Pantera were on top of the world during their reign in the '90s and early 2000s, but after their split, metal needed a new set of leaders. In a new interview, David Ellefson named the band that he believes "took the throne" after Pantera stepped down.

Though thrash giants such as Metallica and Megadeth were still putting out albums during the '90s, Pantera were something that was fresh and new, and helped boost metal as alternative rock and grunge took the spotlight. But after Pantera disbanded in 2003, another new metal group was on the rise to help bolster the genre once again.

"Lamb of God, for sure, was one of the big leaders. And look, part of it was because we no more had a Pantera, and Lamb of God kind of came in and took the throne," Ellefson told Metal Command.

Before changing their name to Lamb of God, the band was known as Burn the Priest. They released a self-titled album in 1999 and then changed their moniker, and 2000's New American Gospel was their first album under the new name. As the Palaces Burn, which came out in 2003, was their first record to land on the charts in the U.S.

"They helped sort of revive... I mean, again, the '90s were not easy on thrash metal. Testament and other bands... they didn't fall off the grid, but they went very underground as a way to survive," Ellefson continued. "Megadeth and Metallica, because of our size, we were able to maintain a little bit better. But by the 2000s, man, it was the younger bands, like Lamb of God in particular, those guys really helped reset thrash metal."

Ellefson explained that the generation of metal bands in the 2000s re-invented what Megadeth and Metallica had done before them, which allowed the genre to prosper and keep going. Thus, he emphasized the importance of even newer generations of artists for the same reason.

"Otherwise, we're not gonna go forever. The train runs out of track and then it's over, so I personally love when new people are coming up the ranks," the bassist added.

Watch the full interview below.

Ellefson and the Kings of Thrash are currently on tour in the U.S., with their next show scheduled for tonight (Feb. 21) in Columbia, Mo. See the rest of their tour schedule on their website.

David Ellefson Names Band That 'Took the Throne' After Pantera

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