Great Falls Tribune (www.greatfallstribune.com) has issued the following report from Patrick Douglas:

There's a bright side to finding a new job after 20 years with the same employer. Just ask David Ellefson, former bassist for MEGADETH, who has reemerged with a new band three years after parting ways with his former band.

"I kind of liken it to Ford Motor," Ellefson said of his career in a recent phone interview from his home in Arizona. "They make an SUV, they make a luxury car and they also make a station wagon. But, it all falls into one company. It's kind of how I look at my life right now. Under David Ellefson, there can be a handful of different offerings because you can't be all things to all people with just one band."

During the past few years, Ellefson has lent his talents to bands like SOULFLY and TEMPLE OF BRUTALITY and now finds himself concentrating full time on his new band F5.

Geared toward a modern, mainstream fan base, F5 sounds more like Disturbed than Megadeth and has given Ellefson a chance to find his creative niche with a new group of musicians.

"I've done everything from thrash and speed metal to some melodic radio singles, but just within the hard metal to hard rock context, there's a lot of music in there," Ellefson explained. "It's an exciting time in my life because I enjoy working with other people. I'm not a lone wolf kind of guy."

In 2002, the future of Megadeth was in doubt after vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine suffered a nerve injury that threatened to end his days as a guitarist. After Mustaine healed and the band reformed, Mustaine decided to go with a whole new lineup of musicians.

"All I know is that in 2002 things had come to an end and (it was) at that point, I had to move forward and get on with my life," said Ellefson, having been a member of Megadeth since it's inception in 1983.

"So, I moved forward not knowing what I was going to do, where I was gonna go, how it was gonna work out. I figured my former situation would just go on and on and that would be that. That's not the way it went, so like anyone, you sort of pick up the pieces and you move on with your life."

Ellefson decided to play with other bands.

"The last thing I wanted to do was sit around with sour grapes and sit on a pity pot of 'poor me.' So, I just figured, let me strap on my bass and my guitar and let me roll up my sleeves and get to work."

Ellefson acknowledges that fans of his previous thrash efforts may not be into F5's mainstream sound, just as fans of F5 may not care to listen to some of his heavier offerings from the past. Having an additional avenue to create music keeps the bassist fresh.

"The fans get very protective of their culture and I understand that. That's why I wouldn't expect a really hard metal fan necessarily to totally embrace F5," Ellefson said. "At the same time, what I do with Temple of Brutality is real heavy and hard and it's very much a part of who I am too. (Thrash metal fans), they don't really wanna know about melody. That's why I think it's kind of the kiss of death when you try to cover all of the bases with just one band."

The difference in musical style is what initially pulled Ellefson into the mix with F5.

"I think it was refreshing on one hand, to just play with a new set of faces," Ellefson said of his new bandmates.

Perhaps the strangest offering on the new F5 album is the cover of alternative-hippie crooner Edie Brickell and her tune "What I Am." Initially played by F5 as a joke, the song turned into a viable tune for the album once the band made it their own.

"We all just looked at each other and said 'I can't believe we're going to be playing an Edie Brickell song.' " Ellefson explained. "Every one of us cringed a little bit. That's a bit of a stretch for us. But, at the same time, the quality of the song was undeniable. It's a feel good song."

F5's debut album, "Drug For All Seasons," was released in September, and the band is working on finalizing a tour schedule, something Ellefson is excited about.

"I'm a guy who likes to move forward. To me, we're put on this earth to grow, mature, develop and explore and maximize our potential on all levels, no matter what we do in life," Ellefson said.