Holy Moses frontwoman / founder Sabina Classen has shared the following message:

“Yesterday, I received the sad news that my former drummer and longtime comrade Atomic Steif passed away on Sunday 31st. August, departed this world at the age of just 57.

Our history began in the early ’80s in the Velberter and Tipsy Apes metal fan clubs. We lived through nights, celebrated, philosophized, dreamed, and played countless concerts, including at the legendary Wacken Open Air.

Atomic Steiff was part of Holy Moses from 1990 to 1992, and returned to the drums from 2007 to 2011. But more than just a great musician, he was a person with whom you could laugh, have deep conversations and feel life in all its facets.

Dear Steiff, we have gone through good and hard times together as musicians and as humans. Now your soul has taken its journey to another dimension. I will never forget you. Your energy, your presence and your heartbeat will live on in me forever. You will remain a part of my story and forever in my heart.

In love and gratitude, Your Sabina.”

German a capella metal band, Van Canto, have checked in with the following update:

“After the pure joy of meeting so many existing (and new!) fans at our 2025 festival shows in Germany, Czech Republic and Spain, we came to the conclusion that we should prepare for our 20 year anniversary in 2026.

So this message is to let you know we started songwriting, producing and recording new material. We are not 100% sure what is the best way to release new material these days as nobody owns CD players anymore, but we will figure something out. If you have ideas – let us know.

For those who want to see us live, check out our German tour dates in November (6 Cologne, 7 Herford, 8 Stuttgart, 9 Aschaffenburg)

The picture captures our motivation quite well. See you soon.

Rakkatakka forever. We love you.”

Fan-filmed video of Van Canto performing at Leyendas Del Rock Festival in Villena, Spain on August 8 can be viewed below.

Acclaimed multi-instrumentalist and progressive rock visionary, Neal Morse, returns to his singer-songwriter roots with the heartfelt and introspective new solo album, Never Been Down This Road.

Available on October 31, you can pre-order the album here. Check out the single “Leavin’ California” below.



Known for his work on recent prog-rock masterpieces including No Hill For A Climber (with Neal Morse & The Resonance) and Deep Water (with Cosmic Cathedral), Morse now offers fans a more personal collection, rich with storytelling, emotion, and spiritual depth.

Written in the quiet early hours at the grand piano in his studio – a daily practice for Morse – Never Been Down This Road captures the spontaneous magic of inspiration as it comes. The result is an album that blends deeply personal reflections with narratives of people he has encountered and songs came from day to day inspiration, spanning genres from folk and pop to worship and soul.

Following in the tradition of 2024’s Late Bloomer, this new release showcases Morse’s solo artistry in full. With the exception of saxophone and backing vocals, all instruments and vocals were performed by Morse himself, further emphasizing the album’s raw, intimate nature.

“Never Been Down This Road feels like a journey through my heart, my memories, and sometimes the hearts of characters I’ve imagined,” says Morse. “It’s a quieter kind of album—less about the epic, more about the honest moment. I hope people connect with it the way I have.”



Tracklisting:

“Leavin’ California”
“New Man”
“Reach Deep”
“Open Up Again”
“Never Been Down This Road”
“The Most Important Person”
“The Heart Always Known”
“Breathe The Air”

“Reach Deep” visualizer:

During an appearance on today's (Wednesday, September 10) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Dee Snider spoke about TWISTED SISTER's decision to reunite next year to celebrate the band's 50th anniversary. Regarding why he changed his mind about returning to the road, nine years after the completion of TWISTED SISTER's "40 And Fuck It!" farewell tour, Dee said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It really was a milestone thing. I turned 70 years old in March. And milestones, they are what they are, but at the same time, they're reflection times for people. And me reflecting, I realized, wow, next year is 50 years since I joined TWISTED SISTER, since we became — me, Eddie [Ojeda, TWISTED SISTER guitarist] and Jay Jay [French, TWISTED SISTER guitarist] — became a band. And that's significant. And the offers kept coming in and the interest is there to have us reunite. And I called the guys up and said, 'What do you think?' I mean, almost as a challenge to each of us to say, 'One more time. Can we do it one more time?' And certainly we've got people like [Paul] McCartney and [Mick] Jagger and Alice Cooper out there, and Ozzy — may he rest in peace — and how can you say, well, I'm 70. I'm too old. So, the guys said, 'Seriously?' I said, 'Seriously. One more time. Let's do it one more time.'"

