Is it just me, or does it feel oddly poetic that Megadeth announced their farewell right as Mercury parks itself in retrograde? Maybe it’s the cosmic chaos talking, but nothing says “the end is nigh” quite like a metal legend bowing out while the stars are basically playing air guitar in reverse . Today, somewhere between a turbulent Leo moon and my third cup of coffee, the universe serves up news that deserves more than a dramatic power chord crash—Megadeth is calling it quits after one last album and a 2026 global tour . Can you imagine Dave Mustaine looking at his natal chart, nodding with cosmic approval, and thinking, “Yep, time to exit—on my own terms”? There’s a certain wild beauty in it: the astrological calendar and the metal gods syncing up for one big, loud, bittersweet finale . If you ever doubted the universe has a sense of humor, just look at a horoscope today and then try to process the idea of Megadeth—not thrashing forever . Heavy sigh, devil horns up, and a big chunk of gratitude for the decades of ferocity and noise . Craving the full story? LEARN MORE.
Megadeth‘s decades-long run as one of the biggest metal groups in the world is coming to an end, as the band announced on Thursday that they’ll be hanging it up after one more album and an upcoming farewell tour in 2026.
“There’s so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,” Megadeth frontman Dave 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.”
The band didn’t share many details about when the tour will start beyond confirming for 2026, and the album will come out sometime early next year.
“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.”
Megadeth first formed in 1983, after Mustaine was removed from the original lineup of Metallica before the group released their debut album. Megadeth would go on to become one of the most influential heavy metal bands of all time, releasing sixteen studio albums, five of which have gone platinum. Megadeth released their first album, Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good! in 1985, and they earned their first platinum album with the follow-up record Peace Sells … But Who’s Buying. Mustaine, the band’s frontman, guitarist and primary songwriter, has been the band’s only consistent member over the decades.
The group has maintained a devout following of millions of fans for over 40 years, and their most recent album, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! debuted at No. 3 on Billboard’s 200 Albums chart back in 2022.
Mustaine will also release a memoir next year, the group confirmed, with more details expected in the coming months.
“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.”
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