Life hasn't been entirely smooth for Megadeth over the past 18 months, but with the sacking of bassist Dave Ellefson and the recruitment of new/old four-stringer James LoMenzo now firmly in the rear view mirror, Dave Mustaine's band can look forward to a period of stability as they launch their 16th studio album The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!
Megadeth returned to their spiritual hometown, Los Angeles, on August 25, to tape a performance and interview segment for SiriusXM's Trunk Nation L.A. Invasion with Eddie Trunk: their three-song set premiered six days later on Faction Talk, and is now available to view on YouTube.
The quartet - Mustaine, guitarist Kiko Loureiro, bassist LoMenzo and drummer Dirk Verbeuren - performed two Megadeth classics for Trunk, Holy Wars and Symphony Of Destruction, in addition to one of the singles from their latest release, We'll Be Back.
Watch the three songs below:
Amazing time last night with @Megadeth for an exclusive #TrunkNation performance & interview at the LA studio. Will premiere this Wed 3-5P ET @SIRIUSXM Faction Talk 103. Video & audio on the app. Thx @DaveMustaine @KikoLoureiro @BassiusMaximus @VerbeurenDirk pic.twitter.com/7qnwuaFct0August 27, 2022
Megadeth, along with Killswitch Engage, were recently announced to headline next summer's Bloodstock festival.
Meanwhile, David Ellefson has formed Kings Of `Thrash with fellow Megadeth exile Jeff Young, and has committed to playing two early Megadeth albums -1985's Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! and 1988's So Far, So Good... So What! - in full on the band's upcoming US tour.
The war of words between Ellefson and Mustaine remains ongoing.
The bassist discussed his 2021 departure from Megadeth at length in a recent interview - and suggested that his expulsion from the band could have been influenced by Dave Mustaine's feelings about his own firing from Metallica in 1983.
"I kind of saw the events of last year as just the perfect opportunity to choose box office over brotherhood," bassist Ellefson tells the 2020'd podcast (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). "I look back at it now and I feel like I got kicked out of hell. So, whatever."
He goes on to describe his treatment by Mustaine as "unnecessary", adding: "Dave even said he had a resentment toward me that he couldn't let go, and I didn't know what it was."
Ellefson claims that Mustaine's infamous sacking from Metallica in 1983 may have indirectly influenced his decision to kick the bassist out of the band, following a sex video leak involving Ellefson and a female fan.
"Look, I think part of it, too, is he's obviously not gotten over this thing about being fired from Metallica, so he wanted to do to somebody else what he felt they did to him, which is kick him out and then someone else play his guitar parts," Ellefson said. "'So let's kick 'Junior' out and then have someone else play his bass parts.' And to me, I'm, like, 'I don't care. I already fucking helped put the record together. I played on the record. I got paid to be on the record.' So, hey, if you wanna get someone else to play, whatever."
