Heavy Metal Reunion: Megadeth, Slayer, Anthrax

By Mike Doyle Correspondent

In the summer of 1990, the Clash of the Titans tour roared across America featuring three masters of thrash metal: Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax.

Twenty years later, the bands remain at the top of their genre, and they have joined forces again for the Jagermeister Music Tour. It makes a stop at Hampton Coliseum on Tuesday.

Bassist Dave Ellefson, who co-founded Megadeth with guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine in 1983, recently returned to the band after spending eight years at odds with Mustaine. “You know, we have the same first name, but we have two very different lives, but that’s what’s cool,” Ellefson said. “That’s what the dynamic is in Megadeth. We all come together from different worlds, but when we all play the same song, it’s magic.”

Megadeth’s brand of metal resonates with fans both young and old. “Video games like 'Guitar Hero’ and 'Rock Band’ have made wanting to be a rock star, or a guitar player, cool again,” said Ellefson. “As a result, a lot of our music has been included in those games, and a lot of kids are now hearing some ferocious guitar playing and going, 'Wow! I wanna do that!’”

For longtime fans of thrash metal, the lineup of Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax is something of a Holy Grail. “The fans love that it’s popular again, and they love that these bands are out touring together, because it makes for a fun night out,” said Ellefson. “We learned 20 years ago that when we collectively pull together, it’s the coolest show in town that night.”

Fans of the old Megadeth will find some changes. The current band features a new drummer, Shawn Drover, and new guitarist Chris Broderick. Ellefson has changed in ways fans won’t be able to see. After becoming sober in 1990, Ellefson experienced a renewed interest in exploring his Christian roots.

“I’ve found that my faith walk to Christianity was about being honest and being true, and not being diverted with the distractions,” he said. “Being a Christian and a rocker aren’t two totally separate things. Some people have to quit one to be true to the other, but for me, the two work very well together. When you’re really being honest and true to yourself, you go and pursue the passions that the good Lord put in you anyway.” Ellefson said his purpose on earth has always been to play “butt-kicking, slammin’ music.”

These pioneering bands of thrash metal have influenced a new generation of bands to continue the genre’s legacy. “Lamb of God, to a certain degree, picked up the Pantera torch,” Ellefson said. “And I’d say that Bullet for My Valentine and Trivium are kinda the Metallica and Megadeth of today. It’s funny how things go around in cycles. But they’re doing it in their own way.”

This year marks the 20th anniversary of Megadeth’s smash album “Rust in Peace.” Look for the band to perform the album in its entirety during its set. New York-based Anthrax celebrates the return of vocalist Joey Belladonna, and California-based Slayer will perform its 1990 release, “Seasons in the Abyss.”

“We’ve had a pretty good hand laid upon us from the very beginning,” Ellefson said, “and now, so many years later, we’re still able to go out and do it with the same passion and excitement. The music is alive, and when music is alive, it moves people, and that’s what music should be.”