Why David Ellefson Thinks Metallica Handled Dave Mustaine’s Firing Better Than Megadeth Handled His

David Ellefson thinks Metallica handled Dave Mustaine's firing better than Megadeth handled his.

The bassist was dismissed from Megadeth back in 2021 after graphic sexual conversations between him and a woman were leaked online. All of his contributions to the band's 2022 album The Sick... the Dying... and the Dead! were re-recorded by Steve DiGiorgio and he was permanently replaced by James LoMenzo.

During an interview on the Quemar Un Patrullero podcast, Ellefson compared how he was treated by Megadeth in the end to Mustaine's own dismissal from Metallica back in 1983.

Why David Ellefson Thinks Metallica Handled Mustaine's Firing Better

Ellefson recalled the various contributions he made to the original version of The Sick... the Dying... and the Dead! before Megadeth split with him. He claimed that he'd written a ballad that ultimately didn't make the cut, the lyrics he wrote for the song "Soldier On!" were changed and all of the bass parts he recorded were replaced.

"... when Dave got fired from Metallica, at least they kept his words and his music and they paid him and gave him credit. Dave wasn't so kind to me," Ellefson shared [via Blabbermouth].

"He kicked me out, took my performances off the record and took my lyrics and everything off the record. So I think I have a horse in that race when I speak about how properly Metallica handled things and how I think improperly things were handled on my behalf. Because I saw it, I lived it."

He went on to explain that Megadeth's 2018 tour was truly like a farewell tour for him since 2016's Dystopia was the last album he appeared on. Thus, he feels like was able to move on from Megadeth without too much anger.

"I don't have bitterness in my heart. I almost feel like I was set free to not have to deal with that anymore. Whereas Dave had bitterness toward Metallica, I don't have bitterness toward Dave or Megadeth. I really don't," he admitted.

What Else Did Ellefson Say About His Firing From Megadeth?

Ellefson said that when the Megadeth camp called him to deliver the news of his firing, he tried to reason with them that it was "just nonsense on the internet" and there was no real reason to oust him.

"Defamation is when something harms your reputation, maybe even prevents you from getting more work. Those are real things. And the fact that it can happen on the Internet, which is kind of a fake place — it's not even real. It's kind of a fake place, yet that that could somehow come over to your reality," he added.

READ MORE: David Ellefson Reviews Megadeth's Final Album

Ellefson alleged that his legal team gave him their "blessing" to "blast" Mustaine over the statement Megadeth shared after the bassist's private conversations leaked online. It said, "As it relates to creativity and business, we are all familiar with one another. However, there are clearly aspects of David’s private life that he has kept to himself" and Ellefson's legal team apparently called it "unconscionable."

"There's a Bible scripture. It says, 'Resist the devil and he will flee from you.' And that's where I went with it," Ellefson said.

Check out clips from the podcast episode below.

Why David Ellefson Thinks Metallica Handled Dave Mustaine’s Firing Better Than Megadeth Handled His

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