Kiko Loureiro’s departure was “bittersweet”, says Mustaine
The leader of MEGADETH Dave Mustaine has addressed the recent departure of the band’s guitarist Kiko Loureiro and the incorporation of Teemu Mäntysaarithe Finnish musician member of WINTERSUN who now holds the position in the Thrash Metal group.
In an interview with the Colombian channel Alejandrosis, he declares:
“Well, I can tell you that Kiko’s departure was bittersweet. Kiko is a good father, he loves his family and he also loves his job. He is a wonderful guitarist, and has been a good friend to me and to fans of MEGADETH and the band. And we found out that Kiko was having stress and tension in your family, being away for so long, and we knew it wasn’t going to get better; There were just going to be more concerts and more time away from home. And she has three children. So, in the best years, it needs to be there. We all agreed and said we were going to bring in a substitute. Teemu came and helped us for a while, and then we realized that this is probably for the best, is that let’s stay with Teemu and for Kiko to step aside and take care of her little ones again until everything is fine.”
“It’s best that we stay with Teemu”
Regarding Mäntysaari’s capabilities, Mustaine considers:
“Teemu is a monster. He’s the guy I’ve been looking for for a long time. I ask him to learn a song and he learns it. I ask him to learn a solo and he learns it. I ask him to learn a vocal part, he learns it. And he has a great right hand. He is very intelligent. He looks a lot like mine. And I love watching her play and watching her learn, because she learns as fast as anyone else, and that has made me interested in my craft again. I guarantee you that I didn’t see the guitar as something that had to be part of my daily life.. He would sometimes put down the guitar and not play it for a couple of days. Since Teemu arrived, I’m ready: I’m ready to warm up, I’m ready to practice, I’m ready to go over the solos and I’m ready to fucking go.”
Mustaine defends the new guitarist’s learning capacity:
“I talk to Teemu and I say, ‘Hey, Teemu, we have to add a new song to the set.’ ‘Okay. What song? What song? What song? Are you kidding me? You know how much I’ve had to begging for the last 30 fucking years to get that one of the other guitarists learned someone else’s solo. And here you come and start playing like you’re eating Krispies. Come on, dude”.
Mäntysaari recently praised Mustaine:
“Dave is a very confident guitarist. He has a great sense of rhythm and his tone is great. As a songwriter, he is a master of both riffs and solos. He chooses special types of notes, uses cool techniques and all these very interesting tapping parts.
There are many innovative things; To think that he came up with a lot in the 80s and how influential he has been is crazy. We still feel that influence today.“.
Mäntysaari is on tour with MEGADETH through Latin America in April:
MEGADETH concerts in Latin America in 2024
- Saturday April 14 – Buenos Aires, Argentina – Movistar Arena
- Tuesday April 16 – Asunción, Paraguay – Jockey Club
- Thursday, April 18 – São Paulo, Brazil – Espaço Unimed
- Sunday, April 21 – Bogotá, Colombia – Movistar Arena
- Tuesday, April 23 – San Salvador, El Salvador – Cuscatlán Complex
- Thursday, April 25 – Mexico City, Mexico – Mexico City Arena
- Saturday, April 27 – Monterrey, Mexico – Arena Monterrey
About Teemu Mäntysaari
Teemu, born in Tampere, Finland, in 1987, he showed interest in sports and music from a young age. He started playing acoustic guitar at age 12 and then electric. With lessons from Tom Gardiner, he advanced in theory and technique. In 2004, he moved to Helsinki to study music and joined IMPERANON and then to WINTERSUN. With this band he released the acclaimed album “Time I” in 2012. He joined MEGADETH in 2023. Renowned for his technique, he cites Govan, Satriani and Vai as inspirations. His versatility has highlighted him in projects such as SMACKBOUND and RASKASTA ISKELMÄÄ. Additionally, he has been a sought-after teacher since 2006, teaching in-person and online lessons to guitarists of all levels.
MEGADETH’s last album was “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead“.
More information about the band on their Facebook page.
