On October 21, two former members of thrash pioneers MEGADETH, bassist David Ellefson and guitarist Jeff Young, were guests in the studio of Fox Rochester’s “ARC Rochester” to promote a show in Rochester, New York from their new band KINGS OF THRASH. Speaking about MEGADETH’s enduring musical influence, Ellefson said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): “There was a benchmark we had when we started MEGADETH, is to write very epic-oriented music stuff that could really be a soundtrack. If you closed your eyes, you could almost have a visual to it. And also stuff that was timeless. And I think the music has really stood the test of time. It doesn’t sound dated. You don’t go, ‘Oh, yeah, that’s something from the ’80s,’ or ‘Oh, yeah, that’s something from the ’90s.’ I think the MEGADETH music, out of everybody in the thrash genre, I will go on record as saying, I think is probably the most timeless and will probably stand the test of time the most and be the most listened to by people that aren’t even just metalheads.”

On the topic of how heavy music has evolved over the decades, particularly as it pertains to some of the newer, more extreme metal acts, David said: “I remember when we were on tour with Ronnie James Dio, who is an icon — this was 1988 — talking with him one day on tour about how the next generation comes up. And our thrash metal was really heavy compared to what he was doing. Then the masked bands come out — SLIPKNOT, MUDVAYNE and all this stuff — so it gets heavier and heavier.

“Look, rock and roll has always been about pushing the limits, starting with Elvis [Presley],” he explained. “That’s just the nature of what it’s supposed to be.

“I remember seeing the KISS reunion in 1996. Me and [then-MEGADETH guitarist] Marty Friedman went down, and I was looking at us going, as heavy and dark and daunting as this was, and our parents didn’t want us to listen to it, it was like family entertainment by then because of what had progressed past it. And probably thrash metal might be the same thing. Our music’s actually pretty melodic. It’s heavy, but it’s melodic. It’s listenable. So I think that’s just the nature of rock and roll. The young generations are always the creators and they’re always pushing the envelope a little farther.”

In addition to Ellefson and Young, KINGS OF THRASH features Chaz Leon (vocals, guitar) and DEAD GROOVE/BULLETBOYS drummer Fred Aching, along with an occasional guest appearance by another ex-MEGADETH member, guitarist Chris Poland.

KINGS OF THRASH recently completed a couple of tours during which it performed MEGADETH’s classic albums “Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good” an “So Far…So Good… So What!” A live CD/DVD package called “Best Of The West…Live At The Whisky A Go Go” was recorded and filmed live at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on October 15, 2022 and was released in March 2023 via Cleopatra Records. The DVD, which was directed by Michael Sarna for Inmotion Entertainment, includes an appearance by Poland.

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH more than four years ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

David was in MEGADETH from the band’s inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Mustaine, alleging the MEGADETH leader shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Young’s entire career with MEGADETH was spent recording and touring in support of the band’s 1988 platinum-selling album “So Far, So Good…So What!”

Jeff made headlines in December 2009 for accusing Mustaine of, among other things, “dissing, exaggerating and just plain lying on some level about nearly every talented musician that has passed through his dysfunctional little ensemble.” He also disputed Mustaine’s claim in an interview that Young’s drug problem led to MEGADETH’s 1988 Australian tour being called off and the group being “banned” from performing in the country.