Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine has revealed that bassist David Ellefson's musical contributions, which were completed in May 2020, will be removed from the forthcoming album and re-recorded by another bassist prior to the as yet unannounced release date.

Earlier today, June 17th, Mustaine announced during an episode of his Gimme Metal radio program, The Dave Mustaine Show, that Ellefson's bass lines will not be included on the new Megadeth album.

"I just wanna thank you for all the kind words and support as we get ready for this next tour and continue to hunt for a new bass player," said Mustaine. "We are making progress. The record's being completed, and we're gonna have someone coming in in a couple of weeks to replace the bass tracks that we had. Which should be relatively quick because the person we're talking to is a stellar bass player. And hopefully this will be an ongoing thing after the recording. Or we will find someone prior to the recording that will be our permanent guy going forward."

Last month, David Ellefson broke his silence following his dismissal from Megadeth earlier in May. 

In a statement given to Rolling Stone, Ellefson commented, “Recently, a very private video was illegally posted on the internet and false allegations were made against me. The actions in the video were between two consenting adults and were recorded without my knowledge. I am working with Scottsdale Police Department in their investigation into charges regarding revenge pornography to be filed against the person who posted this video. Also, my lawyers are preparing a defamation lawsuit to be filed against this person. This person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law. I am taking this time to be with my family. I wish my bandmates the best with their upcoming tour.”

It’s time. Megadeth and Lamb Of God cannot be stopped and have announced the rescheduled run of The Metal Tour Of The Year. Joining them, as previously planned, will be special guests Trivium and In Flames, heralding the long-awaited return to the stage for these bands, who are every bit as excited about these historic and not-to-be-missed shows as fans are. Watch a video trailer below.

Megadeth, fueled by Dave Mustaine’s triumphant return to the stage following his diagnosis and recovery of throat cancer, will finally embark on their first North American tour since 2017.

Speaking on the long-awaited announcement of the rescheduled run, Megadeth’s leader and frontman, Dave Mustaine says: “Can you hear that sound of armies on the march - of destruction on the horizon? That’s this tour, coming for you. We cannot wait to return to the stage and I promise you you do NOT want to miss these shows. You’re not going to know what hit you!”

Produced by Live Nation, the epic, rescheduled tour will now kick off on Friday, August 20 in Austin, TX and hit a further 26 cities before wrapping in Quebec City, QC on Saturday, October 2. Full tour itinerary below.

All previously purchased tickets for any of the rescheduled dates listed below will be valid for the new date. For any cancelled dates, refunds will automatically be processed at your point of purchase.

Tour dates:

August
20 - Austin, TX - Germania Insurance Amphitheater
21 - Irving, TX - The Pavilion at Toyota Music Factory
22 - Woodlands, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion presented by Huntsman
24 - El Paso, TX - Don Haskins Center
25 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater
27 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena
29 - Phoenix, AZ - Arizona Federal Theatre
31 - Reno, NV - Reno Events Center

September
1 - Irvine, CA - FivePoint Amphitheatre
2 - Concord, CA - Concord Pavilion
4 - Portland, OR - Moda Center
5 - Auburn, WA - White River Amphitheatre
9 - Tinley Park, IL - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - Chicago
11 - Danville, VA - Blue Ridge Festival *
12 - Wantagh, NY - Northwell Health at Jones Beach Theater
13 - Boston, MA - Leader Bank Pavilion
15 - Camden, NJ - BB&T Pavilion
16 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
18 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center
19 - Clarkston, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre
20 - Cincinnati, OH - PNC Pavilion
22 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP
24 - Mount Pleasant, MI - Soaring Eagle Casino Amphitheatre
26 - St. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre - St. Louis
28 - Minneapolis, MN - Armory
30 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage

October
1 - Laval, QC - Place Bell
2 - Quebec City, QC - Centre Videotron

* Festival Date featuring all 4 bands.

It was over 30 years ago that Dave Mustaine founded Megadeth, in the process pioneering the sound that would become known the world over as thrash metal. And from the very beginning, the band proved to be the most lethal and audacious unit on the heavy music scene, pushing thrash to the limits of musical ferocity and instrumental virtuosity on early efforts like their 1985 debut, Killing Is My Business…And Business Is Good! and 1986’s seminal Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?.

Megadeth have taken their place as one of metal’s most influential and respected acts—not to mention among its most successful. They have gone on to sell more than 38 million albums worldwide, earning numerous accolades including a 2017 Grammy Award for “Best Metal Performance” for the title track “Dystopia,” 12 Grammy nominations, and scoring five consecutive platinum albums. With sheer determination and a relentless recording and touring schedule, Megadeth worked their way up from headlining clubs to headlining arenas, festival and stadiums, cementing a legacy that continues to grow and spread throughout the world. Megadeth are slated to release their 16th studio album later this year.

(Photo - Anthony Frisketti / Frisketti Photo)