Following the successful Autobiographical release from Dave Mustaine, simply entitled Mustaine, Megadeth co-founder David Ellefson has prepared his own work chronicling his life up to and including his tenure with Megadeth, his struggles as an addict followed by over two decades of sobriety, and personal life as a family man and a man of faith. This book is not another tell-all tale of debauchery and slanderous rumors. This is a profound spiritual inventory of a man who has lived through it all, and who continues to embody a life of recovery and personal surrender in order that it might serve others. David Ellefson has taken the time to speak with Metal Exiles and share with fans some insights into his new book, My Life With Deth.
An Interview with David Ellefson
By John Knowles
Metal Exiles: What inspired you to write this autobiography, and release it now?
David Ellefson: Well a couple of things. You know, when I came back to Megadeth in 2010 by buddy Joel McIver had interviewed me for several things in Bass Guitar Magazine UK and several things over the years like that. So he reached out to me and said, “You know, I’ve written several autobiographies, and I’d love to do yours and quite honestly I think now’s the perfect time to write it. It will probably take a couple years before we write it and it gets to the street anyway so it would be a good idea to start it now.” Dave Mustaine had just put his book out, and a lot of big things were happening with Megadeth and The Big Four, me coming back into the band, the Rust In Peace 20th Anniversary tour, so big, big stuff was going on. So he really was the one who propelled me to do it. And I’m glad he did because these kinds of books are trendy these days, and there’s a lot of people writing them, and I think the fans enjoy them. But one of the things I was really careful to keep in mind was that I said: look, it’s not in my nature to just slam people and talk bad about people, and I know a lot of these books tend to do that. They tend to highlight debauchery and drugs & alcohol, a lot of brokenness, and often times it’s just a way for people to get some kind of retribution and get what they feel is theirs by writing a book and sort of throwing everyone else under the bus. I said I won’t write a book like that. Joel was very much respectful of my life, my personal life, my private life, as well as the Megadeth legacy. And to me, primarily first and foremost will probably be Megadeth fans reading it. So I wanted it to be a story that they would enjoy, that was truthful and would be something that was a part of the annals of the Megadeth legacy forever, and in high regard.
Metal Exiles: What you have here is not so much just a retelling of the facts – one story after another – but so much insightful spiritual commentary. I found it almost reads as a very thorough First Step inventory. Was this a deliberate choice?
David Ellefson: Well yeah because a big part of – as I stated in there 1988 through 1990 was a transitional period for me coming out of drugs & alcohol, getting sober, and that’s also another feature of a lot of these books – and for me I was like, I’m very private. I’ve never held any of that back if someone asks, but I don’t put that out there as sort of my calling card. I tend to keep that part of my life a little more anonymous, because it’s my private journey. And a lot of times it seems with these books, a guy gets 30 days out of rehab and the next thing you know he’s on the Talk Show circuit with his new book, and I’m like...those dark debauchery days of my life were now almost a quarter of a century ago, it was a long time ago, you know, so I didn’t feel it was necessary to bring it up as just a way to sell a book. It’s really not my life anymore, and hasn’t been for many, many years. But I thought, what is a part of my life is the recovery journey, and that is my current life today, and it’s something that I felt, you know – I look at it in the light of if that part of my life can help inspire some people then maybe now is a good time to start talking more openly about that. Everyone knows me as the Megadeth guy, and the Rock n’ Roll guy, and the bass player guy, and that journey of me becoming spiritually awake, that happened in the last 23 years of my life. So that’s why I chose not to hold that back any longer, and to put that out there, and really talk openly about it.
Metal Exiles: Your book also includes quotes from other musicians and friends. Was it difficult to track anyone down and what inspired this idea?
David Ellefson: Well there’s kind of two sides when you reach out to friends or people in your industry or your community, you know, one is maybe for an endorsement of the book...and we have some of that as the book now is coming out some people have read it and say their opinion – hopefully high opinion of the book. But you know, I took a little bit different route; I thought you know it would be cool to have some of the people who were there on the journey with me talking about it. Everyone said some, you know flattering and nice things about me but I was really wanting to ask them more about...like Scott Ian for instance made a quote about back when he first met me when he first heard Killing is My Business... and this was Dave’s new band post-Metallica, and those are cool moments you know when here’s a guy, Scott, who’s so revered and very public and popular himself as a celebrity and he’s recounting back in the early days when we were all just starting out. And to me as a fan myself of Rock n’ Roll I love when I get to read from other people who were all a part of someone’s journey. To me it colors the story; it makes it not just me writing about me, it kinda makes it us writing about us. And I love community...and to me the Metal community is always stronger when we stick together.
