3 days ago
- Entertainment
- San Francisco Chronicle
Megadeth to end four-decade run with final album, farewell tour
Megadeth, the thrash metal powerhouse formed by Dave Mustaine after he was kicked out of Metallica, will disband after a final studio album and world tour in 2026.
'There's so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,' Mustaine said in a statement Thursday, Aug. 14. '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.'
The yet-untitled album will be the band's 17th, following 2022's 'The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!'
Mustaine called this 'the perfect time' to both release new music and bid farewell.
'Don't be mad, don't be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years,' he said. 'We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it's played, and we changed the world.'
Mustaine founded Megadeth in 1983 after his ouster from Metallica, the groundbreaking metal band he had co-founded and for which he co-wrote four tracks on its landmark debut, 'Kill 'Em All,' including 'Jump in the Fire' and 'The Four Horsemen.'
Megadeth's debut album arrived in 1985, but it was the 1986 follow-up, 'Peace Sells… but Who's Buying? ,' that cemented the band's place in metal, showcasing a punk-tinged political edge that has defined its music ever since.
The group is considered a cornerstone of the 'Big Four' of thrash metal alongside Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax. It has earned five platinum albums in the United States and influenced generations of metal musicians.
Megadeth 's current lineup includes Mustaine, bassist James LoMenzo, guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari and drummer Dirk Verbeuren.
Mustaine, who revealed a throat cancer diagnosis in 2019 and announced his recovery a year later, also plans to release a new memoir in 2026.
'We've made a lot of friends over the years,' he said. 'I hope to see all of you on our global farewell tour.'
