Megadeth Announces Final Album Featuring Mustaine’s Cover of Metallica’s Ride The Lightning

Megadeth has announced their self-titled final album, set for release on January 23, 2026, featuring a bonus track cover of Metallica's "Ride the Lightning," a song co-written by frontman Dave Mustaine during his time in Metallica. Mustaine describes this cover as a tribute to his roots and a way to "close the circle" on his career, emphasizing respect rather than rivalry with his former bandmates James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. The new rendition is reportedly faster, tuned lower, and includes a reimagined vocal performance, with Mustaine and co-guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari playing around with the solo. Despite the band's farewell, Mustaine has made clear that the track is a personal homage and will not be performed live. Alongside the album announcement, Megadeth has revealed a farewell world tour to celebrate their career, though no Australian dates have been announced yet. The final album includes ten other tracks and represents the culmination of Mustaine's over four-decade-long influential career in heavy metal.