Megadeth Bassist Dave Ellefson: Timing Was Everything in Returning to Band

In a recent interview with Lambgoat, Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson discussed details on the band's new album, 'Th1rt3en,' and reuniting with the legendary metal guys.

It has been almost a decade since Ellefson appeared on a record with Megadeth, and that last album was 'The World Needs a Hero.’ When asked how it feels to put his "stamp” on the new record, Ellefson replied, “I am very happy about it. It's great to be back working, putting, as you said, my stamp on the new record. More importantly, all of us really working together to really carve out what the next chapter of Megadeth is going to be.”

When asked if he was upset or relived to take a break when Megadeth ended back in 2002, Ellefson responded by saying, “It was a little bit of both. All around, there was probably a lot of misunderstanding about it. For me, when I understood that the band was over, that was it. It was done. I moved on into other ventures in my life.”

He went on to explain that, “as it turns out, looking back, they were really good experiences for me to have for when I came back to the band. When things reformed and I was not a part of it, that wasn't the right season for me to participate back with the band yet. I had already been involved with other ventures and I think it was good that I saw those things through.

“Timing was everything in coming back to Megadeth. The timing of it was something that none of us had predicted, for sure. It was something that just landed in our laps. And I think to some degree that's what really made it so much easier and made it just that much smoother too, not just for the band, but for the fans.”

Ellefson also described his relationship with frontman Dave Mustaine. “Interestingly enough, when I came back it was not walking on eggshells. It was actually very open arms, hugs, big smiles. Just, "Man, let's go out and do this. Let's blow everybody's minds!" And it's still that, which is great, because I get to bring a new perspective to Dave from the outside in. And Dave can also continue to bring a new perspective to me because of all the years that he has been running Megadeth during my time away.

“So it really becomes a nice mutual two-way street for both of us, which is really what a friendship is supposed to be.”