On the most recent episode of “The David Ellefson Present”, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and Joshua Toomey sit down with authentic MEGADETH guitarist Greg Handevidt for a deep dive into the band’s earliest days. Greg shares pivotal tales from transferring to Los Angeles with Ellefson, assembly MEGADETH chief Dave Mustaine and serving to form what would turn out to be the legendary MEGADETH.
Concerning how he got here to recommend “MEGADETH” because the identify for the band, Greg recalled (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): ”We have been sitting down in our little residence, and Dave had learn a pamphlet by Senator Alan Cranston speaking concerning the ‘arsenals of megadeath’, and I believe that basically triggered one thing in him about nuclear warfare and simply how devastating it was and all the pieces. And I bear in mind pondering, ‘Holy shit, the arsenals of megadeath.’ And he had that line within the lyrics. And it simply occurred to me, ‘Megadeath.’ I am, like, ‘That will be a cool identify for a band.’ And I sat down, and on the time — and I nonetheless type of really feel this fashion, though my perspective about it kind of softened — however I used to be, like, ‘Do you actually need the phrase ‘loss of life’ within the identify of your band? Do you actually need that?’ It appeared type of negative-karma-ey to me again then; that is what kind of was in my head. So I sat down and I simply wrote it out as one phrase and I dropped the ‘A’ out, and I simply wrote it on a chunk of paper and I used to be, like, ‘I believe that is cool. We might name the band MEGADETH. One phrase. We take out the ‘A’. It is distinctive. It would not have any kind of darkish connotation round it. And I believe folks would see it and never be postpone. It would not put folks off.’ And I believe at that cut-off date to interrupt via in a industrial sense with out simply fully promoting your self out, I believe there have been boundaries that might’ve… I am undecided Capitol Data was able to signal a band known as ‘DEATH‘ on the time. And perhaps, perhaps not. However even in spite of everything this, and I got here again and I shaped KUBLAI KHAN and we have been purchasing demos round, we saved getting stuff again despatched to us saying, ‘That is method too heavy. This is not commercially acceptable. We will not signal you. This is able to by no means promote.'”
In line with Handevidt, Mustaine “did not like” the identify MEGADETH “at first. It took him a few days” to heat as much as it, Greg recalled. “After which I bear in mind a few days later he got here again and he was, like, ‘Yeah, that is rising on me.’ And that is the way it took place. That is the story. It was a fast little factor.”
In his e-book “Mustaine: A Heavy Steel Memoir”, Dave really credited a unique former member of MEGADETH with naming the band.
“At first, I used to be skeptical about my very own singing capability, so we introduced in a vocalist named Lawrence ‘Lor’ Kane,” Mustaine wrote within the e-book. “Lor wasn’t within the band lengthy, however give credit score the place credit score is due: it was Lor who steered MEGADETH because the band’s identify. It occurred once we have been driving round one evening, speaking about discovering precisely the fitting moniker. Lor knew I had already written a track entitled ‘Megadeath’ and thought it will work equally nicely as a band identify. And he was proper. So, thanks for that, Lor.”
Mustaine reportedly got here throughout the aforementioned pamphlet from California Senator Alan Cranston whereas he was on a four-day cross-country bus journey again to California after he was kicked out of METALLICA. The pamphlet, which was a political dialogue of the hazards of nuclear armament, included the road “The arsenal of megadeath cannot be rid it doesn’t matter what the peace treaties come to.”
Merriam-Webster defines “megadeath” as “a million deaths” and signifies that the time period is “often used as a unit in reference to nuclear warfare.”
In a 2023 interview with Guitar World, Handevidt admitted that “there was some remorse” after he left MEGADETH and the band discovered success with out him. “How might I not be upset?” he stated. “However we have been so younger, and there have been a variety of issues pushing me to depart. I imply… I used to be a child, and one massive situation was that I had a tough time being away from house. However I will not lie: there was positively a falling out, and that was an enormous a part of why I cut up. No shock, Dave obtained drunk sooner or later and kicked me out of the band whereas he was offended. He by no means advised me why, and I used to be identical to, ‘Nice, now I am in L.A. with nowhere to go.’ However a few week later, we reconciled issues. We rehearsed three or 4 extra instances, after which it was really me who determined I wanted to return house to the Midwest. I came upon I had a child again there, and I felt great guilt about not being ready the place I used to be doing something to assist elevate my child. Plus, the vibe was off after I was invited again. Had issues felt cool, I might need stayed. However that is not what occurred.”
Handevidt went on to say that character clashes with Mustaine influenced his determination to exit MEGADETH. “Yeah… that is true, too,” he stated. “The factor was, as historical past has acknowledged, Dave — together with all of us — was fairly overindulgent and aggressive on the time. He had a chip on his shoulder, for certain. Whereas that is made him nice as a songwriter, it made it very laborious for me to be in a band with him, particularly since I used to be a child.”
In February 2016, Ellefson was requested by Cranked Up Dwell about Mustaine‘s feedback to Actual Rock 99.3 the place the MEGADETH chief implied that Ellefson was not a founding member of the band. Ellefson stated: “Now, look, when Dave got here house from METALLICA, he had one other bass participant, type of a child he was virtually instructing find out how to play bass, and one other guitar participant he had been working with a little bit bit, and a singer, named Lor. And people have been type of the primary people who, I believe, in April and Could of 1983 that Dave was simply kicking some concepts round [with], seeing if he might get something going. However the day me and my buddy Greg Handevidt knocked on Dave‘s door and requested him the place to purchase some cigarettes and beer, that was the day that there was a unity that moved ahead, as a result of me, Greg, Dave, that singer Lor and our drummer Dijon Carruthers, who helped create a variety of the lyrics and the idea of ‘Black Friday’ on the ‘Peace Sells’ document, that was… we have been the group that have been rehearsing for just a few weeks, engaged on these new songs Dave was writing. And sooner or later we got here again to… I believe it was me and Greg‘s residence… And it was Greg who steered… We have been speaking about band names, and Greg steered… There was a reputation kicking round, FALLEN ANGEL, that I believe Dave… That was type of working title that he had. However he had a track known as ‘Megadeth’, which was later retitled to turn out to be ‘Set The World Afire’. And it was my buddy Greg who steered, ‘I believe we must always name the band MEGADETH.’ And it was determined that day, so, I imply, technically, whoever was within the room that day was a founding member of MEGADETH. And, once more, I do not know why there needs to be a lot significance on that. I do know, I used to be there. And shortly, all these different members both scattered or have been let go, and inside a month or so, it was me and Dave standing subsequent to one another — Dave and Dave of this new group known as MEGADETH.”
Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band’s inception in 1983 to 2002, when the group briefly broke up as a result of Mustaine suffered extreme nerve harm that left him unable to play. After Mustaine reformed MEGADETH with an all-new lineup in 2004, Ellefson sued his former bandmate for $18.5 million, alleging that Mustaine nonetheless owed him substantial merchandise and publishing royalties. In January 2005, the case was dismissed in court docket, and 5 years later, Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH.
Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH in Could 2021, simply days after sexually tinged messages and specific video footage involving the bassist have been posted on Twitter.
David was in MEGADETH from the band’s inception in 1983 to 2002, and once more from 2010 till his newest exit.
