Former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist Gus G has revealed he was once approached to audition for Megadeth and Machine Head – but despite being a “huge” fan of the thrash icons, he turned them both down.
In a recent interview on the Chuck Shute Podcast, he opened up on how his time with Osbourne refocused his priorities, and explained why he ultimately decided against auditioning for the big-name metal groups.
The Greek guitarist – who rose to prominence with power metal band Firewind before featuring on Osbourne’s 2010 album Scream – said the Megadeth offer came in 2015, while he was still a part of the Ozzy camp.
The band were looking for someone to fill Chris Broderick's shoes, who has since gone on to join In Flames.
Speaking to Shute, Gus G said his decision to turn down an audition was made out of respect for his then-current bandmates. Two weeks later, Kiko Loureiro joined the band instead.
“I've had offers to audition for other bands and stuff – not to join, but to audition – but I didn't do it,” he said. “During my time with Ozzy, Megadeth reached out. I said, 'Well, I can't really leave Ozzy for that,' even though I'm a huge Megadeth fan.
“Two weeks later, Kiko [Loureiro] was in the band. And Kiko was a buddy of mine; we've known each other. His old band Angra and Firewind have toured together, so I knew him and I thought he was a great fit.”
It certainly strikes up a case of ‘what could have been’. Loureiro went on to find great success in Megadeth, with the 2016 album Dystopia winning the ‘Best Metal Performance’ Grammy at the 2017 ceremony. That accounted for one of many “pinch-me” moments the guitarist experienced during his near-decade-long tenure in the band.
By comparison, not long after the release of Scream, Osbourne rekindled the Black Sabbath flame with Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward. That dramatically impacted the role Gus G played in Ozzy’s group, and in 2017, he officially left the band.
I'm not sure if I'm really made for being a hired-gun kind of guy. I'm enjoying calling my own shots
Then, in 2019, Machine Head approached him regarding another audition, after Phil Demmel’s time in the band had come to an end the year prior. This invitation was also turned down.
“I'm not sure if I'm really made for being a hired-gun kind of guy,” Gus G went on. “I'm enjoying calling my own shots. It's two different worlds doing those things.
“Doing your own thing, of course, involves a lot of risks – financial, of course, because you don't know if things will work out…if people are gonna like it.
“Then, of course, being a hired gun for a band, you don't have to worry about any of that. But you're also disposable.”
Machine Head would ultimately go on to recruit Decapitated guitarist Wacław ‘Vogg’ Kiełtyka, who played a key role in the 2022 album Of Kingdom and Crown.
Since the release of Scream, Gus G has put out four albums with Firewind, and four lead-littered solo releases as he continues to work on his own terms.
However, his love for Megadeth hasn’t gone away. Talking on the podcast, he reflected on his cover of Marty Friedman’s masterful Tornado of Souls solo on his YouTube channel late last year.
“We all know Marty Friedman is an out-of-this-world level player,” he observed. “The rest of us can keep trying! Megadeth always had insane lead guitarists in their ranks. For me, it's an inspiration.”
Speaking to Guitar World in support of his 2021, and latest, solo album Quantum Leap, he also admitted the allure of playing with Ozzy has never gone away.
“I loved my time with him, of course, I would do it again,” he said. “I don’t think there is a guitar player on earth that would turn that down!”
For now, his attentions are honed in on Firewind. They will release their 10th album, Stand United, March 1 via AFM.
