If you’ve clicked onto an article such as this, you should already be well-aware of the institution that is Megadeth: now seventeen albums deep into their career, the group are Grammy award winners and thrash legends, with Dave Mustaine’s forty year long vendetta against his former bandmates Metallica now standing as one of the most extensive and iconic discographies in metal. Now in 2026, it all comes to a close. The group’s new self-titled project is slated to be their last, with Mustaine choosing to end his career on his own terms— for that reason alone, his final outing carries with it an unmistakable charm.

‘Megadeth’ is the product of a vastly different design document than the likes of 2016’s ‘Dystopia’ and 2022’s ‘The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!’— where those records sounded like a band truly attempting to craft something that could stand toe-to-toe with the classics, the self-titled album is on a far less serious mission. Right down to its honest, stripped-back production (which, if we’re being honest, can sound needlessly flat and empty in places), Mustaine’s final release is clearly meant to be fun, first and foremost: it’s the sound of a group enjoying one last hurrah, filling the project with tongue-in-cheek lyrical clichés, familiar songwriting tropes and cheery performances. There’s no world in which a band aiming to redefine their legacy would pen the juvenile lyrics, punk-infused riffs and “you gotta know, gotta know, gotta know” hooks of single ‘I Don’t Care.’ Rather, the song sees fit to indulge in the angsty persona Dave Mustaine has cloaked himself in for forty years, and though the end product may be overly repetitive and meat-headed, there’s a certain level of charm in its sneered vocal refrains and youthful taunts.

The first half of this long-awaited swansong is primarily dominated by its singles, and each one was a good choice for independent release. Opener ‘Tipping Point’ may be the most Megadeth song that Megadeth have ever released, racing its way through a host of classic thrash riffs, brief choruses, flashy guitar solos and a groovy outro pulled straight from ‘The System Has Failed’ or ‘United Abominations.’ New lead player Teemu Mäntysaari slots into his role extremely naturally here (so naturally, in fact, that many of his best moments feel entirely inseparable from the contributions of former members Marty Friedman and Kiko Loureiro), soaring on top of the ever-reliable rhythm section that is James LoMenzo and Dirk Verbeuren. If anyone’s letting the side down, it’s Mustaine himself, who’s nasally vocal style is more hoarse and strained here than ever before— listening to the unsteady singing that drags down songs like ‘Hey God?!’ and ‘Another Bad Day,’ it isn’t hard to see why the frontman would be eager to finally throw in the towel.

Even still, ‘Megadeth’ manages to deliver on the simple promise of ‘one last ride for one of thrash metal’s greatest,’ albeit inconsistently. ‘Let There Be Shred’ is cheesy to the core, recounting Mustaine’s love of all things guitar in a particularly excitable fashion, but manages to balance that enthusiasm against its urgent riffs and furious Mäntysaari solos in a genuinely heartwarming manner. The following ‘Puppet Parade’ is similarly strong, calling back to the groovier writing the band toyed with on ‘Countdown To Extinction’ and ‘Cryptic Writings’— even despite the aforementioned vocal issues, the song’s catchy chorus and dependable style make it something of a standout. If there is a true highlight among this track list though, it must surely be ‘The Last Note,’ which confronts Mustaine’s fight against time and the end of his career head on. In an album full of goofy antics and boyish guitar-hero fantasies, this is the song that really bares the record’s soul to the world: its acoustic guitar parts make for a wonderful send-off for the band, as do its lyrics, which are obviously and inarguably the strongest on offer here.

“Each mile, the road has worn me thin

Each song has got beneath my skin

The strings and amps still scream and cry

And I can't outrun the spinning hands of time”

The rest of the record, really, is fluff surrounding those highlights: even if Megadeth have earned the right to play things safe after forty years, their last album winds up feeling pretty unmemorable for the most part. Oftentimes, this self-titled project barely sounds like a thrash record at all, but a mid-paced rocker with the occasional wicked solo thrown into the mix— the dynamic playing of ‘Tornado Of Souls’ and ‘Hangar 18’ now feels long ago. ‘Make To Kill’ and ‘Obey The Call’ are attempts to spur some energy back into the project, even if neither one would’ve stood out on near-any previous Megadeth album: it’s here that the band feel tired, like they’re going through the motions one last time. That overwhelming sense of weariness is also the death nail of ‘Another Bad Day’ and ‘I Am War,’ which both see Mustaine and company on absolute autopilot. If there’s a song that really needs to be critiqued, though, it’s the cover of ‘Ride The Lightning’ that’s been turning heads. Whether the inclusion is a satisfying full-circle moment for Dave Mustaine or a final bitter jab at Metallica, we may never know— regardless, the cut’s unending faithfulness to the original, combined with the weakest vocals on the entire project, hardly make this a particularly noteworthy end to Megadeth’s final outing.

Anyone expecting this band to come out with another ‘Rust In Peace’ at this point in their career is living in a fantasy: ‘Megadeth’ may not be sitting in-amongst the classics, but neither is it bottom-feeding alongside ‘Risk’ and ‘Super Collider.’ Dave Mustaine’s swansong is a deeply flawed effort reflective of its head creator, but there’s a certain charm to seeing this band have some fun with their final release— you can practically hear the smiles on the bands faces during ‘Let There Be Shred’ and ‘I Don’t Care.’ Megadeth are going out on a middle-of-the-road release, and they’ve probably earned the right to do so. If you’re a fan of the group, this self-titled album is a sweet enough send-off.