Megadeth

Thrash metal band from Los Angeles, California, USA, formed by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine and bass guitarist David Ellefson in 1983. Part of the "Big 4 of Metal" along with Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer, Megadeth helped popularize thrash metal in the 1980s, and is considered one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Megadeth's debut release 32911 was released in 1985, two years after Mustaine's contentious departure from Metallica. While the album was not a commercial success, it succeeded in announcing to the world that Dave Mustaine was a force to be reckoned with, with or without Metallica. It was on 1986's 32923 that Megadeth truly made a name for themselves, with blistering pace, technical precision, and lyrical angst that would forever define the Megadeth sound. 1988's 32927 further cemented them as one of metal's greats, and saw Mustaine exploring more personal subject matters in his lyrics. After numerous line-up changes in these early years, Megadeth found stability with their most well-known lineup of Dave Mustaine, Dave Ellefson, Marty Friedman, and Nick Menza for the 1990 release 32937, widely considered one the greatest metal albums of all time. In 1992 they released 32933, the band's most commercially successful album to date and featuring two of their most popular songs, "Symphony of Destruction" and "Sweating Bullets." This lineup would go on to release two more albums together - 32940, another commercial success with the hit track "Train of Consequences," and 32951, which saw the band take a new direction and embrace a more commercial sound. With this change came some criticism from their loyal metal fan base, as well as the departure of drummer Nick Menza. The criticism intensified with 1999's 33026, by far the band's most controversial release. The pivot from thrash to radio-friendly rock alienated many fans and caused some turmoil in the band, ultimately leading to the departure of guitar virtuoso Marty Friedman. After this tumultuous period, and due to a nerve injury in his left arm, Dave Mustaine disbanded Megadeth in 2002. Following a year of physical therapy, Mustaine began work on what was to be his first solo album, yet contractual obligations forced 33085 to be released under the Megadeth name. After remastering and reissuing updated versions of the Megadeth back catalog in 2004, Mustaine decided to reform the band. Between 2004 and 2022, Megadeth released seven more studio albums and went through numerous lineup changes, including the departure of co-founder and bassist Dave Ellefson, with Mustaine remaining the only constant member. Each new release with new musicians saw Megadeth getting closer and closer to their original thrash metal roots, with 2016's 946104 and 2022's 2769062 especially showcasing some of heaviest music they had ever recorded. On August 14, 2025, Dave Mustaine announced that Megadeth were working on their final album and global farewell tour. Their self-titled final album was released on January 23, 2026, and their global tour is planned to conclude in 2028.