Megadeth's Dave Ellefson Writing New Mega Bass Column for Guitar World

The July 2011 issue of Guitar World, which will hit newsstands on May 31, will feature the debut installment of Mega Bass, a new column by Dave Ellefson. According to an excerpt posted on Megadeth's official website, the first installment (titled "Broadening Horizon") will be about "how playing diverse styles of music can help you improve your musical abilities." Despite Ellefson's status as a thrash pioneer and founding member of Megadeth, he has experience performing Christian rock and hip hop as well. In a 2008 interview with Alternative-Zine.com, he emphasized the importance of branching out from a familiar style: "As a metal head we play the music that we are passionate about, which is great. However, do yourself a favor and spend some time learning other music styles and really study your instrument and music in general."

In the meantime, he and Megadeth continue to work in the studio on their upcoming album. The album is scheduled for an autumn release and, according to Dave Ellefson in a recent interview with Guitar World, will be "heavy, hooky, and have the trademarks you'd expect from us." While the band has updated fans consistently on their progress in the studio, very few specifics have been mentioned. They only hope to wrap up recording by the start of the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, a tour that will take them across the United States and Canada. They will also headline an exclusive Big Four (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax) show at Yankee Stadium in September. Megadeth will continue posting updates to their official website regarding tour dates, their album's progress, and more.