FEAR FACTORY’s DINO CAZARES Recalls The Invaluable Career Advice He Got From DAVE MUSTAINE

We all know that Megadeth‘s Dave Mustaine is known for being a bit of a loose cannon. He’s been outspoken about his opinions on other bands, guitar equipment, and politics (and let’s not even bring the Metallica name into the equation here), and he’s not afraid to stir the pot. But it turns out that Mustaine also has a softer side. He’s known for giving out career advice to other bands, and one of the most notable recipients of his wisdom was Dino Cazares, the guitarist of Fear Factory.

Cazares reminisced about a chance encounter with Mustaine during an interview with the Garza Podcast. He recounted, “A long time ago, Dave Mustaine gave me a lot of advice too, way back when I was 18 years old when I met him at a place that I worked at, at a sandwich shop.”

The advice that Mustaine imparted to the young Cazares was simple yet invaluable: “Network. And always try to be in control of your stuff. But he said network – that was the first thing.”

Mustaine’s guidance urged Cazares to take proactive steps to build a network within the music industry: “I went out and networked, went to concerts, started meeting musicians, meeting people who work at record companies, just started hosting parties at my apartment. So, inviting these people, and eventually, the people started coming – it was great just hanging out.”

However, it wasn’t just about music that Cazares and his newfound network engaged in. In an unexpected twist, the guitarist admitted: “Knowing all the drug dealers around for the people who like to do drugs. I’m not into that, but I helped facilitate that in some ways, and I just gave everybody a place to hang out and party and have a good time.”

Mustaine might be a controversial figure, but there’s no doubt that he’s a successful musician and businessman, and his career advice to Dino Cazares is valuable for any musician who wants to make it in the industry.