F 5

F5 formed in Phoenix, Arizona, coming together in 2003 when former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson began jamming with guitarist Steve Conley and drummer Dave Small, three friends who quickly found they had a natural chemistry. Ellefson had exited Megadeth after the band dissolved in 2002 following an injury to frontman Dave Mustaine, and when Megadeth reformed in 2004 he was unable to reach terms to rejoin, freeing him to pursue this new project full time. Ellefson went on to produce a local band called Lifted, where he met guitarist Steve Conley and drummer Dave Small, and after recruiting guitarist John Davis and vocalist Dale Steele, F5 was then formed. From the start, the band aimed for a sound that was heavy but melodic, distancing itself from straightforward thrash in favor of a more groove oriented, radio friendly hard rock approach.

The band's breakthrough came with its debut album, "A Drug for All Seasons," recorded with producer Ryan Greene, known for his work with Megadeth, Bad Religion, and NOFX. The record was released worldwide in 2005 via JVC (Japan/Asia), Mascot (Europe), and Cleopatra Records (North America). F5 toured in support of the album, including opening for Staind for one tour date on the Jagermeister Music Tour in 2006, and MTV premiered the music video for the band's song "Dissidence." The lineup's pedigree, anchored by Ellefson's Megadeth legacy, drew significant attention from the metal press and helped the band carve out a niche audience eager to hear what direction he would take outside his famous former band.

In the years that followed, F5 underwent notable lineup changes that kept the band evolving. In 2008, former Megadeth drummer Jimmy DeGrasso replaced Small, contributing to their second studio album, "The Reckoning," which maintained the band's melodic-but-heavy sensibility. The addition of another Megadeth alumnus deepened the group's connection to thrash metal history even as it continued exploring a more accessible, groove-driven sound. Ellefson remained the band's constant creative anchor throughout, guiding F5 through its recordings and touring cycles while balancing other projects and session work throughout the 2000s. F5 was active from 2003 to 2013 , after which the members largely dispersed into other ventures, with Ellefson going on to further solo and collaborative work in the years since. The band's legacy rests largely on being a genuine, full fledged outlet for Ellefson's songwriting outside of Megadeth, and on introducing listeners to a version of melodic heavy metal shaped by veteran thrash musicians reaching for broader accessibility. Though never a mainstream chart juggernaut, F5 retains a dedicated following among fans who value the record of where these respected musicians went after their more famous bands.

F5 passed through the lens of this archive during a period when Wayne Dennon was capturing the region's live music scene, photographing the band at one show in 2006, right around the height of their touring push behind "A Drug for All Seasons." That single night's performance is preserved here in 54 photographs, images that have drawn 40,986 views from archive visitors over the years, a testament to the enduring curiosity fans still have about this chapter of Ellefson's career. As part of Wayne's broader body of concert photography, these shots stand as a quiet but valuable record of a band that carried thrash metal's DNA into a new melodic direction.