Dave Mustaine Opens Up About Hand Condition Impacting His Playing

Dave Mustaine has revealed that a painful hand condition is playing a significant role in Megadeth’s decision to release one final album and embark on a farewell tour. The longtime frontman has been diagnosed with Dupuytren’s contracture. This condition causes one or more fingers to curl inward toward the palm, limiting mobility and making it increasingly difficult to play guitar.

The disorder typically begins with small nodules beneath the skin before progressing into thickened tissue. For a guitarist whose career has been built on precision, speed, and endurance, the impact has been impossible to ignore.

“It’s already started, where it’s kind of bunching up a little bit,” Mustaine explained in a recent interview with MariskalRockTV. “And then if you look at the tips of my fingers, they’re severely arthritic. So all those bumps make it really painful to play.”

Surgery, Timing, and a Sense of Closure

Mustaine has confirmed that he plans to undergo surgery to address the condition, but only after Megadeth completes its farewell tour. The timing, he says, is deliberate. By finishing the tour first, he ensures that nothing is left undone if the procedure does not restore his playing ability.

“If I wait until my hands are causing a problem and I try it and it doesn’t work,” he said, “well then I’ve toured everywhere, I’ve said farewell to everybody, and I’m not leaving stuff unsaid or unfinished.”

It’s a pragmatic approach from an artist who has survived decades of physical setbacks, lineup changes, and personal struggles while keeping Megadeth active at the highest level.

One Last Run, on Megadeth’s Terms

Megadeth’s farewell tour is scheduled to begin on February 15 in Canada, though an official end date has not yet been announced. According to Mustaine, the final chapter could unfold over an extended period rather than a single lap around the globe.

“We’re easily talking about touring for another three to five years,” he previously told Kerrang!. “And if we’re going to be doing it for that long, then, s–t, I’ll be looking at the birthday I don’t even want to think about!”

Rather than a sudden exit, Megadeth’s farewell appears designed as a gradual, intentional closing—one that allows Mustaine to honor the band’s legacy while acknowledging the physical toll of a lifetime in thrash metal. If this truly marks the end, it will arrive not as a collapse, but as a controlled final statement from one of metal’s most enduring figures.