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Mustaine Accuses Metallica of Riff Theft in Fiery Interview

5/29/2025

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Summary

Story summary

In a fiery interview, Dave Mustaine charged Metallica with pilfering the iconic "Enter Sandman" riff from Excel's 1989 track "Tapping Into the Emotional Void." He reignited old wounds, claiming he was unjustly ousted from the band and asserting his pivotal role in crafting early classics like "Ride the Lightning" and "The Call of Ktulu."

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Story summary

In a fiery interview, Dave Mustaine charged Metallica with pilfering the iconic "Enter Sandman" riff from Excel's 1989 track "Tapping Into the Emotional Void." He reignited old wounds, claiming he was unjustly ousted from the band and asserting his pivotal role in crafting early classics like "Ride the Lightning" and "The Call of Ktulu."