David Ellefson (Megadeth) has premiered a new video for his cover of AC/DC’s “Riff Raff.” The track, which features Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer, etc.), Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys), and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Sons Of Apollo, etc.), is from Ellefson‘s new covers album “No Cover,“ which was released on November 20.
David Ellefson (Megadeth) has announced his first-ever fiction novel, “The Sledge Chronicles: Rock Star Hitman.” The bassist co-wrote the book with Drew Fortier and it will be released on December 18.
Here’s a description of the book:
“The Sledge Chronicles: Rock Star Hitman is the first chapter in the action-packed saga of Sledge; an up and coming musician who uncovers a startling quid pro quo: in exchange for achieving his dreams of Rock stardom, he must enlist as a ruthless killer for a clandestine agency. Filled with twists, turns, screams, and even laughs, Rock Star Hitman is the cult thriller you’ve been dying for.”
Ellefson commented:
“I’ve been on a quest to create an original thriller fiction book for some time now, and I’m beyond thrilled to announce it with ‘Rock Star Hitman’. I wanted there to be familiarity to my fans in an almost autobiographical way, but with characters and storyline which are clearly fictional. I think metal and horror/thriller fans are going to like it!”
Fortier added:
“David and I clicked really well when creating this story, because we’ve both lived the rock and roll tale ourselves. That’s why ‘Rock Star Hitman’ starts out like an autobiography from almost any musician but then takes a sudden and unexpected turn into a world of suspense, dark humor, and bloody brutal situations. As a horror/thriller fan myself we could almost write ourselves into our own story line. Plus, I think most everyone will relate to the daunting tales of selling one’s soul for a rock and roll aspiration… a story that in and of itself is close to me as well.”
David Ellefson (Megadeth) has released his cover of Queen’s “Sheer Heart Attack.” The track, which features Doro Pesch, Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (ex-Guns N’ Roses, etc.), and Charlie Benante (Anthrax), is from Ellefson‘s new covers album “No Cover,“ which will be released on November 20.
David Ellefson (Megadeth) has released his cover of AC/DC’s “Riff Raff.” The track, which features Dave Lombardo (ex-Slayer, etc.), Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys), and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Sons Of Apollo, etc.), is from Ellefson‘s new covers album “No Cover,“ which will be released on November 20.
David Ellefson (Megadeth) has booked some socially distanced shows in support of his new covers album “No Cover” (out November 20). Saliva, The Crowned, and A Killer’s Confession will open on select dates.
Tour Dates:
With Saliva, The Crowned, & A Killer’s Confession:
10/30 San Antonio, TX – Historic Sunset Station
10/31 Slidell, LA – Browns Village Plaza
11/01 Houston, TX – Barge 295
With The Crowned:
11/18 Pekin, IL – Twisted Spoke Saloon
11/19 Indianapolis, IN – Emerson Theater
11/20 Chicago, IL – WC Social Club (‘No Cover‘ album release show)
11/21 Green Bay, WI – Phat Headz II (‘No Cover‘ album release show)
Ellefson commented:
“Like you, we’re all trying to make sense of everything right now. We got offered some shows in Texas with Saliva several months ago, and as things opened back up, we thought if they could be done as safely as possible, for us and our fans, it might be possible to do them. So we decided to try. And with ‘NO COVER‘ coming out in November, we wanted to try and play a few intimate, limited capacity shows around the release, just to get out briefly and say hello.
So we are excited to announce a handful of ‘NO COVER‘ CD Release events in the Midwest, with The Crowned, in addition to our upcoming TX/LA END OF DAYS shows with Saliva, The Crowned, and A Killer’s Confession!!!
We have safety plans and protocols in place for capacity, limited interaction meet and greets, etc, and we think we can still have fun, play great shows, and keep everyone safe. These are very intimate club events, some with extremely low capacity, which we are hoping will make it possible for us all to stay as safe as possible and have some fun and semi-normalcy for a night. Trust me, we are just as excited to come see you, as you are to see us.”
David Ellefson (Megadeth) has premiered a video for his cover of Cheap Trick‘s “Auf Wiedersehen.“ The track, which features Ministry’s Al Jourgensen, Anthrax’s Charlie Benante, and Crobot’s Brandon Yeagley, is from Ellefson‘s new covers album “No Cover,“ which will be released on November 20.
Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has announced that his new covers album “No Cover“ has been delayed until November 20. The effort was postponed after vocalist Thom Hazaert suffered “massive heart failure.”
Hazaert commented:
“There’s no easy way to say it, but in July, right in the middle of recording the album, I had massive heart failure and went into full cardiac arrest. My heart literally stopped for several minutes, and I was revived at the hospital.
There was a long recovery, but we managed to finish the record, and secure amazing deals with our friends at EARMusic, and Ward, but obviously we had to revisit our timeline a bit. And literally, maybe a month and a half later we were in Los Angeles, at Al’s house, shooting the video for ‘Auf Wiedersehen‘.
