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Reputedly fired from Metallica for excessive drinking, Dave Mustaine formed Megadeth in 1983 with bass player David Ellefson, developing a faster and heavier sound than Metallica, creating a new heavy metal sub-genre known as thrash metal. Megadeth released their first album 'Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good' in 1985, featuring a controversial speed metal version of Nancy Sinatra's 'These Boots Are Made for Walking' and went on to make the influential 'Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?'. Although their development was blighted by internal problems, personnel changes and health issues, they had a best-seller in 1988 with 'So Far, So Good... So What?' which included one of their most acclaimed tracks 'In My Darkest Hour'. A newly temperate Mustaine broadened the group's style and attracted new audiences through the 1990s reaching number two in the US charts with 'Countdown to Extinction' in 1992, ending a long-running feud with Metallica when they appeared on stage together. In 1997 Megadeth had their biggest hit single 'Trust' from the 'Cryptic Writings' album, but Mustaine disbanded the group in 2002 after suffering nerve damage to his arm. He later recovered to reunite the group for 'The System Has Failed' in 2004 following it with 'United Abominations' (2007) and 'Endgame' (2009). As part of the Sonisphere Festival in 2010, the so-called big four - Megadeth, Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax - all played together on a landmark bill. Megadeth released their 13th studio album titled 'Thirteen' in 2011, their first in ten years. The lead single 'Public Enemy No. 1' was nominated for a Grammy Award and, shortly after, Mustaine announced that after a short they were venturing back out on the road. They re-released 'Countdown to Extinction' on its 20th anniversary in 2012 and went on tour to perform the album in its entirety. 'Super Collider', their 14th album, came in 2013 to a number six position debut on the Billboard 200. They followed this with 'Dystopia' in 2016 and the promise of more new music in 2018.Artist biography compiled by BDS/West 10. All rights reserved
