Megadeth's 'Megadeth' - Album Review

For those of us that still follow many of the legendary hard rock and metal bands of the 1970s and 1980s, final albums and tours are becoming regular occurrences. Some bands seem as if they will go on forever, such as The Rolling Stones, but even very long-standing acts like Deep Purple and Uriah Heep are hinting at slowing down over the next few years - whilst others have called it a day. Clearly there are also plenty of bands that did call it a day only to return a few years later - but we have to take a band's word for it when they initially announce that they are retiring. One of the latest bands to announce such are the California-based thrash titans Megadeth. Formed back in 1983, Megadeth have, save for a hiatus between 2002 and 2004, essentially been ever-present on the thrash scene since. Considered one of the genre's 'Big Four', alongside Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax; Megadeth have often been my favourite of the four. They were probably the first that I properly explored, despite likely knowing plenty of Metallica songs beforehand, and I would say that their catalogue is likely the strongest and most interesting. Not every experiment that the band took throughout their career paid off, but there are few genuinely poor albums in the Megadeth catalogue - and they have also remained the most prolific over the years, which is something I really value in legacy bands. Not only have they remained prolific, too, but many of Megadeth's more recent albums have also been strong. Metallica's last three have been strong too in fairness, but they have released significantly fewer albums - whilst Slayer are done as a recording act and getting a new album from Anthrax in recent times is like pulling teeth. As such, Megadeth just have more to listen to and enjoy - although in recent years I have not listened to the band as much. There has been no specific reason for this. My music taste continues to evolve and expand, and that means that there is just so much more to listen to. I know that I can return to a classic Megadeth album at any time and enjoy it - but I feel that a bit of a deep dive is due. The reason for such, at least in part, is the release of the band's seventeenth album last month. The self-titled release will be, according to bandleader Dave Mustaine, the band's final offering. Mustaine is looking to retire after over 40 years in the business - with the next year or so focused on a final big world tour in support of this latest release. Mustaine is younger than many of the old rockers still going strong, be he has not always been in the best of health in recent years - and it is harder for metal bands to keep going with the same levels of intensity that they once had. It is better to go out on a high than with a whimper - and as far as recorded output goes Megadeth is certainly a strong effort. Coming four years after 2022's The Sick, the Dying...and the Dead (which I reviewed here), Megadeth feels like a tight, punchy offering. The 2022 release was a longer, more sprawling affair - whereas this latest effort feels like an old-school album in terms of length and flow. Mixing fast-paced thrash with the creeping, melodic mid-paced sound that the band did so well in the 1990s, Megadeth does a bit of everything in just over 40 minutes - although it focuses on the latter. Given the number of personnel changes over the years, Megadeth's core sound has remained largely consistent. Mustaine keeps a tight grip on things, then, despite generally being surrounded by strong players. Drummer Dirk Verbeuren is the only musician to return from the 2022 release, whilst Megadeth is the first album to feature bassist James LoMenzo since 2009's Endgame despite him re-joining the band before the last album dropped. The new face here is guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari (Wintersun; Smackbound) - who replaced Kiko Loureiro in 2023 and has made significant writing contributions to this latest album.

