Megadeth
Megadeth

THE REVIEW

Formed by Dave Mustaine in 1983, after countless lineup changes, on January 23, 2026 Megadeth released their seventeenth album, simply titled Megadeth. The story behind this latest album is rather troubled; after the frontman recovered from cancer during the previous record, there was the departure of bassist Dave Ellefson due to ongoing quarrels with Mustaine himself. His place during the recording sessions was taken by James LoMenzo, while on guitar, replacing Kiko Loureiro, who also left the band to pursue his solo career, we have Teemu Mäntysaari. The sound offered on this album is nothing new compared to what the band has accustomed us to in their 40-year career; it draws on sounds that traverse their entire discography. We go from the early thrash metal with the first single "Tipping Point" and "Let There Be Shred", to tracks that echo the Countdown To Extinction era ("I Don’t Care", "Made To Kill"), up to heavier mid-tempo tracks reminiscent of the Youthanasia and Cryptic Writings periods ("Another Bad Day", "Puppets Parade", "Obey The Call", "I Am War"). On first listen, the songwriting is fairly convincing, however, one certainly can't call it miraculous, nor can one expect that a band on its seventeenth album, furthermore after dozens of lineup changes, still has the same energy and inspiration as in the beginning. In the first half of the album, you'll find all the singles already released prior to the record, a choice that perhaps contributes to lowering some of the listening interest; in this part of the album there are some highlights but also many self-celebratory moments, ends in themselves, "I Don’t Care" just to name one. One of the best tracks from this batch is "Let There Be Shred", where the speed of execution and the rhythm section have a tone that is pure Megadeth style, without becoming redundant. In the second part of the album, interest partly rises again, thanks to tracks with a more solid structure like the excellent "Obey The Call", even if, after several listens, they are unlikely to stick in your mind like the opener "Tipping Point". The album closes with "The Last Note", a title as simple as it is predictable, which, with its acoustic instrumental interweaving and solos divided between Mustaine and Mäntysaari, turns out to be one of the best songs on the record. There is also a cover of "Ride The Lightning" as a bonus track, which actually becomes the true final track of the album; played exactly like Metallica’s 1984 version, it feels like Dave Mustaine is both trying to lay his ghosts to rest by letting go of his historic grudge against Metallica, and also aiming to close Megadeth’s career with one of the first songs he composed in his youth—"Ride The Lightning", in fact. One thing that stands out with a careful listen is the slightly muffled production, which makes the drums sound less defined and some of the guitar solos a bit muddy; nothing dramatic, but the mix was definitely clearer on the previous two albums. To conclude, we can say that this is a well-played album, but not always engaging and that, nevertheless, will be remembered as the last work of a tormented but legendary band.

Best tracks: Obey The Call, The Last Note, Let There Be Shred