MEGADETH's JAMES LOMENZO Recalls His Reaction To DAVE MUSTAINE's Idea Of Recording Rendition Of METALLICA's "Ride the Lightning" For Farewell Album James LoMenzo was initially taken aback when Dave Mustaine proposed recording his own version of “Ride the Lightning,” the title track of Metallica’s 1984 album, for Megadeth’s self-titled final album. The bassist admitted his surprise was immediate but quickly gave way to admiration. “I was delighted. I was surprised. My eyebrows went up, but I was kind of delighted that he was gonna even go there,” LoMenzo said in an interview with Portugal’s Metal Global. “Because there’s always that subliminal undercurrent tension — you know, ‘Oh, Metallica versus Megadeth.’ And I always thought, like, Megadeth, for God’s sake, I always thought Dave won in a way, because he’s built this giant thing all by himself.” He explained that the decision to end their career with a bold, historically significant track made logical sense. “If this is the last thing we’re gonna do, then we should go out, end with a bang, but also kind of address the full history of this band. And that’s like step one. So I thought it was great in the end.” When asked about the rivalry between Megadeth and Metallica, LoMenzo avoided direct comparisons. “I can’t go on board with you there. I mean, I’m a company guy — sure, I think we’re better, but semantically, I don’t really believe that,” he said. “It’s all about taste and approach. If Dave had stayed there [in Metallica], it would’ve certainly been a lot more complex, but they would’ve not lost any energy that they had. It comes down to, like, who do you like better — Motörhead or the Ramones? One seems silly, one seems really serious, but I love them both. And it’s similar kind of driving music.#dave_mustaine #metallica #megadeth #james_lomenzo #teemu_mantysaari
