10 Musician And Band Names With Dark Unusual Origins

Megadeth's name is an altered spelling of the word 'megadeath', which is a military term for one million human deaths. The heavy metal band's co-founder and frontman Dave Mustaine thought of the name during his bus journey home after he was fired from Metallica. While brainstorming lyrics, he wrote, "The arsenal of megadeath can't be rid no matter what the peace treaties come to."

He decided that he liked the word 'megadeath', but later dropped the 'a' when he realised that Pink Floyd used to be called The Megadeaths. The band's name helped to popularise the act of misspelling words. This became common in the heavy metal and rock community, with bands like Korn, Limp Bizkit and Puddle of Mudd following suit.

The name's dark and destructive connotations are obvious, especially considering that megadeath usually occurs during nuclear wars. The themes that the word evokes are explored throughout the band's discography, as reflected in albums like Countdown to Extinction and Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!