Megadeth won’t be rushed into recording Dystopia follow-up

Megadeth bassist David Ellefson says the band won’t be rushed into releasing the follow-up to Dystopia.

Their 15th studio album arrived in January 2016, with vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine previously reporting that they were “throwing some ideas around” for their next record.

And in a new interview with Mitch Lafon, Ellefson says they want to put out a great album – and they’ll take their time to ensure that’s the case.

Ellefson says: “Moving forward, it’s nice to know that Dystopia was a record that really reset the benchmark for what Megadeth is. I think one of the reasons that record worked is we rebuilt the lineup and the whole structure of Megadeth to a large degree.

“We didn’t have any tour dates, so we took as much time as we needed. And now, of course, the train is in motion and the phone rings and they’re, like, ‘Can you do the summer festivals?’ ‘Can you come to Mexico?’

“I think the trick is making a great record, a follow-up to Dystopia, that we do make sure we take the time and make it right.”

Ellefson adds that the days of having to put out a new album to secure a tour are over for them and says: “Maybe for new bands, it’s still like that. But for the most part, I think people just enjoy live music – they love festivals.

“And, new album or not, they want to see you play – they want to see you on stage playing their favourite songs for them. So I think that, by and large, that’s the calling of the music business right now.”

Megadeth will head out on tour again from May and have live shows planned in South America, Europe and the UK.

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