LONDON, UNITED KINGDOM – 2025/10/26: Dave Mustaine of Megadeth seen performing live on stage. Megadeth played London’s O2 Arena as Special guests of the Band Disturbed on their 25th Anniversary tour Sick Things. Megadeth consists of Dave Mustaine (vocals, guitars), Teemu Mäntysaari (guitars), James LoMenzo (bass), and Dirk Verbeuren (drums). (Photo by Bonnie Britain/SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images)
SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images
The final album from the thrash metal legends Megadeth is now out, and after sitting down with these 10 new tracks it’s clear the band are not riding the same musical high they once were. Among thrash metal’s Big Four, which includes Metallica, Megadeth Slayer, and Anthrax, Megadeth have always stood out for having superb instrumentalists throughout its career. Nearly every one of the band’s 17 studio albums has featured a different lineup or era of the band, and with this final LP the same is true – lead guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari makes a stunning debut on this album.
However, apart from having strong instrumentalists, what halts this LP from standing shoulder to shoulder next to Megadeth’s classic albums is the same aspect that has weighed on the last three Megadeth releases: Dave Mustaine’s often subpar lyrical writing and his limited vocal range.
What’s Great About Megadeth’s Final Album?
It’s rather easy to summarize what’s great about Megadeth’s self-titled album, and it shouldn’t really come as a surprise to fans. There’s an abundance of intricate riffs, hypnotic solo passages and wickedly tight drumming to be found on this LP. From an instrumental aspect much of the songwriting sounds like an amalgamation of the band’s 90s era. Songs “Hey God!?,” “Puppet Parade,” and “Another Bad Day” feel like the band channeling the Countdown to Extintion era, and Teemu Mäntysaari’s riveting solos shimmer with the same brilliant phrasing found in Marty Friedman’s playing. Both “Tipping Point” and “I Don’t Care” might even be among the greatest Megadeth solos, despite the ladder track featuring one of the cringiest vocal hooks in the band’s entire discography.
What’s Bad About Megadeth’s Final Album?
Unsurprisingly the main issue with this LP is Dave Mustaine’s vocals. There are certainly moments where Mustaine’s lyrics and singing sound decent enough and they don’t get in the way of the otherwise great instrumentals, but it’s far too inconsistent overall. “I Don’t Care” for instance has vocals and lyrics that sound far too immature for a songwriter who once wrote poignant anthems like “Holy Wars…The Punishment Due” and “Peace Sells.” A similar anecdote can be said about a handful of the other tracks on this LP, particularly “Made To Kill,” “I Am War,” and “Another Bad Day.”
There’s hardly any depth to the lyrics or the vocal hooks that Mustaine desperately tries work into each chorus. It’s unfortunate that there are so many issues vocally, as it makes the album completely carried by the instrumental performances. However, “Last Note,” the final track on the album, might be the best track with regards to Mustaine’s vocal performance and lyrics – “Last Note” is Mustaine’s final goodbye, his swan song to the genre he helped create.
Megadeth’s Metallica Cover
For this final LP Dave Mustaine decided to pay homage to his early days when he was a member of Metallica by covering “Ride The Lightning” and featuring it as a bonus track. The result is a bit of head-scratcher, as the song is a one to one cover with nothing changed, even Kirk Hammett’s iconic solo section, which is especially odd considering Mustaine has admittedly bashed Hammett’s playing over the years. And as one can suspect, Mustaine’s vocal capabilities are nowhere near the likes of Metallica’s James Hetfield, which just makes this a throwaway cover.
Bottom Line
Between the band’s final album and their other recent LPs, there’s not one clear album that is drastically better than the other. Instrumentally the band sounds phenomenal on this album, but vocally and lyrically Dave Mustaine continues to hold songs back from reaching greater heights. And the same can be said for the other recent Megadeth albums – Mustaine’s vocals often feel like a burden to the songs, and the band’s instrumentalists do most of the heavy lifting, including Mustaine himself. It’s a shame this is the only Megadeth album to feature Teemu Mäntysaari, as he comes across as one of the most competent guitarists to ever grace the band. That being said, this final Megadeth album feels like it should have been released a decade ago.
Verdict: 6/10