Teemu Mäntysaari Discusses Progress on Megadeth's New Album

The guitarist shares insights into the creative process and the band's evolving chemistry.

By Atticus Novak

Dec 25, 2024

Teemu Mäntysaari reveals the band has already crafted many promising ideas for Megadeth’s upcoming album, with remote collaborations fueling daily progress.
Dave Mustaine confirms intense studio work with engineer Chris Rakestraw, ensuring the album is moving forward despite logistical challenges.
Teemu’s addition to the band brings fresh chemistry and draws comparisons to the classic era with Marty Friedman, marking a new chapter for Megadeth.

The Gist

Megadeth’s next album? Already in motion. Ideas everywhere—so many good ones, it seems. Guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, speaking with Megadeth Digital, paints a picture of a band creating across continents. Dave Mustaine, in Nashville. Teemu, on vacation (but still working, always working). They’re using tech—Zoom, phone calls, shared files. It’s constant, daily progress. Or, as Teemu puts it: “I feel really good about the album. We have already so many good ideas. I think it’s gonna be a great one.”

Live performances? Oh, they’ve changed too. Better now, more instinctive. Teemu explains: “Of course, now knowing the guys more on a personal level, it makes everything a little bit more, I guess, instinctive on stage as well. So you kind of know what the guys are doing and you don’t have to think that much anymore. But, honestly, it did feel like really relaxed from the get-go, from the first show on. But, yeah, getting to know the guys better and better, so it’s just more fun.”

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Back in the studio, Mustaine describes his grind. It’s just him and Chris Rakestraw right now. Everyone else? Scattered—Teemu in Switzerland, James LoMenzo and Dirk Verbeuren in Los Angeles. But they’ll regroup soon. “Right now I’m in the studio working with [engineer] Chris Rakestraw,” Mustaine says. “And everybody else is gone. Teemu is in Switzerland and James and Dirk are in Los Angeles. So it’s just me here by myself with Chris.”

Isolation doesn’t mean inaction, though. Mustaine’s pushing hard. Working until the last possible second before Chris heads out for vacation. (Because, of course, time doesn’t stop for creativity.) Frustrating? Sure. But there’s excitement, too. “You guys are gonna be excited,” Mustaine says.

About the process: meticulous. Every riff is dissected, reviewed (again and again—sometimes five times over). The band listened to everything—all 205 songs in Megadeth’s catalog. Every tempo, every lyric pattern. Why? To inspire contributions. Everyone’s input matters: “Teemu is contributing, Dirk is contributing, like last time, James contributed back in the day, and he’s got more stuff coming on this record,” Mustaine shares.

And Teemu’s addition? Game-changing. Mustaine compares it to the band’s heyday with Marty Friedman. Big shoes, but Teemu fits right in. “Well, we are a band again. It doesn’t feel like me and some side players or some session guys,” Mustaine says. The chemistry? Real. (And refreshing.) Mustaine reflects on former guitarist Kiko Loureiro—grateful for the introduction but equally thrilled with what Teemu brings.

And what does Teemu bring? Youthful enthusiasm. Raw talent. A respect for the music. “God, he’s such an amazing talent,” Mustaine says. “And as far as being a human is concerned, he’s a really humble guy.”

What’s next? More riffs. More collaboration. The band will eventually meet, build the skeletons of songs, and shape the sound. For now, though, it’s riffs in hotel rooms, video recordings, and long-distance exchanges. The pieces are coming together, slowly but surely.