Megadeth is saying farewell. After 16 albums, the band’s frontman, Dave Mustaine, announced on Thursday (Aug. 14) that their next project will be their last, with a goodbye tour to support it. The news came in the form of a video posted to the band’s YouTube page and social media accounts, featuring Mustaine’s alter ego, Vic Rattlehead breaking the news.
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“For over four decades, I’ve been chained in silence, but the end demands my voice,” Vic begins while seated behind a desk. “It is confirmed: The next Megadeth studio album will be the last. Forty years of metal, forged in steel, ending in fire. And when the new year rises, the global farewell tour. You’ve heard the warning. Now prepare yourself, Cyber Army. Stay loud, stay tuned, and meet me on the frontlines.”
In a press release, Mustaine thanked fans for their commitment and love while celebrating the band’s impact on rock n’ roll. “There’s so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,” Mustaine said. “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.”
He continued. “We can’t wait for you to hear this album and see us on tour. 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. We’ve made a lot of friends over the years and I hope to see all of you on our global farewell tour. 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.”
The follow-up to 2022’s The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead! will be released via Mustaine’s Tradecraft imprint on Frontiers Label Group’s new BLKIIBLK label, and does not yet have a release date, but is expected next year.
Fans can register for early access to exclusive information and offers surrounding the forthcoming final album on Megadeth’s website. According to the site, pre-orders start on Sept. 25. The initial run of farewell tour dates will also be announced later this year.
Check out a social media clip below featuring Vic Rattlehead breaking the news:
