David Ellefson thinks he and Dave Mustaine were like James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.
The bassist recently sat down with Ultimate Guitar for an interview and talked about his thoughts on other thrash metal bands, referring to his and Dave’s role in Megadeth:
“Anthrax, of course, had a sound that, even though they went from Neil Turbin and Dan Lilker over to Joey [Belladonna] and Frank and other members, they’ve maintained it. I guess Scott [Ian] and Charlie [Benante] sort of maintained that sound, probably the same way James [Hetfield] and Lars [Ulrich] did. And I’d like to think probably in the same way Dave and I did through all the transitions of Megadeth through the years.”
Which Metallica Record Does Ellefson Love Most?
Ellefson also shared his favorite Metallica album:
“To me, the ‘Kill ‘Em All’ record is a very different record, even though it’s the same songs. It’s a very different sound, it’s a very different migration toward where they were going. That still is my favorite Metallica release, the ‘No Life ‘Til Leather’ demo.”
The Bassist’s First Impression Of Metallica
The musician previously revealed in a 2021 interview with Rock N’ Roll Icons that he didn’t know about Metallica when he met Mustaine. David reflected on his initial opinions on Metallica’s music:
“I love Metallica. I’m a fan of theirs, have been from day one. When I met Dave, I’ve never heard of Metallica. So I was introduced to them through ‘No Life ‘Til Leather’ through him – both his songs and the other songs, I like what they do, yeah. I can just speak for Megadeth, we have always had a pretty deep level of musical proficiency from the very first recording lineup with Gar and Chris, they were extraordinary players.”
Ellefson also said earlier that Metallica surpassed Megadeth with their ‘Black Album’ during the peak of thrash metal. Still, they managed to influence the scene. They continued to push their sound forward despite the rise of grunge at the time.