Megadeth Announce Final Album And Farewell Tour For 2026
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After four decades of melting faces and redefining thrash, Megadeth are preparing to take their final bow. Frontman and co-founder Dave Mustaine has confirmed the band will retire after releasing one last studio album in 2026, followed by a global farewell tour.
The final line-up sees Mustaine joined by bassist James LoMenzo, drummer Dirk Verbeuren, and guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari. While details about the swan song album are still under wraps, Mustaine has already unveiled the cover art (below) a symbolic preview for what’s set to be a milestone release in metal history.
Full Circle Moment
In a press made statement, Mustaine made it clear this is his choice, not a forced hand:
“Most musicians 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 travelled the world, made millions of fans, and the hardest part is saying goodbye to them.”
Calling on fans to join the celebration rather than mourn the end, Mustaine framed the upcoming run as a full-circle moment:
“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. We’ve started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world — and we changed the world.”
Megadeth – The End Is Near – Video Teaser
Megadeth’s previous release, The Sick, The Dying… and the Dead! (2022), was hailed as a sharp return to form, proving the band still had plenty of fire left in them. But with this upcoming album marking their 17th and final full-length, it’s clear Mustaine wants to end the Megadeth story at its peak.
OSLO, NORWAY – JUNE 28: (L-R) James LoMenzo, Dick Verbeuren, Dave Mustaine and Teemu Mäntysaari from Megadeth perform on stage at the Tons of Rock festival on June 28, 2025 in Oslo, Norway. (Photo by Per Ole Hagen/Redferns)
Since 1983
Formed in 1983 after Mustaine’s high-profile exit from Metallica, Megadeth went on to sell millions of records, pioneer the thrash movement alongside the “Big Four,” and influence generations of metal guitarists. With classics like Rust in Peace, Countdown to Extinction, and Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?, they leave behind a catalogue as ferocious as it is iconic.
No tour dates have been revealed yet, but when they drop, expect arenas packed with fans ready to send one of metal’s most important bands off in style.
