Ex-MEGADETH Guitarist CHRIS BRODERICK: 'If You're Not On The Stage Playing Your Own Music, Why Are You Here?'

Former MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE guitarist Chris Broderick was interviewed on a recent installment of the “Thunder Underground” podcast. You can now listen to the chat using the SoundCloud widget below (beginning around the 34:30 mark).

Asked if a desire to be more involved in the creative process contributed to his decision to leave MEGADETH and form ACT OF DEFIANCE, Broderick said: “That was the whole reason for the formation of this band — so that we could have our own say and be our own musicians and be our own people. Obviously, we’re coming out here, we’re grinding it out, we’re building it again, and that’s fine, because it’s all about the music. Because, at the end of the day, Shawn [Drover, ex-MEGADETH and current ACT OF DEFIANCE drummer] and I could have stayed where we were at, but if you’re not on the stage playing your own music, then, at some point, it’s, like, why are you here?”

With regards to the musical direction of ACT OF DEFIANCE, Broderick said: “The main consideration that Shawn and I had when we wrote the music was that we wanted it to be heavier. And that was it. Anything else was fair game. So any of my little classical interludes that I wanted to put in there, Shawn was, like, ‘Cool. Whatever.’ And any of Shawn‘s guitar work that he wanted that was slightly off center was fine, you know. The only thing we would ever have is little suggestions for each other every once in a while, and that was it.”

Chris also talked about the fact that he is still constantly referred to in the media as a former member of MEGADETH even though he’s been out of the band for for a year and a half. He said: “Based on what I’ve seen with other members, past members [of MEGADETH], it’s gonna take a little bit [before the media stops using that tag]. I was actually talking with [fellow ex-MEGADETH guitarist] Marty Friedman about that. He’s, like, ‘Man, I’ve been working so hard to get away from that stigma, and I finally feel like it’s happening now.’ And I have to agree with him — it’s been much harder than I thought it would be to break away from that labeling. People still come up to me and they’re, like, ‘Hey, you’re Chris Broderick of MEGADETH, right?’ And I’m, like,’ Oh, not anymore.’ I mean, you think when you release information on the Internet that instantly everybody knows, but it’s not the case.”

Los Angeles-area fans, if you attend ACT OF DEFIANCE‘s concert tonight (Saturday, June 25) at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, you can enter a raffle to win a Jackson Pro Series Signature Chris Broderick Soloist seven-string guitar. Chris will use the guitar to play a cover version of PANTERA‘s “I’m Broken” at the show, and will then give it away.

Get your tickets for the Whisky concert at this location.

In addition to Broderick and Drover, ACT OF DEFIANCE features ex-SCAR THE MARTYR singer Henry Derek Bonner and SHADOWS FALL‘s Matt Bachand (bass).

ACT OF DEFIANCE‘s debut album, “Birth And The Burial”, was released on August 21, 2015 via Metal Blade Records.