Former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has shed new light on the long-running tensions between Dave Mustaine and Metallica, revealing in a recent episode of The David Ellefson Show that Mustaine had plans to re-record Metallica's iconic 1982 demo, No Life 'Til Leather – a move that Ellefson claims was a breaking point in their relationship.
The revelation comes as new details continue to emerge surrounding the aborted deluxe reissue of No Life 'Til Leather, which Metallica had planned to release between 2015 and 2017. That reissue was ultimately shelved due to a royalty and songwriting credit dispute, primarily involving Mustaine. The Megadeth frontman, who was ousted from Metallica in 1983, publicly objected to what he claimed were newly revised songwriting credits that would have given drummer Lars Ulrich a share of royalties at Mustaine's expense.
The tracks in question included "Mechanix," "Jump In The Fire," "Phantom Lord," and "Metal Militia." Mustaine's resistance to altering those credits reportedly caused Metallica to abandon the deluxe 27-song reissue altogether. The dispute resurfaced in 2024 when Mustaine filed legal claims against his former managers at 5B Artist Management, alleging that they failed to pursue his royalty interests related to his contributions to early Metallica material.
'In 2017, Mustaine informed [5B] that he intended to pursue his interest in songwriting credit and royalties for songs that he wrote or co-wrote as a member of Metallica, and for which he was owed royalties. [5B] participated in discussions with Mustaine regarding these credits and royalties and were aware that they were responsible for pursuing this matter to ensure that Mustaine was appropriately credited and compensated for his work, they failed to do so.'
Ellefson now adds a new chapter to that saga. Speaking candidly, he revealed that Mustaine came to him in 2018, just as Megadeth was gearing up for a tour in Oslo, and proposed re-recording No Life 'Til Leather.
"…There was clashes all the way down, and for me, it started in 2018 when Dave came in to – we started a tour in Oslo – and he came in and he said he wanted to re-record No Life 'Til Leather demo. I'm, like, 'Are you kidding me? This is where we're at? After all this time? We're supposed to be writing a new album and new songs. And I was just, like, 'I am not down with that.'"
Ellefson continued, "As fun as it would be to play those songs, 'cause that's one of my favorite Metallica recordings, I was just, like, 'Yeah, I'm fucking… I ain't down with that.' I'm sorry. I couldn't kiss the ring for that one. I was, like, 'I'm out.' And so I think our problem started then. So as we went into the record, he knew I wasn't willing to just fucking say, 'Yes, Dave,' and go along with shit. So eventually I'm out of the band. You know what I mean? So it goes. Bands are what bands are, and it is what it is."
Ellefson was later dismissed from Megadeth in 2021 amid controversy, and his bass parts for the band's most recent album, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!, were re-recorded by Steve Di Giorgio of Testament – who coincidentally appeared as a guest on the very episode of Ellefson's podcast where the remarks were made.
While Metallica and Mustaine's fraught history has long been the stuff of metal folklore, these new comments from Ellefson offer a rare behind-the-scenes look at how that tension continues to ripple outward – impacting not just reissues and lawsuits, but the inner workings of Megadeth itself. As the royalty dispute remains unresolved, fans can only speculate whether No Life 'Til Leather will ever receive an official release – and what lasting impact this decades-old feud will have on the legacy of two of metal's most influential bands.
