Teemu Mäntysaari, the latest addition to Megadeth’s arsenal, already seems to have settled into the legendary band. In a recent interview with Detroit radio station WRIF’s Meltdown, he revealed that he already has “a ton of riffs and ideas” for Megadeth’s next album, set for 2025.
Teemu joined Megadeth in 2023 to replace Kiko Loureiro, after the latter decided to focus on his family life. Since then, the Finnish guitarist has been fully invested in the creative process, accumulating ideas for Megadeth’s future. “As soon as Dave [Mustaine] started talking about producing the next album, I started gathering my own ideas. I now have a good amount of riffs and ideas accumulated”Teemu confided.
An expected collaborative process
One of the most intriguing aspects of Teemu’s approach is his method of pitching ideas to the band. According to him, Megadeth’s iconic frontman Dave Mustaine likes all the members to contribute to the music. The process involves each member coming up with their own riffs, before putting them together to see which ones come together best. “Dave has been very encouraging and wants all members to participate. It’s really exciting.”Teemu added.
When he has free time, whether it’s at a hotel during a break or between shows, Teemu records his riff ideas. He stores them in a folder to use during pre-production sessions with Mustaine and the other members. He says he’s eager to see how his ideas are received and developed.
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A group that finds its balance again
Teemu’s arrival in Megadeth seems to have transformed the dynamic of the band. In an interview with Loudwire Nights, Dave Mustaine discussed the impact of this change. “We’re a real band again. It’s not just me and a few session musicians anymore.”he confided. Mustaine did not hesitate to compare his relationship with Teemu to the one he had with former guitarist Marty Friedman, thus marking the solidity of their collaboration.
This new phase of Megadeth was marked by a resurgence of creativity and greater cohesion between the members. For Mustaine, the arrival of Teemu helped reestablish a true group spirit. “This new bond reminds me of the time when we were truly a close-knit team”he added.
The rapid rise of a discreet talent
Teemu Mäntysaari is no stranger to the world of metal. Born in Tampere, Finland, he started playing guitar at the age of 12. Before joining Megadeth, he was part of the Melodic Death Metal band Wintersun and the Progressive Metal band Smackbound. His career took a major turn when he was introduced to Mustaine by Kiko Loureiro himself, who saw in him a talent capable of taking over his torch.
Mustaine was full of praise for Teemu’s playing, noting his humility and ability to reproduce his predecessors’ guitar parts with impressive accuracy. “He can play everything like the other guitarists, he is one of the best to have covered these parts”Mustaine said in an interview.
