Ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has shared his opinion on the band’s final studio album — what he deems to be a Dave Mustaine “solo record.”
Ellefson was unceremoniously ousted from Megadeth in 2021. Though he recorded bass for the band’s penultimate effort The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!, Mustaine opted to have Ellefson’s bass parts re-recorded as James LoMenzo returned to take his place.
The current studio/touring lineup of Mustaine, LoMenzo, drummer Dirk Verbeuren, and guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari appear on Megadeth’s latest and final album, but Ellefson wasn’t convinced. On the latest episode of his podcast, the bassist offered up his take.
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“I hear it and I go, ‘Okay this is a Dave solo record.’ This is Dave and his new band, Dave and his new guys,” Ellefson said (as transcribed by The PRP). “It says Megadeth, so obviously it gets all the attention, but realistically I hear it, and to me it just doesn’t sound like Megadeth. And that’s just me, period. You know? It’s like Dave, doing what Dave does, but with a different set of guys in a new day. And this is Dave‘s retirement, you know? So that’s my view on it.”
Elsewhere, Ellefson pointed out the irony of Mustaine re-recording Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning.” Mustaine helped co-write the song, but Kirk Hammett did write his own solos for the final composition recorded by Metallica.
“The funny thing is [Mustaine] was mad at Kirk Hammett [Metallica guitarist] for playing his [Mustaine’s] solos and now here’s Dave playing Kirk‘s solo, unless that’s Teemu.”
No matter Ellefson’s opinion of the album, the self-titled effort is a success on the charts, landing Megadeth their first-ever No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
Meanwhile, Megadeth are set to embark on the first part of their farewell tour with a Canadian trek that runs throughout February and March. Get tickets here.
You can watch the episode of David Ellefson’s podcast below.