As one of the long-serving members of Megadeth, former bassist and vocalist David Ellefson has earned a rare vantage point when it comes to the band's recorded legacy and how things generally go in the studio.

On a recent episode of The David Ellefson Show, the longtime Megadeth alumnus shared his candid thoughts on the band's newly released self-titled final studio album — a record that has already made history by debuting at No.

1 on the Billboard 200.

But while the commercial achievement is undeniable, Ellefson's artistic reaction is far more complicated.

He didn't mince words about the album, stating it sounds like a Dave Mustaine solo record rather than Megadeth.

"I hear it and I go, 'Okay this is a Dave solo record,'" he said.

"This is Dave and his new band, Dave and his new guys.

It says Megadeth, so obviously it gets all the attention, but realistically I hear it, and to me it just doesn't sound like Megadeth." Ellefson continued by framing the album as a closing chapter for Mustaine rather than a continuation of the band's legacy.

The comments arrive against the backdrop of a long-simmering rift between Ellefson and Mustaine.

Ellefson's tenure with Megadeth ended abruptly in 2021 following a highly publicized sex scandal, after which his position was terminated and the once-close partnership with Mustaine devolved into a frosty public silence.

One of the album's most talked-about moments — a cover of Metallica's "Ride the Lightning" — also drew Ellefson's scrutiny.

Particularly given the irony surrounding Mustaine's history with the song, which he famously co-wrote before being ejected from Metallica in 1983.

"The funny thing is," Ellefson noted, "[Mustaine] was mad at Kirk Hammett for playing his solos and now here's Dave playing Kirk's solo — unless that's Teemu." Ellefson has previously spoken about Mustaine's long-running fixation on Metallica, a relationship Mustaine himself has confirmed remains fractured following a 2015–2016 royalty dispute with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.