Megadeth’s final album may feature a cover of Metallica’s ‘Ride The Lightning’, Dave Mustaine hints at full circle closure in a fitting metal farewell.
It’s looking like Dave Mustaine will be signing off in the most poetic way possible, Megadeth’s upcoming final self titled album (released January 23, 2026), might include a cover of Metallica’s ‘Ride The Lightning’, a song Mustaine helped write before being kicked out of the band more than four decades ago.
Fans spotted the clue as Megadeth began drip feeding the new track list on social media, with one untitled slot sparking speculation that it’s a reimagined take on the Metallica classic. For Mustaine, the move would be as symbolic as it gets, reclaiming one of his earliest song writing credits as a farewell statement.
Speaking on Norwegian radio show Stjernepose, Mustaine said, “One of the songs is a cover song but I actually wrote it, so it’s kind of like a cover, kind of like my song.” That alone sent the internet into meltdown, because, well, who else could he mean?
Metal rivalry
The Metallica–Megadeth rivalry has fuelled metal folklore since the early ’80s, when Mustaine was ousted from Metallica and replaced by Kirk Hammett before ‘Kill ’Em All’ was recorded. Despite that split, Mustaine still earned co-writing credits on ‘Ride The Lightning’ and ‘The Call of Ktulu’. Covering that song now would feel less like revenge and more like closure.
In a press statement announcing Megadeth’s curtain call, Mustaine said, “There’s so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional… 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.”
He continued, “If there was ever a perfect time for us to put out a new album, it’s now. This is also a perfect time for us to tell you that it’s our last studio album.”
A career that began with bitterness might just end with peace and a riff that started it all.
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