Featured in a new interview with Guitar World, new Megadeth guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari discusses replacing Kiko Loureiro, working with Dave Mustaine, what he hopes to accomplish with Megadeth, and more. Following is an excerpt from the chat.

Guitar World: What led to getting the call to join Megadeth?

Teemu: “I was doing some shows with my other band, Smackbound. I got a call from Kiko Loureiro, who explained the situation and asked if I’d possibly be available for some touring in the fall of 2023. I was immediately very excited and said, ‘Yeah, I’m available.’ He asked if I could record some video clips as an audition to send to management to check out my playing, and I did. Things progressed from there.”

Guitar World: It seems safe to say that you were a fan going into this.

Teemu: “Megadeth was always kind of there in the background for me. I was very aware of the band – they’re one of the biggest metal bands in existence. So, of course, when they called me up, it was a bit surreal. But from the first phone call with Dave, they were so welcoming. He even said, ‘I really liked your audition,’ meaning the videos he saw. The momentum from that, and how fast-paced it’s been, has allowed me to concentrate on getting my work done, so there wasn’t much time to be nervous.”

Guitar World: What types of tips and tricks did Dave give you?

Teemu: “Dave is very detail-oriented. I learned the songs by ear and from some tips Kiko gave me. Kiko showed me how things work within the band and gave me some tips, but I’ve worked mainly with Dave. I’d have Zoom meetings with Dave, go through the riffs, and look at the small details of how they groove, the moods, and the technical side. We talked a lot about what Dave wants to project, picking directions, being very aware of down-picking, alternate picking, and, in many of the songs, being aware of both."

“We also talked about things like dampening, the flow of songs, creating contrast, hand positions, and trying to get things right fingering-wise, all of which I enjoy doing. There’s a bit of detective work involved, and to get that information from the source in Dave was amazing.”

Read the complete interview here.

Dave Mustaine recently confirmed that Teemu Mäntysaari will replace Kiko Loureiro on guitar in Megadeth until further notice. He issued the following statement on social media earlier today, November 20th, 2023:

“Hey Droogies,

Last week I received a call from my partner, Kiko Loureiro, and we spoke for a while. I asked him how things were going regarding the important issues that led to his absence from our previous run, which was necessary for him to be with his family.

I want to update you now on what Kiko shared with me. But before I do, want you to know that I love, respect, and fully support Kiko's decision. He has emphasized his love for me, Megadeth, and all of you, our fans.

As a reminder, Kiko had to leave the tour last August to handle some very important and private family business. He was conflicted but appreciative when I told him that he needed to go to take care of his family. He agreed but was still concerned about us - meaning the fans, and Megadeth. I told him at the time, "Go! Kiko, you can never regain this time with your family, I know first hand...l paid the price myself". Eventually, he agreed.

Kiko is a top-notch professional, a maestro - and he did not want to hurt me or Megadeth. We came up with a solution to find a fill-in for him during that time and that's when he presented and trained Teemu Mäntysaari to take over for us. In the beginning, this was only going to be until the first week of October 2023. However, things rarely turn out the way they are planned.

The 2023 Tour is over, and it was long and arduous. Last year saw a substantial amount of touring, and it appears that 2024 is gearing up to be even more intense, with extensive touring commitments keeping us on the road for most of the year.

We have had many conversations with Kiko about this and they have all been very positive. Kiko is going to remain on an extended leave of absence, due to our heavy touring commitments next year and we are going to continue to move forward with Teemu Mäntysaari as the guitar player for Megadeth.

I would like to thank Kiko for his dedication and hard work these past 9 years, helping us to achieve a Grammy on Dystopia and the additional awards we have received on this latest record "The Sick... The Dying...and The Dead".

I could not have done this without Kiko Loureiro. We hope to see all of you supporting Kiko in his next endeavors, and we want to see you next year out on the Killing Road. We have exciting plans to share with all of you in our next newsletter."

Megadeth have announced new dates on the Crush The World Tour, set for 2024. The band will make their triumphant return to Latin America for ten shows, with the first stop in Lima, Peru on April 6th. In addition to Peru, upcoming stops include Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and México.

Tickets are available now. Megadeth VIP Package Upgrades, including a VIP Q&A and Meet & Greets with band members, will be available through Megadeth.com.

“April of 2024 Megadeth returns to South America to support our latest record, The Sick, The Dying, And The Dead!, and I always get excited because there is something truly different about South America. I don't know what it is... but whatever IT is, they come by it naturally,” shared frontman Dave Mustaine. “We are also planning a really big surprise for where "Aguante Megadeth" all started in Buenos Aires, too! So... if you can, DO NOT MISS THAT SHOW!”

Crush The World Tour 2024

April
6 - Lima, Peru - Arena 1                       
9 - Santiago, Chile - Movistar Arena
11 - Montevideo, Uruguay - Arena Antel      
13 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Movistar Arena
16 - Asuncion, Paraguay - Jockey Club
18 - São Paulo, Brazil - Espaco Unimed
21 - Bogota, Colombia - Movistar Arena
23 - San Salvador, El Salvador - Complejo Cuscatlan
25 - Ciudad de México, México - Arena Ciudad de México
27 - Monterrey, México - Arena Monterrey