Elaborating on his initial reluctance to step back on stage with TWISTED SISTER again, Dee told host Eddie Trunk: "Eddie, I go to quote you. I quoted you often… We talked about my performing style. We talked about the type of entertainer I am, and you said, 'Dee, you really did paint yourself in a corner. You created a stage persona, a stage energy that people come to expect,' and anything less will be disappointing, not just to the audience, but to me as well. So, yeah, I'm in shape and stuff like that, and you've seen me [in recent months guesting on stage] with Bret Michaels out there, but that's four songs, dude. It's not 18 songs. But you know what? I just said, 'We're still here, and let's do it. Let's challenge ourselves.' And we're doing it for all the right reasons. It's not about money. It's not about — none of those typical things. It's 'cause we want to do it one more time. And there's interest there all over the world, so, we're going for it, man. 2026."

Asked by Trunk if it's fair to say that he was the one who initiated the TWISTED SISTER reunion this time around, Dee said: "Yeah, and I'm not saying it like I'm the one who made [the decision to reunite]. I'm the one who was screaming from the top of my lungs, 'Never. Ever.' You know that. That was your introduction: 'He's been saying for a decade now, 'Uh-uh. Never gonna happen. We retired. That's it.' … So the guys didn't even bring it up to me. And Eddie, me and Jay Jay, we talk all the time, and we know offers are coming in, but it wasn't even a discussion because it was accepted, 'Dee's not gonna do it again.' And I stopped doing my solo stuff as well as a few years back. So, it was basically that I said, 'Hey, guys. I'm up for it if you're up for it.' And I've gotta say, they both — Jay and Eddie — had to think about it, 'cause they, too, were in a certain mindset, like, 'This is behind us now.' And then we had a group meeting on it and said, 'Let's go for it.'"

Snider also talked about his workout regimen and diet that will keep him in shape at 70 years old while on tour. He said: "If you've seen the web site, the [TWISTED SISTER reunion] announcement page, it's a flat line [laughs] and then the heartbeat slowly starts coming back in. That's not by accident.

"When TWISTED retired, I remember shows where we were doing our farewells around the world, and people were crying in the audience, because I'm saying, 'This is really it, guys. We're done,'" he continued. "And people were crying. I go, 'Listen, I want a pancake. Look at me. I'm ripped to shreds. I want a carb. I'm gonna re-record [TWISTED SISTER's classic song] 'I Wanna Rock' [as] 'I Want A Carb'.' I said, 'You know what it takes to look like this? It's painful. It sucks.' And I was 60 years old, and [people said], 'Wow. He is in ungodly shape.' Yeah. And I was miserable. So I'm not gonna tell you once that, once I was done with that… I've been enjoying life. I've been out… And COVID hit, and I was always very regimented with working out, and workouts, it was tough to go to a gym, unless you had your own gym. It was tough to go to a public gym. And all of a sudden I fell out of the pattern. So I'm being totally honest here. At 70, I said, 'This can't be it. I need to challenge myself to go out in a blaze of glory… I'm going, 'Okay, March [of 2025]. I called the guys. What do you say? Let's do it. We talked. All right, let's do it. When are we going out? Next late spring, summer. Good. I've got like a year to get in shape.' So I'm back in the gym... But still, there's a big difference between going out and doing four songs with Bret Michaels and holding the stage for 20 songs. So it's gonna be a challenge. But I sure don't wanna embarrass myself and the band doesn't wanna embarrass itself. So, people, you'll be impressed. I promise I will make some 20-year-olds feel really badly about themselves."