In terms of songwriting, this album is a fairly collaborative one. There is only one song credited to Mustaine alone, with Mäntysaari co-writing everything else. Both LoMenzo and Verbeuren also make significant writing contributions, ensuring that Megadeth feels like a true band effort. It opens with lead single Tipping Point, a hooky track which is sure to become a real setlist favourite on the band's final tour. It opens in a mid-paced manner, with a snappy riff right out of the band's 1990s playbook, which is soon improved with a harmony guitar lead, but this mid-paced intro is a bit of a ruse - as the song is generally a fast-paced and thrashy track. After the main riff establishes itself, Mustaine launches into a trademark furious, buzzing riff - which forms the basis of the song's verses. Snappy drumming, the buzzing riffing, and Mustaine's snarling vocals fill the verses - and they are full of all the vim and vigour which Megadeth have always been known for. Mustaine's voice might not be as strong as it once was, but he does a good job throughout this album - and the simple, shout-along chorus is a really hooky moment. The pace slows a little during the chorus, and Verbeuren lays down some great double bass drum fills, whilst each chorus rendition is followed by high-octane shredding. Mäntysaari follows the first chorus, whilst the second sees Mäntysaari and Mustaine trading off. Ending as it began, with some more mid-paced riffing, Tipping Point gets the album off to a fiery and impressive start. The first half of this album is particularly strong - and these vibes continue on throughout I Don't Care, a punky mid-paced number. Driven largely by LoMenzo's bass and a simple drum groove, especially during the verses, I Don't Care features that semi-spoken word delivery previously used on songs like Sweating Bullets. This vocal delivery is not for everyone, but it works well here in my opinion - especially given how simple the arrangement is. The bass does all the heavy lifting, whilst guitar riffs are thrown in here and there to add colour. Regular short solos are also utilised, with both Mäntysaari and Mustaine soloing throughout. The snaking bass is ever-present, though, even during the soloing - and there is something smooth about these instrumental moments which contrast nicely with the punk feel of the main verses and pseudo chorus. Hey, God?! retains the mid-paced vibes of the previous song, but the punk feel is reined in - and the song instead goes for that snaking, creepy mid-paced vibe that Megadeth have done so well for many years. Chugging guitar riffing, with knotty little accents, propelling bass playing, and organic drumming are a great backing for Mustaine's storytelling vocal style on this track - with the verses and chorus melding together nicely to allow the song's core groove to remain. The headbanging and foot-tapping overall feel that this track conjures up very much taps into Megadeth's more commercial side, but Mustaine has always had the knack for making songs like this hooky - and there are more solo spots, with Mäntysaari shredding and Mustaine laying down some bluesier licks. So far this album has covered three of Megadeth's core sounds in three songs - and there is still plenty more to come.

Picking up the pace again is Let There Be Shred, a fast-paced, thrashy number which really showcases that NWOBHM influence which has forever found its way into the thrash scene. The main riff, which resurfaces throughout the song has that spiky Diamond Head vibe which the West Coast thrash scene was essentially born from, whilst a simplified version of such forms the basis of a furious verse - which sees plenty of short busts of shredded lead guitar punctuating Mustaine's vocals. Unlike many faster songs, the chorus does not see the song slow things down. The riffing becomes somewhat simpler during the chorus, but it maintains the song's overall pace - with hanging chords allowing Mustaine's vocals to stand out a little more. Given the song's title, the use of plentiful lead guitar throughout makes sense - even if Mustaine's main solo section is actually the slowest part of the song overall. Puppet Parade returns to the snaking, somewhat smooth mid-paced sound of Hey, God?! - and it is very much a song which feels inspired by the sound of 1992's Countdown to Extinction. It is certainly a fairly mainstream-sounding song overall, but Megadeth have always done this sort of song well - and it feels like Symphony of Destruction is being channelled in the sense of the song's simple, pulsing verses and a slightly haunting chorus backed by a lyrical guitar melody. Semi-spoken verses against a simple riff and a strong bass presence echo the band's classic era, then, whilst the overtly melodic nature of the chorus is sure to get people singing along live. In some ways, I am surprised the song was not released as a single. I would not be surprised to see it included in the setlist of the upcoming tour, though, as it feels like many of the classics of the past. Another Bad Day opens with a distant guitar lead, which returns when the song starts proper - laying down a simple melodic hook over another crunchy, mid-paced riff. Like the previous number, too, this song is clearly tapping back into Megadeth's 1990s sound - but perhaps the more overtly hooky vibes of 1997's Cryptic Writings are more closely represented here. Mustaine sings the song in a more melodic manner, and the repetitive chorus, with its bluesy guitar lead backing, feels somewhat poppier than much of the rest of the album. Even the guitar playing here feels a bit more reined in. The guitar leads throughout are slow-burners, and the riffing is deliberate and crunchy. Mäntysaari's solo is fairly slow-paced, too, with plenty of bluesy licks to fit in with the song's somewhat more restrained feeling. Opening with a big drum barrage, Cozy Powell style, Made to Kill picks up the pace somewhat following the last couple of songs - and injects back in plenty of that classic Megadeth attitude. It is not the fastest song here, but there is certainly a powerful urgency throughout. Given how high LoMenzo's bass is in the mix, the verses have a buzzing sound to them which only aids the urgency - and the overall guitar riffing is a bit more potent again here. Despite my previous comments about the song's overall speed, there are a couple of very fast sections which significantly up the urgency for brief periods. These moments are full of pure thrash energy - and are capped off with high-octane guitar solos.

