Megadeth founder and frontman Dave Mustaine has announced that the long-running metal band’s forthcoming album and 2026 tour will be their last.
The announcement, in a social post directly shared with his fans and “Cyber Army,” features the band’s mascot and Mustaine’s “alter ego” Vic Rattlehead “speaking” for the first time.
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However, the statement is from Mustaine himself. “There’s so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,” he says. “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 have traveled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them.
“We can’t wait for you to hear this album and see us on tour. If there was ever a perfect time for us 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 a perfect time for us to tell you that 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 have done something together that’s truly wonderful and will probably never happen again,” he concludes. “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.”
Megadeth was founded in 1983 after Mustaine was ejected from Metallica, the pioneering metal band he co-founded. They released their first album, the following year and truly arrived with the 1986 collection “Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?,” revealing a punk-influenced political attitude that has remained with the group ever since.
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