Dee also addressed the fact that TWISTED SISTER's 2026 reunion will not include longtime bassist Mark Mendoza. The tour will instead feature Russell Pzütto on bass. Pzütto has played with TWISTED SISTER in the past, and has also been part of the touring bands for Snider's solo projects.

"I can only simply say irreconcilable differences and leave it at that," Dee stated about Mark's absence from the TWISTED SISTER reunion. "I can't get into the weeds and I can't go down that path. And I won't. But irreconcilable differences. People change, and however it is, and I'm not saying he changed; maybe we changed whatever it is. So in deciding who to use on bass, my bass player on the last two Dee Snider albums, 'For The Love Of Metal' and 'Leave A Scar', was Russ Pzütto. And he was Mark Mendoza's bass tech, and a great bass player… So, he did an amazing job on those two albums. He was a great guy to tour with. The band all knew him from years of working with TWISTED, and again, he seemed like a likely choice. As a matter of fact, one time he was Mark's choice to fill in for him. And one gig, it was in Belgium at Graspop, and Mark couldn't make it, and Russ stepped in and played with TWISTED. So he actually has performed with TWISTED once before."

Asked if he thinks the door is open for Mark to play with TWISTED SISTER again at some point during the reunion tour, Dee said: "I can't imagine it right now. I can't imagine it right now. I mean — I plead the fifth. I can't go beyond that. But things have happened that I don't see being reconciled, hence the term 'irreconcilable differences.'"

French addressed Mendoza's departure in a statement to Rolling Stone, explaining: "Me, Dee and Eddie have performed as TWISTED SISTER for nearly 50 years with 10 different bass players and drummers. The band has never discussed internal realignment before and has no intention of doing it now. Suffice to say that almost all bands with a 50-year history have gone through realignment as a byproduct of time. We wish Mark well in his future endeavors."

Playing drums on TWISTED SISTER's 2026 reunion tour will be Joe Franco, who briefly played with the band in the mid-1980s and played on TWISTED SISTER's 1987 album "Love Is For Suckers". Mike Portnoy, who took over for longtime drummer A.J. Pero after he died near the end of TWISTED SISTER's 2016 run, is busy touring with DREAM THEATER and is unable to participate in the upcoming TWISTED SISTER live activities.

Two and a half years ago, TWISTED SISTER staged a one-off reunion at the Metal Hall Of Fame in Agoura Hills, California. On hand to be inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame were Snider, French, Mendoza and Portnoy. Ojeda was absent from the event after contracting COVID-19; filling in for him was Keith Robert War. TWISTED SISTER played a highly charged three-song set consisting of the staples "You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll" and "Under The Blade", as well as the anthem "We're Not Gonna To Take It".

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.

During an appearance on the Rock 'N' Blues Experience podcast with host Tim Caple, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson spoke about his reaction to the band's announcement that MEGADETH's upcoming LP will be the band's last. The Dave Mustaine-led outfit will also embark on a farewell tour in 2026. Asked if it was a shock to him to hear that MEGADETH was calling it quits, Ellefson said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I knew about it. Obviously, I'm in the business, so I knew about it, which — it was a little shocking. I've known Dave as a workhorse. All things good, bad or indifferent about Dave, he's a pretty fucking tough mule, man. I mean, he's gotten out there and sang and played despite all the odds. And I will give him that. He definitely never backed down to a challenge."

Ellefson continued: "I remember there was a comment some years ago — we were playing a festival in Mexico, and his wife, Pam, had looked over at me, and with him sitting right next to me, [she] goes, 'The old horse is slowing down.' [Laughs] And that was a big gig. It was [with] JUDAS PRIEST and SCORPIONS… And I remember when she said it, it was kind of, like, we are getting up there a little bit, but then I look at the SCORPIONS, and fucking Rudolf Schenker, that guy comes up and hugs you like a Rock 'Em Sock 'Em Robot. You're, like, 'What the fuck did they put in the water in his house?' This guy's well into his 70s, and it's, like, 'Aargh.' Like, Jesus, man. The SCORPIONS are impenetrable; they're strong, like Iron Man."

