Toward the end of 2014, Megadeth's Chris Broderick and Shawn Drover announced they were leaving the band, which left Dave Mustaine in the spot of once again having to fill vacancies in the lineup. As we now know, the new guitar and drum positions are held by Kiko Loureiro and Chris Adler. We recently had a chance to chat with Mustaine and during the talk the subject of Loureiro's addition came up.

Mustaine had been aware of Loureiro before he came to the band, once appearing on a magazine cover with the guitarist. He reveals in the chat above that the first part of his audition actually didn't involve Loureiro playing, as the two grabbed some lunch and had a few beers. Watch the video above as Mustaine reveals exactly how the guitarist came to be part of the band.

Mustaine, who ranks pretty high among Loudwire's Top 50 Hard Rock + Metal Guitarists of All-Time, recently admitted that Loureiro's playing kind of intimidates him, but adds that that's a good thing. "Arnold Schwarzenegger had said something in one of his motivational speeches. He said, 'Every day somebody out there is working a little bit harder and getting a little bit smarter. If you're not working hard too, prepare to be No. 2," states Mustaine about Loureiro's talent really pushing him.

As for the guitarist's contributions to the new album, Mustaine complimented his ability to adapt to what he was hearing and still taking it to a new place. "You can tell when somebody has feeling in their playing verses someone that can really play well but has no feeling," says Mustaine. "Kiko's got this incredible knack for being able to pick up on stuff I show him. He takes it and makes it his own."

Check out Mustaine's discussion of Kiko Loureiro's addition and what it's meant to Megadeth in the video player above. And check out Loureiro's playing alongside Mustaine and his Megadeth bandmates on their new Dystopia album, in stores now. You can pick up a copy in either physical or digital formats.

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