Megadeth vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine recently made mention of issues with his hands playing a part in his decision to retire the band. Ahead of laying the multi-platinum thrash metal pillar to rest, he intends to release the group’s self-titled final studio album on January 23rd, which will be followed by a farewell run that is expected to unfold over roughly 3 to 5 years.
Mustaine has had well-documented cases of injury over the years, including radial neuropathy in his left hand that previously forced him to call it quits back in 2002. He’s also suffered from spinal stenosis and overcame a bout with throat cancer. His lifelong passion for martial arts has no doubt also added to the wear and tear on his body.
In a new interview with MariskalRockTV, he opened up a bit further about the current issues he faces with his hands: Dupuytren’s contracture. That progressive condition results in a thickening of skin at the base of one’s fingers, ultimately causing the fingers to curl towards the palm. While the condition isn’t curable, invasive treatments such as surgery, injections or other options can help slow or alleviate the symptoms. Mustaine said of the matter in the below interview:
“…You can look right here on this hand. There’s a line right there that’s sticking up. That’s something called Dupuytren’s contracture, and it’s gonna make my finger come down like this. It’s already started, where it’s kind of bunching up a little bit. And then if you look at the tips of my fingers, they’re severely arthritic. So, all those bumps makes it really painful to play.”
When quizzed about potentially undergoing surgery for the issue, he said:
“I’m gonna wait for that until I’m ready to try it, because if I try it now and I’m 95 percent, and I do a surgery and it sets me back, that would’ve been a bad decision. If I wait until my hands are causing a problem and I try it and it doesn’t work, well then I’ve toured everywhere, I’ve said farewell to everybody and I’m not leaving stuff unsaid or unfinished.”
[via Blabbermouth.net]