Former MEGADETH Members DAVID ELLEFSON And JEFF YOUNG Are Collaborating 'On A Couple Of New Songs'

In a new interview with The Neurotic Guitarist conducted at last weekend's NAMM convention in Anaheim, California, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson spoke about his renewed collaboration with his ex-MEGADETH bandmate Jeff Young. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've been listening to what the fans have been requesting. He and I have actually been working on a couple of new songs."

Regarding how the musical reunion between Ellefson and Young came together, David said: "When we started filming the Nick Menza documentary, which was back in January, we all came to L.A. and filmed. And we were sitting at the Rainbow [in West Hollywood] one night having dinner, and Jeff goes, 'Remember those couple of riffs that I had that were from the 'So Far, So Good... So What!' tour that were gonna be hoped for to be what would become 'Rust In Peace'?' And then he was out of the group by then. And as he hummed them to me, I go, 'Dude, I totally remember those riffs. I totally remember 'em.' And they're kind of complex, kind of music nerdish but cool and heavy. And I go, 'Oh my God. We've gotta get in a frickin' room and work on these.' So Mike Heller [FEAR FACTORY and RAVEN drummer], who's a great producer as well as a drummer, we have put some tracks down. We've written songs. Now we just have to get them recorded."

David also addressed the fact that he, Young and another former MEGADETH guitarist, Chris Poland, will perform "a very special set of thrash classics" at the fall 2022 edition of the Days Of The Dead horror and pop culture convention, set to take place November 18-20 at Crowne Plaza O'Hare in Rosemont, Illinois. The "Days Of The Deth" performance on Saturday, November 19 will be open to anyone with a Days Of The Dead ticket. V.I.P. pass holders will have early entrance to the event.

Asked if there are any "legalities" standing in the way of Ellefson and Young performing MEGADETH classics without the band's leader Dave Mustaine, David said: "No, there isn't. Because as long as you don't use someone's logo or their trademark, you're fine."

As previously reported, Ellefson and Young reunited on stage on May 10 at Ultimate Jam Night, the long-running community-oriented show in residency at the famed Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California, as part of a special tribute to the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX. The event marked the first time David and Jeff had played MEGADETH songs together on stage since the U.K.'s Monsters Of Rock festival on August 20, 1988.

The Whisky A Go Go concert came four months after Ellefson and Young reunited in Los Angeles for interviews to be included in the upcoming feature-length documentary "This Was My Life: The Story Of Nick Menza". Ellefson has signed on as a co-producer of the film, and also will provide narration to guide the viewer through the exploration of the late MEGADETH drummer's life.

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH a little over a year ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Mustaine, alleging the MEGADETH leader shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Young's entire career with MEGADETH was spent recording and touring in support of the band's 1988 platinum-selling album "So Far, So Good...So What!"

Jeff made headlines in December 2009 for accusing Mustaine of, among other things, "dissing, exaggerating and just plain lying on some level about nearly every talented musician that has passed through his dysfunctional little ensemble." He also disputed Mustaine's claim in an interview that Young's drug problem led to MEGADETH's 1988 Australian tour being called off and the group being "banned" from performing in the country.

Poland was a member of MEGADETH from 1984 to 1987, during which time he performed on the band's classic albums "Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" and "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?" He is also a featured soloist on the group's 2004 album, "The System Has Failed".

Back in 2004, Poland and/or his management and attorney filed a lawsuit against Mustaine regarding the use of the three "Rust In Peace" demos on the album's reissue without Chris's permission. Chris eventually settled for $9,500 and thereby ended a professional relationship with Dave and MEGADETH.

For the past couple of decades, Poland's main musical focus has been the fusion band OHM:, which has released several full-length studio albums to date.