For a bloke who’s spent decades publicly shadowboxing with Metallica, Dave Mustaine is sounding unusually measured right now.

The Megadeth frontman has opened up about his long, messy history with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, saying their relationship is “constantly improving” as Megadeth edges closer to the end of the road.

Mustaine’s split from Metallica in the early ’80s has been picked apart in metal lore, there’s been reconciliation, blow ups, and the occasional flare up over credits, including the 2017 dispute around Metallica’s planned No Life ‘Til Leather demo box set, which was ultimately scrapped.

Speaking to SPIN however, Mustaine framed his current mindset as more about respect than revenge, including Megadeth’s decision to include ‘Ride The Lightning’ on their upcoming self-titled final album, out this Friday, January 23rd.

“It was to complete the circle and pay respect to my partners, James and Lars,” Mustaine said, adding that the track was never meant as a cover. “I wrote it with James and it was our creation.”

Praising Hetfield

He also praised his old bandmates, calling Hetfield “an exceptional guitar player” and Ulrich “an exceptional songwriter.”

More importantly, Mustaine admitted the emotional undercurrent behind all those years of friction:

“We’re constantly working on improving our relationship,” he said. “I really do love those guys. That’s why we fought so much — it was that I missed them.”

In a separate chat with Revolver, Mustaine also floated a bigger fix, putting Megadeth and Metallica on the road together.

“I think what needs to happen is there needs to be a Megadeth [and] Metallica tour. Period. That would, I’m sure, make everything right. We could hang out. Spend time together.”

Mustaine also acknowledged time has changed his perspective:

“You try and put things into perspective as you get a little bit older. I think about where I am at in my journey: I’m on the backside of the mountain, and I want to make sure that every day counts…”

Whether Metallica bite is another story, if this really is Mustaine chasing closure, it’s the most human version of the saga we’ve heard in a long time.