Metal Exiles: Early in the book there is a very interesting parallel you draw between yourself and Cliff Burton. Given that Cliff did indeed have a very unique playing style, I’ve noticed that he tends to be the standout bassist when people talk about the big names in thrash. Your style however, is very technical, and other musicians comment on this in the book. Do you feel after all these years that you have received the credit you’re due?
David Ellefson: I think I am receiving it you know, because I think early on Megadeth was a band that has always been and still is revered as a very credible band. We have our credibility; we’ve done a lot of different things obviously. The numbers are big, we’ve achieved a lot. But more importantly, when the dust settles from contemporary popularity, is: what’s the substance behind it? And I think that’s the thing where Megadeth...may win bigger than everybody. And not just the quantity of output, but the quality of that quantity. And I think that we still continue that to this day. And I think having been there through most of it – certainly there in the beginning of it for the first almost 20 years before there was a season away from it – I think those are the things that start to earn credibility, and earn the respect of people. I think that for me I’ve always wanted to be in a band and be part of a band and be one of the co-creators, and just be part of that thing, and that’s how my life has panned out...so I’m part of something rather than always having to be “the” something. So having to be the solo guy, or “my name’s not first so I’m not gonna do it,” or any of that kind of stuff you know...I’ve taken leadership from kind of a vice-president position and sometimes leadership from rallying the troops and getting everybody synergized and together and helping them march in the same direction...often times following behind Dave Mustaine’s front leadership in Megadeth. And I found that that’s just a quality I have, and I think it speaks to my role as a bass player and certainly to my character as a person.
Metal Exiles: I know you touch on it in your book, but can you share with our readers with regards to your rejoining of Megadeth, were there tensions considering the previous lawsuit?
David Ellefson: Well, Joel McIver told me, “Look, you’re going to have to talk about your time away from the band, and certainly the legal matters and it would look weird in the book if you didn’t.” And my only thing was: Look, those issues are settled, they’re done, they’re over for me and Dave, and all of us have moved passed them and at some point you don’t just keep bringing up those things. For some they may be juicy gossip and they would love to talk about it, but again, I was like: I’m not interested in that...if that’s what it takes to sell a book, I won’t write a book, you know what I mean? To me it’s about preserving a new friendship that we have, me and Dave. And it’s about preserving a new working relationship and being productive and most importantly making some great music now, and the fans are happy, so to write a tell-all that just sort of spills the beans on everything was again, not my intent and I dug my heels in very firmly on my position of that. So what I think I did do was I did talk about what my life looked like at that time. And certainly some of the emotions that I went through, and identity crisis, and that season that I was away from the group it forced me to grow up and go through a serious adult transformation that I think, when I did come back to Megadeth...you know Dave and I had spent some time together over coffee and dinner and those are the things I wanted to talk about. Dave and I may have had a falling out, but there was a long period of rebuilding a new friendship. The rebuilding and building a new friendship, that’s what created this moment when I came back and now it seems like where I’m seeing Megadeth is probably more vibrant than ever and quite honestly just as successful as ever. So if anything I think it speaks to everyone being able to put past things behind us, forgive, and keep an eye toward the future to continue building great things ahead.
Metal Exiles: Speaking of your time away from the band; that was obviously a time where you could count yourself as one of the many former members of Megadeth. In your book you go into detail about all of those former members over the years. You were always the guy woodshedding with the new members, and helping them adjust. How hard has it been to let go of so many relationships over the years? Are there guys you really wish you still had the opportunity to work with or be closer friends with?
