Dave Mustaine’s Early Band Panic: Tragic Losses and the Path to Metallica

Before joining Metallica in late 1981, a teenage Dave Mustaine formed his very first group, Panic, in Southern California around 1980. Though short-lived and plagued by tragedy, Panic was where Mustaine developed his aggressive lead guitar style and wrote early riffs that eventually shaped thrash metal history. The original lineup included Dave Harmon on drums, Tom Queck on guitar, Bob Evans on bass, Pat Voeks as singer, and Mustaine on lead guitar. The band was short-lived, with members rarely performing and rehearsing, especially in late 1980 and 1981, as the band began to break up. They mostly went to parties, jammed a little, and hung out with girls. Mustaine recalled a talent show where they were kicked out for being too loud, and his first gig with Panic at Huntington Beach. However, the band’s history was marred by the death of two friends: the sound engineer Joe and drummer Dave Harmon, who died in a car accident. Harmon was replaced by Mike Leftwych, but both Joe and Harmon died in the accident. Mustaine stated that after the band started to fall apart in 1981, guitarist Tom Queck was also killed in a separate car crash. The sequence of events left the band shattered, and shortly after Panic dissolved in 1981, Mustaine spotted a classified ad in The Recycler placed by drummer Lars Ulrich, leading directly to his audition and entry into Metallica, where he would stay for a little less than 2 years. The band’s tragic losses and early experiences with Panic played a significant role in Mustaine’s musical development and eventual success with Metallica.