Jeff Young: 'The Kings of Thrash album will be better than anything Megadeth has done recently'

"I remember being impressed by early Megadeth," guitarist Jeff Young tells Metal Edge. "But what really stood out most was Chris Poland's playing. His vibe was right up my alley, and it's probably the main reason I was interested in the gig."

It's an interesting revelation, especially given that said gig was a substantial leg up from what Young had gotten mixed up with at the time. But then again, Young was no chump, as he was fresh out of the acclaimed Musicians Institute and could shred with the best of them.

And so, while Young was but a humble guitar teacher at the time, the reality was that Megadeth's then-new guitarist, Jay Reynolds, who had just replaced Poland, had in turn hired Young to play all his solos on the impending Megadeth record, 1988's So Far, So Good… So What!, transcribe Chris Poland's previous work and then teach him everything in time for the upcoming tour.

It was quite the task, but Young was apparently up for the challenge, "I had given Jay lessons in the past," Young reveals, "But honestly, he was more of a rhythm player, not really a shredder. I didn't think he was what Megadeth needed, but I agreed to help him."

He continues, "So, I called my parents and told them, 'Hey, I got this amazing opportunity with a band signed to Capitol Records. But I'm not joining the band; I'm teaching the guy they hired how to do what the old guy did, but I don't think he can do it. Then I told them, 'I think I could totally steal this gig. What should I do?' And my parents said, 'Jeff, you don't want to go about it that way. Just go in and teach this young man, and if the guy in charge of this band is smart, they'll figure it out for themselves.' "

The guy in charge, Dave Mustaine, did indeed figure it out for himself. And after watching Young blow through all of Chis Poland's solos from Peace Sells… but Who's Buying? in less than thirty minutes, Jay Reynolds was out, and Jeff Young was in.

"I remember Dave called me down to the studio and asked me if I wanted to play some stuff for him," Young recalls. "So, I go down in surf shorts, docksiders, and a tank top. I could tell that Dave wasn't impressed, but I wasn't worried. So, Dave handed me a cassette tape and said, 'Take this home, learn it, think of a solo, come back tomorrow, and I'll show you where to put it.' That song turned out to be 'In My Darkest Hour,' so the benchmark was high from the jump."

High indeed. But Young paid the pressure no mind. "I came in the next day and just went into the zone to shred," Young says. "I turned my back to the mixing board, went to the room's back wall, ignored everyone, and blasted out the solo for 'In My Darkest Hour' that you hear on the record."

But while Young might have been a fit musically, the fact was that in the late ‘80s, Megadeth's ranks were racked with drugs, alcohol and anger. And Young, who had come from small-town Michigan and then fully adopted the SoCal lifestyle, was not remotely on that wavelength.

"Pretty early on in the sessions, [drummer] Chuck [Behler] got arrested for trying to score black tar heroin," Young sighs, "I knew then and there that I wasn't in Kansas anymore. So, Chuck was in jail, and that freaked me out. I promised myself then and there, 'I'm gonna stay in this thing for as long as it's healthy for me.' And you can trace what happened from that moment onward."

But despite the volatility and nightly infighting, Young could sense that Megadeth was on the doorstep of world domination. And it's with that in mind one has to wonder if Young regrets his decision to "walk away" in 1989.

"Sure, I would have loved to have stayed in Megadeth," Young shrugs. "But it was to the point where you had a guy suffering from paranoid delusions freebasing drugs 24/7."

Of course, the other side of the story goes something like Young had attempted to put the moves on Mustaine's then fiancé, leading to his firing. When asked if there's any truth to the tale, Young says, "It never happened. But these are the bullshit lies that have been spread repeatedly. To this day, Megadeth's fans look at me weirdly. And to be honest, I don't really appreciate it."

Despite an apparent distaste for Mustaine's version of events, overall, Young's demeanor is generally calm and affable. No easy feat. But his former employer seems to have different feelings on the matter… depending on when you ask him.

