Dave Mustaine and his Megadeth bandmates hunted for ghosts inside a historic Ohio penitentiary on the latest episode of Paranormal Prison.
"In the music industry we have to believe in the unexplainable," the frontman said at the beginning of the video filmed before the band's set at the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival last year.
Frontman Dave Mustaine was skeptical but open-minded about the quest.
The annual event takes place at the defunct Ohio State Reformatory, which is allegedly haunted. The online show's host Josh Bernstein brought Megadeth to the building's fifth floor, which is where the most dangerous maximum security prisoners were held.
Mustaine seemed skeptical but open-minded when the band was interviewed ahead of the expedition.
"Me, myself, I've had what I believe are visitations in sleep," the frontman said. "But as far as out-of-body experiences or seeing an apparition or stuff like that, how much of it is just a little too much ganja back when you were doing that stuff? Maybe it's real."
Bassist James LoMenzo said the building's disturbing history may have turned it into a ghost hot spot. "There's so much discontent in here that if it's possible, this would be the place," he said.
After climbing up five stories to the prison's attic, the band members were handed special machines that allegedly detect paranormal activity. The devices quickly began chattering.
Megadeth allegedly interacted with two ghosts named "Ian" and "Brian." Bernstein said the spirits had a strong reaction to Mustaine's presence.
Bassist James LoMenzo said the building's chilling history could have made it a hot spot for paranormal activity.
The prison was built between 1886 and 1910 and remained a functional prison until 1990. The building is located roughly halfway between Cleveland and Columbus.
It may be most famous for its appearance in the 1994 film Shawshank Redemption, but the building also has lots of ties to rock music history.
Marilyn Manson, who grew up in nearby Canton, was photographed at the facility back in 1996. The building also appears in music videos for the 2010 Miss May I song "Relentless Chaos," and " the 2011 Attack! Attack! track "Smokahontas." Both metalcore groups hail from Ohio. The nu metal group Godsmack also used the reformatory when shooting the music video for their track "Awake" in 2000.
The band allegedly came into contact with two ghosts named Brian and Ian.
The first iteration of the Inkcarceration Festival was held on the reformatory grounds in 2018. Next year, the event will return between July 19 and 21. The event will include a reunion set for the Cleveland band Chimaira, which hasn't played since 2017. The rest of the line-up will be announced at some point in the coming months.
Multi-day passes, parking passes and hotel passes are already available on the event's website. They can be reserved for as little as $10 down. A three-day general admission pass costs $200 plus a $45 fee.
There's also an option to buy a joint pass for Inkcarceration and the Sonic Temple Festival, which will run from May 16 to 19 in nearby Columbus. That costs $400 plus a $80 fee.
The lineup for last year's Inkcarceration Festival was headlined by Slipknot, Pantera and Limp Bizkit (in addition to Megadeth, of course). Volbeat, Lamb of God and Bush also played sets.
