MEGADETH frontman/founder Dave Mustaine has issued the following year-end update:

"Droogies!

This is going to be the last post from me reviewing the previous work week at the studio for the year 2008.

2008 brought us much success; excluding the fact that we were in the middle of an extensive, exhaustive world tour supporting the latest record from Megadeth, United Abominations on Roadrunner Records and were out for a nearly 18 month long trip, and we have gone to place like India, Thailand, Singapore, Peru, Ecuador, and several new cities in Countries that we have already been too as well as returning to cities that we haven't been too for several years. Sadly, we still have yet to reach South Africa, and also return to Russia.

With the change in guitarists from Glen Drover to Chris Broderick, I was nervous, but at this point of seeing him interact with the band and the fans, there was nothing to worry about. The guys are getting the hang of posting here more often, and you should be able to see a lot of action through the MegaFanClub, which will reopen in 2009.

Today, of course is Sunday again, and I am about to go feed my horse, and I wanted to make my routine weekend post and let you know how the week went as far as the studio, the book, and the radio station are concerned. I also wanted to take some time to thank some people again, so this is the part where some of you get bored, but I have to stop and say thanks - I would do it for you too (and do!).

Thanks to Hatch and Jeff for making the week such a rewarding week for me. I will start with the top and work through all of the players for a very busy Christmas week:

Elaine Hinton of Hasbro - thank you for your continued love and support of my band and my music, and thanks for helping me make this happen for these kids in San Diego County.

Hasbro - thank you for matching the amount I donated in toys for the Toys for Tots program, and the various churches and hospitals and radio station we visited. I would not have been able to reach as many people as I did without your pledge to match my donation.

Jeff Payne - thanks for helping organize the shipment, the drop-off, the pick-up, and the final delivery of all of the boxes of toys all over San Diego County.

Glen "Hatch" Duffy - pretty much the same as Jeff's, thanks for helping organize the shipment, the drop-off, the pick-up, and the final delivery of the toys.

Justis Mustaine - thanks for helping us ship all of the toys. There is no finer son.

Pam Mustaine - thanks for allowing me to go around and do this.

The Rady Childrens' Hospital - thank you for allowing us to donate toys to your young patients.

The Naval Hospital - thanks for serving your country and this was to help ease the burden with gift-getting whilst bed-ridden.

105.3 KIOZ Rock Radio - thank for you allowing me to contribute to the listeners of the station, you are a real Rock station and remind me of the days of KNAC and ZRock!

And last but not least . . .

The U.S. Marines Toys for Tots - thank you for your service to your country's children.

Now, the juicy stuff. Yesterday Scott Holmen met me at the studio after Jeff and I finished moving stuff over to Vic's Garage. We went over the new BETA site for TheLiveLine.com and I was very intrigued by where we were in the scheme of things, and we started with the final countdown until we launch this new site. I asked him to convey my thoughts to my partners to consider just launching it now, since it is so much better than the current site and I will keep you posted on how that unfolds itself.

Over the last week our beloved webmaster, Dave 'Megadave' McRobb and I have talked about the new fan club and what we are going to have for 2009. We are going to be re-vamping the site, as well as correcting many things that went wrong due to there being too many people in the fan club for the amount of people we had to take care of it. I am excited to see what Dave McRobb and I can come up with next! We are going to be sorting out all of the sites, forums, and chat rooms associated with the MegaFanClub, and we will continue over the remainder of 2008 and through however long of 2009 it takes to have the most pleasant internet experience with your favorite bands or celebrities at TheLiveLine.com

Andy and Shawn are back safe and sound in their own little beds, and I have been going to the studio during the days, when I can and making slight changes to the songs, much in the same way that I wrote Rust In Peace. You see when I was writing that record, we were rehearsing in a hall near the Griffith Park Observatory and each day we would get there we would do our respective party favors and then we would go over all of the songs, including 'My Creation', although that had no lyrics at the time sang on the track and rendered the track obsolete. So, I have been going in each day and making the slightest of changes and most are for the better - reverting back to the previous version if I don't like what I did the next day. James and Chris and I are all still here, should I have any brainstorms and I know how to play the drums at least as good as Shawn knows how to play guitar, and that is saying something, since he is the fastest guitarist in the world. Remember?!

Now, about the songs:

I have five of the nine that appear to be mine completely written and arranged. There are two more that are Shawn's, and James has a potential part for a song, as well as Chris. I have to say that the energy and musical vein is from the period you have all been requesting. I know I have written something good too, when I am playing something and I curl my lip up when I assault my guitar. Andy said, 'Awwight! Ye got a bit ov de ole lip snarlin' goin now wight matey??'

I can without a doubt say that there is a song on here that is somewhat like 'Poison Was The Cure'. There seems to be a 'color' around this song that is reminiscent of the flair and energy from that period. This color is evident on several songs. Ask Jeff or Shane. Them not being band members also helps deter them from doing a cover-up and saying it sounds great . . . if it didn't.

But it does sound great, and I am more excited about this new record than I was with UA or anything in the last several years. I must confess that when Justis comes in and he and his band are stocked and howling about how fast and how heavy the new stuff is, it does make me feel great. He has really finicky taste and loves the really heavy stuff; especially the fast double-bass drum parts.

I AM NOT SAYING THAT THIS IS RUST IN PEACE 2!

But, I can say that the five out of nine songs I have arranged, I like and love them all, and every one of the songs has one or more of the strong points of me as a guitarist being showcased instead of me writing songs for radio - radio that won't play us anyway.

I'll be heading over to the studio today for a while, and tomorrow I go to Spokane, Washington for New Years with my family away from everything for a week or so. We return on Friday, the 2nd, as does Andy and Shawn. and we will reconvene on Saturday, the 3rd.

I am getting excited about the upcoming tour with Judas Priest, Megs, and Testament. I am also getting even more excited about hearing my new guitar partner Chris Broderick put some burning solos down! This is really going to be a record that will make a lot of people that thought we couldn't do it anymore sit up and take notice. Of course there will not be a fast enough song on here for a lot of people, or a heavy enough song, or something that will permit some of our visitors here to piss and moan about stuff.

Its time to go and make history after I get out of service. I have a purdy good couple of song titles too, that once I get the lyrics onto the songs, I will let you know the titles (or at least the working titles).

I love you guys so, so, so much! Thank you for giving me this life, this lifestyle, and this career. I have a feeling that you are going to be curling your lip a little bit on this new one."

Have a Happy New Year and MSGD!