Angels of Babylon

Original Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson had a falling out with leader Dave Mustaine in 2002, which led to his departure . After playing in numerous bands such as F5, Killing Machine and Hail!, among others, Dave has rejoined Megadeth and is on tour with the band to support their "Rust In Peace" 20th anniversary tour, where they will be playing the legendarily acclaimed album "Rust in Peace," in its entirety.

Before the announcement of his return to Megadeth, Dave was busy with his other new band, Angels Of Babylon, releasing their debut "Kingdom of Evil" in January.

In a brief e-mail, Dave talked to Metal Mayhem about rejoining Megadeth, his love of music and how Angels of Babylon formed.

Metal Mayhem: I know we’re here to talk about Angels Of Babylon, but I have to get this out of the way first because it was huge news. What led to you rejoining Megadeth? Did Dave call and ask you back? How did the whole thing happen?
Dave Ellefson: Basically, drummer Shawn Drover notified me that a change was going to happen and that this would be a perfect time to rejoin for the “Rust In Peace” tour coming up. Dave and I spoke and things fell into place real easily after that … Now, here we are; we start Monday! (March 1).

MM: I'm sure you won't have a hard time remembering how to play the old songs. But was it a long process to learn the newer Megadeth material?
DE: Some of it takes a little more time I guess because I’m not as familiar with it, but I’m very familiar with the style and the nuances Dave has to his playing, so I can adapt. I’m already adapting really easily in rehearsals, so I think it’ll be just fine!

MM: Is Hail! put on hold till after the Megadeth tour?
DE: No, not really … Hail! is looking to do more shows this spring and summer and in the spirit of that band, I encouraged them to soldier on in my absence. I’ve got these touring commitments with Megadeth these next few months and that’s a great opportunity for me once again. But, the beauty of HAIL! is that it is meant to be a community of musicians working together to take Metal out there, so having rotating members is part of that spirit.

MM: Do you foresee Hail! ever recording original material?
DE: I’m really not sure. The idea is that famous guys from well-known and recognised bands play some of their own songs and, just as importantly, the songs we all grew up on too, especially the ones that helped forge the foundation of Thrash metal, and we build a set that epitomises what Thrash is all about. I don’t know whether the remit extends to recording our own material as a ‘collective’ so to speak. Let’s see!

MM: You are a multi-band bass player, is Megadeth a solid gig once again?
DE: Yes, it is a solid-gig, but I also believe that the many other bands and projects I was involved in the past few years, were crucial to my musical growth, and have resulted in a development in my playing that actually makes me a more advanced bassist for Megadeth now. With that said, I will probably always continue to cherry-pick certain projects that may come my way moving forward, as those opportunities will hopefully continue to be part of my ongoing musical maturity in the future.

MM: You seem to be a workaholic and have been in so many projects. Obviously you are a very wanted musician, but what keeps you motivated to keep playing in many different bands?
DE: I just love to play and I like my life being fully encompassed in and around music. That has been my passion since I was 11 years old and it seems it will always be that way, at least for the immediate future. It’s a real privilege!

MM: Can you explain how Angels of Babylon came together?
DE: Well, I met Rhino and singer Dave Fefolt at The Salt Mine studios in Mesa, AZ about two years ago. Initially, I was called in to consider playing on a record they were working on, and although I didn’t participate straight away, as we talked and the great vibe grew together, I had an inkling something would come of it. Rhino offered everyone the chance to start something completely new basically, based around material he was writing at that time. Once I heard his songs, I flipped! I thought they were really, really good and as they developed with Fefolt adding vocals it seemed to be a very positive record to rally around. We discussed the ideas, sent stuff back and forth as you can do nowadays, and “Kingdom ...” is basically the result. I love how some of the songs work sonically — they’re huge across the mix. Really good!

MM: What happened with F5?
DE: We performed a show last summer and have discussed getting together to compose a new album at some point. I’m not too worried about that right now to be honest! Music should flow easily and be honest and if F5 takes a break now, for a little while, to re-charge the batteries and get some juices flowing, we know we can always come back and revisit it when things line up and work together accordingly. I don’t want to force it! That group came together in a great creative spirit and it should continue that way moving forward, not being pushed from the side or behind, or whatever!

MM: What's next for you after the Megadeth tour?
DE: I can’t really even look that far into the future to be honest Kelley. In fact, the spirit in the band right now is to just be in the moment and savour the cool things and good vibes happening right now. I’m really appreciating it all and happy to be back around at this moment in time, especially with so many great things lined up. The Thrash genre is going to have a really cool year this year and I’m just glad to be a part of it in one of the best working bands out there right now.

MM: Any last words or comments you'd care to share with our readers?
DE: Yes, obviously I’m glad to be back with Megadeth and I thank all the fans for being there with me on this wonderful, creative journey. Hope to see you on tour! Check out Angels of Babylon, I think you’ll dig it!

MM: I know you're a busy man, but I really appreciate you taking the time to answer my questions. Good luck on the Megadeth tour!
DE: Thanks Kelley, really appreciate the chance!

Article by Kelley Simms