Dave Ellefson Says Coke Shaped Megadeth’s Debut: “I Can Hear What Color the Powder Was at Various Tempo Shifts”
We like to think of thrash metal as the hollistic response to glam metal, with a laid-back love of beer and weed that was at odds with the Sunset Strip bands’ use of cocaine and heroin. But this was the ’80s, man — from what we can tell, they handed at out baggies of coke at the door of most venues in the ’80s. Case in point, former Megadeth bassist Dave Ellefson recently did an interview in which he describes the creation of the band’s debut, and it sounds like the booger sugar was an important part of the process.
Speaking to webseries The SDR Show, Ellefson was talking about memories of former Megadeth drummer Gar Samuellson and what it was like working on the band’s debut, 1985’s Killing Is My Business…and Business Is Good! It was then that he referenced sweet Mother Snowflame’s influence on the album:
“It was so fun in the studio playing with him, because I tell you, every time I hear, like, ‘Killing Is My Business,’ I can just hear, like, ‘Okay, snort a big rail–‘ *SNIFF* ‘Okay, Rattlehead, GO!’
“And then by the time it gets to the break, I remember NEEDING a break — we’re just looking at each other, me, Dave, and Gar in the room, like — ‘ *pant pant pant* ‘Holy SHIT! That tempo was way faster than we wanted it to be!’
“I can hear what color the powder was that we snorted at various tempo shifts!”
You can check out the full interview below, with the coke party at around the 12-minute mark. Meanwhile, fans can do a bump off their thumb and rage at one of Megadeth’s upcoming tour dates with Lamb of God, Trivium, and In Flames:
Sat Apr 09 – Las Vegas, NV | Michelob Ultra Arena
Sun Apr 10 – Tucson, AZ | Tucson Arena
Tue Apr 12 – Colorado Springs, CO | Broadmoor World Arena
Thu Apr 14 – Corpus Christi, TX | American Bank Center Arena
Fri Apr 15 – Lafayette, LA | Lafayette Cajundome
Sat Apr 16 – Brandon, MS | Brandon Amphitheater
Tue Apr 19 – Grand Rapids, MI | Van Andel Arena
Thu Apr 21 – Fort Wayne, IN | Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
Fri Apr 22 – Green Bay, WI | Resch Center
Sun Apr 24 – Sioux Falls, SD | Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
Tue Apr 26 – Omaha, NE | Baxter Arena
Wed Apr 27 – Cedar Rapids, IA | Alliant Energy PowerHouse
Fri Apr 29 – Kansas City, MO | T-Mobile Center
Sat Apr 30 – Tulsa, OK | BOK Center * No Trivium
Tue May 03 – North Charleston, SC | North Charleston Coliseum
Wed May 04 – Greenville, SC | Bon Secours Wellness Arena
Fri May 06 – Nashville, TN | Bridgestone Arena
Sat May 07 – Peoria, IL | Peoria Civic Center
Mon May 09 – Pittsburgh, PA | Petersen Events Center
Tue May 10 – Rochester, NY | Blue Cross Arena
Thu May 12 – Portland, ME | Cross Insurance Arena
Fri May 13 – Uncasville, CT | Mohegan Sun Arena
Sun May 15 – Allentown, PA | PPL Center