I’m just extremely humbled and thankful to be here to be able to, not only, finish this incredible record, but be able to see it released Worldwide with incredible label partners, which really almost wasn’t the case.”
“Originally we had envisioned ‘No Cover‘ as a smaller, limited release ‘quarantine project’ we were doing for fun with a bunch of our friends, really just to not have to release our studio album during the pandemic. But as it neared completion, and we really got to see what it was turning into, we realized it was worthy of so much more.
I have a long history and friendship with Max at EARMusic, and they are an incredible label, and home to some of our favorite artists, and friends – Alice Cooper, Def Leppard, and more, and we are ecstatic to be able to partner with them for not only this release, but future Ellefson releases as well.
Ward had already released ‘Sleeping Giants‘ for us last year in Japan, and we had secured a deal with them for our upcoming 2021 studio album, so it was a natural fit when we went to them with the idea of partnering with us on ‘No Cover‘.”
Ellefson added:
“It really was a crazy, whirlwind process, not only making such an involved album so fast, but also remotely, during a pandemic, with not only dozens of guests, but the entire band, spread around the Globe. And then, almost losing our singer in the middle of it.
But at the end of the day, it turned out better than any of us had hoped, and really was one of the most fun records I’ve ever made. It’s been great to pull so many great and positive things out of 2020, despite all the challenges.”
The following guests will be featured on “No Cover”:
Charlie Benante (Anthrax)
Eddie Ojeda (ex-Twisted Sister)
Al Jourgensen (Ministry)
Dave Lombardo (Suicidal Tendencies, ex-Slayer, etc.)
Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Sons Of Apollo, ex-Guns N’ Roses, etc.)
Brandon Yeagley (Crobot)
Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth)
Frank Hannon and Troy Lucketta (Tesla)
Mark Slaughter
Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys, ex-Watchtower, Evil United)
Greg Handevidt (Kublai Khan, ex-Megadeth)
Chuck Behler (ex-Megadeth)
Gus G (Firewind)
John Aquilino (Icon)
Doro Pesch
Jimmy DeGrasson (ex-Megadeth, etc.)
Dave McClain (Sacred Reich, ex-Machine Head)
Dave Alvin (White Trash)
Todd Kerns (Slash & The Conspirators)
Andy Freeman (Last In Line)
Jacob Bunton (Mick Mars)
Russ Parrish (Fight)
Christian “Opus” Lawrence (Dead By Wednesday)
“No Cover” Track Listing:
Disc One:
01. “Freewheel Burning” (Judas Priest cover) (feat. Jason McMaster, Gus G, Andy James, Dave McClain)
02. “Tear It Loose” (Twisted Sister cover) (feat. Eddie Ojeda, Dave McClain)
03. “Love Me Like A Reptile” (Motörhead cover) (feat. Doro Pesch, Greg Handevidt, Chuck Behler)
04. “Holiday in Cambodia” (Dead Kennedys cover) (feat. Charlie Benante, Bumblefoot)
05. “Rebel Yell” (Billy Idol cover) (feat. Paolo Caridi)
06. “Wasted” (Def Leppard cover) (feat. Frank Hannon, Jacob Bunton, Dave McClain)
07. “Riff Raff” (AC/DC cover) (feat. Jason McMaster, Dave Lombardo, Bumblefoot)
08. “Nailed To The Gun” (Fight cover) (feat. Andrew Freeman, Russ Parrish, Jimmy DeGrasso)
09. “Not Fragile” (Bachman-Turner Overdrive cover) (feat. John Aquilino, Paolo Caridi, Bumblefoot)
10. “Auf Wiedersehen” (Cheap Trick cover) (feat. Al Jourgensen, Brandon Yeagley, Charlie Benante)
Disc Two:
01. “Love Machine” (W.A.S.P. cover) (feat. Dirk Verbeuren, Dave Alvin, Bumblefoot)
02. “Love Hurts” (Nazareth cover) (feat. Brandon Yeagley, Chuck Behler, Tyson Leslie)
03. “Eat The Rich” (Krokus cover) (feat. Jason McMaster, Dave Sharpe, Opus)
04. “Sheer Heart Attack” (Queen cover) (feat. Bumblefoot, Doro Pesch, Charlie Benante)
05. “Over The Mountain” (Ozzy Osbourne cover) (feat. Andrew Freeman, Bumblefoot, Jimmy DeGrasso)
06. “Sweet FA” (Sweet cover) (feat. Todd Kerns, Bumblefoot, Shani Kimelman)
07. “Beth” (KISS cover) (feat. Tyson Leslie, Bumblefoot)
08. “Say What You Will” (Fastway cover) (feat. Mark Slaughter, Troy Lucketta)
The next single from “No Cover,” a cover of Cheap Trick‘s “Auf Wiedersehen,“ will be released on October 6. That track features Ministry’s Al Jourgensen, Anthrax’s Charlie Benante, and Crobot’s Brandon Yeagley and a teaser for the video can be found below:
[via The PRP]
Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has released a cover of Judas Priest’s “Freewheel Burning.” This track is from his guest-filled covers album “No Cover,“ which will be released on October 2. This cover features Thom Hazaert, Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys, etc.), Andy Martongelli, Gus G. (Firewind), Andy James, and Dave McClain (Sacred Reich).
Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has released a cover of Def Leppard‘s “Wasted.” This track is from his guest-filled covers album “No Cover,“ which will be released on October 2. This cover features drummer Dave McClain (Sacred Reich, ex-Machine Head), vocalist Jacob Bunton (Mick Mars, Lynam), guitarist Frank Hannon (Tesla), vocalist Thom Hazaert, guitarist Andy Martongelli, and guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Sons Of Apollo, ex-Guns N’ Roses).
Megadeth bassist David Ellefson will be releasing a new covers album titled “No Cover” on October 2. The 13-track record will feature covers of tracks by Motörhead, W.A.S.P., Def Leppard, Cheap Trick, Queen, Judas Priest, Twisted Sister, and more.
Ellefson recorded the album with vocalist Thom Hazaert, guitarist Andy Martongelli, guitarist Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Sons Of Apollo, ex-Guns N’ Roses), drummer Paolo Caridi, and the following special guests:
– Charlie Benante (Anthrax)
– Eddie Ojeda (ex-Twisted Sister)
– Brandon Yeagley (Crobot)
– Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth)
– Frank Hannon and Troy Lucketta (Tesla)
– Mark Slaughter
– Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys, ex-Watchtower, Evil United)
– Greg Handevidt (Kublai Khan, Ex-Megadeth)
– Chuck Behler (Ex-Megadeth)
– Gus G (Firewind)
– John Aquilino (Icon)
– Doro Pesch
– Dave McClain (Sacred Reich, ex-Machine Head)
– Dave Alvin (White Trash)
– Todd Kerns (Slash Feat. Myles Kennedy And The Conspirators)
– Andy Freeman (Last In Line)
– Jacob Bunton (Mick Mars)
– Dead By Wednesday
Ellefson said the following:
“Before any of us started writing our own songs, we all began playing cover songs by our heroes during our formative years as musicians. So, it’s fun to go back in time and revisit those songs which helped us to become the artists we are today, especially when, ironically, many of those artists have now become peers and friends.
During the process of recording some covers for B-Sides and bonus tracks for the upcoming Ellefson solo LP, Thom and I just said, ‘This is a blast, let’s just do a whole album of covers!’ Literally, within 2 weeks, we had the songs recorded, and began calling our friends to join us, many of whom we had just performed with on the MEGA-Cruise back in October. From there, the album just fell into place.”
“A lot of our buddies have been playing covers and quarantine jams on the Internet during the pandemic, so this is really just an extension of that, but we took it the next level and actually recorded a full studio album.
We’ve been working remotely anyway, as we’re all over the Globe, so it was easy to incorporate some guests jumping in with some outstanding performances of their own. It’s been a really fun nod to making great music with our friends, who are kick-ass players, and many legends in their own right, which is the whole reason we got into this in the first place!”
Hazaert added:
“It’s all songs and artists that really mutually influenced both myself and David, especially a lot of early ‘metal’ and harder classic rock. Some stuff I picked, some stuff he picked, but for the most part is was all artists that we both loved. What’s funny, as there’s a bit of an age gap, we were sometimes more influenced by different eras of the same bands. But it was really him saying, ‘Let’s do this song,’ and me saying, ‘Yes!!! And let’s do this song.’ And before we knew it, we had over 15 songs. And it’s a lot of album tracks, deep cuts, early tracks, stuff people might not expect, which was what was so fun.”
“It was also great that we were able to work in a lot of nods to David’s history, getting Chuck Behler to play with us, bringing in original Megadeth guitarist Greg Handevidt to play on ‘Love Me Like A Reptile’, a song they used to play in cover bands together before they moved to L.A. (which we wrote about in ‘More Life With Deth’), and Randy Burns is going to mix a track or two. As a singer, these are literally bands I’ve listened to, and covered all my life, and for me, getting to play with Eddie Ojeda, the Tesla guys, Charlie Benante, Jason McMaster, Mark Slaughter, etc, and sing these songs that mean so much to me. I mean, literally, the entire record is my bucket list of people I’d love to play with, and some of my favorite bands. So, it’s truly an honor to put together something so fun, and really as effortless as this was. It truly is a love letter to rock n’ roll, an homage to what made us, musically, who we are today.”