David added: "I haven't talked to Dave now in four years, so I have no idea the reason or anything about it other than they made their announcement."

Asked what he thinks would happen if he just picked up the phone and called Mustaine, Ellefson said: "Well, even if I had his number — I don't know; he might have changed his number since I [last] talked [to him]. No, but I know what you mean.

"Look, he removed me from the group, so it's not my place to call him to go back," David continued. "I put it out there — I did something on my podcast, I floated it out there and said, hey, look, if it were to be, I'd be up for it. I think it'd be cool. Having just watched what happened in Birmingham [at the 'Back To The Beginning' event] where everybody got together —not only did we get to say goodbye to [BLACK SABBATH], they got to say goodbye to us. And I think that's just as important.

"Dave's closing up shop on MEGADETH, and he's doing it for him, obviously, for his reasons. I think in a perfect world there would be at least a moment where maybe some of, if not all of, the rest of us got a chance to say goodbye as well," Ellefson added. "I think that's a takeaway from Birmingham, is that there's a moment for everybody to just put everything aside and go, 'You know what? That was a fucking good run, man.' And take the final bow together on some level."

Ellefson's ELLEFSON-SOTO bandmate Jeff Scott Soto, who was also part of the interview, chimed in: "I'm sorry, I have to interject here. I absolutely agree with you, David, that it would be a lovely way for it to end or go out is to have the surviving members of this legendary band all together, at least for one more hurrah. But as far as I'm concerned, MEGADETH, you guys [Ellefson and Mustaine] are the Joe Perry and Steven Tyler of this band. And to end this whole legacy without one or the other, to me, is wrong. And I'll put it right here. You can clickbait and Blabbermouth it all you want, Dave Mustaine, you need to call David Ellefson and you need to put him as part of the end — if this is truly the end and you're calling it a wrap, you need to include David at some point, even if it's one show, one song, something like that. To me, that's the true closure. That's the real way to actually close the book on MEGADETH. They have to at least include David, to include Chris Poland and all the others, Jeff Young, all the others that have been involved. That, to me, would be the ultimate farewell, sayonara, all of the above. That needs to happen, as far as I'm concerned. You need to get the Lennon and McCartney, the Joe Perry and the Steven Tyler of this band together for one final hurrah. That's how I see it."

Ellefson previously discussed his reaction to MEGADETH's farewell tour last month in a special episode of his video podcast "The David Ellefson Show". Asked for his "thoughts" on MEGADETH "calling it quits", Ellefson said: "There's a lot, 'cause, of course, it brings up years and years of thoughts, feelings, emotions, some great, some not so great. I always say these gold records on the wall — which, the only reason I have 'em up is 'cause we have a podcast [laughs]; it just makes for a good backdrop — but I look at 'em, 'Countdown [To Extinction]', 'Peace Sells', 'Beavis And Butt-Head', 'Rust In Peace', they all have a story in 'em. And some of the stuff in the '90s were better stories — the band was cohesive, the management was consistent, the music, I think, was collaborative. We went to new heights, we explored new territory that you could only dream of doing, Grammy nominations, festivals, the world for touring was really opening up everywhere. So, really great stuff. In the middle of it, of course, and around it was addictions, rehabs, canceled tours, lost finances in the millions. And so for things to sort of flush out the way that they did with now me not being part of the final farewell of something I started, as one can imagine, [it's] probably not something I'm super happy about. And saying that while still being grateful for all that it was, because I think at some point you have to find a path through it because this is reality."

Referencing Mustaine's debilitating injury in 2002 that caused severe nerve damage to his left arm and hand, and rendered him unable to play the guitar for a while, Ellefson continued: "Look, I feel like Dave Mustaine ended our friendship in 2001, and that was it. And he ended it very loudly, very publicly. He personally signed his name to it. He said we would never play music together again. And that's it. That is it. So from there on, I, I moved on. And I learned from 2002, with the career-ending nerve damage to his arm, and then two years later there's a new album with a new band and new financial terms and I'm not part of it and lawsuits to settle business matters, and just all the things go, there's a whole story there of a lot of this stuff. I was out, then suddenly I was back, and it was great. And he and I tried to mend fences, as I think we did. He was generous to me. Things were good.

