Steve Di Giorgio

Steve Di Giorgio

“The Fretless Guru”

Steve Di Giorgio is a legendary bassist in the world of extreme metal, famous for introducing fretless bass to the genre and for his massive resume of collaborations. Born in 1967 in Illinois (USA), Steve emerged in the '80s with Sadus, a thrash/death band where he impressed with his speed and outstanding technique. His talent led him to join Chuck Schuldiner in Death, participating in two of their most innovative albums. Over the decades, Di Giorgio became the guest bassist par excellence in metal: his versatility allowed him to record everything from black metal to power metal, including hard rock. Some of his most notable bands include Testament (with whom he currently tours and records), Control Denied, Iced Earth, Obituary, Autopsy, among many others. In 2021, when Megadeth faced the sudden departure of bassist Ellefson during the production of The Sick, The Dying..., Dave Mustaine turned to Di Giorgio to discreetly re-record all the bass tracks for the album. Steve accepted the challenge and in a few sessions delivered his mastery: his lines on songs like 'Night Stalkers' and 'Soldier On!' are firm but technically nuanced (his characteristic fretless tone is evident in sustained passages, adding depth to the sound). Mustaine publicly confirmed in 2022 that the 'mysterious' bassist on the album was Steve Di Giorgio, praising his ability to adapt to Megadeth's style. It should be noted that Steve did not join the band live (Mustaine preferred to bring back James LoMenzo for the tours), so his contribution remained studio work. Nevertheless, his participation was highly appreciated by the metal community, considering it a historic crossroads (a member of the Big 4 of thrash collaborating with a member of the Big 4 of death metal). Beyond Megadeth, Steve remains active with Testament and various projects. He is also a double bassist and occasional keyboardist, and his theoretical knowledge makes him one of the most complete musicians in the scene. He is often ranked among the best metal bassists of all time in specialist magazines. For Megadeth fans, knowing that a musician of Di Giorgio's stature contributed to the latest album adds special value: it's a mark of quality and a curiosity of the era. Steve Di Giorgio, with his amazing track record, shows how the metal world is sometimes small and collaborative; his bass played in Megadeth when needed, leaving his mark on the extensive discography of Vic Rattlehead and company.