Editing Megadeth (section)

===2000–2002: ''The World Needs a Hero'', breakup, and hiatus===
In January 2000, guitarist [[Al Pitrelli]], formerly of [[Savatage]] and the [[Trans-Siberian Orchestra]], became Friedman's replacement.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Newman|first=Melinda|title=The Beat|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=January 22, 2000|page=18|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=sA0EAAAAMBAJ&q=marty+friedman+leaves+megadeth&pg=PA18|access-date=December 12, 2012}}</ref> Megadeth returned to the studio in April to work on its ninth studio album. A month into production, the band received an offer to join the Maximum Rock tour with Anthrax and [[Mötley Crüe]]. Megadeth put the recording on hold and toured North America during the second quarter of 2000.<ref name="Timeline"/> Early in the tour, Anthrax was removed from the bill, allowing Megadeth to play an extended co-headlining set.<ref name="Metal Sludge"/> The tour, however, suffered from poor ticket sales.{{sfn|Ellefson|McIver|2013|p=136}}

After 15 years with Capitol Records, Megadeth left the label in July 2000. According to Mustaine, the departure was due to ongoing tensions with Capitol management.<ref name="Vegas Sun">{{cite news|last=Baird|first=Kirk|title=Acerbic Mustaine explains Megadeth's metal issues|url=http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2001/sep/14/acerbic-mustaine-explains-megadeths-metal-issues/|access-date=December 7, 2013|newspaper=[[Las Vegas Sun]]|date=September 14, 2001}}</ref> Capitol returned the band's newest recordings and released a greatest hits album, ''[[Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years]]'', with two new tracks: "Kill the King" and "Dread and the Fugitive Mind".<ref>{{cite web|last=Huey|first=Steve|title=Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/capitol-punishment-the-megadeth-years-mw0000104229|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=December 5, 2013}}</ref> In November, Megadeth signed with [[Sanctuary Records]]. The band returned to the studio in October to finish its next album, ''[[The World Needs a Hero]]'', which was near completion when Megadeth joined the Maximum Rock tour six months earlier. Following the negative response to ''Risk'',<ref>{{cite web|last=Huey|first=Steve|title=Megadeth: The World Needs A Hero|url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r532450|pure_url=yes}}|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=December 7, 2013}}</ref> Mustaine fired Bud Prager and produced the album himself.<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Megadeth Completes 'Hero'|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/80726/megadeth-completes-hero|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=January 22, 2001|access-date=December 7, 2013}}</ref> The songs were written by Mustaine alone, except for "Promises", which had contributions from Pitrelli.<ref name="The Tech">{{cite news|last=Chandrasekhar|first=Chaitra|title=Back to their Metallic Roots|work=[[The Tech (newspaper)|The Tech]]|date=May 15, 2001|volume=121|issue=26|url=http://tech.mit.edu/V121/N26/Megadeth.26a.html|access-date=December 7, 2013|archive-date=September 25, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150925080114/http://tech.mit.edu/V121/N26/Megadeth.26a.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> Two days before the release of ''The World Needs a Hero'', Megadeth appeared in an episode of [[VH1]]'s ''[[Behind the Music]]'' showcasing Mustaine, Ellefson, several past members, and Mustaine's old Metallica bandmates James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.<ref name=VH1>{{cite magazine|title=Metal Returns: Megadeth, Halford, Slayer|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/80495/metal-returns-megadeth-halford-slayer|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=February 20, 2001|access-date=December 7, 2013}}</ref>

''The World Needs a Hero'' was released in May 2001 and debuted at number sixteen on the ''Billboard'' 200. It was banned in Malaysia when the national government determined that the album's artwork was "unsuitable for the nation's youth". Consequently, the band canceled its concert of August 2 in [[Kuala Lumpur]].<ref name=Ban>{{cite magazine|title=Fans To Choose Set Lists For U.S. Megadeth Trek|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/78874/fans-to-choose-set-lists-for-us-megadeth-trek|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=August 6, 2001|access-date=December 7, 2013}}</ref> The album marked Megadeth's return to a more aggressive sound after the stylistic variations of its previous two albums,<ref name="The Tech"/> but critics felt it fell short of expectations.<ref>{{cite book|editor1-first=Nathan|editor1-last=Brackett|editor2-first=Christian David|editor2-last=Hoard|title=[[The New Rolling Stone Album Guide]]|year=2004|publisher=[[Simon & Schuster]]|isbn=0-7432-0169-8|page=[https://archive.org/details/newrollingstonea00brac/page/534 534]}}</ref> Mustaine compared the album to a huge ship at sea, turning and trying to right itself to get back on course.<ref name="Vegas Sun"/> Its lead single, "Moto Psycho", reached number 22 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart.<ref name="Songs"/>

