A new drummer, a couple of new musical approaches and a new album -- boy, Megadeth went through some changes this past couple of years.
"Change is a constant factor with Megadeth," David Ellefson said during a telephone interview from Houston. "And change is necessary if you want to continue to grow, personally and musically."Megadeth -- Ellefson, guitarists Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman and new guitarist Jimmy DeGrasso -- will play Saltair on Tuesday, Dec. 28. Showtime is 7 p.m. Billionaire will open the concert.
First on the changes, said Ellefson, was the addition of DeGrasso, formerly of Suicidal Tendencies, early Alice Cooper and Mustaine's side project, MD45.
"We had known Jimmy for a while," Ellefson said. "We toured with Suicidal Tendencies for the 'Countdown to Extinction' tour. And when the split with Nick (Menza) became inevitable, we didn't have to look far."
The next change for Megadeth was to record a new album, which was something of a challenge. And the fact that the band used loops and samples for the first time was another concern.
"Every time we record a new album, we try not to do something we've already done," Ellefson explained. "We feel it would be a rip-off to the fans if we recorded a 'Rust In Peace' part two.
"And we don't want to become old and stale. At the same time, we don't want to alienate a majority of our following. But we're also thinking of the future."
That philosophy is what drives Megadeth, the bassist said. "We are a band that is willing to take risks."
Ellefson and Mustaine are the only original members of Megadeth. For the past 16 years, the two have been inseparable.
"I was 18 and Dave was 21 when we started Megadeth," Ellefson said. "Up until then, we had been in so many other projects that we knew Megadeth would be the be-all, end-all for us."
The band cut its teeth in the thrash-metal style with its first four releases -- "Killing Is My Business," "Peace Sells But Who's Buyin'," "So far So Good . . . So What" and "Rust In Peace," arguably the band's best release, according to the fans.
Line-up changes occurred during those formative years, but it was the next release, "Countdown to Extinction," that opened new stylistic ideas for Ellefson and the boys. "That album was the end of our focus on 'speed-metal.' We started heading off into a more melodic vein and hit our crossover point."
Still, Ellefson said, no matter what other people think, Megadeth isn't a band to follow trends. "We just do what we do. Music changes so fast these days. And by the time we conceive, write, record and release an album, one to two years have passed. So, we don't second-guess the trend, nor do we second-guess our fans."
The band's most recent album, "Cryptic Writings," was very friendly to FM rock radio, said Ellefson. "That was a change. And the fact that we toured on the Ozzfest tour was something else that was good for us."
The Ozzfest had Megadeth playing alongside new bands such as Limp Bizkit and Korn.
"That tour really exposed us to a younger audience," Ellefson said. "I mean, we're not your cutting-edge music anymore. We're not elder statesmen, but we're established. And for us to be touring on Ozzfest was exciting."
Another exciting outlet for Ellefson is producing. Back in 1996, the bassist produced Helstar's reunion album, "Multiple of Black." "That was something the just fell into my lap. We were just coming off the 'Countdown' tour, and I was asked to do it."
The experience was stimulating and fun, Ellefson said. But there's just not enough time to do that and Megadeth. "Megadeth's plate is pretty full. So I don't go out looking for production jobs. However, if one falls into my lap again, I'll keep my mind open."
As for Megadeth's future, Ellefson said the band already has a schedule that will take it well into 2000. "We'll take a couple of weeks off for the holidays and then go overseas to Asia. We've been working on new material throughout this tour and we'll probably start a new album in August."