Megadeth Gears up for New Album With Producer Johnny K

Megadeth are gearing up to record their new album, the as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2009′s Endgame, next week with producer Johnny K (Disturbed, Sevendust, Machine Head).

The album is slated for a fall 2011 release through Roadrunner Records, with drum tracking due to begin next week. Johnny K replaces Andy Sneap behind the board, who was forced to pull out due to scheduling conflicts.

Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine recently said fans can expect the new album to be “more like Endgame, maybe sticking in that vein and going a little forward toward what I like.”

Dave Ellefson, speaking with UGO, told fans they could expect it to “be heavy, hooky, and have the trademarks you’d come to expect from us.”

The band hope to wrap up recording by the time they are scheduled to start playing summer dates as part of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival on June 9.

Megadeth also will take part in the Big Four concert on Sept. 19 at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx in New York City.

In other news, Mustaine has launched a new project called Red Lamb with former Anthrax guitarist Dan Spitz, Accept bassist Peter Baltes and Yngwie Malmsteen drummer Patrick Johansson. Most of the music will be taken from Spitz's aborted Deuxmonkey project with ex-Crimson Glory frontman Wade Black, which fell apart when Black quit back in April due to creative differences.