“It really epitomizes the story of Megadeth. Before starting the record, Johnny K had read Dave’s autobiography, and I think that helped him understand Dave’s psyche, as well as what Megadeth is all about.

“As the song was being developed musically, the words started to spill out onto the page, largely from Johnny’s conversations with Dave. If you ever wanted to hear a song that summed up the arc of Megadeth as a band, 13 is it.

“Chris Broderick did a great job with the acoustic and clean-sounding electric guitars. As a bassist, I love playing to those kinds of tones. They’re very open, and they let me be creative with the licks and the lines. It’s like bass playing from the 1970s, or even the ‘60s. James Jamerson, the great Motown bassist – I definitely tried to cop some of his groove, a very flowing style.

“The song ends on such a high. Megadeth hasn’t had a big, theatrical kind of song since In My Darkest Hour, so now we’ve got another one with 13. It’s the perfect ending to a great album.”