The thrash metal band’s global farewell trek kicks off next year
After 40-plus years, Dave Mustaine is ready to put Megadeth to rest. The thrasher announced plans for a final album and tour, and revealed a memoir is on the way.
Mustaine posted the announcement via his alter ego, Vic Rattlehead. The new album, titled The End Is Nearwill arrive next year. The LP follows 2022’s The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!
“There’s so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,” Mustaine said in a statement. “Most of them don’t get to go out on their own terms on top, and that’s where I’m at in my life right now. I have traveled the world and have made millions upon millions of fans and the hardest part of all of this is saying goodbye to them.”
“We can’t wait for you to hear this album and see us on tour,” he continued. “If there was ever a perfect time for us to put out a new album, it’s now. If there was ever a perfect time to tour the world, it’s now. This is also a perfect time for us to tell you that it’s our last studio album.”
Mustaine’s memoir will also arrive next year. The book will follow the 2020 oral history Rust in Peace: The Inside Story of the Megadeth Masterpiece and former lead guitarist Marty Friedman’s memoir Dreaming Japanesereleased last year. Megadeth’s global farewell tour will kick off in 2026; dates have yet to be announced.
“We’ve made a lot of friends over the years and I hope to see all of you on our global farewell tour,” Mustaine said. “Don’t be mad, don’t be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years. We have done something together that’s truly wonderful and will probably never happen again. We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it’s played, and we changed the world. The bands I played in have influenced the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything.”
