Yesterday (24th), Dave Mustaine announced David Ellefson is no longer with Megadeth due to the controversy surrounding the bassist on the leaked videos and message exchanges between him and a woman other than his wife. With the group planning to embark on one of the biggest summer tours since before the COVID-19 pandemic, this leads to the ultimate question: who will be Ellefson’s replacement?
Bram Teitelman: Everyone’s saying Jason Newsted, but that’s just because of the whole rivalry, and considering he’s been out of Metallica for 20 years, I doubt it’s anything anyone under 45 would seriously consider. How about Tom Araya? He’s probably bored after Slayer retired, and with fellow Christian Mustaine in the band, at least he wouldn’t have to pretend he loved Satan any more. I think everyone knows the real answer. If the band doesn’t have a lot of time to recruit a bassist, Dirk Verbeuren should just hit up former Soilwork bassist Ola Flink. They were a rhythm section together for 11 years and he’s not in Soilwork any more either. Dave’s always done a pretty solid job of finding musicians to play with Megadeth, so I’m sure we’ll find out soon enough.
Matt Brown: I think the most obvious choice is James LoMenzo who was previously in Megadeth from 2006 to 2010 and played on the albums United Abominations and Endgame, both of which were pretty good. He’s also played with the likes of David Lee Roth and Black Label Society, so the guy is a seasoned veteran fully capable of taking up bass duties, assuming he doesn’t have any conflicting commitments. For someone a little more under the radar, I’d pick Adam Duce, former bassist of Machine Head. As far as I know he hasn’t done anything notable since he was fired, but he’s got loads of experience under his belt and the stuff he played with Machine Head was as fast and complex as anything off of Megadeth’s most technical albums. Or maybe Kiko Loureiro will try to convince Mustaine to snatch up Felipe Andreoli from his previous band Angra. That last one is a longshot, but if you’ve never seen Andreoli play before, well, check this out, you’ll see what I mean.
Jeff Podoshen: Part of the attraction to fans for the upcoming tour was the fact that Ellefson was going to be on it. Without Junior they don’t have the same draw. As such, I think the band needs a big name to fill the spot. The internet, like Bram said, is all about Jason Newsted in the slot, and I’d pay real money to see that happen, but the internet also thinks AOC is a competent lawmaker, so…. Realistically I’d love to see Sharlee D’Angelo of Arch Enemy on the bass, but he was once in Mercyful Fate, so I get that’s a no from Mr. Mustaine. How about Perry Richardson of Stryper? He seems to fit the mold. Steve Di Girogio of Testament could also fit in here.
Zenae Zukowski: While it would be hysterical seeing Jason Newsted as Ellefson’s replacement, it isn’t very likely. A random busker has a better chance than Newsted. Megadeth fans are either angry or happy that Ellefson is no longer with the group. There doesn’t seem to be a middle ground either. I’m pretty confident that his replacement will be worthwhile. Matt beat me to it but, my personal preference would be seeing Angra’s Felipe, but Bram made a great point on the ex-Soilwork rhythm section. Then again, Bram brought up the idea of recruiting Araya, which would be an instant ticket sale boost. You also don’t want to make Mustaine angry again, and my gut tells me we won’t see James MacDonough back on board. Depending on availability, I would guess it would be either Former Testament bassist Gregory Christian, who has loosely expressed interest, or select a female bassist such as Jeanne Sagan (ex-All That Remains).
Chris Annunziata: I love seeing Jason Newsted as the top comment for a replacement. It sure makes me giggle. Honestly, I can see James Lomenzo returning, as his schedule seems pretty clear, other than his Firstborne project with Chris Adler. I do like the mention of Soilwork’s Ola Flink. Megadeth needs the replacement to be a reputable name for their upcoming tour.
Zenae Zukowski: Agreed! Safest bet is Lomenzo. And Jeff, I see your point on D’Angelo, that would be fun to see but probably not going to happen.
