Dave Mustaine has spoken to NME about calling it quits with Megadeth after being “on defence almost all my career”, his hopes for the future of metal, and the likelihood of seeing the band return to the stage as virtual avatars.

• READ MORE: Megadeth – ‘Megadeth’ review: a fiery farewell from the pioneers of thrash
  

The thrash pioneers released their 17th and final album on Friday (January 23), bringing a pivotal chapter in metal history to a close. Described as a “fiery farewell” by NME, the record sees Mustaine and co. lean into the same thunderous riffs and angsty lyrics that first put them on the map, and yet counterbalance it with touching moments of melancholy.

Now, speaking to NME, Mustaine recalled when he realised that this release had to be their last – noticing how much physical limitations were getting in the way.

“It was about the halfway point [of working on it],” he said, when asked if he knew from the offset that the end was drawing in. “My hands were hurting, and I’d already had issues with them because of arthritis. Then I had numbness from when my neck was fused together – my neck had been broken by a chiropractor – so I have a metal plate in my neck with some screws… so my hands were already messed up.

“I’ve always said that when I don’t feel like I can do it anymore, that’s going to be time for me to stop.”

Check out our full interview with the frontman below, where he also opened up about his thoughts on the current metal scene, his appreciation for former Metallica bandmate James Hetfield, and sticking by his decision to not invite previous members on the final tour.