David Ellefson: Lamb of God ‘Took the Throne’ After Pantera
Every so often there comes a band that takes up the mantle of the acts that came before it. In the early 2000s, metal was in need of a new standard-bearer following the end of Pantera’s dominant run at the top. While there were a ton of killer bands capable of filling that void, Kings of Thrash/Dieth/ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson suggests only one act really stepped up to keep thrash metal alive — Lamb of God.
While speaking with Metal Command, Ellefson said he believes that even though the mainstays of thrash from the 80s were still around and putting out music, Lamb of God continued the groove-side of things that Pantera had become known for.
“Lamb of God, for sure, was one of the big leaders. And look, part of it was because we no more had a Pantera, and Lamb of God kind of came in and took the throne.
“They helped sort of revive… I mean, again, the ’90s were not easy on thrash metal. Testament and other bands… they didn’t fall off the grid, but they went very underground as a way to survive. Megadeth and Metallica, because of our size, we were able to maintain a little bit better. But by the 2000s, man, it was the younger bands, like Lamb of God in particular, those guys really helped reset thrash metal.”
Later in the interview, Ellefson said bands like Lamb of God and other acts from the early 2000s helped keep what the Big Four and other bands had done alive. that fact alone helped ensure the genre as a whole survived. The need for new blood in metal in general is something Ellefson said is incredibly important for the music we love to continue on.
“Otherwise, we’re not gonna go forever. The train runs out of track and then it’s over, so I personally love when new people are coming up the ranks.”
You can check out the entire interview below. Ellefson’s band Kings of Thrash is currently out on tour. You can check out the list of dates below the interview.
KINGS OF THRASH ON TOUR:
2/21 — Columbia, MO — Blue Note
2/22 — Columbus, OH — King Of Clubs
2/24 — Flint, MI — The Machine Shop
2/25 — Cincinnati, OH — Legends Bar And Venue
2/27 — Cleveland, OH — Beachland Ballroom And Tavern
2/28 — Warrendale, PA — Jergels
3/1 — Buffalo, NY — Town Ballroom
3/3 — Poughkeepsie, NY — The Chance
3/4 — Sayreville, NJ — Starland Ballroom
3/5 — Harrisburg, PA — Midtown Arts Center
3/7 — Ardmore, PA — Ardmore Music Hall
3/8 — New York, NY — Gramercy Theatre
3/10 — Charlottesville, VA — Jefferson Theatre
3/11 — Greensboro, NC — Hangar 1819
3/12 — Asheville, NC — The Orange Peel
3/14 — Charleston, SC — Music Farm
3/15 — Atlanta, GA — The Masquerade (Hell)
