MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine has issued the following update:

"As you have no doubt seen a lot of posting by the boys and I here at the Official Megadeth site, and those of you in the know, know that our beloved webmaster has our MySpace, Facebook, iLike and other sites all linked together - so to speak - and there is a fantastic synergy between all of these portals for Megadeth info, interaction, and direct involvement of your favourite band member.

We also have our MegaFanClub opening back up this New Year and this is the reason that there has been so much activity by MegaDave, because we were getting ready for the re-launch of the MFC and we were not posting there because we didn't want to confuse our members, and we were also going to revamp things, so we wanted to get all of the ideas out on the table and worked out and ready to start up again.

I believe what makes us different here is that we actually have friendships with our fans and we actually do post at our own sites, and we do have fan fairs and meet and greets and we DO recognize the names, and the faces sometimes too!

I just was listening to the new record's demo and I was getting ready to start determining 'which' or better yet 'who' would be doing the solos that we have already set in the songs that are already arranged. I am eagerly anticipating letting CB loose in the control room. I am sure that we are going to have the usual "getting used to" period in the studio that people usually encounter, but after that, in the words of the first man - Adam, to his main squeeze Eve when achieving his first chub, 'Stand back, I don't know how big this thing is going to get!!!'

There is no point in making another post saying how good things are and how well we get along, and how much fun we are having, and how great the record is turning out.

I mean it is, and all that, but this is just becoming Groundhog's Day. [I know . . . what have I got to complain about?]

I will tell you this, as I type this, I am talking out loud to Shane and giving him permission to post some of the film that he took this weekend out here, which will unfortunately have new music in the background we won't be able to cut out if you want to hear about 'why Shawn Drover is the fastest guitarist in the world?' Like so many inquiring minds want to know.

Speaking of Shane, he is going to be going back to Chicago today, the city that my great guitar tech Willie "its all crap" Gee hails from. Along with the filming he did of us writing and recording the new record, he also did some filming for DEAN guitars, and for podcasts. And of course the is the Sneap Snipe that is going to go down at some point.

That's it from me for now. Thank you to everyone for this year's support around the world with the record sales, the downloads, and the bootlegs, and let us not forget the DVD's and that fantastic show from San Diego. Also, a very big thank you to everyone who has bought any of the Net Worth Coffee Brokers Coffee - we are able to send them a "perfectly timed" check for the children this year.

If I can be serious for just one moment:

I am really thankful for you on this. I know that I could get have gotten flamed because it may have looked like I was 'hocking my ass for coffee beans,' but you saw the truth and saw through what some of the scoffers scoffed at (thereby perpetuating their appearance in perfectly portraying a perineum). You have helped make a difference, as I had hoped you would, and we are making a huge paradigm shift in the lives of these kids.

For that I will always be grateful, and know that I am so thankful to be able to sit here, to type to you, to go in my studio and pick up a guitar and play, and I owe all of this to my God who gave me the talent and to you, the greatest fans in the world.

Have a really great day today, and stand up for someone or something you believe in today!!!"