Ellefson-Soto: Because MegaTalisman just doesn’t have the same ring! As you’ve likely figured out by now, Ellefson-Soto is a collaboration between former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson and classic Yngwie Malmsteen/Talisman/every other AOR project under the sun singer Jeff Scott Soto, spearheaded by Rat Pak Records. I’m sure somebody at the Frontiers HQ is currently under suicide watch as we speak for not dreaming up this one, but I digress. This dynamic duo came to fruition in 2021, debuting with a cover of the Riot classic, “Swords and Tequila”. Their debut full length, Vacation in the Underworld, followed in 2022, and apparently that release pushed enough units, because here we are in 2025 with album #2, Unbreakable.
Upon first listen of Unbreakable, what stands out the most is how little this release resembles the past acts of both of these veterans. Yes, there are some high speed thrashing moments, but nothing that would sound at home on the likes of Killing is My Business or Peace Sells. Yes, there are some melodic flirtations, but nothing like the slick euro AOR sounds of prime Talisman. No, Unbreakable lies largely in the modern metal/hard rock camp, not far removed from the likes of Alter Bridge, Shinedown, or the more accessible output of Avenged Sevenfold. Using this as a reference point, to this self admitted old schooler’s ears, Unbreakable is extremely hit or miss at best.
The front half of the album doubles down on this aforementioned modern metal/rock ethos. At its best, it comes of as the musical equivalent of a weekday afternoon round of WWE SmackDown vs. Raw 2008 on PS2 and a bag of Doritos Cool Ranch chips (i.e. “Unbreakable”). If you’re an elder gen Z or millennial, you know EXACTLY the musical fare I’m describing. If you’re gen X or older, ask your kids for context. At its worst, however, it comes off like a half-hearted collection of radio rock throwaways, which would probably top the active rock charts if it boasted the moniker “Shinedown” as opposed to “Ellefson-Soto” (i.e. “Shout”, “Hate You (Hate Me)”).
Things pick up slightly towards the halfway mark with “Poison Tears”, which is the closest we get to Soto revisiting his melodic metal roots. Admittedly, the song itself is still VERY modern, but this duet with Laura Guldemond of Burning Witches boasts enough euro pomp to crack a smile on my face. Equally as entertaining is the pummeling groove-thrash of “Vengeance” (Soto does a solid Randy Blythe impersonation!) and motörcharged metalpunk of “Snakes and Bastards”: A pissed off ode that makes one wonder if it’s directed towards a certain redheaded former member of Metallica *ahem*. Unfortunately, “It’s Over When I Say It’s Over” and “The Day We Built Rome” sees the duo retreat back to Alter Bridge mode before closing this release out.
Circling back to the moniker of this affair, I guess it’s a good thing they opted to call it Ellefson-Soto, because if their names weren’t attached to it, I’d have no idea either were on this album, and that speaks volumes considering Soto’s vocals can be picked out of a lineup every single time…well, almost every single time. If you played this for me blindly, I’d assume it was any number of bands currently occupying the airwaves sandwiched in between Sleep Token and Ghost, and I don’t necessarily mean that as a compliment. Unbreakable? Nah. Unbearable? Not quite. Let’s just say it’s somewhere in between.
5 out of 10
Label: Rat Pak Records
Genre: Heavy Metal/Hard Rock
For fans of: Alter Bridge, Avenged Sevenfold, Category 7