David Ellefson Comments on Megadeth's Farewell Tour Without Him

Now that Megadeth have announced plans for one final album and tour, former bassist David Ellefson has shared his thoughts during an episode of The David Ellefson Show podcast.

Ellefson was part of the Megadeth lineup that issued their first album alongside Dave Mustaine and he's served two stints in the band. Ellefson appeared on some of their biggest releases until his 2002 split with the band. But he and Dave Mustaine mended fences for his return in 2010 that lasted until 2021 when he was once again let go amidst allegations of sexual misconduct.

Now that Dave Mustaine and Megadeth have announced their intent to wind down after one more album and supporting tour, Ellefson shared his feelings about the band's farewell on his podcast.

What Are David Ellefson's Thoughts Upon Hearing the News of Megadeth's Farewell?

"There's a lot [that immediately hits me], 'cause, of course, it brings up years and years of thoughts, feelings, emotions," shared Ellefson on his podcast. "Some great, some not so great."

The bassist then made note of the gold records on the wall that he jokingly laughs are there to provide a backdrop for the podcast. He went on to add, "I look at 'em, Countdown [To Extinction], Peace Sells, Beavis And Butt-Head, Rust In Peace, they all have a story in 'em. And some of the stuff in the '90s were better stories — the band was cohesive, the management was consistent, the music, I think, was collaborative. We went to new heights, we explored new territory that you could only dream of doing."

He recalled the period being filled with major festivals, broadened tour opportunities and Grammy mentions being part of their world over that period. But, he also notes, there were some down sides to that time.

"In the middle of it, of course, and around it was addictions, rehabs, canceled tours, lost finances in the millions. And so for things to sort of flush out the way that they did with now me not being part of the final farewell of something I started, as one can imagine, [it's] probably not something I'm super happy about," he explains. "And saying that while still being grateful for all that it was, because I think at some point you have to find a path through it because this is reality."

Would David Ellefson Like to Take Part in Megadeth's Farewell Run?

Admittedly, Ellefson confirms he's not privy to Dave Mustaine's farewell tour plans. But when asked if he would like to take part, he offered, "Would I like to be a part of it? Yeah, of course. Who wouldn't? I'm a founding member of it. I'm a 30-plus-year member of it. Is that gonna happen? Who knows? It's too early to tell."

He then broached the idea of other Megadeth veterans coming back for at least some part of the run and compared it to Ozzy Osbourne and Black Sabbath's Back to the Beginning.

"The Back To The Beginning with Black Sabbath, look, they made nice. They brought all four of Black Sabbath. They brought everybody back. You had Jake [E. Lee]. Now, was everybody there? No. There were some key people — Bob Daisley — some people that weren't there. But for the most part, they brought a lot of the people back. And just speaking of Black Sabbath, they brought the original core four back and they said goodbye. Not only did they say goodbye, everybody got to say goodbye to them," said Ellefson.

He continued, "I think when you're doing a farewell, that's important, that you get to say goodbye and everybody gets to say goodbye to you. I think that that's an important part of it. But that's me. I'm not in the band anymore. I have no say in it. So that's just me. That's just one guy with an opinion, quite honestly."

What Does David Ellefson Think of Dave Mustaine's Potential Retirement?

Early on in the conversation, Ellefson shares that while this is being billed as a farewell album and tour, it may not be the last we hear of Dave Mustaine. But, that said, if Mustaine is contemplating concluding his career, the bassist says, "If Dave needs to retire, wants to retire, I get it. I understand. He's given a lot. It's taken a lot out of him. It's taken certainly a toll on him, as anyone can imagine. So, look, God bless you, brother. If you're done, this is it, you wanna go do something else with your life, spend time with your family, just not play guitar, I get it."

READ MORE: The 58 Songs Megadeth Have Never Played Live

Ellefson adds, "Believe me, I'm 60. There's some days I just kind of go, 'God, really? Should I write another album, another song? Do I really wanna go onstage?' And the answer always comes back to yes, I do. So I do. So I can't speak for him and I'm not gonna speak for him. But look, again, I haven't talked to the guy now in four and a half years, so I have no idea what his reasoning is, what the thinking is behind it."

David Ellefson Addresses Megadeth's Farewell on The David Ellefson Show Podcast

David Ellefson in 2025

Since his Megadeth exit, Ellefson has kept himself busy with multiple bands and other projects. His most recent musical offering is his group Ellefson-Soto that pairs him with vocalist Jeff Scott Soto. The album, Unbreakable, was released earlier this month and is currently available to order in various platforms.

Meanwhile, Ellefson will dig further into his Megadeth history on tour as Kings of Thrash have a U.S. tour that runs from Sept. 4 in West Hollywood to Oct. 26 in Covington, Ky. All dates and ticketing information can be found through Ellefson's website.

As for Megadeth, the group has a European tour booked for late September and October. Dates and ticketing info can be found through their website. But the big news centers on their still in progress final album and the farewell tour that will support it. Stay tuned for that information.