| Written by Alex Stojanovic TRACK LISTING Tipping Point I Don't Care Hey God Let There Be Shred Puppet Parade Another Bad Day Made To Kill Obey The Call I Am War The Last Note Ride The Lightning (Metallica cover) (Bonus track) Release Date: January 22, 2026 Label: BLKIIBLK Website: megadeth.com facebook.com/Megadeth |  |
We've all heard the old saying a million times that nothing lasts forever, or that we all know the end is coming, we just don't know when. Dave Mustaine is one of the definitions of not quitting, but he's had experience before of knowing when to stop when he had his infamous arm injury in the early 2000s that caused him to stop Megadeth the first time around. After recovering, he was back in action, and hasn't stopped since then. Not even cancer could stop the man. However, it was revealed that another arm-related issue has been affecting his playing over the last little bit, and this was a clear sign for him that the day he really hangs up the guitar for good is in clear sight. With that news came the announcement that Megadeth's seventeeth studio album would be their last one, and they would embark on their farewell tour. Now, we've all seen the "farewell tour" movie many times where bands retract from the decision to retire in the middle of the tour, or go away for a few years, but then return, and most just become pure laughing stocks (yes, I'm looking at you, Motley Crue).
If you know you're going out on your last hurrah and you want to deliver one last offering before bowing out, then you want to deliver the goods. There have been some incredible swansong albums over the years, and there have been some real stinkers. For Megadeth, they really make a statement with their final offering. Their self-titled final album brings a lot of the mid-tempo, melodic and laid-back feel of their 90s material like from Countdown To Extinction and Youthanasia, but for those of us that love the thrash, there's a good mixture of the speed and technicality from Peace Sells and Rust In Peace. In many ways, the album will draw a lot of comparisons to Thirteen. "Tipping Point" and "I Don't Care" set the table for what's to come with the former containing serrated riffs that slice through your speakers like a sharpened chef's knife, and the latter bringing much more of a punk vibe. As juvenile as the lyrics and title may be, "Let There Be Shred" places Dave and Teemu Mantysaari at the forefront with their soloing acrobatics, which has defined many of Megadeth's signature moments.
The mid-paced groove is as much a strength in Megadeth's music as the frenzied thrash fireworks, and it's proven on "Puppet Parade" and "Another Bad Day", which bring vibes of "Symphony Of Destruction" and "Angry Again", while "Made To Kill" steps on the gas pedal bringing a furious round of speed with Dirk Verbeuren unleashes frenetic drumming locked in with James Lomenzo's thundering low-end on the bass. "The Last Note" is perfectly placed at the end of the album with Dave reading what feels like his epitaph (pun intended), reminiscing about his life and career and how he has reached the end. There's no doubt that many will fight to hold back tears with this song.
While "Last Note" is the last song on the official album, much focus has been placed on the bonus track: the cover of Metallica's "Ride The Lightning", which is no surprise. People are obviously going to compare them, and favour the original version because it's embedded heavily into their memory, and it's no doubt added more fuel to the idiotic Metallica vs. Megadeth pissing contest that will never die between the fans unfortunately. In a way, it's Dave's way of closing the circle and paying tribute to Lars and James in particular, but also to Kirk and Cliff, so he did it with a lot of class.
I'm still not convinced that Megadeth are truly gonna stay away, because I'm sure after they're done, if Dave is still alive and healthy, and his arm starts healing a bit and he wants to play again, I'm pretty sure Megadeth will do sporadic one-off festival shows, very much like what Slayer's doing now. However, if this is truly the end for them, you can say that Dave has achieved the final goal he wanted since 1983, and that is to have a #1 album on Billboard, which is a win for him, the band, the fans and for metal in general. As we start to bid farewell to another all-time legend, we are savouring every last bit of time with them.
If you know you're going out on your last hurrah and you want to deliver one last offering before bowing out, then you want to deliver the goods. There have been some incredible swansong albums over the years, and there have been some real stinkers. For Megadeth, they really make a statement with their final offering. Their self-titled final album brings a lot of the mid-tempo, melodic and laid-back feel of their 90s material like from Countdown To Extinction and Youthanasia, but for those of us that love the thrash, there's a good mixture of the speed and technicality from Peace Sells and Rust In Peace. In many ways, the album will draw a lot of comparisons to Thirteen. "Tipping Point" and "I Don't Care" set the table for what's to come with the former containing serrated riffs that slice through your speakers like a sharpened chef's knife, and the latter bringing much more of a punk vibe. As juvenile as the lyrics and title may be, "Let There Be Shred" places Dave and Teemu Mantysaari at the forefront with their soloing acrobatics, which has defined many of Megadeth's signature moments.
The mid-paced groove is as much a strength in Megadeth's music as the frenzied thrash fireworks, and it's proven on "Puppet Parade" and "Another Bad Day", which bring vibes of "Symphony Of Destruction" and "Angry Again", while "Made To Kill" steps on the gas pedal bringing a furious round of speed with Dirk Verbeuren unleashes frenetic drumming locked in with James Lomenzo's thundering low-end on the bass. "The Last Note" is perfectly placed at the end of the album with Dave reading what feels like his epitaph (pun intended), reminiscing about his life and career and how he has reached the end. There's no doubt that many will fight to hold back tears with this song.
While "Last Note" is the last song on the official album, much focus has been placed on the bonus track: the cover of Metallica's "Ride The Lightning", which is no surprise. People are obviously going to compare them, and favour the original version because it's embedded heavily into their memory, and it's no doubt added more fuel to the idiotic Metallica vs. Megadeth pissing contest that will never die between the fans unfortunately. In a way, it's Dave's way of closing the circle and paying tribute to Lars and James in particular, but also to Kirk and Cliff, so he did it with a lot of class.
I'm still not convinced that Megadeth are truly gonna stay away, because I'm sure after they're done, if Dave is still alive and healthy, and his arm starts healing a bit and he wants to play again, I'm pretty sure Megadeth will do sporadic one-off festival shows, very much like what Slayer's doing now. However, if this is truly the end for them, you can say that Dave has achieved the final goal he wanted since 1983, and that is to have a #1 album on Billboard, which is a win for him, the band, the fans and for metal in general. As we start to bid farewell to another all-time legend, we are savouring every last bit of time with them.
FINAL RATING
| | |
RSS Feed
