MEGADETH‘s Dave Mustaine has revealed that the band’s forthcoming album (due out early subsequent yr) would be the last MEGADETH studio album of his profession. Mustaine shared the announcement in a social put up straight shared together with his worldwide fanbase and Cyber Military through his alter ego Vic Rattlehead. Mustaine additionally revealed that the multi-platinum famous person band will embark on a worldwide farewell tour kicking off in 2026. Additionally set for subsequent yr is a brand new memoir from Mustaine, particulars of which can be revealed within the coming months.
“There’s so many musicians which have come to the tip of their profession, whether or not unintended or intentional,” Mustaine says. “Most of them do not get to exit on their very own phrases on prime, and that is the place I am at in my life proper now. I’ve traveled the world and have made tens of millions upon tens of millions of followers and the toughest a part of all of that is saying goodbye to them.
Dave provides: “We won’t wait so that you can hear this album and see us on tour. If there was ever an ideal time for us to place out a brand new album, it is now. If there was ever an ideal time to tour the world, it is now. That is additionally an ideal time for us to let you know that it is our final studio album. We have made loads of pals through the years and I hope to see all of you on our international farewell tour. Do not be mad, do not be unhappy, be completely happy for us all, come rejoice with me these subsequent few years. We have now finished one thing collectively that is really fantastic and can most likely by no means occur once more. We began a musical model, we began a revolution, we modified the guitar world and the way it’s performed, and we modified the world. The bands I performed in have influenced the world. I like you all for it. Thanks for the whole lot.”
The video posted to MEGADETH‘s YouTube web page and social media accounts options Vic Rattlehead, the band’s mascot, seated behind a desk with an hourglass and a stack of papers that reads “Confidential 2026.”
“For over 4 many years, I have been chained in silence, however the finish calls for my voice,” Vic says. “It’s confirmed: The subsequent MEGADETH studio album would be the final. Forty years of steel, cast in metal, ending in hearth. And when the brand new yr rises, the worldwide farewell tour. You’ve got heard the warning. Now put together your self, Cyber Military. Keep loud, keep tuned, and meet me on the frontlines.”
The clip ends with an illustration of Vic Rattelead, with half his physique lit on hearth.
MEGADETH lately frolicked within the studio placing the ending touches on its upcoming LP. The hassle can be launched through Mustaine‘s Tradecraft imprint with the Frontiers Label Group‘s new imprint BLKIIBLK.
MEGADETH is as soon as once more working with Chris Rakestraw, a producer, mixer and engineer who beforehand labored on MEGADETH‘s final two albums, 2022’s “The Sick, The Dying… And The Useless!” and 2016’s “Dystopia”.
MEGADETH guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari joined the band two years in the past. Mäntysaari stepped in because the alternative for Brazilian-born guitarist Kiko Loureiro, who introduced in September 2023 that he would sit out the subsequent leg of MEGADETH‘s “Crush The World” tour with a view to keep dwelling together with his kids again in Finland. It was later revealed that the now-38-year-old Finnish musician would proceed to play guitar for MEGADETH for the foreseeable future, with Loureiro seemingly having no plans to return.
Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and commenced taking part in guitar on the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has additionally been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.
Launched in September 2022, MEGADETH‘s newest album, “The Sick, The Dying… And The Useless!”, offered 48,000 equal album items within the U.S. in its first week of launch to land at place No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marked MEGADETH‘s eighth prime 10-charting album.
MEGADETH‘s earlier prime 10 entries on the Billboard 200 had been “Countdown To Extinction” (No. 2, 1992),“Youthanasia” (No. 4, 1994),“Cryptic Writings” (No. 10, 1997),“United Abominations” (No. 8, 2007),“Endgame” (No. 9, 2009),“Tremendous Collider” (No. 6, 2013) and “Dystopia” (No. 3, 2016).
Led by the growled vocals and razor-wire riffing of Mustaine, MEGADETH are one of many “Massive 4” thrash titans. Shortly after being kicked out of METALLICA in 1983, Mustaine met bassist David Ellefson, and the pair bonded shortly, forming the core of MEGADETH. Drummer Gar Samuelson and guitarist Chris Poland later joined, and MEGADETH launched their underground-hit debut “Killing Is My Enterprise… And Enterprise Is Good!” in 1985. Its follow-up, “Peace Sells… However Who’s Shopping for?”, solidified the band’s standing with sprawling but tightly wound songs just like the uneasy opener “Wake Up Useless” and the fiery title monitor.
“So Far, So Good… So What!”, launched in 1988, featured a brand new lineup in addition to a thrashy cowl of the SEX PISTOLS‘ “Anarchy In The U.Ok.” and the anti-PMRC broadside “Hook In Mouth”. In 1990 they launched “Rust In Peace”, with Nick Menza on drums and technical wizard Marty Friedman on guitar; songs resembling “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due” and “Hangar 18” blended pummeling riffs and suspicion-fueled lyrics with a stadium-rock ambition that matched the period’s metal-embracing tendencies.
“Countdown To Extinction”, launched in 1992, and “Youthanasia”, launched in 1994, continued the band’s dominance of steel and emergence in rock’s mainstream, with the latter album’s “À Tout Le Monde” being a uncommon thrash ballad. After a quick breakup within the early 2000s, MEGADETH returned as a de facto Mustaine solo challenge with 2004’s “The System Has Failed”. Ellefson rejoined in 2010 previous to the album “Th1rt3en” and remained within the MEGADETH lineup till 2021, when he was fired.
Along with Mustaine, MEGADETH‘s present lineup contains drummer Dirk Verbeuren, bassist James LoMenzo and Mäntysaari.
Picture credit score: Ross Halfin
