New MEGADETH guitarist Kiko Loureiro took part in a masterclass on November 3 in Russia. You can watch video footage of his appearance below.
Asked during the question-and-answer portion of the masterclass if he was “allowed” by MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine to contribute musical ideas to the band’s new album, “Dystopia”, Kiko said: “I don’t think the word is ‘allow.’ The thing is, I met everybody and I jumped into the band, MEGADETH, [when] they already [had] the songs [more or less ready to go] in the studio. So, out of respect, you don’t go to somebody’s house and start saying, ‘Hey, the color of the wall is wrong. I don’t like the sofa.’ So, being very respectful to the legacy of the band, I sat down and watched. I listened to the ideas and learned and tried to absorb and understand where they were gonna go with all this. Because a band is a concept. A band is a concept. So the thing is, I needed some time to understand, and I started saying some stuff. Some stuff was aligned with the concept, some was a bit out. I think the stuff that I said was aligned with the concept; I had some ideas there [that were used on the album], sure.”
In a recent interview with Jump Metal, Loureiro was asked what it has been like joining MEGADETH as the replacement for Chris Broderick. He responded: “Yeah, it has been great to work with Mustaine, [David] Ellefson [MEGADETH bassist] and Chris Adler [LAMB OF GOD drummer, who played on the upcoming MEGADETH CD and is playing select shows with the group]… It’s amazing [to be part of MEGADETH]. It’s a great opportunity, it’s a great band, great guys, great music. I’m very honored to be in MEGADETH and that the guys have chosen me to be the guitar player. It’s a band that always had a great spot for guitar players. They always had great guitar players since the beginning: Chris Poland, Marty Friedman, Chris Broderick… some great guitar players. So I’m honored to be part of this legacy.”
Mustaine told Revolver about Loureiro: “Finding Kiko was really a mind-blower. It was the first time since Marty Friedman joined the band that I was really intimidated as a player. He’s such an amazing talent, and he’s been coming in with all of these fresh ideas.” Mustaine has also called Loureiro the “best guitarist we’ve ever had,” adding that he was a good fit personality wise. “Chris [Broderick] and I had a good chemistry, but we weren’t really as close as I would have wanted us to be,” Mustaine explained. “Kiko, I feel like I’ve known him for years.”
MEGADETH’s fifteenth studio album, “Dystopia”, will be released on January 22, 2016. The follow-up to 2013’s “Super Collider” was recorded earlier in the year in Nashville, Tennessee and was mixed by Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with LAMB OF GOD, ALL THAT REMAINS and GOJIRA.
Source: Blabbermouth
