MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine has issued the following update:

"Droogies!

Well, the holiday season is here and some of us are definitely getting coal in the ol' stocking, which is getting off easy. Me, I probably deserve a boxcar of the stuff, but again I look back and what looked like a topsy-turvy year, but in the end turned out to be one of the best years in my career yet.

From the gifts of Gigantour 2006 and all the bands, Gigantour Australia and all the bands (some from G2006), Gigantour Day in Tokyo (some from G2006), the new Megadeth record nearing completion, hiring my new bassist and very close friend James Lomenzo, changing management to the illustrious Azoff Artists group under the watchful eye of my new fantastic manager Mark Adelman, the same can be said about the changing of agencies to the perfect home for Megadeth with Scott Sokol and Pinnacle Entertainment, to the best gift of all – reconciling with my wife and family, . . . that is what Christmas is really about for me.

I thank every one of you for your kind words, prayers, positive vibes, and the cards, letters, and gifts, . . . as well as the insults, curses, bad blood, negative posts, threads, and just plain existence for being my inspiration, to have made what is a record I can't stop listening to. Even though it has taken a long time to make; this one needed to be this way. A "statement" is going to be made in less than four months.

I also just agreed to the first confirmed concert date next year in the summer in Europe in one of my favorite countries and as soon as I can say something, I will. It could be today, if we have permission to say.

Lastly, while I left ESP guitars as an endorser, I also left behind friends in the staff. To Matt, Jose, Allen, the girls in the office, and the guys in the shipping and back room, I miss you and happy holidays. I have a new guitar home and will be announcing it at NAMM 2007.

So long to Kevin Gasser and his lovely wife Lisa, and new born son Austin, to John Dee, and to his staff at Benchmark; Jenni and who knows who else, to Keith Sarkesian and William Morris Agency, and to anyone else that we worked with that we have completed our time together on this earth, I thank you and wish you the very best in all things and with all of your families.

And to you, my very special Droogs, where would I be without you? I would have all this music and no one to thrash to it.

Thank God thank you are all here and a part of my life. I am eternally grateful to my band mates and the special relationship the four of us have with you. I think about how to play for you night and day. Everything I read I turn into a song and everything I see I want to share with you, but alas that is garbage for a romance novel.

Until then, I, speaking on behalf of Megadeth, will see you again . . . real soon! (like maybe me and Glen next month in Birmingham)"