Megadeth announces final album, farewell tour: 'Forged in steel, ending in fire'
Band founder, singer and guitarist Dave Mustaine announced – via his skeletal alter ego Vic Rattlehead – the rockers' forthcoming album will be Megadeth's last.
'Forty years of metal, forged in steel, ending in fire,' Rattlehead says in an apocalyptic-themed video. 'You've heard the warning. Now, prepare yourselves and meet me on the frontlines.'
Megadeth will also embark on a global farewell tour in 2026 and Mustaine is prepping a new memoir.
Details and dates on all will be announced in the coming months.
'There's so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,' Mustaine says in an announcement about Megadeth's finale. 'Most of them don't get to go out on their own terms on top, and that's where I'm at in my life right now. I have traveled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them.'
Mustaine, 63, has been the only consistent member of the band since forming it in 1983 in California. Throughout its tenure, Megadeth – along with Metallica (in which he previously served as lead guitarist), Slayer, Iron Maiden and Anthrax – brought metal to the masses. The band has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and in 2017 scored a Grammy Award for best metal performance ('Dystopia').
Megadeth's most recent album, 'The Sick, the Dying … and the Dead!' arrived in 2022, three years after Mustaine was diagnosed with throat cancer. The combination of his illness and the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the delay. The album hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts for hard rock, rock and alternative albums.
Along with Mustaine, Megadeth currently includes drummer Dirk Verbeuren, guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari and bassist James LoMenzo.
Mustaine took a philosophical view of ending his musical career, saying in the announcement, 'Don't be mad, don't be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years. We have done something together that's truly wonderful and will probably never happen again. We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it's played, and we changed the world.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Megadeth announces retirement with farewell tour, final album: ‘The end is near'
Call it a symphony for dissolution. American thrash metal giants Megadeth have announced their forthcoming album will be their last. They will also embark on a farewell tour in 2026. 'There's so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,' Megadeth founder and frontman Dave Mustaine shared in a statement Thursday. 4 Megadeth's Dave Mustaine performs in concert at Resurrection Fest Estrella Galicia 2024 on June 29, 2024 in Viveiro, Spain. Redferns 4 James LoMenzo, Dave Mustaine and Teemu Mäntysaari, members of the of the American thrash metal band Megadeth, perform during the Megadeth 'Destroy All Enemies' Tour at the Toyota Music Factory in August 2024. Eyepix Group/LightRocket via Getty Images 'Most of them don't get to go out on their own terms on top, and that's where I'm at in my life right now. I have traveled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them.' Mustaine and the band have yet to reveal the final album's title, release date or the band's remaining tour dates. His statement continued, with the frontman writing that now is the perfect time for the band to release a final album and embark on their final tour. 'Don't be mad, don't be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years. We have done something together that's truly wonderful and will probably never happen again,' he wrote. 4 Guitarist and lead vocalist Dave Mustaine gestures to the crowd during a concert in Spain. AFP via Getty Images 4 Megadeth announced a farewell tour and a final album ahead of their retirement. Redferns 'We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it's played, and we changed the world. The bands I played in have influenced the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything.' The statement arrived after the band shared a teaser post on Wednesday that read 'The end is near…' Megadeth was founded in 1983 after Mustaine was kicked out of Metallica, a band he co-founded. Megadeth released their debut album in 1985, 'Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!'
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Megadeth announces final album, farewell tour: 'Forged in steel, ending in fire'
The end is near for Megadeth. Band founder, singer and guitarist Dave Mustaine announced – via his skeletal alter ego Vic Rattlehead – the rockers' forthcoming album will be Megadeth's last. 'Forty years of metal, forged in steel, ending in fire,' Rattlehead says in an apocalyptic-themed video. 'You've heard the warning. Now, prepare yourselves and meet me on the frontlines.' Megadeth will also embark on a global farewell tour in 2026 and Mustaine is prepping a new memoir. Details and dates on all will be announced in the coming months. 'There's so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,' Mustaine says in an announcement about Megadeth's finale. 'Most of them don't get to go out on their own terms on top, and that's where I'm at in my life right now. I have traveled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them.' Mustaine, 63, has been the only consistent member of the band since forming it in 1983 in California. Throughout its tenure, Megadeth – along with Metallica (in which he previously served as lead guitarist), Slayer, Iron Maiden and Anthrax – brought metal to the masses. The band has sold more than 50 million albums worldwide and in 2017 scored a Grammy Award for best metal performance ('Dystopia'). Megadeth's most recent album, 'The Sick, the Dying … and the Dead!' arrived in 2022, three years after Mustaine was diagnosed with throat cancer. The combination of his illness and the COVID-19 pandemic prompted the delay. The album hit No. 1 on the Billboard charts for hard rock, rock and alternative albums. Along with Mustaine, Megadeth currently includes drummer Dirk Verbeuren, guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari and bassist James LoMenzo. Mustaine took a philosophical view of ending his musical career, saying in the announcement, 'Don't be mad, don't be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years. We have done something together that's truly wonderful and will probably never happen again. We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it's played, and we changed the world.' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Megadeth announces final album, farewell tour
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Dave Mustaine Preps Final Megadeth Album, Tour, and Memoir: ‘We Started a Revolution'
After 40-plus years, Dave Mustaine is ready to put Megadeth to rest. The thrasher announced plans for a final album and tour, and revealed a memoir is on the way. Mustaine posted the announcement via his alter ego, Vic Rattlehead. The new album, titled The End Is Near, will arrive next year. The LP follows 2022's The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! More from Rolling Stone Megadeth, Dave Mustaine to Pay More Than $1 Million to Former Manager in Legal Settlement Megadeth Push Back on 'Misinformed' Peter Frampton Blaming Them for Show Cancellation Megadeth's Kiko Loureiro Pulls Out of Tour, Temporary Replacement Announced 'There's so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,' Mustaine said in a statement. 'Most of them don't get to go out on their own terms on top, and that's where I'm at in my life right now. I have traveled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them.' 'We can't wait for you to hear this album and see us on tour,' he continued. 'If there was ever a perfect time for us to put out a new album, it's now. If there was ever a perfect time to tour the world, it's now. This is also a perfect time for us to tell you that it's our last studio album.' Mustaine's memoir will also arrive next year. The book will follow the 2020 oral history Rust in Peace: The Inside Story of the Megadeth Masterpiece and former lead guitarist Marty Friedman's memoir Dreaming Japanese, released last year. Megadeth's global farewell tour will kick off in 2026; dates have yet to be announced. 'We've made a lot of friends over the years and I hope to see all of you on our global farewell tour,' Mustaine said. 'Don't be mad, don't be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years. We have done something together that's truly wonderful and will probably never happen again. We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it's played, and we changed the world. The bands I played in have influenced the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything.' Best of Rolling Stone Sly and the Family Stone: 20 Essential Songs The 50 Greatest Eminem Songs All 274 of Taylor Swift's Songs, Ranked Solve the daily Crossword
