Dave Mustaine just threw metal’s biggest grenade in decades. The Megadeth frontman’s May 2025 accusations against his former Metallica bandmates cut deeper than typical rock feuds. He’s claiming their biggest hit rips off an underground band called Excel. This isn’t new drama—it’s a 34-year-old wound that refuses to heal.
“Go look up the band Excel right now,” Mustaine told interviewers in May 2025. He referenced their 1989 track “Tapping Into the Emotional Void”. The similarities hit you immediately once you hear them side by side. Excel’s version sounds like a rough sketch. Metallica’s feels like the finished painting. The controversy gained new life thanks to social media comparisons that go viral faster than any 90s rumor mill.
Excel recorded their syncopated, E-minor riff in 1989. That’s two years before Metallica began writing The Black Album. The timing raises serious questions. Claims about Metallica’s management attending Excel shows remain unverified. But the timeline doesn’t lie. Dan Clements from Excel put it bluntly in 1991: “You don’t know what to think… I just want it to be known that musically Excel has it.”
The musical evidence tells a compelling story. Both tracks open with descending chromatic riffs. They follow similar rhythmic patterns. Excel’s version sounds rawer, more punk-influenced. Metallica’s polished production made it radio-friendly. That polish helped “Enter Sandman” move 30 million copies. Excel’s original sold maybe 20,000 initially.
Here’s where copyright law gets tricky. Excel considered legal action in 2003 and backed down. Copyright requires proving substantial similarity in melody and arrangement. That’s tough when songs diverge after their opening passages. Metallica’s version includes that iconic vocal hook. It has the prayer interlude. Excel’s doesn’t touch either element. When Metallica’s Virginia Tech performance literally shook the earth with seismic readings, it proved “Enter Sandman” carries undeniable power—regardless of where that opening riff originated.
The controversy highlights music’s blurry boundaries. Common blues-scale patterns appear throughout metal. This makes uniqueness claims complicated. Kirk Hammett stated his riff evolved from Soundgarden influences, not Excel. Industry veterans know these gray areas well. Inspiration versus theft often comes down to lawyers and timing.
Metallica’s recent excavation of 245 unreleased tracks from their Load era proves how much musical DNA gets buried in the vault—making us wonder what other “influences” might surface from the archives. The Excel-Metallica debate won’t resolve in courtrooms. But it reminds us that even beloved anthems carry complicated histories. In an age where TikTok clips can resurrect forgotten tracks overnight, these questions matter more than ever.