"Clearly MEGADETH is a Mustaine family-run business," Ellefson added. "And it started that way, I think, probably a little while after I came back to the band [in 2010]. 'Cause when I came back to the band, it was not — it was Dave. And I kind of became the good friend to Dave. I knew him and he knew me in a way that no one else could. Dave had his friends before me growing up in California, but I've certainly known him one of the longest of most anybody on the planet, at least from inner workings of a band kind of thing. So, as bands go though, there can be tensions, there are all those things. Certainly what was made clear to me in 2004 is, 'Hey, it's a new day. It's a new way. Dave's in charge. It's not gonna be what it was. It's not gonna be collaborative.' [Former MEGADETH drummer] Shawn Drover always used to remind me of that. He goes, 'Dude, those days when of us all getting in a room and writing a record, dude, those days are long gone.' In fact, I remember when I came back and we were doing the 'Th1rt3en' album after about a year on the road, Dave asked me, he said, 'Oh, I'd like to have you write.' I said, 'You know what? No. Why don't you write the songs? I'll play bass for you. Let's just keep it clean. Keep it simple. Let's not even blur the lines.' And that's why I did other musical things. I did the ELLEFSON solo records and various other things to just have a little… I [thought], 'Let me take my creative stuff over there.' I knew in no way was that ever gonna sort of trump the brand, if you will, be bigger than the MEGADETH brand, yet it was a way to have a little creative outlet on the side, kind of get my yayas without interfering with MEGADETH. 'Cause I knew — look, we got it back together. Let's keep it clean, let's keep it simple. Let's just do that. And I think every time we tried to write, it was always a sore spot. It was problematic. And I was, like, 'Oh, I wish we weren't even going down this road.' Now, of course, everybody wants their name on the record, everybody wants to feel some of the financial windfall. And how things are split financially doesn't always have to how they're split with the credits and stuff like that.

"There's a weird thing in bands that how things are financially split… If you're a founding member of a band, to some degree you should be entitled to a piece of every everything and all of it, basically, 'cause it wouldn't exist if you weren't there," David noted. "And that deal got changed in 2004. That immediately changed the landscape. It changed my feelings about it. It drew us into a legal dispute — rightfully so. And no one wins in lawsuits, to some degree, yet sometimes they have to happen because things need to be done the way they need to be done. And I guess the good news for me is financially it landed certainly much better for me, and getting paid directly for my sources rather than… 'Cause sometimes that's what happens, is money goes through the channels of the organization and sometimes people don't get paid. So that needed to happen, and I'm glad I went through the process. It's not a fun process — I didn't sleep for nine months because of it — but that's when I had my little band F5 and I was trying to at least kind of keep my nose creatively involved in some stuff.

"So, there's a lot of history here with this band. This band started with a resentment. It started with a 'fuck you', Dave's sort of revenge against [his former band] METALLICA. And it wasn't entirely that. I mean, that gets a little blown out of proportion. To some degree, Dave was his own artist away from METALLICA. He had 'Mechanix' and some songs before METALLICA, and he certainly wrote songs after. So I think that that's a little unfair to paint that entirely on Dave that MEGADETH was just this revenge toward METALLICA. It may have been often fueled by it, but how could it not be? He was not a founding member of METALLICA. He was there for, as I always call it, a year and a half in the life of METALLICA. And [he] certainly changed the course of what they did. But they went on and had their own successes.

