Review | Megadeth – Megadeth

BLKIIBLK / FMG

And then there is album no. 17 from thrash legends Megadeth. Or should I write Dave Mustaine? Because he is, of course, the driving force and mastermind behind this band. The album was announced in August 2025; its release will be accompanied by the band‘s farewell tour.

MASS COMMERCIAL SUCCESS

This should be the farewell, because this record would be the band’s final chord. With the 10th track aptly named ,,The Last Note”. The end of a band that has managed to build an above-average status in the thrash metal genre. Having sold more than 50 million units worldwide, Megadeth is one of the few bands from the 1980s to have achieved mass commercial success.

Regardless of the enduring pain caused by his early split with his then Metallica bandmates, Mr. Mustaine has managed to build an impressive career on his own. And his contributions to Metallica’s first albums certainly contributed to that band’s success. That’s just the way it is.
The fact that he also recorded a bonus track, which unfortunately is not included on my promo copy, namely his version of Metallica‘s ,,Ride The Lightning” for which he naturally also received co-writer credits on 1984’s ‘Ride The Lightning’ album. I am curious to hear his version, but it also shows that the pain is still there.

DIRTY AND MEAN

Is this album a weak excuse to bid farewell to the stages with a mediocre record? No, definitely not. Many a fresh band would dream of the energy, intensity and aggressiveness that this line-up of Megadeth has managed to capture on record. Unmistakably Megadeth from the very first notes. I think that an opening track like this would not have been out of place on older work such as the 1986 album ‘Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying’. Yes, the guys have managed to sound just as dirty and mean as they did in their early years. And I find that commendable for a band that has been releasing records for over 40 years. No, there’s no sign of metal fatigue with Megadeth. Plenty of inspiration.

NOT A QUIET ENDING

Is it worthwhile to go through all the songs one by one? No, because fans will certainly not be disappointed with this album. The production by Dave Mustaine and Chris Rakestraw is absolutely superb. Dave’s and Teemu Mäntysaari‘s guitars shred like crazy, the opening riff of ,,Let There Be Shred” could have come straight from the album ‘Kill ’em All’ and the drums/bass parts are of a standard we’ve come to expect from the likes of James LoMenzo (bass) and Dirk Verbeuren (drums). And well, Mustaine‘s vocals are what they’ve always been. They cut through your eardrums like a serrated laser blade.

In the song ,,The Last Note” Mustaine sings about the final curtain falling, but this album is certainly not a quiet ending. It’s just a great Megadeth album that, in my opinion, can measure up to earlier landmarks such as ‘Peace Sells…but Who’s Buying?’, ‘Rust In Peace’, and ‘Youthanasia’.

MEGADETH – THE CONCLUSION

Dave bids farewell to the stage with fitting words during the encore, as the final notes of “The Last Note” fade away.
‘’They gave me gold. They gave me a name. But every deal was signed in blood and flames. So here’s my last will, my Final testament! 
My sneer, I came, I ruled, now I disappear.’’ 

`Megadeth’ is a must-have for fans and lovers of raw and dirty thrash metal. And a fitting farewell to a band with an impressive track record.

Release date: 23 January 2026