With Kings Of Thrash, bassist David Ellefson and guitarist Jeff Young reunited in 2022 to perform the early thrash classics upon which the genre was built and defined in the 1980s. Showcasing the songs from the Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good and So Far, So Good…So What albums in their entirety, Ellefson & Young stayed true to material not performed live in several decades, along with the spirit of the era which launched one of the greatest genres of heavy metal music.
Jeff Young, who played on Megadeth's 1988 album So Far, So Good... So What!, recently sat down with Ultimate Guitar's Justin Beckner to discuss Kings Of Thrash. Following is an excerpt from the interview.
UG:So this is something that is going to move forward, hopefully, beyond Megadeth.
Young: "Oh, yeah. Like I said, the originals are the whole reason we were doing this, this is all just fun and games. This is fun for us. It's a way for us to give fans what they want. Because in the age of social media, you can imagine, we get emails with people asking us, 'would Megadeth ever do a reunion?' or, 'God, I'd love to hear those songs from So Far, So Good So What played live,' and Ellefson was getting that about Killing [is My Business], because any of the songs off that album are very difficult to perform. So, again, it wasn't rocket science, it was a no brainer to do what we're doing, because it's what the fans have been asking for, and this is the only way they'll ever get it because you've got to have a singer that can sing the songs and pull it off. You know what I'm saying?"
UG: Have you guys received any feedback from Dave Mustaine about the tour, or about any of the original stuff, or about you guys getting back together?
Young: "Nah, we couldn't care less… and it's a win-win for him. Because all the publishing, for example, on the 'Best Of The West', he's getting all that money. We're making him money and he doesn't have to do anything. So, we're performing the songs because they're part of our history and the fans want to hear them and we will benefit from that, and so will he, so it's a win-win. How much cooler can anything be than that? So, if he has something to say about it… I wouldn't imagine it would be very objective… not that anything he's ever said has been objective."
Read the complete in-depth interview here.
Following their four warm-up dates in October 2022, Kings Of Thrash, featuring David Ellefson and Jeff Young, recently announced the first leg of a planned 2023 world tour commencing February 16 in Joliet, Illinois. The Thrashin' USA tour will cross the Midwest, East Coast, and southeastern part of the USA through March 15. As with the band's 2022 warm-up shows, the group will be performing the Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good and So Far, So Good… So What albums in their entirety.
Kings Of Thrash also feature Chaz Leon on vocals and guitar and Fred Aching on drums. Support on all shows will be provided by Hatriot. VIP packages will be available for all shows, here.
The band has also signed a worldwide deal with Cleopatra Records and will be releasing a live CD/DVD package called Best Of The West… Live at the Whisky A Go Go on March 24. The 17-song set was recorded and filmed live at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, CA on October 15, 2022 and also features performances with Chris Poland. The DVD was directed by Michael Sarna for Inmotion Entertainment. Pre-order here.
Tour dates:
February
16 - Joliet, IL - The Forge
17 - Minneapolis, MN - Varsity Theater
19 - Madison, WI - Majestic Theatre
20 - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
21 - Columbia, MO - Blue Note
22 - Columbus, OH - King Of Clubs
24 - Flint, MI - The Machine Shop
25 - Cincinnati, OH - Legends Bar And Venue
27 - Cleveland, OH - Beachland Ballroom And Tavern
28 - Warrendale, PA - Jergels
March
1 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
3 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
4 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
5 - Harrisburg, PA - Midtown Arts Center
7 - Ardmore, PA - Ardmore Music Hall
8 - New York, NY - Gramercy Theatre
10 - Charlottesville, VA - Jefferson Theatre
11 - Greensboro, NC - Hangar 1819
12 - Asheville, NC - The Orange Peel
14 - Charleston, SC - Music Farm
15 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade (Hell)
