Ex-Megadeth’s David Ellefson Shares Opinion on New Metallica Songs: ‘A New Metallica Album Is Like a New iPhone Launch’

“They’re like Apple, you know?”

There’s no doubt that Metallica’s upcoming eleventh studio album is one of – if not *the* – most eagerly awaited album of 2023, especially since it’s almost been seven years since Lars Ulrich & Co. dropped “Hardwired… to Self-Destruct”.

The two singles released so far, “Lux Æterna” and “Screaming Suicide” appealed to fans by giving nods to the band’s ’80s thrash roots, while the lead single even managed to climb up to #2 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay Chart (but failed to overtake Godsmack’s “Surrender” at #1).

Although agreeing that the new songs are great, Godsmack’s Shannon Larkin argued that, at this point, any new Metallica material is bound to dominate the charts no matter how good it is, while the YouTuber Ola Englund admitted that the Godsmack drummer raised an interesting point.

David Ellefson compared the combination of inherent hype and genuine quality to the launch of a new iPhone in a new interview with WRIF’s Meltdown. Asked whether he heard the new Metallica stuff, Ellefson said (transcribed by Ultimate Guitar):

“I think it’s very cool, just as much as everything with those guys. They’re like Apple, you know? When they do a product launch it usually comes off pretty freakin’ cool. A new Metallica album is like a new iPhone launch. It’s pretty much awesome [laughs].

“And out of nowhere, I was in Poland – I’ve got this group, Dieth. We’re getting ready to drop a record this summer on Napalm Records. And I was over there, shooting the videos, and out of nowhere comes [‘Lux Æterna’], new album announced, new single new tour announced with Panthera and Five Finger Death Punch, and all that stuff, you’re like, ‘Geez!’

“I don’t think any of us saw it coming, which I thought was so cool. The first single [‘Lux Æterna’] especially I thought was very cool… Look, at this point, there’s only 12 notes in the chromatic scale, we’ve played them all, in almost every possible combination.

“So, it’s like, how do you… even with Megadeth, it was like, ‘Geez, we’re on how many albums now? And how do we not repeat ourselves, yet still keep the street cred and play to those fans that want to hear us do that?’

“You’re not really the same guy you were when you recorded ‘One’, right? I think as we age… you’re always looking for how [to] scratch the itch and satisfy all parts of your creative thing there?”