MEGADETH's ELLEFSON: 'History Books Are Just Ripe Soil For Writing Metal Records'

Pat Prince of Goldmine magazine recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Goldmine: Did you begin writing with [Dave] Mustaine [MEGADETH mainman] again?

Ellefson: You know, we haven't started to write anything yet. There is a brand new track that was already in the works that he [Mustaine] had me play on. It was actually the second day we got back together. So that was pretty cool. We still have music and riffs from years ago that we haven't used that Shawn was going, "I can't believe we never used these things. These are fantastic." It's cool to have someone like Shawn around because he gives a different ear and a different perspective to things and that probably has helped MEGADETH in recent years in getting back to its roots and plug back into the energy that made the band viable in the first place.

Goldmine: Does your songwriting still match with Dave nowadays?

Ellefson: We'll tell, I guess, as we move forward. Sometimes I pick up a bass but right now I'm in performance mode when I pick the instrument up. The other day I was at my house and some ideas fell out. I was in MEGADETH but not around MEGADETH, so a certain kind of thing came out and it made me go, "Wow, this would probably work well on a future MEGADETH record."

Goldmine: Are you still interested in the same subjects? I mean, are you a fellow Christian?

Ellefson: I am.

Goldmine: Oh, okay, so you can still relate to each other as songwriters.

Ellefson: Absolutely. And you know it's funny with MEGADETH, because even years ago Dave would draw from scripture to come up with ideas and they would be very inspirational. It's interesting. The whole Book of Isaiah, you could write an entire IRON MAIDEN album out of that, you know. It's definitely a good source for inspiration. The history books are just ripe soil for writing metal records.

Goldmine: There had been too much of an unfair attack on metal in the past, especially in the '80s, as far as it being Satanic.

Ellefson: It's funny. Even when the thrash thing started, with VENOM and all that, even if you listen to those things, none of those guys were Satan worshipers. They talked about Satan. Worshiping Satan, it's like, "Is that the best you can do?" He's kind of a small-fry guy. You're kind of limiting your resources a little bit there, if you go down that road.

Goldmine: In a recent quote, you encouraged young bands to be more original if they want to be successful. Do you think originality is nearly dead, though?

Ellefson: Here's the thing. Even in our genre, we drew upon everything from PRIEST, MAIDEN, SABBATH, and those that went before us. But we also branched out and listened to other things, and that's the thing that's been so unique about MEGADETH over the years — that there's such a broad musical diversity within the band, among the players. It's helped us not only survive but, more importantly, thrive. Especially twenty years ago when the thrash thing went way back underground. We ended up hanging a left turn into the mainstream, because we had the skills and ability in the band to do that. To me, the most exciting times in this band is when we rise to the occasion and create something new. Of course, a lot of bands have been influenced by MEGADETH over the years and that's great. But I personally respect the ones who go on and do something that does not sound like MEGADETH.

I remember one time we were in the elevator of a hotel in Cleveland and the guitarist from the band MATCHBOX TWENTY got in the elevator and he was freaking out that he was standing next to Marty Friedman. He was a big fan. And to me, that was cool. Here's a guy who was in a very big mainstream pop band who loved the talents of Marty Friedman, who at that time was the shredder of MEGADETH. To me, it's all in what you do with it, to where it goes to your head and to your fingers and comes out something unique and special. That's why I encourage artists. Record labels are not going to sign an also-ran. They are going to sign things that are unique, ground-breaking, cutting-edge, and are essentially going to change the face of the world. That's what people get excited about. That's what stirs the human spirit.

Read the entire interview from Goldmine magazine.