After more than four decades of rage, riffs, and redemption, Megadeth are standing at the edge of their final chapter. Frontman Dave Mustaine, the man whose fiery departure from Metallica shaped the sound of thrash metal itself, is bringing his journey full circle. As the band prepares for their last studio album — and a farewell tour to follow — whispers of one track have the entire metal world holding its breath.
“One of the songs is a cover song — but I actually wrote it,” Mustaine said cryptically earlier this year.
Those words alone were enough to light a spark that’s now become a blaze: could Megadeth be covering a Metallica classic Mustaine helped create?
The self-titled Megadeth album, set for release on January 23, 2026, is already being hailed as one of the most anticipated metal releases in years. Described by Mustaine as a “statement and a send-off,” the record will mark the band’s seventeenth and final studio effort — and possibly the end of a four-decade rivalry that defined an era.
According to reports, the album’s tracklist includes songs such as:
Tipping Point, I Don’t Care, Hey God?!, Let There Be Shred, Puppet Parade, Another Bad Day, Made To Kill, and Obey The Call.
But it’s the mysterious ninth track, blurred in promotional materials, that has fans speculating wildly. Some claim it reads as Ride the Lightning — a song Mustaine co-wrote with Metallica before his 1983 dismissal. If true, it would be the most poetic full-circle moment in metal history: Mustaine reclaiming a piece of his past and reshaping it on his own terms.
The tension between Metallica and Megadeth has been the stuff of legend — a saga of bitterness, brilliance, and mutual influence that defined the genre. Mustaine has spoken openly about his complex history with his former bandmates, often oscillating between reflection and resolve.
In a recent interview, he said:
“We changed the guitar world and how it’s played… that’s where I’m at in my life right now.”
That quote now feels prophetic. Covering “Ride the Lightning” wouldn’t just be a nod to old wounds; it would be a reclamation — a musical peace treaty written in distortion and defiance.
Megadeth’s upcoming 2026 Farewell Tour will coincide with the album’s release, marking the final lap of one of heavy metal’s most influential bands. Fans can expect a setlist that bridges every era — from the feral speed of Peace Sells to the precision of Rust in Peace, and now, possibly, a thunderous reimagining of Ride the Lightning.
If confirmed, the inclusion of a Metallica cover would symbolize not rivalry, but reconciliation — a closing of the circle that began more than 40 years ago when Mustaine first picked up his guitar in anger and turned it into art.
