MEGADETH's DAVID ELLEFSON Was 'Surprised' By SLAYER's 'Farewell Tour' Announcement: They Are 'Young To Be Retiring'

MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson says that he was "surprised" to hear about SLAYER's "farewell" tour, explaining that the Tom Araya-fronted outfit is "young to be retiring."

Last week, SLAYER, one of metal's most popular and influential bands of the past four decades, announced its "final world tour" via a 30-second video. The group also confirmed that its last-ever North American run of dates would feature support from LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX, BEHEMOTH and TESTAMENT.

During an appearance on the "Trunk Nation" show on SiriusXM channel Volume, Ellefson was asked for his take on SLAYER's announcement. "I am surprised by it," he said. "SLAYER's young to be retiring."

Despite the fact that he thinks SLAYER could keep going for a while longer, Ellefson said that he understood why the band would want to go out on top.

"Look, we've all worked hard," he said. "We've headbanged a lot. Our necks hurt. I get it. And I have not talked to the guys, so I don't know what their understanding is internally.

"We've been doing this a long time, and I think all of us are fortunate enough to have survived much of the stuff, some of it self-induced and some of it just rock and roll as we know it and the world as we know it," he said.

Noting that SLAYER has "had an incredible career," Ellefson went on to say that pioneering thrash metal outfit "should be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. I mean, by [Rock Hall's] own standards, being an innovator, they are that band for sure," he explained.

David was also asked about MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine's recent comment that there should at least be one more "Big Four" concert before SLAYER calls it quits. "I completely agree with that," he said. "I think it would awesome. We can only hope and pray that that would happen. I think it would be a great way to sort of say 'adios' to that as far as kind of the 'Big Four' of us being together."

The last show featuring the so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX — was held on September 14, 2011 at Yankee Stadium in New York City.

SLAYER will kick off the first leg of its farewell world tour with a May 10 concert at San Diego's Valley View Casino Center, with dates running through June 20 at Austin's 360 Amphitheatre.