"But, look, for Dave to call it quits or to retire, I should say… Farewell… I don't even know if he's retiring. He's just basically saying MEGADETH's over… Would I like to be a part of it? Yeah, of course. Who wouldn't?" he admitted. "I'm a founding member of it. I'm a 30-plus-year member of it. Is that gonna happen? Who knows? It's too early to tell. I don't know what they have planned. I have no idea what it is. They just made an announcement about it. Do I think there should be some sort of farewell that everybody gets to participate in? I mean, look, [the] 'Back To The Beginning' [concert in Birmingham] with BLACK SABBATH. Look, they made nice. They brought all four of BLACK SABBATH['s original members]. They brought everybody back. You had [former Ozzy Osbourne guitarist] Jake [E. Lee]. Now, was everybody there? No. There were some key people — Bob Daisley — some people that weren't there. But for the most part, they brought a lot of the people back. And just speaking of BLACK SABBATH, they brought the original, the core four back, and they said goodbye. Not only did they say goodbye, everybody got to say goodbye to them. And I think when you're doing a farewell, that's important, that you get to say goodbye and everybody gets to say goodbye to you. I think that that's an important part of it. But that's me. I'm not in the band anymore. I have no say in it. So that's just me. That's just one guy with an opinion, quite honestly."

After podcast co-host Joshua Toomey opined that "everyone that was ever in MEGADETH should also be able to say their farewell too" and be part of the celebrations in some way, Ellefson said: "Well, I strongly stand against the notion that MEGADETH was only Dave Mustaine, 'cause it wasn't. And everybody knows that. So, if Dave needs to retire, wants to retire, I get it. I understand. He's given a lot. It's taken a lot out of him. It's taken certainly a toll on him, as anyone can imagine. So, look, God bless you, brother. If you're done, this is it, you wanna go do something else with your life, spend time with your family, just not play guitar, I get it. I mean, dude, believe me, I'm 60. There's some days I just kind of go, 'God, really? Should I write another album, another song? Do I really wanna go on stage?' And the answer always comes back to yes, I do. So I do. So I can't speak for him, and I'm not gonna speak for him. But, look, again, I haven't talked to the guy now in four and a half years, so I have no idea what his reasoning is, what the thinking is behind it.

"Someone made a point, they said we're all fans of MEGADETH music, even if we're not maybe fans of a particular lineup of the band, or we're not fans of certain members of the band, we still all love MEGADETH music," he continued. "And I thought, okay, I'm down with that. I can get behind that."

Referencing Mustaine's decision to fire Ellefson in May 2021 after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter, David said: "It's unfortunate that things landed between me and Dave where they did, because as I said right from the beginning, they didn't have to. And I made it very clear on the phone call when they were firing me that they didn't have to do that. It was unnecessary. Whatever those circumstances are were nothing to be feared. We can move on. But whatever. They made their decision, so let the chips fall where they may. I don't really even like going back to that period of time, because I felt like there was a lot leading up to that stuff behind the scenes, conversations that Dave and I were having about things that maybe we just weren't agreeing on. And that's okay. You can agree to disagree. You don't have to agree on everything.

"[OVERKILL singer] Bobby Blitz said something really good to me when I was touring with OVERKILL," Ellefson added. "'Cause he said he and D.D. [Verni, OVERKILL bassist], they're the boss. They run OVERKILL, they run the band. And he said, 'No matter how we go into the room with separate ideas, we come out as one voice.' And I thought, 'Man, that's a great way to put it.' And I always felt like Dave and I did that. No matter what we felt like when we got in the room, we leave this room as one voice. And Dave being the leader, Dave being the self-appointed voice of the group, let him have that voice. So I always felt like I stood behind that. I was unified with him. Whether I agreed with it or not, you get on board with it and that's what it is, and you go with that. And look, for the most part, Dave's way worked pretty good. I wasn't there to defy that."

Mustaine and the rest of MEGADETH have yet to reveal the final album's title, release date or the band's remaining tour dates.

In a press release announcing MEGADETH's final album and farewell tour, Mustaine thanked fans for their commitment and love while celebrating the band's impact on the music world.

"There's so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional," Mustaine said. "Most of them don't get to go out on their own terms on top, and that's where I'm at in my life right now. I have traveled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them."

