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Teemu M\u00e4ntysaari<\/strong> never expected to be shredding alongside Dave Mustaine<\/strong> in Megadeth<\/a><\/strong>. But when the opportunity arose, the Finnish guitarist’s dedication to preparation and his diverse musical background proved to be the perfect fit for the legendary thrash metal band.<\/p>\n “I never thought something like this would happen to me,” M\u00e4ntysaari<\/strong> told Guitar World<\/a> <\/em>in a recent interview, “But at the same time, I’ve always felt like being prepared was important in case a big band like this did call me.”<\/p>\n M\u00e4ntysaari<\/strong>‘s journey began at the age of 12, honing his skills in his hometown of Tampere, Finland. He cut his teeth in bands like Wintersun<\/a><\/strong> and Smackbound<\/strong>, developing a reputation for versatility and a knack for quickly adapting to new musical situations.<\/p>\n This adaptability became crucial when he received the call to fill in for Megadeth<\/a><\/strong>‘s longtime guitarist, Kiko Loureiro<\/strong>. With limited time to prepare, M\u00e4ntysaari<\/strong> dove headfirst into the band’s extensive catalog, meticulously dissecting the nuances of each song.<\/p>\n “I have a specific skillset where I can learn fast, jump into new situations, and be comfortable. I’ve always liked doing that. I love teaching, and I’ve been on many cover projects, so being detail-oriented is part of my skill set,” he explained.<\/p>\n His meticulous approach and dedication to detail impressed Megadeth<\/a><\/strong>‘s frontman, Dave Mustaine<\/strong>. What began as a temporary fill-in role has now become a permanent position for M\u00e4ntysaari<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n “We’d look at the small details of how they groove, the moods, and the technical side. We talked a lot about what Dave<\/strong> wants to project, picking directions, being very aware of down-picking, alternate picking, and, in many of the songs, being aware of both,” M\u00e4ntysaari<\/strong> elaborated regarding his approach to playing Megadeth<\/a><\/strong>‘s material.<\/p>\n “We also talked about things like dampening, the flow of songs, creating contrast, hand positions, and trying to get things right fingering-wise, all of which I enjoy doing. There’s a bit of detective work involved, and to get that information from the source in Dave<\/strong> was amazing.”\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/div>\n