Editing Megadeth (section)

===1988–1989: ''So Far, So Good... So What!''===
With a major-label budget, the Paul Lani-produced ''[[So Far, So Good... So What!]]'' took over five months to record. The production was plagued with problems, partially due to Mustaine's struggle with drug addiction. Mustaine later said: "The production of ''So Far, So Good... So What!'' was horrible, mostly due to substances and the priorities we had or didn't have at the time." Mustaine clashed with Lani, beginning with Lani's insistence that the drums be recorded separately from the cymbals, an unheard-of process for rock drummers.<ref name="SFSGSWNotes">{{Cite AV media notes|title=So Far, So Good... So What! (2004 reissue)|type=liner notes|year=2004|publisher=[[Capitol Records]]|page=2}}</ref> Mustaine and Lani became estranged during the mixing, and Lani was replaced by [[Michael Wagener]], who remixed the album.{{sfn|Ellefson|McIver|2013|p=71}}

''So Far, So Good... So What!'' was released in January 1988 and was well received by fans and critics.<ref>{{cite web|last=Christgau|first=Robert|title=Consumer Guide Reviews|url=http://www.robertchristgau.com/get_artist.php?name=megadeth|work=[[The Village Voice]]|year=1987|access-date=December 6, 2013}}</ref> The album featured a cover version of the [[Sex Pistols]]' "[[Anarchy in the U.K.]]"; Mustaine changed the lyrics, later saying that he had simply heard them incorrectly. To support the album, Megadeth embarked on a [[So Far, So Good...So What! Tour|world tour]] that lasted for nearly eight months. The band (along with [[Savatage]]) opened for [[Dio (band)|Dio]] on their ''[[Dream Evil (album)|Dream Evil]]'' tour and supported [[Iron Maiden]] on their ''[[Seventh Son of a Seventh Son]]'' [[Seventh Tour of a Seventh Tour|tour]], both in the United States.{{sfn|Rees|Crampton|1999|p=546}} They also headlined a North American tour with [[Warlock (band)|Warlock]] and [[Sanctuary (band)|Sanctuary]] (whose debut album ''[[Refuge Denied]]'' was produced by Mustaine), and a European trek with [[Testament (band)|Testament]], [[Nuclear Assault]], [[Flotsam and Jetsam (band)|Flotsam and Jetsam]] and Sanctuary.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.metallipromo.com/meg.html|title=Megadeth|website=metallipromo.com|access-date=December 27, 2019}}</ref>

In June 1988, Megadeth appeared in [[Penelope Spheeris]]' documentary ''[[The Decline of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years]]''.{{sfn|Bukszpan|2003|p=244}} The documentary chronicled the Los Angeles heavy metal scene of the late 1980s, and Spheeris, who had directed Megadeth in the video for "[[Wake Up Dead]]", decided to include them to feature a more serious band in contrast to the [[glam metal]] groups.{{sfn|Unterberger|Hicks|1999|p=416}}<ref>{{Cite AV media notes|title=Greatest Hits: Back to the Start|type=liner notes|year=2005|publisher=[[Capitol Records]]|page=2|last=Spheeris|first=Penelope}}</ref> Mustaine remembered the film as a disappointment, as it aligned Megadeth with "a bunch of shit bands".<ref>{{cite video|title=Megadeth: Rusted Pieces VHS|publisher=[[Capitol Records]]/[[EMI]]|date=January 1, 1991}}</ref>

In August, the band appeared at the [[Monsters of Rock]] festival at [[Castle Donington]] in the United Kingdom, performing to an audience of more than 100,000. One show featured a guest appearance by Metallica drummer (and Mustaine's former bandmate) Lars Ulrich. The band was added to the Monsters of Rock European tour, but left after the first show due to Ellefson's drug problems, for which he was treated immediately.{{sfn|Ellefson|McIver|2013|p=72}} Megadeth was replaced by Testament.<ref>{{Cite news|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/ex-megadeth-guitarist-jeff-young-responds-to-dave-mustaine-s-drug-allegations/|title=Ex-MEGADETH Guitarist JEFF YOUNG Responds To DAVE MUSTAINE's Drug Allegations|date=December 20, 2009|work=BLABBERMOUTH.NET|access-date=December 27, 2019|language=en-US}}</ref>

Shortly after the Monsters of Rock appearance, Mustaine fired Behler and Young and canceled Megadeth's Australian tour. "On the road, things escalated from a small border skirmish into a full-on raging war," Mustaine later recalled. "I think a lot of us were inconsistent because of [drugs]."<ref>{{cite web|last=Niles|first=Eric|title=Rust in Peace|url=http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/interviews_musicconnection1990.html|work=[[Music Connection]]|publisher=Rockmetal.art.pl|date=September 1990|access-date=December 8, 2013|archive-date=July 23, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20090723233916/http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/interviews_musicconnection1990.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> During the tour, Mustaine noticed problems developing with Behler and brought in drummer [[Nick Menza]] as Behler's [[Road crew|drum technician]]. As with Samuelson, Menza was expected to take over if Behler could not continue the tour. Menza replaced Behler in 1989.{{sfn|Kajzer|Lotring|2010|p=192}} Young's dismissal resulted from Mustaine's suspicions that he was having an affair with Mustaine's then-girlfriend, an allegation Young denied.<ref>{{cite web|last=Dome |first=Malcolm |title=Megadeth Bitching: Mustaine And Young At War! |url=http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/megadeth-bitching-mustaine-and-young-at-war/ |work=[[Classic Rock (magazine)|Classic Rock]] |date=December 21, 2009 |access-date=December 8, 2013 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131211012459/http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/news/megadeth-bitching-mustaine-and-young-at-war/ |archive-date=December 11, 2013 }}</ref>

The band was unable to quickly find a suitable replacement for Young. Although 1989 marked the first time since its inception that Megadeth did not tour nor perform at least one show, they recorded a cover version of Alice Cooper's "[[No More Mr. Nice Guy (song)|No More Mr. Nice Guy]]" which appeared on the soundtrack to the [[Wes Craven]] horror movie ''[[Shocker (film)|Shocker]]''.{{sfn|Buckley|2003|p=660}} The video was directed by [[Penelope Spheeris]], who recalled the filming as a "Herculean task" as Mustaine was unable to play guitar because of his drug addiction.{{sfn|Bukszpan|2003|p=244}} During the March 1989 auditions for a new lead guitarist, Mustaine was arrested for [[driving under the influence]] and possession of narcotics after crashing into a parked vehicle occupied by an off-duty police officer.{{sfn|Janosik|2006|p=97}} Mustaine entered court-ordered [[drug rehabilitation]] shortly afterwards, and became drug-free for the first time in ten years.{{sfn|Bukszpan|2003|p=244}}