Megadeth Announce Final Album and Farewell Tour, Closing a Chapter in Metal Bass History
After four decades of shredding, Megadeth has announced that next year will be their last. Dave Mustaine and the crew will be releasing one more album in 2026 with an accompanying farewell tour. The news was shared by their mascot Vic Rattlehead in an apocalyptic video.
The band, which Mustaine started in Los Angeles in 1983, has released 16 studio albums and toured all around the world. Mustaine
“There’s so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,” he stated. “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. 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 truly wonderful that 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.”
Megadeth’s current lineup includes Mustaine, drummer Dirk Verbeuren, guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, and bassist James LoMenzo, who rejoined the fold in 2021 following the dismissal of bassist David Ellefson. LoMenzo also had a run with the group from 2006 to 2010.
Megadeth began with bassist Matt Kisselstein, who was in for a short period of time before being replaced by Ellefson. After Mustaine disbanded the group in 2002, they reformed with Jimmie Lee Sloas on bass and then James MacDonough. Bass great Steve Di Giorgio also had a role in the band, recording for their latest album, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!.
Much of the band’s classic bass lines were performed by Ellefson, including “Peace Sells”:
Megadeth has yet to announce tour dates and the date of the album release. We’ll keep you updated with details as they become available.
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
