Dave Mustaine Details Hand Condition Forcing Megadeth Retirement: “It’s Really Painful to Play”

The thrash metal world was recently rocked by the news that Megadeth will soon be coming to an end, and leader Dave Mustaine is now shedding light on the physical reality behind that decision. While the band is currently gearing up for the release of their self-titled final studio album on January 23rd, Mustaine revealed that a progressive hand condition is making his legendary technical riffing increasingly difficult.

Mustaine’s history of “fighting the clock” is well-documented—ranging from the 2002 radial neuropathy that briefly ended his career to his successful battle with throat cancer. However, this latest hurdle, a condition known as Dupuytren’s contracture, appears to be the final factor in setting the band’s end date.

Megadeth To Embark on Multi-Year Farewell Following Final LP

In a new discussion with MariskalRockTV, Mustaine pulled back the curtain on the thickening of the skin in his palms, a hallmark of Dupuytren’s contracture that eventually forces the fingers to curl inward. Combined with severe arthritis, the physical toll of a 40-year career in thrash has reached a breaking point.

“…You can look right here on this hand. There’s a line right there that’s sticking up… And then if you look at the tips of my fingers, they’re severely arthritic. So, all those bumps makes it really painful to play.”

While medical options like surgery or injections exist to slow the progression, Mustaine is hesitant to go under the knife while he still has one last global mission to complete.

Finishing on His Own Terms

Mustaine explained that he is prioritizing a massive 3-to-5-year farewell tour over immediate surgery. His logic is simple: he doesn’t want a potentially unsuccessful operation to rob him of the chance to say goodbye to the fans properly.

“If I wait until my hands are causing a problem and I try [surgery] and it doesn’t work, well then I’ve toured everywhere, I’ve said farewell to everybody and I’m not leaving stuff unsaid or unfinished.”

With the final album just weeks away, the clock has officially started on the final chapter of one of the “Big Four.”

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