Kiko Loureiro shares more about why he left Megadeth

Kiko Loureiro discussed his plan to depart Megadeth at the end of 2023 following a nine-year tenure with the band in a recent interview with Niels Guns of Sixty Scales and The Truth, as per Blabbermouth. This was stated by the 53-year-old Brazilian guitarist, who resides in Finland with his spouse and three children.

During Megadeth, it was great, so nothing to complain. But it was eight years, almost nine years, and then I was touring maybe — I don’t know — five months, maybe sometimes six months [in a year], so that’s a lot. It’s very different than doing 25 days [as I have done on my solo tour]. [There were] many reasons [that contributed to it]; there’s never one reason when you take a big decision in life. So one of the reasons was the family. That was the more intensive reason. After doing the tour, there was another three-month tour, and then it was, like, ‘Oh, maybe this is too much.’ But I was fighting with these thoughts since I joined Megadeth, basically. My daughter was around five [when I joined Megadeth], and then one year later [in 2016], after joining Megadeth, the year that we released the ‘Dystopia’ album, the Grammy winner and all that, I had twins.

So all those years in Megadeth was difficult to be traveling and having newborn twins at home, and then traveling. So it makes you think a lot, because that’s what I always wanted, to be touring, etc., and playing guitar. And then also have the kids, and then your mentality, your mindset changes a lot. And then have the pandemic, and then do another album, etc. And then, at some point, I said, like, ‘I think eight, nine years is enough.’ And then I felt, like, okay. And then also I felt that the kids needed me more, more than before. [There were] some other issues happening. And there was a three-month tour [coming up], so [I said], like, ‘Look, I can help to find a substitute. If you can wait, great. If you don’t wanna wait, it’s fine as well.’

Kiko elaborated on some of the additional factors that influenced his choice to leave Megadeth.

We did record the [2022] album [‘The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!’] in between, in that period. And composing is something that I like as well. I think at some point, [you start thinking about having] freedom of your schedule. I have elderly parents in Brazil, so I wanted to [spend time] there, and there was never a time to travel and to stay — I don’t know — 10 days.

It’s a common thing, it’s a common thought [with touring musicians], I believe, depending on your age, of course. And then most of the places I played — we played in amazing places, but I’ve been doing this for a long time as well. So you think about this, like, ‘I did this a lot, and where [can I go] from here?’ And also there’s that too. Sometimes you think about, ‘I would love to do something else,’ or, like, ‘Should I play other kinds of music or compose differently or be more open to different things?’ But that’s a constant. The creative mind, let’s say, is never satisfied.

Loureiro continued by saying that being a member of Megadeth, he had some space to express his creativity.

In Megadeth, I could be creative there because we did two albums, I could say whatever I wanted to say about the concert, or ideas for the lights, or stage performance, or whatever. Dave was very open to [my input]. I think we had great conversations about everything in life, and also about the Megadeth business. And that’s why I think I was such a long time there, and then I had maybe, like, 13 or 15 compositions with Dave, which is pretty much. But I think there’s always an expiring date, let’s say. There’s a moment that it’s, like, ‘Yeah, maybe it’s time to go to another place.’ So those actual forces kind of push you — maybe the family, maybe some stuff that was happening inside the band as well, maybe something about, as I said, I would love to decide when I want to go visit my parents or not. Because when you have kids, you cannot just travel. I was traveling a lot, and when you go home, you just wanna stay home.

Upcoming shows:

• Friday, June 5, 2026 – Campinas, Brazil
• Saturday, June 6, 2026 – Santo André, Brazil
• Sunday, June 7, 2026 – Porto Alegre, Brazil