David Ellefson vs. Roger Patterson – Greatest Metal Bassist, Round 1

As one of the founding members of Megadeth, die hard fans consider David Ellefson almost as an equally crucial part of the band as leader Dave Mustaine. He is one of metal’s elite bassists, and his use of a pick categorizes his bass tone more than his playing style, as he still sticks to distancing himself from the guitar lines and working with the drums. Ellefson also has many co-writing credits with Megadeth, one of them being ‘In My Darkest Hour.’

Roger Patterson took his jazz-fusion influence and injected it into the death metal band Atheist. One of the earliest technical death metal bands, Atheist paved the way for the style that has become so popular today. His speed and complexity can be heard on the first two Atheist albums, as he wrote the bass parts and music for ‘Unquestionable Presence’ before his tragic passing. The song ‘An Incarnation’s Dream’ is one of many that showcase the talents of Patterson.

David Ellefson or Roger Patterson? Cast your vote for the Greatest Metal Bassist in the poll below! Voting for this round closes on Sunday, Sept. 29 at 11:59PM ET. Fans can vote once per hour, so keep coming back to make sure that your favorite metal musician wins!