ELLEFSON, the solo band of Grammy-winning MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson, has just released its cover of the Post Malone track "Over Now". The track will appear on ELLEFSON's as-yet-untitled debut album, tentatively due in October.
ELLEFSON's version of "Over Now" was produced by Ellefson, vocalist Thom Hazaert and guitarist Andy Martongelli, engineered and mixed by Allessio Garavello, with vocals engineered by Richard Easterling and Matt LaPlant (NONPOINT, SKINDRED), and featuring cover art by Melody Myers (ALTITUDES AND ATTITUDES, ESCAPE THE FATE). The track is described in a press release as "a heavy reimagining of the R&B-flavored Posty favorite" (co-written with Tommy Lee), also featuring drummer Paolo Caridi, and guest background vocals by former GUNS N' ROSES guitarist and frequent Ellefson/Hazaert collaborator Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal.
ELLEFSON (the band) debuted on David Ellefson's 2019 compilation release "Sleeping Giants", a 2 LP/CD collection of B-sides and rarities, which first showcased the collaboration of Ellefson and Hazaert (with contributions by Thal) on the tracks "Vultures", "Hammer (Comes Down)" and the title track, "Sleeping Giants", which featured guest vocals by legendary hip-hop MC Darryl "DMC" McDaniels.
ELLEFSON recently released a new single, "Simple Truth", with proceeds donated to the Italian Red Cross. "Simple Truth" was also made available as part of a Bandcamp-exclusive EP featuring a Max Norman (MEGADETH, OZZY OSBOURNE) remix of "Vultures", and live versions of "Vultures" and "If You Were God", recorded in Milan, Italy during David's 2019 "More Live With Deth" tour.
Says Hazaert: "Posty has become a good friend to our camp. David and I have both gone to shows, and hung out and spent some time with him, and we have definitely spent some nights texting and nerding out over classic metal and our fanboy devotion to METALLICA, MEGADETH, etc. Meanwhile, I am honestly a huge fan of his stuff, his lyrics. I can honestly say, and I talk about it all the time, there is not an artist who has come out in a long time that has impressed or influenced what I do more than Post Malone."
He continues: "As I actually told him, some of my stuff on 'Sleeping Giants' was heavily influenced by [Post Malone's second album] 'Beerbongs & Bentleys', which I spent two months on tour last year driving around the country listening to on repeat, which was really where the impetus for the cover came from. So, it was a huge honor to put our stamp on this song, and pay my respects to what he does, and how much I appreciate it. And I think the emotions and dynamic of the song really lend themselves to the heavier arrangement. Posty is a rock and metal guy at heart, and I think 'Over Now' is definitely a metal song at heart."
Says Ellefson: "We're all fans of Posty, and he's also been a huge fan of MEGADETH and all things metal. Aside from being a great song for any genre, our cover of 'Over Now' is our way of showing our mutual admiration and paying homage to our friend.
He continues: "The old adage used to be that if you could strip a song down to just an acoustic guitar and a vocal, you probably had a great song. But times have changed now, that if you can take a song from another genre, and seamlessly transform it to a completely different genre, it just proves what a great song it really is. And it's a cool dynamic, as he's a pop, R&B and hip-hop guy who dips into rock and metal, and we're rock and metal guys who have dipped into pop, R&B and hip-hop, collaborating with DMC on 'Sleeping Giants', etc. So, I think this really just pushes that whole idea of exploration forward."
He adds: "With everything we've been doing with our David Ellefson Youth Music Foundation and the Grammy Music Education Coalition, we've been fortunate to stay productive, and continue to inspire people to grow and create in the face of an unprecedented situation. Just because we're locked down, doesn't mean we're locked in."
