Dave Mustaine sorry about supergroup talk

Never again: Mustaine (pic Kevin Nixon)

Dave Mustaine has apologised to James Hetfield for suggesting plans were being made for a Metallica-Megadeth supergroup.

Last year Mustaine said he was hoping to record an album with his bassist Dave Ellefson alongside Hetfield and Lars Ulrich from the band that sacked him in 1983.

Classic Rock last week reported the Metallica frontman’s reaction to the Megadeth mainman’s comments: “I do see a lot of stuff in the press with him talking about jamming with us and making an album. All this other crazy stuff. I read it and say to myself, ‘Hold on. This is the Dave that we kind of wanted to forget about. You know, the big mouth that wants to just go-go-go.’”

Now Mustaine tells Artisan News: “I probably shouldn’t have said stuff like that. I guess some people may think I’m trying to use that as a way to get publicity. So I can see where there would be some feelings about it. That wasn’t my intention.”

He’s texted Hetfield to make amends and vowed not to repeat any such comments. “I won’t ever mention it again,” Mustaine says. “I like James and I thought what he said was flattering, then it kind of went the opposite way, then it kind of came back again.

“I guess my whole thing was, I just wanted them to know that I loved them and I missed them, and I enjoyed playing with them. If that’s not mutual, then I understand. I still respect him and I still care about the guy.”

He adds: “If he doesn’t like the idea of what I said, that’s okay. It wasn’t like I said it was going to happen – it was something that I kind of wished would happen. But since it doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen, it’s off my bucket list.”

Mustaine and Hetfield ended their decades-long feud when the Big 4 of thrash played together in Belgium in 2010. During the show, broadcast to cinemas across the world, they hugged on stage to a round of applause from the audience.