Former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson has paid a meticulous homage to the late, great Cliff Burton with a new cover of Metallica‘s iconic bass solo, “(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth.” The tribute is especially poignant given Ellefson‘s own admission that, due to the unique timing of Megadeth‘s formation, his original Metallica influence was actually Burton‘s predecessor, Ron McGovney.
The powerful instrumental is the second single from the upcoming all-star tribute album, No Life ‘Til Leather – A Tribute To Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All, which is set for release on November 14 via Silver Lining Music.
In a statement accompanying the release, Ellefson detailed the immense care he took to honor Burton‘s sound and spirit, even going so far as to use his signature equipment for the recording.
“It was a total honor to be asked to participate in this album, especially to record the iconic bass composition ‘(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth‘ by the one and only Cliff Burton,” Ellefson said. “I was able to borrow one of Cliff‘s Aria Pro signature bass guitars and signature Morley fuzz/wah pedal for the session to replicate his sharp-yet-thunderous tone he created on the original recording. It is my hope that this homage will highlight Cliff‘s larger-than-life personality and that his music will always live on through this unique and iconic song he gave to the world.”
This tribute carries a fascinating historical weight. In a past interview, Ellefson explained that because he co-founded Megadeth with Dave Mustaine just weeks after Mustaine‘s dismissal from Metallica in 1983, the only recording he had heard was the No Life ‘Til Leather demo tape.
“Really, quite honestly, my Metallica bass player was Ron [McGovney], believe it or not, and I kind of modeled what we did off of that ‘No Life ‘Til Leather’ demo,” he previously revealed. He first heard Cliff Burton‘s revolutionary playing on “(Anesthesia)” only after Megadeth was already well on its way.
The No Life ‘Til Leather compilation is a colossal celebration of Metallica‘s groundbreaking debut album, featuring a who’s-who of heavy music. The lineup includes Metallica‘s own heroes like Saxon, Diamond Head, and Motörhead, alongside their thrash peers Testament.
No Life ‘Til Leather – A Tribute To Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All Tracklist:
- “Hit The Lights” – Tailgunner
- “The Four Horsemen” – The Almighty
- “Motorbreath” – Soen
- “Jump In The Fire” – Tygers Of Pan Tang
- “(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth” – David Ellefson
- “Whiplash” – Motörhead
- “Phantom Lord” – Saxon
- “No Remorse” – Diamond Head
- “Seek & Destroy” – Testament
- “Metal Militia” – Raven