He continued. "We can't wait for you to hear this album and see us on tour. If there was ever a perfect time for us to put out a new album, it's now. If there was ever a perfect time to tour the world, it's now. This is also a perfect time for us to tell you that it's our last studio album. We've made a lot of friends over the years and I hope to see all of you on our global farewell tour.

"Don't be mad, don't be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years. We have done something together that's truly wonderful and will probably never happen again. We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it's played, and we changed the world. The bands I played in have influenced the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything."

The follow-up to 2022's "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" will be released via Mustaine's Tradecraft imprint on Frontiers Label Group's new BLKIIBLK label, and is expected next year.

Fans can register for early access to exclusive information and offers surrounding the upcoming final album on MEGADETH's web site. Pre-orders for the LP will start on September 25. The initial run of farewell tour dates will also be announced later this year.

For its final album, MEGADETH is once again working with Chris Rakestraw, a producer, mixer and engineer who previously worked on MEGADETH's last two LPs, the aforementioned "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" and 2016's "Dystopia".

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, when the group briefly broke up because Mustaine suffered severe nerve damage that left him unable to play. After Mustaine reformed MEGADETH with an all-new lineup in 2004, Ellefson sued his former bandmate for $18.5 million, alleging that Mustaine still owed him substantial merchandise and publishing royalties. In January 2005, the case was dismissed in court, and five years later, Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH.

Back in October 2022, Mustaine once again said that he was the sole founding member of MEGADETH. The guitarist/vocalist made the comment in an interview with LifeMinute to promote "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!". While discussing the MEGADETH "sound", the now 63-year-old musician said: "There's a misnomer that there were two people that founded MEGADETH. I was the founder; I was the only one in the beginning. There was a bass player before who just was… who just left. So it's been my vision. When I got kicked out of METALLICA, I got kicked out of METALLICA; no one else was with me on the bus coming home."

Mustaine's comments came nearly seven years after he implied in an interview with the Cape Girardeau, Missouri radio station Real Rock 99.3 that Ellefson was not a founding member of the band because, he said, "MEGADETH was already in its formative phase long before I even knew David Ellefson." Ellefson later said that he was "technically" a founding member of MEGADETH because he was "in the room" the day MEGADETH decided to change its name from the previous working moniker of FALLEN ANGEL at the suggestion of the band's then-guitarist Greg Handevidt.

In February 2016, just a month after his original remarks were published on BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Mustaine was asked by Ticketmaster what it means to have a longtime collaborator like Ellefson back in the band after so many lineup changes. He responded: "David and I have been friends for a long time, even during the lawsuit. I had made it clear that I loved him, and I loved his family. I said that the truth would come out and that it was very unfortunate. The lawsuit was dismissed, I forgave him, and we got back in business again. It's been fun ever since."

He continued: "There's a couple web sites out there that don't like me and they're trying to twist some of my words around about David Ellefson being in the band or not being in the band, or being a founding member or not being a founding member. And that shit don't matter, because it's a gossip web site. The truth is, me and Dave are partners, we make good music together, he's in MEGADETH, we're going on tour. Hopefully people will know when they see him on stage and not think he's somebody else. [Laughs]"

In February 2016, Ellefson was asked by Cranked Up Live about Mustaine's comments to Real Rock 99.3 where the MEGADETH leader implied that Ellefson was not a founding member of the band. Ellefson said: "Well, it's interesting… Yeah, I did see [the article on BLABBERMOUTH.NET]. And it's interesting. The headline was very misleading and was obviously meant… It was very inflammatory. It was meant to be a hamburger bomb thrown over into the middle of our campaign. And I think I saw it as that. So, again, open the story, read it. They didn't even say that. They didn't even say what the headline says. That headline was misconstrued.

