Megadeth: Telling it like it is to a speedy gut-grind soundtrack.

The members of Megadeth may change, but Dave Mustaine's message remains the same. The leader of the veteran metal merchants continues to craft political thrash rock as the only remaining veteran of the band's 1983 founding lineup. Now the band's headlining the third Gigantour, supporting last year's United Abominations, which is on a level with such Megadeth classics as 1986's Peace Sells...But Who's Buying and 1992's Countdown to Extinction.

Mustaine and his band are at their best when spewing vitriol throughout such visceral tracks as "Amerikhastan" and "Washington Is Next."

"It's a typical Megadeth disc because of Dave Mustaine," Megadeth bassist James LoMenzo says, calling from Minneapolis. "Dave is a very tuned-in individual who absorbs what's happening politically and it's there in his music. Dave is a challenging musician. Listen to "Amerikhastan.' I call it Dave Against the Machine. He's rapping a little there. It's intense."

Megadeth is out headlining the annual Gigantour festival, a metal bill of bands that Mustaine hand-picked.

"It'll be fierce and unrelenting," LoMenzo says. "That's how every show has been since I've been with this band. Every night is an experience. We need more bands that are about the art of the show."

LoMenzo, who was with White Lion and Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society, has added a classic-rock element to Megadeth's speedy gut grind. "My background is all about the great straightforward rock," LoMenzo says. "That's what I grew up on. It fits nicely with what Dave does with Megadeth."

Mustaine's honesty is what impresses LoMenzo most. "The guy has more balls than anyone in music," LoMenzo says. "There's no filter. That's a great thing to have as a songwriter. He just tells you like it is. The problem with music today is that people are used to being spoon-fed crap. Look at the three candidates we have running for president. Someone has to speak it and fortunately Dave does speak his mind. I'm so pleased to be in the same band with him."

LoMenzo wasn't sure what band he was auditioning for when he submitted his work for Mustaine's approval. "I was told that an iconic metal band from the '80s and '90s was looking for a bassist," he says. "I first thought Metallica, but I knew that couldn't be it because they had just hired Robert Trujillo. So I figured it was Megadeth. I was more than up for seeing if there was a connection between myself and this band I respected so much."

Initially, LoMenzo didn't think he would be tabbed by Megadeth. "I told Dave that I'm a blues basher," he says. "He said, "There's lot of blues in Megadeth. It just goes by faster.' Thankfully, I listened to him and we have a strong bond. It's like we're completely locked in when we get up there onstage. Special relationships are few and far between but this is definitely one of those special relationships."

LoMenzo is signed on for the long haul. He and Mustaine are planning the next Megadeth disc. "The next record will be more aggressive than the last one," LoMenzo says. "It'll be seriously intense Megadeth. It's time to put the pedal to the medal. I'm all set for it."

After a Mexican and South American tour ends in May, the band will take a short break and hit the studio in July.

"I'll be chomping at the bit to get back with Dave," LoMenzo says. "I'll want to make some music."

Gigantour: 5 p.m. Sunday, May 4, [url=http://www.livenation.com/venue/getVenue/venueId/2124]Time Warner Cable Amphitheater[/url], 1887 W. 3rd St., 216.241.5555. Tickets: $32.50-$47.