Chris Broderick, lead and rhythm guitarist for Megadeth, may be a classically trained musician, but he owes his musical passion to metal.
Dave Mustaine, founder and frontman of the band, has likened finding the talented player to Ozzy Osborne finding guitarist extraordinaire Randy Rhoads. For his part, Broderick waves off the comparison, saying only that there are many great metal musicians out there — especially co-headliner Rob Zombie.
“We always try to base it on what we think would serve the audience best,” said Broderick of Megadeth’s current tour with Zombie. “This will definitely be a good time.”
| If you go |
| The Metal Lords’ Day featuring Rob Zombie and Megadeth |
| When: 3 p.m. Sunday |
| Where: Merriweather Post Pavilion, 10475 Little Patuxent Parkway, Columbia |
| Info: $40 to $55; merriweathermusic.com; 410-715-5550 |
Pairing Zombie, who has made as much of a name for himself as a filmmaker as a musician, and Megadeth seems to be a match made in metal heaven. Zombie has been in metal for close to three decades, first as the founder of White Zombie and then as a solo artist. Megadeth was formed in 1983 after Mustaine left Metallica. Both have had a lasting impact on the genre.
“Touring is kind of funny,” said Zombie. “The years just fly by. When fans say ‘You haven’t been to are town in years’ or ‘It’s been 20 years since you toured with Megadeth,’ it’s hard to believe. I don’t know why it’s taken so long. We are dong it now and it feels good, as always. I’m always excited to play with these other bands.”
One reason Zombie hasn’t had time to tour with Megadeth may well be his filmmaking schedule. He’s in post-production on his sixth feature film, “Lords of Salem,” and he plans to begin recording a new album next month. In addition, he’s just directed a series of TV commercials and started his own Web series “Rob Zombie Does Tom Baker” on YouTube’s Nerdist Channel.
When told that Mustaine recently discussed Zombie’s film career, noting he is perhaps as well-known for that work as his music, Zombie was reflective.
“That is kind of cool in a way. The funny thing is I have such a wide range of fans now because of [films],” he said. “I go to an airport, and every time I go through a bag check they know who I am. Music is very genre specific sometimes, but movies, even those [fans] that love country [music], have seen my movies. Movies go to a much wider audience. It’s just such a different experience.”
