David Ellefson, longtime bassist and co-founder of Megadeth, has announced a major European headlining tour under his Bass Warrior banner — and it comes with a powerful twist: he will be performing Megadeth’s landmark 1992 album Countdown to Extinction in its entirety. The trek — scheduled to hit major cities across the continent in spring 2026 — marks a significant moment for fans, former bandmates and metal buffs alike, as Ellefson revisits one of thrash metal’s most celebrated records in a live setting.
Ellefson’s European Bass Warrior tour isn’t just another festival run or greatest-hits set: every date will feature Countdown to Extinction played from start to finish. Originally released in 1992, the album stands as one of Megadeth’s most commercially successful and critically praised works, spawning classics such as “Symphony of Destruction,” “Sweating Bullets,” and the title track itself. By tackling the full tracklist live, Ellefson is giving fans a rare chance to hear these songs delivered with focus and reverence for the album’s original structure and impact.
In addition to the full Countdown to Extinction set, Ellefson has indicated that each show will include additional material spanning his broader career — including tracks from his solo work, Ellefson releases, and collaborations that have highlighted his range as a bassist and songwriter.
The Bass Warrior tour concept reflects Ellefson’s ongoing personal brand as both a musician and an advocate for the art of bass playing. Throughout his career, he has been vocal about the importance of the bass guitar in heavy music — not just as a rhythmic anchor, but as a creative, expressive instrument in its own right. This tour puts the spotlight directly on that philosophy, with Ellefson’s playing central to the experience rather than buried in a full band backdrop.
Ellefson’s solo projects have previously allowed him to experiment with styles beyond thrash metal, including progressive, jazz-influenced, and instrumental compositions. Bass Warrior is both a tribute to his roots and a showcase for his versatility as a musician.
The Bass Warrior European tour spans multiple countries and major venues, with confirmed dates kicking off in spring 2026. Although the full list of cities was not released at the time of the announcement, Ellefson is slated to visit key markets across the continent, including dates in:
- United Kingdom
- Germany
- France
- Netherlands
- Belgium
- Scandinavia
Additional shows in Southern and Eastern Europe are expected to be added as routing finalizes and tickets go on sale. Fans are encouraged to check local listings for specific venues and dates as they are confirmed.
The announcement has sparked immediate excitement across social media and metal forums. Countdown to Extinction remains one of Megadeth’s bestselling and most influential records, often credited with helping metal reach a broader audience in the early 1990s. Ellefson’s decision to perform the album live in full is being praised as a meaningful way to honor the legacy of both the record and the era it helped define.
Metal fans have also noted that Bass Warrior’s focus on musicianship and bassist-centric performance adds a fresh angle to touring — one that many see as overdue in a landscape dominated by frontman and guitar hero narratives.
David Ellefson’s history with Megadeth dates back to the band’s formation in the early 1980s, and his bass work shaped much of the band’s signature sound across classic albums. His departure and later reconciliation with Megadeth in the 2020s marked a dramatic arc in his career, and Bass Warrior can be seen as both a continuation of that legacy and a statement of individual artistic identity.
With Bass Warrior, Ellefson is not just revisiting the past; he is reasserting his role as one of heavy metal’s most distinctive bass voices — and inviting fans to experience one of the genre’s high-water marks as it was meant to be played live.
