Megadeth: Megadeth

Megadeth have recently released their 17th and final studio album. The self-titled release sees Dave Mustaine bow out on his own terms after a long and storied career. Despite Megadeth being around for decades, this album is the first with the current lineup - Mustaine is joined by bandmates Dirk Verbeuren (drums), Teemu Mantysaari (guitars) and James Lomenzo (bass).

Full disclaimer, Megadeth are one of my all-time favourite bands so I’ll always be ‘glass half full’ when talking about their new material. The fact this is the final chapter in their catalogue hits hard. But even if this wasn’t their last album, I’d still be intrigued to hear what they’ve come up with on this release, largely because this album is the first (and now only time) we will hear Teemu Mantysaari on a Megadeth studio record. Teemu (known for his work with Wintersun) has been ripping it up on lead guitars in the live setting since taking the mantle from Kiko Loureiro (who had a short but impactful stint in the lead guitar role). Teemu seems cut from a very similar cloth as Kiko, so I’ve been keen to hear his work committed to tape. Mustaine’s lead partners have always been of the highest calibre, and his latest couple of partners in particular have really helped him to recapture some of the lead guitar magic that the classic lineups were known for.

Before I dive into the tracks, I thought I’d make mention of the album artwork. This is arguably the best Megadeth Album cover we’ve seen for years. The stark white cover has a unique feel to it, and it’s nice to see some hand drawn artwork in preference to the recent run of computer generated images. Vic Rattlehead is one of the most iconic heavy metal mascots so the uncomplicated image of Vic in a suit, on fire, accompanied by the classic Megadeth logo is great to see.

The new album gets underway with the breakneck thrasher ‘Tipping Point’. This is arguably my favourite track on the album, very much in keeping with the sort of classic style Megadeth album opener we've grown accustomed to. It's a labyrinth of thrash riffs, solos and and change ups. Great album openers have been a hallmark of the 17 Album Megadeth career, so this shouldn’t be too much of a surprise. Even less so given this track was a pre-release single!

Another hallmark of the Megadeth sound over their long career has been a penchant for mixing punk with metal. ‘I Don’t Care’ is Mustaine’s ‘token’ Punk track on this release, and whilst it took a while to grow on me (largely due to the adolescent Sex Pistols style lyrics) I’m now at a point where I enjoy it for what it is. The lead playing on here is great too, as we’ve come to expect from Megadeth.

‘Hey God?’ Is a mid-paced melodic rocker of sorts which harks back to albums like Youthanasia or Cryptic Writings. It’s a concise track which speaks to a man lost between living his busy life and his religion. ‘Let there be Shred’ is another fast-paced affair, cut from similar cloth to "Tipping Point". I struggle with the lyrics a little, but there’s no doubt the song is a shred fest so I can see what they were going for. For the majority of his career, Mustaine’s lyrics have been a real strong point. ‘I Don’t Care’ and ‘Let there be Shred’ seem to be somewhat pedestrian contributions from a man renowned for more thought-provoking or meaningful lyric writing- It’s a minor gripe in the scheme of things, however.

"Puppet Parade" is one of my favourite tracks on the album �" it’s a mid-paced melodic rocker that could have been lifted from Countdown to Extinction or Youthanasia. I’ve heard it referred to a mix of "Angry Again" and "Symphony of Destruction", which is about right. Megadeth have always wrote great riffs that carry a melody well, and this one does that yet again. I also enjoy the snarling vocals in the verse. Dave ‘s vocals have never been traditional hard rock vocals, and it’s great to hear his iconic snarling spoken style delivery a few more times on this release. Truth be told, this spoken vocal style is probably the style that Dave is best suited to in the twilight of his career.

Four of the first five tracks on the album were pre-release singles available before the full album dropped, and perhaps that’s why I currently enjoy the 2nd haff of the album a little more than the first half (there’s still a freshness to the back half of the album for me). ‘Another Bad Day’ is a mid-tempo melodic rocker (again harking to Youthanasia or Cryptic Writings), with Teemu laying down a slippery solo akin to Marty’s best work on those aforementioned albums (ie. Family Tree).

"Made to Kill" is a heavy track with a drum-led intro and an almost So Far So Good So What vibe. The track has shades of "Set The World Afire" and "Hook in Mouth" at times. It’s one of the heaviest tracks on the album, and no doubt one that will get singled out for praise by a lot of fans. ‘Obey the Call’ and ‘I am War’ are more of that Countdown/Youthanasia/Cryptic Writings style mid-tempo melodic style; both are currently up there with my favourites from this Album. Teemu shreds up a storm on each of them too. I cut my teeth with this band with Countdown to Extinction, so I’m certainly ok with the melodic numbers, I'm not one to only want to hear re-jigged leftovers from Peace Sells and Rust In Peace.

"The Last Note" is pretty damn epic, no doubt elevated by the lyrics that really speak to the decision to close down the band after a long and influential career, and a classic-sounding Megadeth chord progression and arrangement. The poignant words at the start and end of the track are delivered with that raspy Mustaine snarl that just hit the spot for a long-time fan like myself- ‘I came, I ruled, now I disappear’.

The album is capped off by the bonus track cover of Metallica’s "Ride The Lightning". "Ride the Lighting" is a song Mustaine co-wrote during the very early days of Metallica's journey. It’s a tidy cover, although it’s very much a note-for-note interpretation (don’t expect significant change-ups here). No doubt it’s a ‘full circle’ moment for Mustaine to cover Metallica as the last song on his last studio release with Megadeth: The story ends where it began. It is a decent cover and you can hear Mustaine's riffing style come to the fore, but I would say that the modern (more sterile) production and Mustaine's strained vocals mean that I’ll be reaching for the original when the novelty of Megadeth covering Metallica wears off.

Dave Mustaine is a true icon of heavy metal, arguably creating the genre of Thrash with his own hands. Whilst this album wont overtake his very best work, it is a very solid and enjoyable release that manages to touch on a lot of the different eras and sounds that the band have been known for. It’s a fitting conclusion to the band's catalogue and a celebration of a lot of the different styles that have made Megadeth a truly classic band in the genre. As always guitarists will find plenty to like on here, and there’s no doubt that Teemu has laid down some of the tastiest lead guitar work we’ve heard on a Megadeth album since Marty was in the band.

RIP Megadeth: 1983-2026

Tracklist

1. Tipping Point
2. I Don't Care
3. Hey God?!
4. Let There Be Shred
5. Puppet Parade
6. Another Bad Day
7. Made to Kill
8. Obey the Call
9. I Am War
10. The Last Note
11. Ride the Lightning (Bonus Track)

Added: January 28th 2026
Reviewer: Chris Reid
Score:
Related Link: Band Website
Hits: 64
Language: english

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