David Ellefson: Well I guess the good news is I actually still am friends with everybody. I see Chuck Behler when I go through Detroit, I see Jeff Young at NAMM every year in January, I just saw Nick Menza at an Autograph show in Los Angeles [editor’s note: The Rock n Roll Autograph Show 2013] just a few weeks ago. I talk to Marty probably once a year through email. This is all with no intention other than to just say, “hey bro, how are you doing?” Because, when you spend so many years of intense confinement together you get to know someone and even though people’s lives may change and the ambitions and directions of their own lives may change, you’ve always got that experience that you had together in a band. And those are really priceless moments that you get to look back on, especially all of these years later. And even the rough periods, you get to have some laughs over it. We’re always connected because of our fans. Our fans are like the world-wide community that in some way keep us connected, because we were a favorite group of people at that time to them. It doesn’t mean we have to reform the band and that line-up, and we don’t have to make music ever, ever again or any of that stuff, but just as a good buddy and a good neighbor to everyone I seem to be that guy that stays in touch with people...sometimes unintentionally but I seem to be that guy that kind of is able to at least leave doors open to people to if nothing else at least stop by and say hello once in a while.
Metal Exiles: What have been some of your favorite experiences since re-joining with Megadeth in 2010?
David Ellefson: Well, certainly coming back right away when we were doing Rust In Peace was just phenomenal. Because a lot of those songs Dave and I never ever played even after we recorded it, probably half that album we never did play live. So this was the first time any of us started playing them in a live show setting. And of course we just did the Countdown To Extinction tour last year, and that CD/DVD just came out last week, and I’m so glad we captured that because it just showcased this line-up getting better and better at everything that we do, and I think that capturing that Countdown tour was...you see it, you hear it, you know...the quality of where Megadeth is at now. A couple weeks ago we just did a two week tour with Iron Maiden in America, and we haven’t done a tour with Maiden in America in 25 years. So just a lot of great moments, great tours, Slayer and Megadeth touring together again as much as we did here in the last several years. The Big 4 of course was probably the biggest shot heard round the world in the thrash metal community as a whole. So its really just been an incredible few years. Its like were really getting to just relish and enjoy all those years that especially Dave and I...its like we were planting seeds, and now is the harvest.
Metal Exiles: Your last two records with the band have taken a noticeably different direction than United Abominations or Endgame. Can you share the reason for this, and have you guys discussed a musical direction for your next record?
David Ellefson: Yes, and yes (laughs). With Super Collider, us being back on Universal Records and just feeling the attention from a major label was a very positive and esteeming thing for us, you know, we went through a lot of years since Capitol Records, a lot of years with a couple of other different record labels, and complete shifts in the landscape of heavy metal. And getting back at Universal felt like...it finally felt like we made it back around the track and we’ve come home safely again. And I don’t know, it was a spirit of where were at that time that led to the Super Collider record, and I know its been a controversial record and I think probably the biggest controversy is normally we would lead off the record with a “metal” track, like “Kingmaker” for instance, right? And then following that would be the more melodic song such as “Super Collider.” This record was the oppostite. They led with “Super Collider,” which is a very mainstream, simple song, and I think a lot of fans freaked out and said, “Oh no, what happened to Megadeth?” There’s a way that you kind of build in to those things, but for whatever reason that strategy didn’t develop like that on this record. So here you have this anticipation for Megadeth and for someone to hear “Super Collider,” which normally would have been the second track...there was some backlash for sure from that. But I think once people heard the record they went, “Whoa, there’s a lot of great stuff on here, and this is a Megadeth record like we would expect it to be.” You know, “Dance in the Rain,” “Built For War,” “Beginning of Sorrow,” “Burn,”...there’s a whole bunch of stuff that’s true to form with Megadeth. It took I think buying it, having it, living with it to really come to know: Yep, these are our boys, Megadeth!
Metal Exiles: David, thank you so much for your time, and we really appreciate how much you put into answering everything and for sharing everything that you did. Is there anything else you would like the fans to know about the book?
David Ellefson: Its interesting with the book we’re actually offering a special leather-bound limited edition that we’re only offering to the Megadeth Cyber-Army fan club. We wanted to do something unique, just for the fans that have been the long-timers with us, and really kind of go the extra distance so I think it is cool that we are able to offer that. I am also going to be announcing some book signings, [editor’s note: Head to DavidEllefson.com/events for more details] so if I am in your area I’d love to meet you, and sign a book for you.
