The Kings of Thrash don't seem worried all too much about what Megadeth's Dave Mustaine thinks of the group playing his material out on tour, especially since the group was started by former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, right after he was booted from the group, along with guitarist Jeff Young, who played on Megadeth's So Far, So Good, So What! LP in 1988, but was shown the door shortly after that tour was completed.
In a recent interview with Ultimate Guitar, Young was asked if Mustaine had any contact with the group, Young said, "Nah, we couldn't care less… and it's a win-win for him. Because all the publishing, for example, on [the Kings of Thrash live LP] 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."
Kings of Thrash will hit the road next month where they'll play Megadeth's Killing Is My Business…and Business Is Good and So Far, So Good…So What albums in their entirety. In an interview with Ghost Cult Magazine, Ellefson and Young revealed they're also working on original Kings Of Thrash material.
"We're doing it to two-inch tape analog-style, live in a room like real men, they used to do… They're just demos right now with my guitar and bass and a click track," said Young. "Soon they'll have drums and it'll be a real version of the first song. But people we've let hear it are really digging it.
"It's got the vibe of Megadeth — it's on that playing field, but it's got all of its own stuff and all of our influences and some Soundgarden [or] Tool vibes in maybe the music and melodies."
2/16 — Joliet, IL — The Forge
2/17 — Minneapolis, MN — Varsity Theater
2/19 — Madison, WI — Majestic Theatre
2/20 — Indianapolis, IN — The Vogue
2/21 — Columbia, MO — Blue Note
2/22 — Columbus, OH — King Of Clubs
2/24 — Flint, MI — The Machine Shop
2/25 — Cincinnati, OH — Legends Bar And Venue
2/27 — Cleveland, OH — Beachland Ballroom And Tavern
2/28 — Warrendale, PA — Jergels
3/1 — Buffalo, NY — Town Ballroom
3/3 — Poughkeepsie, NY — The Chance
3/4 — Sayreville, NJ — Starland Ballroom
3/5 — Harrisburg, PA — Midtown Arts Center
3/7 — Ardmore, PA — Ardmore Music Hall
3/8 — New York, NY — Gramercy Theatre
3/10 — Charlottesville, VA — Jefferson Theatre
3/11 — Greensboro, NC — Hangar 1819
3/12 — Asheville, NC — The Orange Peel
3/14 — Charleston, SC — Music Farm
3/15 — Atlanta, GA — The Masquerade (Hell)
Meanwhile, you can catch this cool fan-shot video of Kings of Thrash performing the Megadeth classic "Peace Sells" at the Whiskey A-Go-Go in October 2022. The live album, Best Of The West — Live at the Whiskey A-Go-Go, is available on all DSPs everywhere.
