Album Review — Ellefson

Ellefson — Sleeping Giants

Long time Megadeth bassist David Ellefson will be releasing a new album, “Sleeping Giants”, on July 19 and I got an early listen to the record. The album is a companion to Ellefson’s upcoming second memoir “More Life With Deth”.

The first thing I noticed about this record is it feels like three very different records in one. There’s the new songs which have a very Megadeth feel to them.

The next eight songs are demos from Ellefson’s band F5 which had released two bands before Ellefson returned to Megadeth.

The final two songs (or five if you have the version I have) feature David Glenn Eisley of Giuffria and various other projects. And there’s a track featuring John Bush of Armored Saint in there as well.

I’m not a huge Megadeth fan so the first four songs are really not my thing. The first three songs are very heavy/thrash and would fit in with most of the Megadeth catalogue. The fourth song is a remix and sounds more techno than anything else.

I really like the John Bush song. Bush is one of my favorite metal vocalists and he’s in great form here. The song has a Megadeth type riff but Bush brings that Armored Saint feel to it. Cool song.

The F5 material is slightly more melodic but still pretty heavy. I really like a couple of the songs. “I Fall” is very melodic and Ellefson shows he can really sing. “Faded” is another cool song that has a bit of a Stone Temple Pilots feel to it. “Feel Your Pain” is another strong track with a big chorus.

The third section is the stuff with Eisley. These songs have more of an 80s hard rock feel to them. “Out In The Rain” is a moody acoustic ballad which is a big change in the feel of the record. “Voices” closes out the regular version of the record which sounds like something you’d hear on a late 80s hard rock record. Again, a big departure from the rest of the album but if you like that arena rock feel you’ll dig this one.

The version I have has three more Eisley songs on it. “Like Father Like Son” is an interesting upbeat track. “Home” is another slower song that sounds late 80s/early 90s power ballad. “After All” is mid-tempo and might be my favorite of the five Eisley songs.

This is an interesting release. Ellefson shows off his versatility both musically and vocally. We get a little thrash, a little metal and a little hard rock. I’m partial to the Eisley and Bush stuff, but I feel confident in saying that Megadeth fans will appreciate the first three tracks.

80 out of 100.

Track Listing (Regular Version)

Ellefson/Hazaert 2019

01. Vultures
02. Sleeping Giants (ft. DMC)
03. Hammer (Comes Down) (ft. Mark Tremonti, Chris Poland, and Eric AK)
04. Vultures (Kristian Nairn Remix)

05. If You Were God (ft. John Bush) *

F5 Demos

06. Deadman Rise
07. I Fall *
08. Bleeding
09. Why Can’t We Die
10. Dying On The Vine
11. Faded *
12. Undeniable
13. Feel Your Pain *

14. Out In The Rain (ft. David Glen Eisley)
15. Voices (ft. David Glen Eisley)

*Best Songs