by Chris A.
– Senior Photojournalist —
Musician’s cite “musical differences” in their departure
Arguably one of the best lineups in the history of heavy Megadeth has come to an end. In a sudden and unexpected move, guitarist Chris Broderick and drummer Shawn Drover parted ways with Dave Mustaine and the iconic thrash metal band he created, Megadeth. On November 26th 2014, metal fans awoke to short, carefully worded, social media postings from the aforementioned artists announcing their decisions to leave the band.
Chris Broderick: “It is with great reluctance that I announce my departure from Megadeth to pursue my own musical direction. I want all of you to know how much I appreciate the amount that you, the fans, have accepted and respected me. I wish Dave and everyone in Megadeth all the best. I am working on a few things of my own, and hope that when they come out, you’ll all dig it.”
Shawn Drover: “I have decided to quit Megadeth to pursue my own musical interests. I want to thank Dave Mustaine and the entire Megadeth family, as well as all the amazing fans around the world. I truly appreciate all of you. Stay tuned for info on my next musical journey.”
You have to imagine that Broderick and Drover coordinated their decision to leave the band, it just seems to coincidental that they would independently bail on the same day using essentially the same departure message.
While the statements by the former-members are short and contain zero specific explanations they none the less send a clear message. When Broderick writes, “with great reluctance I depart Megadeth” and Drover says, “I have decided to quit Megadeth;” these comments don’t sound like statements from guys who are leaving simply to pursue their own musical directions. The statements are terse and pretty typical of unhappy band-breakup announcements; they quit for “artistic” reasons, they thank the fans for support and they wish the band’s remaining members the best of luck. That’s all the squares in the official politically correct “I quit the band” checklist.
It will be interesting to see what kind of “official response” or “statement” is issued by Megadeth.
The bottom line is that eventually, whatever drama, if any, that prompted this sudden departure will eventually emerge. Consequently idle speculation at this time about the “why” is a waste of time. From a historical perspective, what we know for a fact is that Megadeth has been a revolving door for talented musicians over the band’s lifespan. It’s also pretty widely known that working with Dave Mustaine can be challenging. Reality says it was just a matter of time before there would be another round of mega-musical chairs.
Fortunately for Drover and Broderick, both men have solid reputations as musicians and good guys among the fans, the media and musical peers. Both should land on their feet and continue their rock ‘n’ roll journey in some way, shape or form. Broderick, especially, a spectacular guitarist, is almost certain to land a significant gig with an established band or leap into the fray and start his own band.
One thing that is for certain, Megadeth is and always has been all about Dave Mustaine. With an amazing catalog of songs and the cult of personality that is Dave, Megadeth has proved over the decades that it can survive personnel changes. According to reports, it’s all systems go for a new album from Megadeth in 2015 and a tour. We’ll just have to wait and see.