When asked why he feels Mustaine still looks back in anger on the events which transpired during Young's too-short Megadeth tenure, the guitarist's feelings are strong, "I think we all know people who are both narcissistic and insecure at the same time. Dave has never been the type to want to share the glory. My time in the band was basically witnessing a giant power trip."

Settling back in his seat to give additional thoughts, Young bristles, "I always thought of Dave as being similar to Dennis the Menace. He's the kid in the sandbox who can't share his toys. And when you have that personality type, you never get over things. It's why he keeps on talking about Metallica. Even back then, I was like, 'Dude… why can't you get over that?' Dave always has to find someone to disparage. But it's not just me. And if it was just me, why has he run through so many different people over the years? Sure, it may be peaceful now, but don't let him fool you; he's the same guy that he always was. It just depends on the day."

Having been through such a "war zone" couldn't have been fun for an easygoing guy like Jeff Young. But he landed on his feet, leaning heavily into his studies, teaching, and other musical outlets. And so, it came with great surprise that, shortly after his old bandmate, David Ellefson, was ejected from his longtime seat in Megadeth, the two reconnected, eventually forming Kings of Thrash.

"I was always cool with David," Young insists. "But back then, he was trying to be a toxic twin with Mustaine, you know? He knew who was buttering his bread, and he's got an amiable personality, so I get where he came from. So, fast-forward to when David got kicked out of Megadeth when we got together; it was cool because we kind of got to know each other through a different lens for the first time."

"And here's the thing," Young reminds. "David is a great ambassador to metal, and he's great at bringing people together for different projects. Looking back, I feel we could have been or should have been closer back then, but I just didn't get to know him on that level. I didn't want to be around cigarettes or blow, so I roomed with Nick [Menza] back then and stayed low-key. The crazy thing is that when David and I talk, we both have the viewpoint of people who went through a traumatic event."

In the years since, Kings of Thrash has grown from effectively a high-end Megadeth tribute band to a full-on powerhouse capable of packing clubs, theaters, and halls. Moreover, they've got new music on the way, meaning—the future is burning as bright as ever for these forlorn Megadeth castoffs.

As for Megadeth, they're on top of the world, too. Their latest record, 2022's The Sick, The Dying… and The Dead!, was a barnburner. What's more, Mustaine has overcome yet another hurdle in throat cancer, and James LoMenzo has settled into Ellefson's bass chair nicely.

But the sparring hasn't stopped, and the jabs seem to be perpetually coming. To that end, Young scoffs, "Let me put it this way: What's happening now is a win for all of us — Dave included. He gets to make money off the publishing from the Megadeth songs we play. Dave knows that, so he's very aware of us."

Young continues, "He hates what Kings of Thrash is doing. But it doesn't matter because, eventually, we'll delete a lot of the Megadeth from our set, and we'll keep writing new stuff. But Dave is feeling the heat because we're getting attention, and the Kings of Thrash album will be better than anything Megadeth has done recently. And we're playing all the Megadeth songs better than he has in years. It's not just me saying that — read the reviews."

When asked what the future holds outside of their shared past in Megadeth, a triumphant smile creeps across his face. Knowing that both he and Ellefson have finally stepped out of the shadow of what they perceived to be musical tyranny, for Kings of Thrash, the scope of their intent is utterly boundless.

"We didn't think this would happen," Young admits. "This script is writing itself. We couldn't have scripted it any better if we tried. We just went out and did what felt good with people with a shared mindset, and good things are happening."

With a winning tone becoming increasingly prominent in his voice, Young continues, "We have a shared motto in this band: 'Say yes to everything.' So, that's what we do. And by doing that, we allow unconventional things to happen. Who knew that David and I would come together? Who knew that Chris [Poland] would be involved? I didn't."

He concludes, "But we're here, it's happening, and it's been a success so far. But we're not trying to take anything for granted or look too far in advance. We'll just play our shows, put out our music, and take it from there. Our past is our past; we can't change it. We're just trying to make music on a frequency that vibrates within our souls today. Not much more we can do beyond that."