Megadeth architect Dave Mustaine has offered some pointed career advice to rising star Yungblud, suggesting that the young artist’s tendency to collaborate with a wide range of musicians might eventually dilute his own artistic identity.
In a recent interview with NME, the conversation shifted from Megadeth‘s final album and touring plans to the future of the rock genre. When the interviewer brought up Yungblud as a potential torchbearer for the new generation, Mustaine admitted he had never heard of the artist or his catalog.
The interviewer proceeded to list Yungblud‘s recent resume, which includes high-profile team-ups with Aerosmith and The Smashing Pumpkins frontman Billy Corgan, as well as his recent performance of “Changes” at the “Back to the Beginning” tribute show. Upon hearing about this heavy reliance on collaboration, Mustaine expressed concern rather than admiration.
While the interviewer noted that Yungblud is helping to bridge the gap for rock fans, Mustaine argued that working with everyone can actually hinder an artist’s ability to stand out.
“Perhaps. But when you say somebody is working with everybody, that to me means they’ve reached a point where they need to either take a break, or find something else [to separate them from the pack] because you run the risk of your song sounding like the last person’s song, which then sounds like the last person’s song.”
When asked if he would ever consider joining forces with Yungblud, Mustaine shut down the idea, reaffirming his commitment to his own legacy.
“As far as me knowing any young bands or artists that I wanna work with? If I was going to work with anybody right now, I’d keep working with Megadeth.”
Earlier last week, Yungblud has secured the 2026 Grammy Award for “Best Rock Performance,” earning the golden gramophone for his stirring live cover of the Black Sabbath ballad “Changes.”
The winning track captures a specific moment in heavy metal history: it was recorded last July at Villa Park in Birmingham, United Kingdom, during Ozzy Osbourne‘s final farewell event, dubbed “Back To The Beginning.” Originally released on Sabbath‘s 1972 album Vol. 4, the song took on new weight as a tribute to the “Prince of Darkness.”
For the performance, Yungblud—born Dominic Harrison—was supported by a formidable supergroup. The backing band featured Anthrax bassist Frank Bello, Extreme virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt, drummer II of Sleep Token, and keyboardist Adam Wakeman, a longtime collaborator with both Osbourne and Black Sabbath.
