Cleopatra Records has released “Bullets Ready,” the brand new single from KINGS OF THRASH, the project featuring former MEGADETH members David Ellefson and Jeff Young. The track also features guest vocals from former EXODUS vocalist Steve “Zetro” Souza
“Bullets Ready” was mixed by Grammy-winning producer Cameron Webb, whose production résumé includes work with MOTÖRHEAD, DANZIG and GODSMACK.
Speaking about how the song came together, Young revealed that the track carries a deeply personal connection to late Nick Menza, whose drumming helped shape the foundation of the composition.
Young reflects on the origins of the song: “During the making of the Nick Menza [documentary] film, I acquired several demo recordings of Nick playing various drum progressions. In essence, the introduction, verses and chorus of ‘Bullets Ready’ came from playing along to one of Nick‘s energetic grooves.
“During [MEGADETH‘s] So Far, So Good… So What! tour, it was often David, Nick and myself that would conduct the soundchecks. It was a surreal and nostalgic feeling to be playing along and writing riffs with my longlost friend. Nick‘s playing inspired so much of this song and his spirit is forever encapsulated inside this recording.”
KINGS OF THRASH first came together in April 2022 after Ellefson and Young reunited for a special appearance at the Ultimate Jam Night at the legendary Whisky a Go Go in West Hollywood. The event celebrated thrash metal’s “Big Four” — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX — and the chemistry from that performance quickly evolved into a full-fledged project.
Built around Ellefson’s vision of celebrating classic early-era MEGADETH material and deep cuts rarely heard live, the band soon launched what became known as “The Mega Years,” bringing fan-favorite albums back to the stage.
Despite some online criticism aimed at the project, Young addressed the controversy during a 2024 appearance on The Good The Band & The Ugly, making it clear that both he and Ellefson see the project as something created for longtime fans — while also noting that Dave Mustaine is being compensated.
“[We play] the stuff that the fans want to hear,” Young said at the time. “That’s why we’re doing it. I saw some bulls**t online, people saying that David and I are exploiting MEGADETH… First of all, Mustaine said in an interview that it’s great. He’s the one making money off our record [Best of the West – Live at the Whisky a Go Go live album], so we don’t want to hear any b**chin’ and cryin’.”
“But it’s a win-win for everybody,” he continued. “We’re doing this 100% for the fans. We started writing an original album, we had [it] demoed. We just did the Ultimate Jam [Night] at the Whiskey a Go Go… We went up blind and did that, and it went wild on the internet. And then, Ellefson‘s manager [said], ‘You gotta take this on the road, and do Killing [Is My Business… and Business Is Good!] and So Far [So Good… So What!] in their entirety!’ So we did.”
“We’re doing it for the fans. I don’t really care to go back and relearn all this s**t, to be honest. I want to write new stuff. I want to go in the studio tomorrow, and record new stuff. I have 1000 songs on my desktop and another 500, 600 on my phone, and I probably ain’t going to get this all recorded before I leave the matrix, right? So, that’s my goal, to get this music out there. We don’t want to see no b**chin’ and cryin’ and moanin’ about this, because we’re doing it for you.”
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.