★★★★☆
2025 was a year punctuated with goodbyes in the rock genre, with heavy metal legends Megadeth joining in a final, dignified bow. One last album and a (no doubt) extensive final tour mark the end for the thrash icons. ‘Megadeth’ is a fitting full stop in the story; the self-titled release is the definitive message that, 43 years later, the band still remains who they were in the beginning. Precise, unyielding, and powerful—just slightly older and more seasoned.
Mustaine, joined by drummer Dick Verbeuren, bassist James LoMenzo, and newest member Teemu Mäntysaari, does what many in the industry have struggled to do: leave with dignity still intact with an album every bit as relevant and technically impressive as those that came before it.
The album’s two lead singles showed that age is nothing on the thrash heroes, with ‘Tipping Point’ bearing all the hallmarks of a modern Megadeth classic—blazing hooks, winding solos, and frantic drums—while ‘I Don’t Care’ channels the punk roots many had thought the band had left behind. With an almost childlike attitude, it has all the angst and snarl you’d expect, alongside an impeccable trade-off between Mäntysaari and Mustaine that is every bit as sharp as it is hypnotic.
While the previous tracks show the band’s sharp technical prowess, ‘Hey God!’ highlights the band’s ability to strip back. Locking in to the groove they perfected on 1992’s ‘Countdown to Extinction’, the track is every bit as electric without the reliance on the classic thrash metal tropes. As Mustaine speaks to the omniscient figure, it covers the universality of insecurity and loneliness without falling into despair, accompanied by a steady performance by Verbeuren, LoMenzo, and Mäntysaari.
Every bit as revelrous and thrilling as the title suggests, ‘Let There Be Shred’ opens with a riff that transports listeners back to the early days of Megadeth. It’s the perfect live staple, blending catchiness with deft precision, as Mustaine describes the adrenaline rush of live music, and Mäntysaari channels the excellence of Marty Friedman with his own visceral virtuosity.
Tracks ‘Puppet Parade’ and ‘Another Bad Day’ are a mid-tempo detour, reminiscent of 1994’s ‘Youthanasia’ in their chromatic progression and melodic edge. Both tracks, while rhythmic, are anything but sedated, with the four-piece’s individual charms keeping the band’s synonymous attitude alive.
A standout on the album is ‘Made to Kill’, which brings back the tempo to where the album began with the same unrestrained intent suggested in the title. With changes in groove and tempo, it echoes the acclaimed ‘Endgame’ album, with a fresh take on what is considered by many to be their finest. A hypnotic solo from Verbeuren opens the track before roaring into life with the singer’s signature spoken-word delivery recounting the realities of war, delivering a harrowing reminder of the darkness in the world.
The fitting end to not just the album, but the career of one of thrash metal’s biggest acts, comes in the poignant ‘The Last Note’, which journeys through Mustaine’s relentless career before offering one final heartfelt plea to “Let this last note never die”. His signature growl in the foreground of a stark guitar line builds into an emotional race against time, a five-minute track that blends acoustic and electric technicality with unflinchingly powerful meaning. It acts as the frontman's final testament, the match that has kept on burning for years, finally snuffed out. And what a flame it was.
The final curveball, however, is ‘Ride the Lightning’, offering the full circle moment that fully closes the book on Megadeth. A song that Mustaine wrote with Metallica's James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, and Lars Ulrich, the bonus track feels like the perfect tip of the cap to where this all started. And likely means more to Mustaine than most will ever understand as he looks back on his early career.
‘Megadeth’ is not your usual self-titled egotism. It’s the culmination of a career fuelled by passion and skill crafted over decades; one that no one will forget, as where would heavy metal be without Megadeth? Their final album is the everlasting last note that cements the band’s position in musical history, and is anything but “a quiet end to it all”.
Megan-Louise Burnham
Image: Ross Halfin
If you enjoyed reading this article, please consider buying us a coffee. The money from this pot goes towards the ever-increasing yearly costs of running and hosting the site, and our "Writer Of The Month" cash prize.