On a recent episode of The David Ellefson Show dedicated to remembering Ace Frehley, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson opened up about his long-standing silence with bandmate Dave Mustaine. When asked by co-host Joshua Toomey whether the recent deaths of Ozzy Osbourne and Frehley made him want to reach out to Mustaine after nearly four and a half years of no contact, Ellefson admitted it made him reflect on their past.
“I had someone say that [to me] after I finished [playing at] the Ozzy gig [‘Back To The Beginning’ concert], just saying, ‘Dude, let’s just get over it,’” he recalled (as transcribed by Blabbermouth). “The problem of it is me and Dave were always together as a band. We never just hung out just as buddies not in the band. It was always sort of angled with us being in the band together.
“Look, he’s got his own [incarnation of MEGADETH], he’s got his own record, he’s got his new music. I’m not part of that,” Ellefson continued. “I think he made it really clear in his press statement, he doesn’t wanna play music with me again. And whether that was just a kneejerk anger statement or it was true, I don’t know. But, look, I would take his call.”
Going back to the initial question, Ellefson said: “I don’t know. It didn’t feel like suddenly it was the moment to do [try to reach out to Dave]. But I don’t know. There is something to be said for that, because, look, none of us get out of here alive, as the saying goes. And our time is limited. There’s only so many miles on the road for all of us.
“For sure it would be nice if things between me and Dave and me and MEGADETH, as just an entity, didn’t end on a sour note. I think that’s what [MEGADETH‘s] farewell statement [announcing a final album and accompanying world tour] has sort of raised all those questions. Which is why I said right away, I said, look, I would be open to [being part of] it, if for nothing else to just sort of close the circle, close the gap. And it all ends with us, if not being best of friends, ’cause we don’t have to go there. But at least just sort of closing the gap and closing the circle. ‘Cause look at what happened. I mean, KISS played [their final shows in December 2023], and, look, would it have been appropriate for Ace to come out and play [with them one last time]? I mean, why not? But I think in Gene [Simmons] and Paul‘s [Stanley] mind, as a band guy myself, it’s, like, ‘Well, he’s not part of the band. He’s just not part of the act. He’s not part of the show. Where do we squeeze that in?’ Yet they certainly could have, if they wanted to.”
MEGADETH’s final studio album, self-titled Megadeth, is scheduled for release on January 23rd, 2026.
Back in August, Dave Mustaine shared that this would mark MEGADETH’s final record, with the band planning a global farewell tour in 2026. In his statement, Mustaine described the decision as a way to close out the band’s decades-long career on top and to properly celebrate with fans worldwide.
Mustaine said at the time: “I have traveled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans, and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them.
“We can’t wait for you to hear this album and see us on tour. If there was ever a perfect time for us to put out a new album, it’s now. If there was ever a perfect time to tour the world, it’s now. This is also a perfect time for us to tell you that it’s our last studio album. We’ve made a lot of friends over the years and I hope to see all of you on our global farewell tour. Don’t be mad, don’t be sad — be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years.
“We have done something together that’s truly wonderful and will probably never happen again. We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it’s played, and we changed the world. The bands I played in have influenced the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything.”
Reeder, the visionary behind Metal Addicts, has transformed his lifelong passion for metal into a thriving online community for metal aficionados. As a fervent devotee of black metal, Reeder is captivated by its dark, atmospheric, and often unorthodox soundscapes.