"Now, look, when Dave came home from METALLICA, he had another bass player, kind of a kid he was almost teaching how to play bass, and another guitar player he had been working with a little bit, and a singer, named Lor. And those were kind of the first people that, I think, in April and May of 1983 that Dave was just kicking some ideas around [with], seeing if he could get anything going. But the day me and my friend Greg Handevidt knocked on Dave's door and asked him where to buy some cigarettes and beer, that was the day that there was a unity that moved forward, because me, Greg, Dave, that singer Lor and our drummer Dijon Carruthers, who helped create a lot of the lyrics and the concept of 'Black Friday' on the 'Peace Sells' record, that was… we were the group that were rehearsing for a few weeks, working on these new songs Dave was writing. And one day we came back to… I think it was me and Greg's apartment… And it was Greg who suggested… We were talking about band names, and Greg suggested… There was a name kicking around, FALLEN ANGEL, that I think Dave… That was kind of working title that he had. But he had a song called 'Megadeth', which was later retitled to become 'Set The World Afire'. And it was my friend Greg who suggested, 'I think we should call the band MEGADETH.' And it was decided that day, so, I mean, technically, whoever was in the room that day was a founding member of MEGADETH. And, again, I don't know why there has to be so much importance on that. I know, I was there. And quickly, all those other members either scattered or were let go, and within a month or so, it was me and Dave standing next to each other — Dave and Dave of this new group called MEGADETH.

Massacre Records is proud to announce the worldwide signing of US-based heavy metal powerhouse, Death Dealer.

Known for their uncompromising blend of traditional heavy metal, speed, and power, Death Dealer have been setting stages ablaze around the globe since their inception. The band’s relentless energy, razor-sharp riffs, and soaring vocals have earned them a loyal following and cemented their place among the most exciting acts in today’s metal scene.

The upcoming studio album, titled Reign Of Steel, will be released in early 2026 via Massacre Records. Fans can expect a full-on assault of classic heavy metal fury, forged in steel and delivered with the trademark intensity that Death Dealer are known for.

The band comment: “Death Dealer is thrilled to have signed with Massacre Records as they have a long and storied career in high quality releases. We are very glad to have a new home for Reign Of Steel. The album signifies as strong and united front of our efforts – Power, some thrash and face melting heavy metal.”

“Reign Of Steel is a crushing piece of metal delivered by killer band,” adds Ross the Boss.

“We wrote this album while locked down in a covid- fueled dystopian reality. It allowed us hours of quality time to focus on writing and recording perhaps our finest achievement yet as a band,” states Sean Peck.

“We spent countless hours crafting this album and are very excited to get it to everyone out there. I think it might even contain the longest continuous high scream recorded…,” enthuses Stu Marshall.

Massacre Records’ CEO Thomas Hertler comments: “We are proud to welcome Death Dealer to the Massacre Records family! The band’s all-star lineup and undeniable passion for true heavy metal make them a perfect fit for our roster. Their upcoming album Reign Of Steel is a monster of a record that will thrill every fan of powerful, classic metal. The reign begins in 2026 — and it will be glorious!”

Formed in 2012 by vocalist Sean Peck (Cage, The Three Tremors), legendary guitarist Ross “The Boss” Friedman (ex-Manowar, Ross the Boss Band), and guitarist Stu Marshall (ex-Dungeon, Empires of Eden), Death Dealer quickly established themselves as a force of pure steel. With the addition of world-class musicians Mike LePond (Symphony X) on bass and Steve Bolognese (ex-Into Eternity) on drums, the lineup represents a true all-star cast of heavy metal.

The band debuted with the acclaimed album War Master (2013), followed by Hallowed Ground (2015) and Conquered Lands (2020). Each release further solidified their reputation for powerful, uncompromising metal rooted in tradition yet brimming with modern fire.

Now, with their upcoming fourth album Reign Of Steel, Death Dealer are ready to unleash their most ambitious and crushing work to date, flying the flag of true heavy metal worldwide.

More details about Reign Of Steel, including cover artwork, tracklist, and the first single, will be revealed soon. Stay tuned for updates and prepare for battle — the reign begins in 2026!

Death Dealer are:

Sean Peck – Vocals
Ross “The Boss” Friedman – Guitars
Stu Marshall – Guitars
Mike LePond – Bass
Steve Bolognese – Drums