It’s been well over a year since Dave Mustaine sacked David Ellefson from Megadeth. By now, we’re all aware of the intimate video scandal that ultimately got Ellefson fired. But judging by some of Mustaine’s statements, this seems to have been the last straw. Bass parts on the album were removed and then recorded again by Testament’s Steve Di Giorgio and James LoMenzo has officially become the band’s next bassist.
While chatting with Eddie Trunk recently (via Blabbermouth), Dave Mustaine reflected on this decision to remove David Ellefson’s bass parts. He explained:
“I don’t really talking about him anymore. I like telling the funny stories, but I really don’t like talking about that part of things, because the guy that I know and love was a different person.“
“Making the change to Steve, we needed to do that; we needed to do that for so many reasons. On the outside looking in, there were a few people that were saying that I did the wrong thing, but I’m sorry – for my personal convictions, I just couldn’t have that around us. And even if it wasn’t true, I didn’t want that in my life.“
“When Steve came in, he was a wonderful breath of fresh air because he could play the parts [on the new Megadeth album]. And the parts that were on the record that were there…“
He then added:
“I did an interview recently and the girl says, ‘Why did you change Dave’s parts?’ And I thought, ‘You can’t be that stupid. I have to change the parts.’ I didn’t say that to her, but I was thinking that.”
Wow, so classy of you, Mr. Mustaine. Discussing the matter further on, he added:
“First off, the majority of the bass on the record I played. And it’s demo tracks – we didn’t have all the record recorded yet. When I was in my studio with [engineer] Chris Rakestraw and I’m writing the guitar parts, I picked up the bass and plunked along with it. I mean, it wasn’t terrific, but it was the parts. So when anybody came in to record the parts, whether it was Steve or Dave, the parts were already written and recorded.”
“The part about DiGiorgio coming in, it was cool because there was just so much bad going on at the time. It just seemed like the record was gonna keep getting delayed and delayed and delayed. But I believe there’s a spiritual vacuum in my life and that whenever things get really bad, there’s a breakthrough ready to happen.”
“And I know that when things get bad like that, it’s kind of a challenge for the universe to see if I’m gonna stop living my life on the right side of things, if I’m gonna start trying to force things to happen again. And that’s not who I am anymore. I think right now we’re sitting on some of the best years ahead of us ever. I feel great. I think I’m playing really well. My relationships with most of the people in my life are really doing good. And I think that the band’s trajectory has just continued to go upward.”
Photo: Sven Mandel (Megadeth – 2017216231552 2017-08-04 Wacken – Sven – 1D X MK II – 1257 – B70I0729), Carter Sterling (David Ellefson (cropped2))
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