David Ellefson recently opened up about his fractious relationship with Dave Mustaine and what really pushed them apart. In a discussion on the Today’s Boondoggle podcast, the former Megadeth bassist laid the blame not on personal animosity, but on “outside forces” that he says have continuously driven a wedge between him and Mustaine. He argued that if it were solely up to the two of them, they’d probably still be playing together.
Ellefson made it clear that he’d be open to returning for Megadeth’s farewell tour in 2026 if Mustaine reached out. “Yeah, of course I would… there’s some shit we’d have to kind of hash through,” he said, referring to past periods when communication broke down. He pointed to a phone call arranged by the then-drummer Shawn Drover, after several years without contact. When they eventually played together again, Ellefson recalled, “It was like we just played yesterday. It sounded amazing.”
He also reflected on how their relationship deteriorated, referencing his removal from the group in 2021. Ellefson said that Mustaine “removed me from the group,” and that he believed the split involved more than just music — it involved business decisions, legal disputes, and external advice. “It’s never really me and him,” Ellefson said. “There’s always outside influences and advisors and all this bullshit.”
Speaking about final goodbyes, Ellefson expressed a desire for Megadeth’s upcoming farewell tour to provide room for all past members to participate in some way — even a single song. He drew inspiration from events like Back To The Beginning, where multiple members of Black Sabbath reunified for a closing performance, saying that in such moments “everybody gets to say goodbye.”
Even now, despite years without speaking — Ellefson says he hasn’t talked to Mustaine in “four years” — he still speaks appreciatively of Mustaine’s endurance. “He’s a pretty fucking tough mule, man,” Ellefson said. “He never backed down to a challenge.”
