Fan-filmed footage has surfaced showing Kings of Thrash, the heavy metal outfit featuring former Megadeth members David Ellefson on bass and Jeff Young on guitar, performing live in Toronto, Ontario. The May 1 concert took place at Rockpile West as part of the group’s spring 2026 North American “Thrashin’ The Northeast” tour. The performance video, available via the “JIMM SYMINGTON” YouTube channel, captures the musicians delivering classic thrash metal tracks to a packed Canadian crowd.
The live appearance coincided with the release of the band’s newest single, “Bullets Ready“, which dropped on Friday, May 1, through Cleopatra Records.
“Bullets Ready” showcases a powerful vocal duet between Kings of Thrash frontman Chaz Leon and Gabriel Connor, lead singer of the theatrical Los Angeles rock group Red Devil Vortex. The high-energy track is further elevated by a special guest appearance from former Exodus vocalist Steve “Zetro” Souza. Behind the scenes, the song was mixed by Grammy-winning producer Cameron Webb, widely recognized for his extensive work with bands like Motörhead, Danzig, and Godsmack.
Kings of Thrash originally formed in April 2022 following a special stage collaboration between David Ellefson and Jeff Young at the “Ultimate Jam Night” at the Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, California. The event was dedicated to honoring thrash metal’s legendary “Big Four”, Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax. During the show, the two guitarists performed three classic Megadeth tracks with Chaz Leon on vocals. The undeniable onstage chemistry led directly to the permanent formation of the band.
The group was initially built around a concept envisioned by David Ellefson to create a live experience that celebrated early Megadeth records and deep cuts from his decades-long tenure with the band, a vision dubbed “The MEGA Years“.
In November 2022, Kings of Thrash played four initial proof-of-concept concerts across San Diego, Phoenix, Las Vegas, and Hollywood. Their performance on the Sunset Strip was recorded and released as the double live album and DVD The Best Of The West – Live At The Whisky A Go Go in the spring of 2023 via Cleopatra Records.
Proving they were more than just a nostalgic tribute project, the band released their first original punk and thrash-inspired song, “Lockdown“, in 2025. The track featured a music video directed by the band’s own drummer, Fred Aching.
David Ellefson was officially dismissed from Megadeth five years ago after explicit videos and sexually tinged messages involving the bassist surfaced on Twitter. He served as the band’s bassist from its inception in 1983 until 2002, and again from 2010 until his 2021 exit. During his time away from the group in 2004, he filed an $18.5 million lawsuit against frontman Dave Mustaine, alleging financial misconduct and a broken agreement regarding the corporate entity Megadeth Inc. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed.
Jeff Young‘s history with Megadeth spans the late 1980s, during which he recorded and toured in support of the band’s 1988 platinum-selling album, So Far, So Good… So What!.
