Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has explained why he believes mainman Dave Mustaine is a “great leader” who should be followed by his bandmates.
And he understands why, if a member decides they no longer want to do that, it’s time for them to go.
They’ve begun work on what will be the band’s 15th album, although it’s not been revealed who’s playing guitar and drums in place of departed pair Chris Broderick and Shawn Drover.
Co-founder Ellefson tells Rabid Noise: “I really understood Dave’s music. I understood the musicianship behind it; I understood the vision.
“I think that Dave is a great leader. Great groups need great leaders – and great groups also need good people to get in line and follow the vision. I think I’ve always been good at that.”
He believes his duties in the thrash outfit were “carved out pretty music from the beginning” and adds: “The the other two positions, in some ways, were carved out too.
“It’s taken some time to fill those positions over the years. Those roles are not always easy. People sometimes go, ‘I don’t want to play that role any more – I want to do something different.’ They either leave, or we need to have somebody leave.”
Projects outside Mustaine’s band only serves to reinforce the value of work within it, says Ellefson. “It’s nice to be able to have some other output. When we start working on Megadeth again, it’s like, ‘I’m very valuable. Megadeth needs both of what Dave and I have to make that thing work.’”
Broderick and Drover are now working with their own band Act Of Defiance, and last week released a teaser of a track from their debut album. Mustaine recently said he always chose second guitarists who were better soloists than him.
