Megadeth’s Final Album Is A Strong Ending (Review)

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Megadeth have been a staple in thrash metal since their debut release, ‘Killing Is My Business…And Business Is Good!‘ back in 1985. The band, led by Dave Mustaine, dropped their self-titled final record on 23rd January. This goodbye from the group is full of electric riffs, hard-hitting drums, and powerful energy.

The LP begins with ‘Tipping Point‘ followed by ‘I Don’t Care‘. As both were previously released as singles, they had already become part of my regular rotation. I do feel as though the latter isn’t one of their stronger songs in terms of lyricism. It does feel a little over-the-top. Having said that, the guitar solos absolutely make up for it. One of the defining factors of this band has consistently been the insane guitar work. Think ‘Hangar 18‘ or ‘Symphony Of Destruction‘, to name a few. Teemu Mäntysaari is a wonderful addition to this group. His guitar work slots in as though he’s been there since the beginning.

Strong Collection of Musicians

Another great musician who needs to be highlighted is drummer Dirk Verbeuren. His powerful, high-tempo playing really ties the tracks together. ‘Let There Be Shred‘ and ‘Made To Kill‘ are great examples of this feature. It allows for the extravagant guitar work to not get lost amongst the mix. Of course, this is also in part due to a good bassist. James LoMenzo, formerly of White Lion, is the man behind the bass. Whilst Dave is the only member who has been there since the beginning, there’s no doubt that he has found some incredible musicians to close the band with.

In songs like ‘Puppet Parade‘, you can definitely hear the strain in Dave’s voice compared to his earlier vocal work. I think that it’s important to note that he battled throat cancer back in 2019. To still be performing live and creating studio recordings is commendable. With his vocals always having a distinct snarl to them, I feel as though he’s been able to work through these struggles successfully. Most fans either love or loathe his vocal abilities. I don’t necessarily think it would work with every genre, but thrash metal allows for distinct voices that add to the grit and darkness of the tracks.

Metallica Bonus Track

One of my most highly anticipated parts of this album was definitely their Metallica cover, closing the LP as a bonus track. ‘Ride The Lightning‘ has to be one of my favourites, so I had high hopes when I heard Megadeth were covering the song of the same name. The biggest difference to me was the production quality. The focus on the guitar and the rawness stand out on this version. In contrast, the original feels much bigger and fuller. I certainly wasn’t disappointed, and it was cool to hear a reimagining like this. Both bands have been consistently compared to each other throughout their careers. Yet this demonstrates how they both have strong points and defining qualities that make them two separate powerhouses of metal.

On a more personal note, this band opened the doors for me to a genre and a style of music that has since defined my life. I will never forget hearing ‘Peace Sells‘ for the first time and finally understanding what metal is all about. Since then, I have engrossed myself in primarily thrash, nu-metal, and hardcore, with a lot of music I once never looked twice at being the staple of my existence today. This is absolutely down to Megadeth, and I’d be doing myself an injustice if I didn’t publicly thank them for all they’ve given me.

Rating: 8/10

Megadeth are on Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, Threads, and X. You can stream their album, ‘Megadeth‘, below, and read more album reviews here.

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