Moving to the back end of the album now, Obey the Call opens with some almost laid back lead guitar licks which slowly fade into view. This guitar playing sounds strangely distant until the song gets going proper - and the overall vibe is that of another mid-paced crunchy hard rocker. The verses here have something of an old-school heavy metal sound, with Judas Priest-esque drumming and chugging riffing - over which Mustaine snarls in that semi-spoken word approach he utilises so well. As was the case with Puppet Parade, and a couple of other cuts here, the chorus feels more overtly melodic. Mustaine seems to truly the sing the chorus here, whilst a subtle guitar lead in the background somewhat seems to harmonise with him. Whilst the song is largely mid-paced, then, things do speed up at the end. The last section of the song is essentially a big guitar battle - with two solos from Mäntysaari sandwiching one from Mustaine. This final burst of energy makes the song much more interesting than it otherwise would be - and it becomes a pretty powerful effort as a result. I Am War opens with something of a phased guitar riff, which continues on as the rest of the band crashes in - albeit with an edgier and more powerful overall tone. As was the case with Made to Kill, LoMenzo's bass is quite high in the mix again - meaning that the verses chop along despite the overall mid-paced grooves. Overall, though, this is another pretty melodic mid-paced number. There are a few songs very similar to it here, and I feel that others are stronger. There is nothing wrong with the song, and the simple chorus is pretty effective thanks to some strong vocal melodies and another decent guitar lead, but this is a seam which Megadeth have mined a lot on this album. Another truly fast-paced number would have really added to the back end of the album in my opinion. Some true thrash would have been welcome, then, but Megadeth have always operated in mid-paced circles - so a focus on such here should not come as much of a surprise. The album then comes to a close with The Last Note, a somewhat lengthier piece which, whilst not exactly a fast-paced number, feels crunchier and heavier than the previous song. It actually opens slowly, with clean guitar melodies and some mournful vocals from Mustaine - before a fairly quick, crunching riff takes over and dominates the rest of the song. I do not always pay close attention to song lyrics, unless they genuinely stand out or I am trying to follow a concept album, but I do like the lyrics here - even if they are a bit on the nose. The song is essentially Mustaine setting out why he is going to be calling it a day in the near future - and it seems surprisingly heartfelt, which is not something I would generally say about Megadeth's songs. It is a memorable and strong song for those reasons - but it is also hooky, with a decent chorus and a great overall groove. Mustaine's solo is actually done acoustically, too, which gives the song a different feel - before Mäntysaari takes over with one last shredded moment. The acoustic guitar returns for the song's coda, too, which features Mustaine talking over the delicate melodies - bringing the band's recorded output to a typically snide close. Megadeth have released stronger albums over the years, but as a final effort I think this self-titled album gets a lot right. I would have preferred a little more speed overall but many of the songs here are hooky and the guitar playing throughout from both Mustaine and Mäntysaari is excellent. There are worse ways to go out than releasing a very solid album that covers a lot of ground and Megadeth can go out feeling that their recorded output ended with something strong.

The album was released on 23rd January 2026 via Tradecraft/BLKIIBLK Records. Below is the band's promotional video for Tipping Point.