LOS ANGELES (CelebrityAccess) — Dave Mustaine, frontman of the Grammy-winning thrash metal band Megadeth, has revealed that the band’s final studio album is slated for release early next year, to be followed by a farewell tour kicking off in 2026.
“There are so many musicians who come to the end of their career, whether by accident or by choice,” Mustaine said. “Most of them don’t get to go out on their own terms, on top—and that’s where I’m at in my life right now. I’ve traveled the world and made millions upon millions of fans, and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them.”
In a social media post, Mustaine continued: “We can’t wait for you to hear this album and see us on tour. If there was ever a perfect time to put out a new album, it’s now. If there was ever a perfect time to tour the world, it’s now. This is also the perfect time to tell you it’s our last studio album. We’ve made a lot of friends over the years, and I hope to see all of you on our global farewell tour. Don’t be mad, don’t be sad—be happy for us all. Come celebrate with me these next few years. We’ve done something together that’s truly wonderful and will probably never happen again. We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it’s played, and we changed the world. The bands I played in have influenced the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything.”
Formed by Mustaine in 1983 after his departure from Metallica, Megadeth became a pioneer of thrash metal alongside bands such as Slayer and Anthrax. Known for their intricate guitar work, blistering tempos, and politically charged lyrics, the band first broke through with Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? (1986) and cemented their status with Rust in Peace (1990). Over the course of four decades, Megadeth has sold more than 50 million records, earned multiple Grammy nominations, and remained a defining force in metal.
