ELLEFSON, the eponymous solo band of Grammy-Winning Megadeth bassist and co-founder David Ellefson, has announced signing to EARMusic (Europe) and Ward Records (Japan) for the release of their upcoming full-length covers release NO COVER, which will be released Worldwide 11/20 in conjunction with Ellefson’s revived COMBAT RECORDS, who will release the album in North America via AMPED.
The band has also announced a 10/9 digital release for their cover of the Cheap Trick classic “Auf Wiedersehen”, featuring guest appearances from Ministry’s Al Jourgensen, Anthrax’s Charlie Benante, and Crobot’s Brandon Yeagley, alongside bassist Ellefson, vocalist Thom Hazaert, and guitarist Andy Martongelli, which premiered in August on the nationally syndicated radio show “Nights With Alice Cooper”.
ELLEFSON has also released a video teaser for “Auf Wiedersehen”, with the full video being released next Tuesday, 10/6.
The band cites the signings, and some unexpected medical situations for the changing release date.
Says vocalist/co-producer Thom Hazaert, “There’s no easy way to say it, but in July, right in the middle of recording the album, I had massive heart failure and went into full cardiac arrest. My heart literally stopped for several minutes, and I was revived at the hospital. There was a long recovery, but we managed to finish the record, and secure amazing deals with our friends at EARMusic, and Ward, but obviously we had to revisit our timeline a bit.
And literally, maybe a month and a half later we were in Los Angeles, at Al’s house, shooting the video for “Auf Wiedersehen”. I’m just extremely humbled and thankful to be here to be able to, not only, finish this incredible record, but be able to see it released Worldwide with incredible label partners, which really almost wasn’t the case.”
He adds, “Originally we had envisioned NO COVER as a smaller, limited release “quarantine project” we were doing for fun with a bunch of our friends, really just to not have to release our studio album during the pandemic. But as it neared completion, and we really got to see what it was turning into, we realized it was worthy of so much more. I have a long history and friendship with Max at EARMusic, and they are an incredible label, and home to some of our favorite artists, and friends – Alice Cooper, Def Leppard, and more, and we are ecstatic to be able to partner with them for not only this release, but future ELLEFSON releases as well. WARD had already released Sleeping Giants for us last year in Japan, and we had secured a deal with them for our upcoming 2021 studio album, so it was a natural fit when we went to them with the idea of partnering with us on No Cover.”
Adds Ellefson, “It really was a crazy, whirlwind process, not only making such an involved album so fast, but also remotely, during a pandemic, with not only dozens of guests, but the entire band, spread around the Globe. And then, almost losing our singer in the middle of it. But at the end of the day, it turned out better than any of us had hoped, and really was one of the most fun records I’ve ever made. It’s been great to pull so many great and positive things out of 2020, despite all the challenges.”
Produced by Ellefson and Hazaert, with additional production by guitarist Andy Martongelli and Matt LaPlant (Nonpoint, Skindred, Lil’ Jon), mixed by Alessio Garavello, and mastered by Maor Appelbaum (Faith No More), NO COVER includes Ellefson-ized versions of 19 classic tracks from Motorhead, WASP, Def Leppard, Cheap Trick, Queen, Judas Priest, Twisted Sister, Fastway, Fight, Dead Kennedys, and more.
Featuring cover art by Melody Myers (Ellefson, Altitudes and Attitude, Escape The Fate), an homage to the legendary Def Leppard debut ON THROUGH THE NIGHT, NO COVER is the second release under the ELLEFSON banner, the follow-up to 2019’s SLEEPING GIANTS, a double-disc compilation combining new tracks, with unreleased Ellefson solo, and F5 material.