[[File:Megadeth Summer Breeze Open Air 2017 18.jpg|thumb|left|Mustaine dissolved Megadeth in 2002, following an arm injury that prevented him from playing guitar.]]
A European tour with [[AC/DC]] in support of ''The World Needs a Hero'' began in mid-2001, followed by an American tour with [[Iced Earth]] and [[Endo (band)|Endo]] in September.<ref name=VH1/> Mustaine allowed fans to choose the setlist in each American city.<ref name=Ban/> However, the tour was cut short following the [[September 11 attacks]]; all dates were canceled, including a DVD shoot in Argentina. The band instead played two shows in Arizona on November 16 and 17, which were filmed and released as Megadeth's first live release, ''[[Rude Awakening (Megadeth album)|Rude Awakening]]''.{{sfn|Ellefson|McIver|2013|p=139}} That year, ''Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!'' was remixed and remastered; the reissue featured modified artwork and several bonus tracks.{{sfn|Ellefson|McIver|2013|p=218}}

In January 2002, Mustaine was hospitalized for the removal of a [[kidney stone]] and was administered pain medication that triggered a relapse of his drug addiction. Following his stay, Mustaine checked himself into a treatment center in Texas. While there, Mustaine fell asleep with his left arm over the back of a chair, causing compression of the [[radial nerve]]. He was subsequently diagnosed with [[radial neuropathy]], which left him unable to grasp or make a fist with his left hand.<ref>{{cite web|last=Wiederhorn|first=Jon|title=Megadeth Pack It In After Nearly 20 Years|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/1453246/megadeth-pack-it-in-after-nearly-20-years/|archive-url=https://archive.today/20140519160532/http://www.mtv.com/news/1453246/megadeth-pack-it-in-after-nearly-20-years/|url-status=dead|archive-date=May 19, 2014|publisher=[[MTV]]|date=March 2, 2004|access-date=May 19, 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite magazine|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|title=Injury Forces Mustaine To Disband Megadeth|url=https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/76247/injury-forces-mustaine-to-disband-megadeth|date=April 3, 2002|access-date=November 25, 2013}}</ref>

On April 3, Mustaine announced in a press release that he was disbanding Megadeth, as his arm injury rendered him unable to play guitar.<ref>{{cite news|title=Megadeth to split up|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/1910481.stm|work=[[BBC News]]|date=April 4, 2002|access-date=January 21, 2014}}</ref> For the next four months, he had physical therapy five days a week, and slowly began to "re-teach" his left hand.<ref>{{cite web|last=Epstein|first=Dan|title=Die Another Day|url=http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/interviews_guitarworld2003.html|work=[[Guitar World]]|publisher=Rockmetal.art.pl|date=August 2003|access-date=November 25, 2013|archive-date=July 29, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190729174243/http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/interviews_guitarworld2003.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> To fulfill contract obligations to Sanctuary, Megadeth released the compilation album ''[[Still Alive... and Well?]]''. The first half of the album contains live tracks recorded at the Web Theatre in Phoenix, and the second half has studio recordings from ''The World Needs a Hero''.<ref>{{cite web|last=Torreano|first=Bradley|title=Megadeth: Still, Alive...and Well?|url=https://www.allmusic.com/album/still-aliveand-well-mw0000223873|website=[[AllMusic]]|access-date=December 5, 2013}}</ref>

Following nearly a year of recovery, including [[physical therapy]],<ref>{{cite web|title=Dave Mustaine Talks About His Arm Injury|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/dave-mustaine-talks-about-his-arm-injury/|publisher=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|date=January 16, 2004|access-date=December 19, 2024}}</ref> Mustaine began work on what was to have been his first solo album. The recording sessions for the new material, with session musicians [[Vinnie Colaiuta]] and [[Jimmie Lee Sloas]]{{Failed verification|date=December 2024}}, began in October 2003<ref>{{cite web |title=MEGADETH RECORDING IN NASHVILLE STUDIO?! |url=https://bravewords.com/news/megadeth-recording-in-nashville-studio |website=Brave Words |access-date=December 19, 2024 |date=October 23, 2003}}</ref> and were completed in April 2004.<ref>{{cite web |title=MEGADETH - NEW CD TRACKLISTING REVEALED |url=https://bravewords.com/news/megadeth-new-cd-tracklisting-revealed |website=Brave Words |access-date=December 19, 2024 |date=April 9, 2004}}</ref> The project was put on hold when Mustaine agreed to remix and remaster Megadeth's eight-album back catalog on Capitol Records,<ref>{{cite news|work=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|title=Dave Mustaine: 'I Am And Always Will Be Megadeth'|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news/dave-mustaine-i-am-and-always-will-be-megadeth/|date=July 12, 2003|access-date=November 25, 2013}}</ref> re-recording portions that were missing.<ref>{{cite web|last=Ayers|first=Chris|title=Megadeth: Remixed and Remastered Series|url=https://exclaim.ca/music/article/megadeth-remixed_remastered_series|work=[[Exclaim!]]|date=February 28, 2005|access-date=December 19, 2024}}</ref>