10 Times Megadeth Did It Better Than Metallica

10. Duelling Guitars

One of the staples of all Heavy Metal music is the use of duelling solos. Popularised by influential bands such as Diamond Head, no Metal band worth their salt can be without a shred off to show off their axemen’s mettle.

Metallica’s Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield are two solid guitarists and have written some hefty riffs together. Hammett is one of the last students of guitar god, Joe Satriani, and this has excelled Metallica musically almost beyond compare. Together, Hammett and Hetfield have duelled on several tracks, with the most notable taking place towards the end of the seminal anthem, One. Hammett strangles his guitar to help bring the atmosphere up to a violent degree, then Hetfield comes in with a lower tone and a slower pace bringing in a sense of impending doom.

However, as good as this is, the destructive duo that is Dave Mustaine and Megadeth’s best lead guitarist, Marty Friedman, are simply better. Sharing solo duties on numerous songs, the pinnacle of all guitar solos takes place on their 1990 masterpiece, Hangar 18.

Immediately punching through with a throbbing Thrash riff, the pace is kept throughout the five-minute firestorm. Mustaine and Friedman intercept with casual solos between each verse, to then unleash all fury in the song’s latter half. Friedman performs melodic manoeuvres with an Eastern twist, while Mustaine shreds with such precision he started getting rid of the band's old bank statements in the process.

Megadeth performed with more raw power. Simple.