Be sure to visit David’s website for more information on the upcoming book signings, and all things related to David’s musical projects in and out of Megadeth.
My Life With Deth will be released on October 29th and is a must read for Megadeth fans, and anyone interested in a powerful story of one man’s amazing life journey.
Pre-Order "My Life With Deth"
Official David Ellefson Site
An Interview with David Ellefson
By John Knowles
Metal Exiles: What inspired you to write this autobiography, and release it now?
David Ellefson: Well a couple of things. You know, when I came back to Megadeth in 2010 by buddy Joel McIver had interviewed me for several things in Bass Guitar Magazine UK and several things over the years like that. So he reached out to me and said, “You know, I’ve written several autobiographies, and I’d love to do yours and quite honestly I think now’s the perfect time to write it. It will probably take a couple years before we write it and it gets to the street anyway so it would be a good idea to start it now.” Dave Mustaine had just put his book out, and a lot of big things were happening with Megadeth and The Big Four, me coming back into the band, the Rust In Peace 20th Anniversary tour, so big, big stuff was going on. So he really was the one who propelled me to do it. And I’m glad he did because these kinds of books are trendy these days, and there’s a lot of people writing them, and I think the fans enjoy them. But one of the things I was really careful to keep in mind was that I said: look, it’s not in my nature to just slam people and talk bad about people, and I know a lot of these books tend to do that. They tend to highlight debauchery and drugs & alcohol, a lot of brokenness, and often times it’s just a way for people to get some kind of retribution and get what they feel is theirs by writing a book and sort of throwing everyone else under the bus. I said I won’t write a book like that. Joel was very much respectful of my life, my personal life, my private life, as well as the Megadeth legacy. And to me, primarily first and foremost will probably be Megadeth fans reading it. So I wanted it to be a story that they would enjoy, that was truthful and would be something that was a part of the annals of the Megadeth legacy forever, and in high regard.
Metal Exiles: What you have here is not so much just a retelling of the facts – one story after another – but so much insightful spiritual commentary. I found it almost reads as a very thorough First Step inventory. Was this a deliberate choice?
David Ellefson: Well yeah because a big part of – as I stated in there 1988 through 1990 was a transitional period for me coming out of drugs & alcohol, getting sober, and that’s also another feature of a lot of these books – and for me I was like, I’m very private. I’ve never held any of that back if someone asks, but I don’t put that out there as sort of my calling card. I tend to keep that part of my life a little more anonymous, because it’s my private journey. And a lot of times it seems with these books, a guy gets 30 days out of rehab and the next thing you know he’s on the Talk Show circuit with his new book, and I’m like...those dark debauchery days of my life were now almost a quarter of a century ago, it was a long time ago, you know, so I didn’t feel it was necessary to bring it up as just a way to sell a book. It’s really not my life anymore, and hasn’t been for many, many years. But I thought, what is a part of my life is the recovery journey, and that is my current life today, and it’s something that I felt, you know – I look at it in the light of if that part of my life can help inspire some people then maybe now is a good time to start talking more openly about that. Everyone knows me as the Megadeth guy, and the Rock n’ Roll guy, and the bass player guy, and that journey of me becoming spiritually awake, that happened in the last 23 years of my life. So that’s why I chose not to hold that back any longer, and to put that out there, and really talk openly about it.
Metal Exiles: Your book also includes quotes from other musicians and friends. Was it difficult to track anyone down and what inspired this idea?
David Ellefson: Well there’s kind of two sides when you reach out to friends or people in your industry or your community, you know, one is maybe for an endorsement of the book...and we have some of that as the book now is coming out some people have read it and say their opinion – hopefully high opinion of the book. But you know, I took a little bit different route; I thought you know it would be cool to have some of the people who were there on the journey with me talking about it. Everyone said some, you know flattering and nice things about me but I was really wanting to ask them more about...like Scott Ian for instance made a quote about back when he first met me when he first heard Killing is My Business... and this was Dave’s new band post-Metallica, and those are cool moments you know when here’s a guy, Scott, who’s so revered and very public and popular himself as a celebrity and he’s recounting back in the early days when we were all just starting out. And to me as a fan myself of Rock n’ Roll I love when I get to read from other people who were all a part of someone’s journey. To me it colors the story; it makes it not just me writing about me, it kinda makes it us writing about us. And I love community...and to me the Metal community is always stronger when we stick together.
