Who will the new guitarist of Megadeth be?

On the 26th of November we were all shocked by the sudden departure of Megadeth's Shawn Drover and Chris Broderick. Considering that the line up was sustained for two albums I don't think we should really be all that surprised but it does bring us the inevitable question: Who the hell will join this band next? I've thrown together a short list of people I've personally considered as well as other suggestions I have read online for Megadeth's next guitarist. Here's the top 5:

1: Previous members

Marty Friedman

Chris Poland

Fans have been crying for Marty to return to Megadeth ever since he left so it's no surprise to see the amount of fans that have instantly called out for his return. The sad thing about it is that it probably won't happen. Friedman has been very public about his opinions on metal and it's not a very good one. Marty has stated time and time again that metal is boring to play for him. Since leaving the band Marty has established himself in Japan as both a rockstar and television star. It's a comfortable life for him where he gets the recognition he deserves. Would you leave that?

The other previous member is Chris Poland who played on Megadeth's first two albums. While being my favourite guitarist that has made his way through Megadeth's ranks I hate to tell you that Poland rejoining the band is even less likely. You might not be aware that Chris has actually rejoined Megadeth once (twice if you consider that he left after recording Killing is my Business... and rejoined just before entering the studio for Peace Sells...) to record the lead guitar parts for Megadeth's returning effort The System has Failed in 2004. Apparently Chris found the entire experience very draining and was vocal about himself and Dave Mustaine arguing during the process of recording the album. He didn't even tour the album. I think it's safe to say he won't be back.

2:David Davidson (Revocation)

While I love the idea of adding another Dave to the band I can't see this one happening either. To say Davidson has worked hard to bring Revocation forward in the metal realm would be a huge understatement.  In the six years since releasing their debut album Empire of the Obscene the band has released a staggering five albums. The latest, Deathless, is fantastic by the way.  With a great rhythm technique as well as searing leads it's hard not to see Davidson as a Megadeth member. Given the amount of time and effort he has poured into his own project I cannot picture him leaving the band he founded in order to be second to Dave Mustaine.

3: Dave Young (The Devin Townsend Project)

Why the hell are there so many Daves in this genre?

Another day another Dave. This is the first on the list that I could genuinely see joining the band. With Devin Townsend saying that after Z2 (another great album of the year) he would like to take some time to charge his batteries (and after playing with him for a decade) it would be a realistic time for Dave to leave. With a talent for the fast arpeggios required on the likes of Deconstruction or Z2 I imagine Dave Young would be fairly capable carrying out the lead work left by those who went before him. If nothing else it would simply just be interesting to see what he does with the solo section of a Megadeth song.

4: Ryan Gilsan (Allegaeon)

I'm a huge fan of Gilsan and out of everyone on this list he is another of the more likely candidates. When Allegaeon's first album Fragments of Form and Function came out I couldn't believe what I was listening to. This was death metal I actually cared about hearing again. After a short stint with Tim Lambesis before his incarceration Ryan has now started working with Wes Hauch (formerly of The Faceless) but I feel that if Mustaine were to act quickly enough he would be able to snatch Gilsan away before the project makes any major headway. Gilsan's style is mainly in the rhythm realm but the man can handle himself at the higher end of the fretboard just as well. I'm sure his fast hands are more than capable of nailing the Megadeth classics.

5: Jeff Loomis (Nevermore)

Former bandmate of Chris Broderick and without a doubt someone Dave should consider...too bad he's just joined Arch Enemy. Jeff's technical prowess is known to anyone that plays a seven string guitar and could make light work of both solos and Dave's rhythm work. With a great stage presence, a great sound and being pretty much the most likeable guy in metal it's fair to say that Dave has missed out with Jeff. For evidence of Jeff's great playing you need look no further than the debut release of Conquering Dystopia featuring Keith Merrow and himself on guitars. It's a fantastic instrumental album of classic metal riffs. Unfortunately with his recent placement in Arch Enemy with what looks like quite a full touring schedule and the likelihood of seeing him on a release from the band (I'm also hoping we get another Conquering Dystopia release) it makes Jeff seem like another unlikely candidate.

So there we have it...

While it is exciting to see that we will have a fresh lead guitar style to listen to in Megadeth it is important to remember that whoever joins will have very little creative input. Megadeth has always and will always be Dave Mustaine's band and it will be a long while before he lets any guitar player have complete creative control over the solos that they will play.

With so many great guitar players with unique styles having been in the band it really is anyones guess who the next Megadeth guitarist will be. It's worth noting that of all the players on the list only Dave Young and Ryan Gilsan are my own input. The rest have all been speculation from all over the web. Who do you think the next guitarist is going to be? More importantly who would you want it be?