BW&BK; scribe Carl Begai recently caught up with ex-MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson to discuss his new F5 album, The Reckoning. The following is an excerpt from the interview.

“For me, if the record was going to be compared to my past stuff, as so much of my current work always is, it fits in the category with Countdown To Extinction," says Ellefson. "I think when people first heard me launch out on my own there was naturally a similarity that they’re going to draw a comparison to. The first F5 record was successful in that it was heavy, but it clearly wasn’t following in the same footsteps because, quite honestly, that would have been easy. It would have been a no-brainer to get a bunch of guys together, put on black shirts and play thrash metal; I’ve been doing that my whole life."

Ellefson, like former Megadeth bandmate/guitarist Marty Friedman, is no stranger to be raked over the coals on occasion for not producing a record on the metal level of the Megadeth classic Rust In Peace.

“Exactly. That album is the Holy Grail of the work we did, right, wrong or indifferent. But, the reality of it is life moves on and I’m happy with all the work that I’ve done. The other thing is, now when I do new things they’re not under that band name, so by nature they have the creative liberty to be different. I know a lot of people that say ‘We just want you to go back to that band and do that thing…’ and I get it, I appreciate it, and thank you. But, F5 has really become my creative home for the last few years."

Watch for the complete interview, coming soon to the Features section on this page. Go to this location to check out audio samples from The Reckoning.