Metal Exiles: Early in the book there is a very interesting parallel you draw between yourself and Cliff Burton. Given that Cliff did indeed have a very unique playing style, I’ve noticed that he tends to be the standout bassist when people talk about the big names in thrash. Your style however, is very technical, and other musicians comment on this in the book. Do you feel after all these years that you have received the credit you’re due?
David Ellefson: I think I am receiving it you know, because I think early on Megadeth was a band that has always been and still is revered as a very credible band. We have our credibility; we’ve done a lot of different things obviously. The numbers are big, we’ve achieved a lot. But more importantly, when the dust settles from contemporary popularity, is: what’s the substance behind it? And I think that’s the thing where Megadeth...may win bigger than everybody. And not just the quantity of output, but the quality of that quantity. And I think that we still continue that to this day. And I think having been there through most of it – certainly there in the beginning of it for the first almost 20 years before there was a season away from it – I think those are the things that start to earn credibility, and earn the respect of people. I think that for me I’ve always wanted to be in a band and be part of a band and be one of the co-creators, and just be part of that thing, and that’s how my life has panned out...so I’m part of something rather than always having to be “the” something. So having to be the solo guy, or “my name’s not first so I’m not gonna do it,” or any of that kind of stuff you know...I’ve taken leadership from kind of a vice-president position and sometimes leadership from rallying the troops and getting everybody synergized and together and helping them march in the same direction...often times following behind Dave Mustaine’s front leadership in Megadeth. And I found that that’s just a quality I have, and I think it speaks to my role as a bass player and certainly to my character as a person.
Metal Exiles: I know you touch on it in your book, but can you share with our readers with regards to your rejoining of Megadeth, were there tensions considering the previous lawsuit?
David Ellefson: Well, Joel McIver told me, “Look, you’re going to have to talk about your time away from the band, and certainly the legal matters and it would look weird in the book if you didn’t.” And my only thing was: Look, those issues are settled, they’re done, they’re over for me and Dave, and all of us have moved passed them and at some point you don’t just keep bringing up those things. For some they may be juicy gossip and they would love to talk about it, but again, I was like: I’m not interested in that...if that’s what it takes to sell a book, I won’t write a book, you know what I mean? To me it’s about preserving a new friendship that we have, me and Dave. And it’s about preserving a new working relationship and being productive and most importantly making some great music now, and the fans are happy, so to write a tell-all that just sort of spills the beans on everything was again, not my intent and I dug my heels in very firmly on my position of that. So what I think I did do was I did talk about what my life looked like at that time. And certainly some of the emotions that I went through, and identity crisis, and that season that I was away from the group it forced me to grow up and go through a serious adult transformation that I think, when I did come back to Megadeth...you know Dave and I had spent some time together over coffee and dinner and those are the things I wanted to talk about. Dave and I may have had a falling out, but there was a long period of rebuilding a new friendship. The rebuilding and building a new friendship, that’s what created this moment when I came back and now it seems like where I’m seeing Megadeth is probably more vibrant than ever and quite honestly just as successful as ever. So if anything I think it speaks to everyone being able to put past things behind us, forgive, and keep an eye toward the future to continue building great things ahead.
Metal Exiles: Speaking of your time away from the band; that was obviously a time where you could count yourself as one of the many former members of Megadeth. In your book you go into detail about all of those former members over the years. You were always the guy woodshedding with the new members, and helping them adjust. How hard has it been to let go of so many relationships over the years? Are there guys you really wish you still had the opportunity to work with or be closer friends with?
