David Ellefson praises Dave Mustaine for being a "fighter and survivor"

David Ellefson and Dave Mustaine of Megadeth

(Image credit: Chiaki Nozu/WireImage, Jason LaVeris/FilmMagic)

In a new interview, bassist David Ellefson has commended his fellow Megadeth bandmate Dave Mustaine for his resilience in regards to his previous personal and professional struggles – specifically, getting fired from Metallica back in 1983 and his recent battle with cancer in 2019.

Talking to the Real Music With Gary Stucker podcast, Ellefson explains: “Dave’s a fighter, and he’s a survivor. I mean, look he’s gone through being fired [from Metallica], kicked out, kicked down. He just went through cancer. The guy is a tireless warrior, and I think that’s a big part of the Megadeth story.”

He continues: “And then, behind that, of course, there’s this brotherhood between me and him that, as much as Dave’s the fighter — Dave’s the fighting one, and I’m the friendly one."

Earlier this month, Ellefson reported that Megadeth are in the “final hours” of recording their follow up to 2016’s Dystopia. The long-serving member of the band spoke to Rock Star Music saying: “We’re literally in the final hours of getting everything done."

Frontman Mustaine also commented on the production of the band’s upcoming 18 track offering, saying he only has “one song left to sing”.

Revealed on his Gimme Radio show, Mustaine carried on by saying: “Other than that, all the vocals are done on this record, and it’ll be time to focus on background vocals and the remaining stuff with solos.”

The working title for the bands 16th outing was revealed by Mustaine in January to be The Sick, The Dying And The Dead.

Listen to the full interview below:

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