ELLEFSON: Fans Are Excited To Hear What MUSTAINE And I Are Going To Do On The Next Record

Rich Howells of The Times Leader recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

On returning to MEGADETH in time to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the release of teh band's career-defining album "Rust In Peace":

"It's been really good. I think coming back into the fold with playing songs we already know, learning a few we haven't ever played before, quite honestly, from 'Rust In Peace', but coming back to do it with such a celebration mentality was a great way to come back in."

"I think it's right that I'm part of it. I think the fans are thrilled most importantly, because with something like this, this is all about doing this for the fans because this is one of their fan-favorite records."

"We all wanted this to work, we all wanted it to go the distance and now I can happily say that it has. Now that we've gone on and done all these other things, I think the fans are thrilled. I think the fans are really excited to hear what Dave [Mustaine] and I are going to do on the next record and we started working on some of those ideas as best we can being on a tour. It's a rock n’ roll band. We shouldn't have to overthink it, overplay it, or overdo it. You should be able to just get in a room and be able to just let flow, and that's what's happening right now."

Ontouring with SLAYER and ANTHRAX for the first time since the 1991 "Clash of the Titans" tour:

"To a large degree, there are some things that haven't changed because we've all very uniquely our own bands. Yet at the same time, it's much more relaxed because, 20 years ago, we were all still fighting and clawing and scratching out way to the top, and now we've all been to the top. I think now we can go out with a much different mentality on the road touring together and have some laughs and really be much more comfortable around each other."

"It's not just like coming out and hearing three heavy bands who all do the same thing all night. That would be very one-dimensional, and, in my opinion, not very entertaining. You not only get three bands celebrating the thrash genre with our fans, but you get to see three very distinct and very different bands doing three very different things. Our three bands each helped create a cultural movement, and that's what people celebrate after all this time. It isn't just a song. It isn't just one record. It's basically that the three of us were part of this huge cultural movement, which was the thrash genre."

Read the entire interview from The Times Leader.