Photo credit: Melody Myers
ELLEFSON, featuring Ellefson on bass, Vocalist Thom Hazaert, Guitarists Andy Martongelli and Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal (Sons of Apollo, Yes, Ex-Guns N’ Roses), and drummer Paolo Caridi, are joined on the album by a who’s who of legendary guests including Charlie Benante (Anthrax), Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister), Brandon Yeagley (Crobot), Dirk Verbeuren (Megadeth), Frank Hannon and Troy Lucketta (Tesla), Mark Slaughter, Jason McMaster (Dangerous Toys, ex-Watchtower, Evil United), Greg Handevidt (Kublai Khan, Ex-Megadeth), Chuck Behler (Ex-Megadeth), Gus G, John Aquilino (Icon), Doro Pesch, Dave McClain (Sacred Reich, Ex-Machine Head), Dave Alvin (White Trash), Todd Kerns (Slash & The Conspirators), Andrew Freeman (Last In Line), Jacob Bunton (Mick Mars), Al Jourgensen (Ministry), Russ Parrish (Fight), Dead By Wednesday, and more.
2019 saw the release of Ellefson’s MORE LIFE WITH DETH Memoir, co-written with Hazaert, which led to the ELLEFSON compilation release SLEEPING GIANTS, featuring Hazaert on several new tracks, alongside guest appearances by Thal, Darryl “DMC” McDaniels, Mark Tremonti, Chris Poland (ex-Megadeth), Kristian Nairn (Game of Thrones), Dave McClain (Sacred Reich), Eric AK (Flotsam and Jetsam), John Bush (Armored Saint), Chip Z’nuff (Enuff Z’Nuff), Vin Dombroski (Sponge) and more, which spawned the Metal radio hit “Hammer (Comes Down)”, which spent several weeks in rotation, as well as landing in the “Devil’s Dozen” Top 12 on Sirius XM Liquid Metal.
Ellefson and Hazaert (DE and TH) followed up the release of SLEEPING GIANTS with an extensive US and European Tour dubbed MORE LIVE WITH DETH, with Hatchet guitarist Clayton Cagle, as well as Flotsam and Jetsam’s Steve Conley, stepping in on second guitar in the US, including several now legendary shows featuring Megadeth alumni Chuck Behler and Chris Poland.
ELLEFSON also performed on Megadeth’s MEGACRUISE, where Hazaert and Ellefson, along with Opus, and Dave Sharpe of Dead By Wednesday, and Cagle, performed a special Megadeth MEGA-JAM set, as a tribute to Dave Mustaine, with guests including Megadeth’s Kiko Loureiro and Dirk Verbeuren.
Ellefson and Hazaert also participated in another noted highlight of the MEGACRUISE, coordinating an all-star KISS jam, which, in addition to Ellefson, featured Frank Bello, Charlie Benante, and Scott Ian of Anthrax, Clayton Cagle of Hatchet, plus members of Hellyeah, Butcher Babies, Queensryche, Suicidal Tendencies, and more, where Hazaert shared vocal duties on “God of Thunder” with Chuck Billy of Testament, and “God Gave Rock And Roll To You” with the legendary Doro Pesch, as well as participating in the epic finale, “Rock And Roll All Nite.”
The European MORE LIVE WITH DETH tour saw the permanent addition of guitarist Andy Martongelli and drummer Paolo Caridi into the ELLEFSON recording lineup, as well as the addition of frequent collaborator Ron “Bumblefoot” Thal. March 2020 brought the release of the hit Rock single “Simple Truth”, which was premiered on SiriusXM by Eddie Trunk, followed in May by the release of their re-imagined Post Malone cover “Over Now”, both of which garnered national airplay, (peaking in the top 20 on the Billboard secondary Rock charts), garnering spins and coverage on nationally syndicated radio outlets like HARD DRIVE, NIGHTS WITH ALICE COOPER, and FULL METAL JACKIE, and press outlets including Rolling Stone, Alternative Press, NME, Loudwire, ABC Newsradio, Metal Hammer, Loudersound, Consequence of Sound, and many more.
ELLEFSON is set to tentatively release their debut full length studio LP in Spring 2021.
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