Kings of Thrash has released “Bullets Ready” via Cleopatra Records, a new original single featuring a vocal duet between guitarist and vocalist Chaz Leon and Gabriel Connor, frontman of Los Angeles theatrical rock act Red Devil Vortex. Former Exodus vocalist Steve “Zetro” Souza also appears on the track. The single was mixed by Grammy-winning producer Cameron Webb, known for his work with Motörhead, Danzig and Godsmack. Guitarist Jeff Young spoke about the song’s origins with The Entertainment Outlet.
“Well, we recorded ‘Bullets Ready’, and the great news is no one can say it’s A.I., ’cause there was no A.I. when we wrote ‘Bullets Ready’ three, four years ago, when we started writing originals,” Young told The Entertainment Outlet (transcribed by Blabbermouth). “I came in with two [songs]. We demoed them. A couple of months later, David came back to L.A. with two [songs]. We finished those off, demoed them. So that all happened before [we launched] Kings of Thrash.”
On why the song sat unreleased while the band spent years performing Megadeth catalog material, Young said: “We never planned on playing any Megadeth. We just wanted to make an EP of new originals. So that song’s been sitting on the back burner just… You gotta let songs write themselves. You can’t force it. You can’t put your ego on it and try to mold and shape it. You gotta just allow, allow, allow, allow. And so we kind of got sidetracked with the whole Megadeth thing and doing — learning all these albums in their entirety is no small chore. But now that we’ve been out doing that, and then [the Kings of Thrash single] ‘Lockdown’ came out [in May 2025], of course. Chaz wrote most of that. And that was a great first experience for him, and I think he did a great job. That was actually written after the first four. So ‘Bullets Ready’ was written long ago. We put the newest song out first. Now we’ve gone back, and ‘Bullets Ready’ just seemed, lyrically, with everything that’s going on in the world, it seemed so timely and apropos that we couldn’t resist.”
The song’s connection to Red Devil Vortex‘s Connor grew out of a touring relationship. Young said: “We were out on tour with Red Devil Vortex opening for us, and Ace Frehley had just died, and Gabriel Connor, the singer-bass player for Red Devil Vortex, a huge Kiss fan, we kept bringing him out every night on the tour for ‘Cold Gin’. And so his participation in the song grew organically out of our Kiss jams every night on tour. And as a matter of fact, we’re gonna be dropping a live video on Kings of Thrash YouTube of the ‘Cold Gin’ track in a week or two.”
When “Bullets Ready” was first released, Young revealed the unusual origin of the track’s rhythmic foundation: “During the making of the [former Megadeth drummer] Nick Menza [documentary] film, I acquired several demo recordings of Nick playing various drum progressions. In essence, the introduction, verses and chorus of ‘Bullets Ready’ came from playing along to one of Nick‘s energetic grooves. During [Megadeth‘s] So Far, So Good… So What! tour, it was often David, Nick and myself that would conduct the soundchecks. It was a surreal and nostalgic feeling to be playing along and writing riffs with my long-lost friend. Nick‘s playing inspired so much of this song and his spirit is forever encapsulated inside this recording.”
Kings of Thrash formed in April 2022 after Ellefson and Young performed three classic Megadeth songs alongside Leon at “Ultimate Jam Night” at the Whisky a Go Go in Hollywood. The event was honoring the Big Four of thrash metal. The chemistry from that night led directly to the band’s formation. Kings of Thrash has since built its live set around celebrating the Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good! and So Far, So Good… So What! era of Megadeth‘s catalog, with Ellefson and Young joined by Leon and drummer Fred Aching of Dead Groove and formerly of Bulletboys.
