Dave Mustaine was born on September 13th, 1961, in La Mesa, California. He was METALLICA's lead guitarist for the band's first two years and wrote or co-wrote material that survives on "Kill 'Em All" and "Ride the Lightning," but he was fired in April 1983, put on a bus back to Los Angeles and told nothing else. He formed MEGADETH within weeks, and the rage from that dismissal powered one of the most technically demanding catalogues in thrash: "Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?," "Rust in Peace" and "Countdown to Extinction" among them. His riffing style — angular, chromatic, harmonically restless — is instantly identifiable, and his snarl became one of metal's most imitated voices. MEGADETH have sold tens of millions of records, and Mustaine has never stopped fighting anyone, including himself.