Megadeth

About

Megadeth is an American thrash metal band founded in Los Angeles in 1983 by guitarist and vocalist Dave Mustaine after his departure from Metallica. One of the genre's 'Big Four' alongside Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax, the band has released 17 studio albums - classics such as 'Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?' (1986), 'Rust in Peace' (1990) and 'Countdown to Extinction' (1992) among them. Their self-titled final album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in January 2026, the first chart-topper in the band's four-decade career.

5.1M

Spotify monthly listeners

19.9B

Total Spotify streams

Peak Billboard 200 position (self-titled album, 2026)

Billboard 200 albums charted across career

What's new

2026-02
Megadeth's self-titled final album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 - the first chart-topper in the band's history - with 73,000 equivalent album units in its first week.
2026-01
The self-titled 17th and final studio album was released on January 23, 2026, accompanied by the cinematic event 'Megadeth: Behind the Mask' screening in over 1,000 cinemas across 35+ countries.
2026-02
The band's farewell world tour kicked off on February 15 in Victoria, British Columbia, with Anthrax and Exodus as support acts on the Canadian leg.
2025-08
Dave Mustaine announced in August 2025 that the forthcoming album and 2026 world tour would be Megadeth's last.
2025-03
Finnish guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari was confirmed as Megadeth's new lead guitarist, replacing Kiko Loureiro, making the final album his first with the band.