David Ellefson: Well I guess the good news is I actually still am friends with everybody. I see Chuck Behler when I go through Detroit, I see Jeff Young at NAMM every year in January, I just saw Nick Menza at an Autograph show in Los Angeles [editor’s note: The Rock n Roll Autograph Show 2013] just a few weeks ago. I talk to Marty probably once a year through email. This is all with no intention other than to just say, “hey bro, how are you doing?” Because, when you spend so many years of intense confinement together you get to know someone and even though people’s lives may change and the ambitions and directions of their own lives may change, you’ve always got that experience that you had together in a band. And those are really priceless moments that you get to look back on, especially all of these years later. And even the rough periods, you get to have some laughs over it. We’re always connected because of our fans. Our fans are like the world-wide community that in some way keep us connected, because we were a favorite group of people at that time to them. It doesn’t mean we have to reform the band and that line-up, and we don’t have to make music ever, ever again or any of that stuff, but just as a good buddy and a good neighbor to everyone I seem to be that guy that stays in touch with people...sometimes unintentionally but I seem to be that guy that kind of is able to at least leave doors open to people to if nothing else at least stop by and say hello once in a while.
Metal Exiles: What have been some of your favorite experiences since re-joining with Megadeth in 2010?
David Ellefson: Well, certainly coming back right away when we were doing Rust In Peace was just phenomenal. Because a lot of those songs Dave and I never ever played even after we recorded it, probably half that album we never did play live. So this was the first time any of us started playing them in a live show setting. And of course we just did the Countdown To Extinction tour last year, and that CD/DVD just came out last week, and I’m so glad we captured that because it just showcased this line-up getting better and better at everything that we do, and I think that capturing that Countdown tour was...you see it, you hear it, you know...the quality of where Megadeth is at now. A couple weeks ago we just did a two week tour with Iron Maiden in America, and we haven’t done a tour with Maiden in America in 25 years. So just a lot of great moments, great tours, Slayer and Megadeth touring together again as much as we did here in the last several years. The Big 4 of course was probably the biggest shot heard round the world in the thrash metal community as a whole. So its really just been an incredible few years. Its like were really getting to just relish and enjoy all those years that especially Dave and I...its like we were planting seeds, and now is the harvest.
Metal Exiles: Your last two records with the band have taken a noticeably different direction than United Abominations or Endgame. Can you share the reason for this, and have you guys discussed a musical direction for your next record?
David Ellefson: Yes, and yes (laughs). With Super Collider, us being back on Universal Records and just feeling the attention from a major label was a very positive and esteeming thing for us, you know, we went through a lot of years since Capitol Records, a lot of years with a couple of other different record labels, and complete shifts in the landscape of heavy metal. And getting back at Universal felt like...it finally felt like we made it back around the track and we’ve come home safely again. And I don’t know, it was a spirit of where were at that time that led to the Super Collider record, and I know its been a controversial record and I think probably the biggest controversy is normally we would lead off the record with a “metal” track, like “Kingmaker” for instance, right? And then following that would be the more melodic song such as “Super Collider.” This record was the oppostite. They led with “Super Collider,” which is a very mainstream, simple song, and I think a lot of fans freaked out and said, “Oh no, what happened to Megadeth?” There’s a way that you kind of build in to those things, but for whatever reason that strategy didn’t develop like that on this record. So here you have this anticipation for Megadeth and for someone to hear “Super Collider,” which normally would have been the second track...there was some backlash for sure from that. But I think once people heard the record they went, “Whoa, there’s a lot of great stuff on here, and this is a Megadeth record like we would expect it to be.” You know, “Dance in the Rain,” “Built For War,” “Beginning of Sorrow,” “Burn,”...there’s a whole bunch of stuff that’s true to form with Megadeth. It took I think buying it, having it, living with it to really come to know: Yep, these are our boys, Megadeth!
Metal Exiles: David, thank you so much for your time, and we really appreciate how much you put into answering everything and for sharing everything that you did. Is there anything else you would like the fans to know about the book?
David Ellefson: Its interesting with the book we’re actually offering a special leather-bound limited edition that we’re only offering to the Megadeth Cyber-Army fan club. We wanted to do something unique, just for the fans that have been the long-timers with us, and really kind of go the extra distance so I think it is cool that we are able to offer that. I am also going to be announcing some book signings, [editor’s note: Head to DavidEllefson.com/events for more details] so if I am in your area I’d love to meet you, and sign a book for you.
Be sure to visit David’s website for more information on the upcoming book signings, and all things related to David’s musical projects in and out of Megadeth.
My Life With Deth will be released on October 29th and is a must read for Megadeth fans, and anyone interested in a powerful story of one man’s amazing life journey.
Pre-Order "My Life With Deth"
Official David Ellefson Site
