According to The Hollywood Reporter, Megadeth mainman Dave Mustaine will mark the 45th anniversary of Jimi Hendrix‘s rendition of ‘The Star-Spangled Banner’ with a version of his own that will appear in “America”, the new movie from Dinesh D’Souza, the creator of “2016: Obama’s America”.
“Jimi recorded his version at a different time in the history of our nation,” Mustaine said. “Robert Kennedy and Martin Luther King had been assassinated, the nation was mired in war and chaos and that is reflected in his guitar.”
“America” is described as “a journey of discovery that will bring you face-to-face with the heroes who built America, in the times in which they lived, bled, and sacrificed in order to build a great nation: Christopher Columbus, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln, Frederick Douglass, and others. You’ll be there as Columbus sets foot on American soil, as bullets whiz by Washington’s head, as Douglass demands that America live up to the promises of her Founding Fathers, and as Lincoln sacrifices thousands of lives, including his own, to right a great wrong of history.”
“First off, no version of our national anthem is or will ever be better than the original,” Mustaine said. “My inspiration and take on the song for the film was our Founding Fathers and wondering what they would think of us today if they saw what we had become. My hope for America is that we’ll become a nation they’d be proud of again and I tried to capture that with my guitar.”
The video below consists of audio of Mustaine playing guitar to snippets of the movie, and it acts as a teaser trailer for “America”.
“Although I can’t say I’m a fan of heavy metal, I am a fan of greatness in every genre and I am delighted that a great musician like Dave Mustaine gave us such a beautiful rendition of a song that belongs to all of us,” “America” producer Gerald Molen said. “He’s a patriot who loves his country as much as he loves music.”
Megadeth has canceled immediate tour plans [until June 20th] as bassist David Ellefson and his family mourn the loss of his brother, who passed away on May 19 in Minneapolis, Minnesota after battling cancer. A private family funeral service will be held. Read the bands statement here.
Upcoming Shows:
Jun 20 Amnesia Rockfest Montebello, Canada
Jul 15 Artpark Lewiston, NY
Jul 17 Rock USA Oshkosh, WI
Jul 18 The Venue at Horseshoe Casino Hammond, IN
Jul 19 Casino Rama Entertainment Centre Longford, Canada
Jul 24 Metaldays Festival Tolmin, Slovenia
Jul 26 Qstock Oulu, Finland
Jul 28 Aurora Concert Hall Saint Petersburg, Russian Federation
Jul 29 Arena Moscow Moscow, Russian Federation
Jul 31 Resurrection Fest Viveiro, Spain
Aug 01 Skogsrojet Festival Rejmyre, Sweden
Aug 02 Wacken Open Air Festival Wacken, Germany Sold Out
Aug 04 Rock Off Festival Istanbul, Turkey
Aug 06 LV Convention Center Tel Aviv, Israel
Aug 09 Oldehoofsterkerkhof Leeuwarden, Netherlands
Aug 10 Bloodstock Open Air Festival Derbyshire, United Kingdom
Aug 16 Summer Sonic Tokyo, Japan
Aug 17 Summer Sonic Osaka, Japan
Sep 22 Motörhead’s Motörboat Miami, FL
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