One of the iconic thrash metal bassists, David Ellefson (ex Megadeth) and one of the best rock vocalists, Jeff Scott Soto, have got together to release their second album Unbreakable. If you’ve listened to their first joint release, Vacation In The Underworld (2022), you will know what to expect. If you haven’t, however, this may come to you as a bit of a surprise. It’s not quite the type of rock JSC is known for (classic, hard, AOR): it is fierce, fast and powerful… just what the doctor ordered from a former member of Megadeth, plus some fairly appropriate lyrics. All you need to get an idea about the vibe of this album is to cast an eye on the tracklist. This may be just the album to spin at the end of a long and hard day, to get negative energy out of your system and move forward. Someone’s retribution fantasy even!
From the very first song, it is clear that the duo have made just the right choice of guitar player, with some fierce riffs delivered by Andy Martongelli backed up by Paolo Caridi’s mighty drum section. This continues into the second track, starting fast and powerful. The strong guitar work underlines the entire project and makes it an unmissable project for metal guitar fans, and Jeff Scott Soto’s vocals are the perfect match to the energy of the tracks.
Stylistically, this is a fairly varied project. In ‘Shout’, you may get some Mötley Crüe vibes (think ‘Shout At The Devil’). ‘Poison Tears’ starts with a delicious solo, which goes on to form the main tune, and is the kind of stuff you’d hear in Magnus Karlsson’s works. With the added female vocals (Laura Guldemond of Burning Witches) and multiple vocal layers, this sounds even more like Karlsson’s best work. ‘Ghosts’ is a fantastic instrumental (think Metallica’s classics and even Dream Theater – great job).
And so we don’t forget who’s behind the project, it goes on to some solid, fierce thrash: getting the taste of what’s to come in ‘Hate You, Hate Me’, and going in all guns blazing mode in ‘Vengeance’ with some seriously fierce thrash. The next track follows on from that, just as strong, good old thrash, leading onto the final track, finishing off at the speed of the light and on a high energy note.
With the news about Megadeth about to release their last ever album, I can’t help but wonder what the future may hold for their members. Let’s hope it brings us more good music like the one landed by Ellefson and Soto!
- Reviewed by Angelina Pelova.
- Released through Rat Pak Records on 15 August 2025
- YouTube
Track List:
1. Unbreakable
2. SOAB
3. Shout
4. Hate You, Hate Me
5. Poison Tears (Featuring Laura Guldemond of Burning Witches)
6. Ghosts
7. Vengeance (Featuring Tim Ripper Owens of KK’s Priest)
8. Snakes and Bastards
9. It’s Over When I Say It’s Over
10. The Day We Built Rome
11. Death on Two Legs (bonus track) *CD & Vinyl*
