Dave Mustaine has opened up about how he almost hired two of metal’s biggest names to be in Megadeth back in the day.

Back in 1988, things were looking pretty good for Megadeth. Having just released their third album, So Far, So Good… So What!, and seeing their highest chart positions to date, the group looked as though they were set to make new waves in the thrash metal genre.

As the year continued though, things began to take a bit of a toll on the band, with rampant drug use and clashing personalities.

Just prior to the cancellation of the band’s 1988 Australian tour, Dave Mustaine made the decision to fire drummer Chuck Behler and guitarist Jeff Young, bringing in new percussionist Nick Menza as a replacement.

However, as a new interview with Dave Mustaine explains, the history of Megadeth – and metal music as we know it – was almost a lot different.

Speaking to the Tampa Bay Times, Mustaine explained how his search for a new guitarist brought Pantera’s Dimebag Darrell onto his radar.

“I actually called him up and asked him to play in Megadeth,” Mustaine explained. “Fate would have completely changed if I would have called him before I called Nick Menza.”

“I said, ‘Hey, Darrell, I’m looking for a guitar player.’ And he goes, ‘Can I bring my brother?’ And I went, “Who’s your brother?’ He goes, “Vinnie Paul! Don’t you know Vinnie Paul?'”

Check out Pantera’s ‘Cowboys From Hell’:

“He wanted to bring his brother and have him play with us, and I go, ‘Oh, man, I just hired Nick Menza’,” Mustaine continued. “Can you imagine what Vinnie and Darrell would have been with me and Junior [bassist Dave Ellefson]? Would’ve been pretty cool.”

At the time, Pantera had recently released Power Metal, their first album with new vocalist Phil Anselmo. By July of 1990, the group had released their breakthrough album, Cowboys From Hell, well and truly putting Pantera into the metal history books.

Sadly, Dimebag Darrell was tragically shot and killed while playing with his new band Damageplan in 2004, while Vinnie Paul passed away in June of 2018.

While Megadeth are currently working on their 16th studio album, one can’t help but wonder how the course of musical history would have been changed had Dave Mustaine decided to recruit Dimebag Darrell and Vinnie Paul to be in his iconic group.

Check out Megadeth’s ‘Hangar 18’: