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During a recent interview on The Shawn Ryan Show, Dave Mustaine took another jab at his former Metallica bandmates, alleging that they lifted the “Enter Sandman” riff from a track by another thrash band.
You can check out the clip below.
“I made it a point to never claim I quit, because I wanted people to understand that I was wrongfully dismissed and that I didn’t care,” the Megadeth frontman shared with host Shawn Ryan, reminiscing about his brief and rocky stint with Metallica.
Which Song Did Dave Mustaine Accuse Metallica of Copying?
“We might not be as renowned as they are,” Mustaine went on. “Their biggest hit, ‘Enter Sandman’—just take a look at the band Excel right now. Check out their track, which I believe is called ‘Into the Unknown.’ Quite similar.”
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Mustaine was referencing “Tapping Into the Emotional Void,” from Excel’s 1989 album The Joke’s on You. Indeed, the opening riff of this song bears a striking resemblance to the intro of Metallica’s iconic hit, and the tom-heavy drum pattern slightly mirrors Lars Ulrich’s style at the beginning of “Enter Sandman.”
Listen to both tracks and make your own comparison.
Listen to Excel’s ‘Tapping Into the Emotional Void’
Listen to Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’
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The likenesses were not overlooked by Excel, whose track gained renewed attention after “Enter Sandman” was released in 1991. “You really don’t know what to think,” stated Excel’s vocalist Dan Clements in an interview with the Los Angeles Times that year.
The surge in popularity of “Enter Sandman” brought renewed focus to “Tapping Into the Emotional Void,” which had only sold roughly 20,000 copies upon its initial release. In 2003, reports emerged that Excel were contemplating legal action against Metallica, but nothing materialized. Meanwhile, Mustaine has been accusing Metallica of borrowing from Excel for many years.
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According to Clements, the spike in sales for Excel ended up being more advantageous than a prolonged lawsuit would have been. The singer mentioned to the Los Angeles Times: “I just want it to be known that it’s time for more than 20,000 people to recognize that musically, Excel is ahead of its time.”
Dave Mustaine Discusses Metallica-Excel Similarities on ‘The Shawn Ryan Show’
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Contributions by Philip Trapp, Ed Rivadavia, Jordan Blum, Ayron Rutan and Joe DiVita.
Gallery Credit: Loudwire Staff
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