It’s the final curtain call for thrash metal. Megadeth have officially declared that they are hanging up their boots, revealing that their next album will be their final one, with a 2026 farewell tour to coincide.
The news came straight from the founder and lead vocalist Dave Mustaine, who put out a heartfelt message to fans, asking them to celebrate the band’s retirement rather than bemoan it.
“There’s just too many musicians who’ve come to the end of their career, either by accident or not,” Mustaine described. “Most of them do not get to retire on their own terms when they’re at the top, and that’s where I am at in my life right now. I’ve traveled all over the world and gained millions upon millions of fans, and the most difficult thing about all of this is having to leave them behind.”
Although the band has not yet revealed the title of the last album, the release date, or the precise tour schedule, they did post a teaser video with Wednesday’s cryptic message, “The end is near …” That teaser has finally materialized. Mustaine says that the time is right now to close the book on one last project and a celebratory run of dates.
Don’t be angry, don’t be sad, be happy for all of us, come celebrate with me these next few years,” he said to fans. “We have done something together that’s really great and probably will never happen again. We began a musical genre, we began a revolution, we revolutionized the world of guitars and the way they’re played, and we revolutionized the world. The bands I’ve played in have impacted the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything.
Megadeth emerged in 1983 following Mustaine’s notorious dismissal from the band he co-founded, Metallica, by Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield during New York recording sessions for his excessive alcohol and drug use. On a bus to Los Angeles, Mustaine wasted no time, first setting up a brief venture named Fallen Angels, which quickly transformed into Megadeth.
Their first album, Killing Is My Business … and Business Is Good!, was released in 1985, and in the 1990s they were one of thrash metal’s “Big Four” alongside Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax. With politically-motivated lyrics, screeching riffs, and technical proficiency, they were one of the most influential heavy bands ever.
The road has not been smooth. In 2019, Mustaine made the announcement that he had been diagnosed with throat cancer, and tours needed to be postponed while he was treated. But Megadeth was once again on the stage with the same ferocity that made them legends, proving that they could endure the biggest of battles.
And now, after over four decades of music, Megadeth are calling it a day on their own terms. For their fans, this final chapter is a bittersweet mix of nostalgia, admiration, and the thrill of one final chance to see the band that shook metal to its core.
The farewell tour on the horizon will be more than just a string of performances, it will be a worldwide farewell to a band that defined a sound. And from Mustaine’s statements, he’s prepared to make the exit a party.
With one of the all-time great thrash metal screamers gone, Megadeth’s legacy will continue to echo through the speakers of the world. The riffs, the revolution, and the unstoppable energy that propelled them from day one will remain entrenched in music history. It is not goodbye but the conclusion of a chapter which will never be written once again.
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