Former MEGADETH Guitarist JEFF YOUNG Says His Solo Album Is 'About 85 Percent Complete'

Former MEGADETH guitarist Jeff Young has issued the following update:

"Dear friends, I want to thank you so much for your open ears and all the amazingly thoughtful comments and feedback you have shared with me since the initial posting of the three advance tracks from my pending album, 'Equilibrium'.

"Special thanks to everybody who has taken the time to write personally, I really appreciate the kind words and encouragement more than you know. I try my best to respond to everybody but that task is sometimes almost impossible. If I don't happen to answer right away, please don't take it personally, I have all your messages saved and I'm slowly responding to each and every one of them as time allows.

"This 'Equilibrium' writing/recording project began back in early 2000 and I 'foolishly figured' it would take 4-6 months to complete. When you count actual recording time, i guess that prediction wasn't too far off... What I didn't factor in was the little cancer diagnosis that added 2 1/2 years to the tab. In the midst of my survivorship quest, my brother and I had to band together to save our family business from near bankruptcy — that consumed a couple years more time and focus. Oh yeah, almost forgot to mention, my marriage broke up and ended along the way... my, how time flies when we're having fun. Who was it that said, 'Life is what happens when you're making other plans?'

"The best possible news is that all this 'life' that happened along the way has only helped 'allow'... has only helped force me to 'allow' the time for the songs and my playing to evolve and grow. Another wise someone once said, 'It's not about the destination, it's about the journey,' and I've had to remind myself of that quite often over the past several years.

"Today this album 'project' — one that now seems like a 'life's work' is about 85% complete. I'm so excited (but not yet rich enough ;-) to finish the remaining few overdubs and guitar tracks, mixing and get it out already. Although the album is primary acoustic based there IS a bunch of electric stuff and steel-string stuff and 12-string stuff AND even other stuff that has nothing to do with guitars. As much as I've enjoyed sharing the 3 finished tracks currently posted, I can't wait to get the other songs out because they are all so different in style and color. Stay tuned for album updates and some more new music coming soon... PROMISE!

"Again, thanks for the support and patience."

Jeff's entire career with MEGADETH was spent recording and touring in support of the band's 1988 platinum-selling album "So Far, So Good...So What!" Following his stint with MEGADETH, Jeff began contributing the "Fingerprints" column for Guitar magazine. For a portion of the 1990s, Jeff stepped away from his career to deal with the untimely deaths of first his father and later his mother while immersing himself in the further study of classical, flamenco, gypsy jazz and other world music varieties. In 1998, he resurfaced with new Brazilian musical partner, Badi Assad. Together, the duo crafted exotic soundscapes for their first collaboration, BADI ASSAD's "Chameleon". The album, co-written, arranged, and produced by Jeff, introduced their acoustic-world-fusion sounds to diverse audiences worldwide. Opening concerts for renowned artists, including Joe Cocker and Cassandra Wilson, as well as performances on 1999's Lilith Fair and Farm Aid 2000, are testament to the considerable cross-over appeal of Badi and Jeff's "new world music" explorations. In 2003, the track "Waves" from "Chameleon" was featured in the Michael and Kirk Douglas film "It Runs in the Family", as well as on the movie's soundtrack.