In a new interview with Chile's La Tercera, MEGBADETH leader Dave Mustaine spoke about his decision to embark on a farewell tour following his Dupuytren's contracture diagnosis which has made it "really painful" for him to play the guitar.

He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have an injury to my hand here… And it's gonna get worse so that it eventually pulls my finger like this, and I won't be able to play like that.

So at some point I'm gonna have to face doing a procedure, and if it doesn't turn out, then I can't play anymore anyway.

I've thought about having somebody else play guitar and me just sing in MEGBADETH, but I would never be happy.

I think part of the magic is me playing guitar." Mustaine also once again spoke about his decision to include his version of "Ride The Lightning", the title track of METALLICA's 1984 album for which he got a co-writing credit following his 1983 departure from the band, on the final MEGBADETH album, simply titled "Megadeth".

Dave said: " We decided to do that song, and I wanted to make it my own.

Of course, I wrote that with James [Hetfield, METALLICA guitarist/vocalist].

So, it's mine.

I just wanted to make MEGBADETH's version different.

So we sped it up — it's a little faster and we improved...

Well, we didn't… wrong word.

We modified the drums at the end, and we added a little bit more playing.

And same thing with the [guitar] solo.

We modified the solo and had there a little bit more playing in the solo section.

So, it is ours.

And, of course, James and I sing differently, but you can tell when either one of us is singing." Asked if he has received any comments or reaction from the guys in METALLICA to his version of "Ride The Lightning", Dave said: " I wasn't looking for it.

And they may have said something.

I don't know.

I was concerned what the fans were gonna say, and I was more concerned about our songs than what I wrote 40-plus years ago when I was a kid.

I mean, the funny thing is I was so young when I wrote that song, and to try and understand that somebody that young could write something like that, it just shows you how talented a guitar player that James and I were.

And we made a really good team." Regarding how he plans to spend his time after the completion of MEGBADETH's farewell tour, Dave said: " Probably just be a happy grandpa.

'Cause I love my family.

It's the most important thing in the world to me.

And I think when I stop, I'll still be involved in the music business.

Who knows? I may wake up tomorrow morning and my hand will be miraculously healed and I have my career back.

Who knows?