"'Throwback' came about through the influence of great thrash players such as Kerry King (Slayer) and Rob Cavestany (Death Angel)," explains Broderick. "They gave me the inspiration to write a tear-your-head-off, insanely fast rhythm. From there, it progressed, as I wrote, into a song that doesn't only have elements of thrash but everything in between with elements of progressive, and groove.

"I never expected 'Throwback' to be the first release off the CD, as it's not commercial, doesn't follow a typical verse-chorus-solo scheme, and is almost six minutes long," he adds. "However, when you hear the fire, emotion and brutality of the song, it becomes very clear that it was a contender to show people what Act Of Defiance is really about."

The "Throwback" video was directed by Corey Soria (Danzig), who impressed Broderick throughout the process. "It was awesome working with Corey Soria on the music video," says the guitarist. "He had the same vision as us and understood immediately what the song was trying to say and how it should look. Along with the insight he had, there was a tireless work ethic, doing different angles, pans and trying new ideas as he conceives them is an art in itself.

"When we looked at the first edit, my jaw dropped and then he came back with more that included post editing FX that added to the mood. From the camera angles, to the lighting and editing, this video far surpassed what I hoped for."

Both Broderick and Drover issued separate statements in late November - just hours apart - that they were leaving Megadeth to pursue their own musical interests.