitarist, saying, “Even back then I thought he was awesome.”
At the time, Slayer was between albums, having released Show No Mercy in 1983, with Hell Awaits still on the horizon. When asked if he ever seriously considered remaining with Megadeth, King admitted, “I’m sure I probably did, but [Slayer] is where I belong. And in hindsight, I absolutely made the right choice ’cause me and Dave would’ve butted heads like no tomorrow.”
Commenting on Mustaine’s intense and complex personality, King added with a laugh, “Look how many people have been in his band. Fifty? And that’s not me down-talking Mustaine. I like hanging with him for 20 minutes, and then you go away and ‘I’ll see you in a year.’”
Earlier this year, King also reflected on the first time he saw Mustaine play live — during Mustaine’s tenure with Metallica. He recalled being amazed: “I was just blown away watching Mustaine just ripping on guitar and not even looking at his fingers. I’m, like, ‘I can’t do that.’ And to this day, he’s a badass guitar player.”
King also credited Mustaine for writing many of Metallica’s early riffs before founding Megadeth, saying, “When he branched off into Megadeth, a lot of the riffs went with him.”
Though their collaboration was brief, both guitar legends remain prominent figures in metal history, and King’s reflections show a mix of admiration and self-awareness about how strong personalities can clash, even in legendary bands.
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