MEGADETH – Megadeth (Album Review)

Is this the last note?

It is said that all good things must come to an end, yet one can’t help but take note of the scores of veteran bands and artists spanning the decades who have had farewell tours before many of us were born, yet are still at it on the road or in the studio.

In this context, there is a level of earnestness that comes with the unique case of Bay Area thrash metal legends Megadeth and their tireless helmsman Dave Mustaine’s announcement of their part in the grand metal experiment coming to a close, and not merely because the latter has yet to hint at permanently hanging it up until entering his mid-60s, after kicking a nasty case of cancer to the curb no less.

Love him or hate him for his brazen style of communication, Mustaine is not one for misleading his fans for the sake of marketing or notoriety; what you see and hear is what you get. Thus, the 17^th and purported to be final studio offering of Megadeth, bearing the same name no less, comes with few surprises, but also with zero punches pulled.

To dispense with the obvious, Dave has never failed to be a master at scouting the perfect talent to maximize Megadeth’s potential in the face of numerous lineup changes, and the recent departure of Brazilian virtuoso guitarist Kiko Loureiro has proven a case study in this respect.

Filling the vacant slot of Mustaine’s technical foil on the six-string is none other than Finnish guitarist and renowned Wintersun member Teemu Mantysaari, who seamlessly blends his chops into the old school thrash metal formula alongside the punchy battery of bassist James LoMenzo (taking the place of the departed Dave Ellefson as he did in the late 2000s) and elite drummer Dirk Verbeuren.

Mantysaari often weaves ingenious solo passages reminiscent of the majesty of Marty Friedman’s early run under the Megadeth banner, as well as occasional flourishes of his more recent virtuoso predecessors Chris Broderick and the aforementioned Loureiro. The resulting metallic militia of our under Dave’s command dishes up a sound that often reminisces upon the glory days of 80s thrash, but frequently touches upon the more nuanced character of Megadeth’s commercial zenith during the early to mid 90s.

Whether the song hits fast and ferocious or mid-paced and menacing, this eponymous audio book in 11 chapters is peppered with intricate elements at almost every point. Among the promotional singles to have been building up hype online, the high octane mayhem of the opening foray “Tipping Point” and the riff happy throwback to thrash’s formative years at warp speed “Let There Be Shred” are the obvious favorites, each bursting at the seams with neck-destroying brilliance and topped off with Teemu’s expert-level flashy leads nearly everywhere that the vocals aren’t.

That being said, the up-tempo slab of punk attitude with a more technical edge, “I Don’t Care,” is by no means a slouch in the intricacy department, even if the lyrical scheme gets a tad repetitive. Rounding out the teaser tracks is the more rock-infused, mid-paced anthem of discontent “Puppet Parade”, which leans a bit closer to the mid-90s side of the Megadeth coin, matching the crunchy stomp of select offerings from 1994’s Youthanasia with a melodic scheme and riff set that points to Cryptic Writings bangers like “Almost Honest” and “Secret Place”.

The album’s pacing feels like a nostalgic back-and-forth: fast thrash blowouts, chunky mid-tempo crushers, then another burst that drags you back into the pit. And the standout moments keep stacking up. One of the slower cuts, “Hey God!”, still lands as one of the heaviest tracks here. It leans into that mid-’90s tension and grit, and its riffing will sound instantly familiar to anyone who’s worn out “Symphony Of Destruction”.

“I Am War” hits with a gritty punch, blending early-’90s weight with the kind of melodic hooks Megadeth leaned into later in the decade. On the other end of the spectrum, “The Last Note” is a melancholy, story-driven ballad that echoes “A Tout Le Monde” in a few key ways, especially in the haunting acoustic passages. Even so, it spends much of its runtime in a higher mid-tempo lane, and it carries a heavier edge than you might expect.

Still, this band is at its best when it floors it. That’s where “Made To Kill” and “Obey The Call” deliver: two militaristic thrash bruisers built for the pit. “Obey The Call” also starts with an atmosphere that briefly recalls “Mary Jane” before it detonates into something much more aggressive.

For a band that has announced that the end of the trail is well within sight, Mustaine and company have definitely opted to go out with a bang. The overall quality of what is presented here mirrors the consistently glorious character of the past couple of entries in The Sick…The Dying…And The Dead and Dystopia, respectively, as well as that of the late 2000s smash Endgame.

For his part, Dave’s voice has a tad bit more power and edge to it than what he’s put forth in the past decade or so, but where this album truly sells itself is in the songwriting and execution department, which speaks as much to the brilliance of Teemu’s, James’ and Dirk’s contributions to the colossal sound that emerges as it does Mustaine’s prowess and ingenuity. This is underscored by the high energy cover of one of Dave’s songwriting contributions to Metallica’s greatest studio accomplishment Ride The Lightning, namely the title entry, which is reproduced with a generally drier production quality and with only a few tweaks around the periphery, but showcases why his contributions to thrash metal’s rise and development are no less consequential than any other individuals tied to The Big Four.

It’s a bittersweet consolation for those who only came to this metal original recently or are likewise hungry for even more, but if this truly is the end, it’s hard to imagine a better send-off.

Release Date: January 23rd, 2026
Record Label: BLKIIBLK
Genre: Thrash Metal

Musicians:

• Dave Mustaine / Vocals, guitar
• Teemu Mantysaari / Guitars
• James Lomenzo / Bass
• Dirk Verbeuren / Drums

Megadeth 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 (Metallica song; bonus track)

Order the album here.