From global superstar & Megadeth founder
Dave Mustaine,
a powerful reflection on the harsh truths and
raw realizations that can only come from confronting death

In My Darkest Hour
A Memoir
By Dave Mustaine
With Joe Layden

September 8, 2026 | Da Capo | 240 pages
9780306837432 | $30.00 Hardcover
9780306837456 | $15.99 eBook
9781668655955 | $27.99 Audiobook

New York, NY (March 19, 2026)—Da Capo, an imprint of Grand Central Publishing (GCP) and the Hachette Book Group announce the publication of IN MY DARKEST HOUR: A Memoir by Dave Mustaine with Joe Layden on September 8, 2026. “In My Darkest Hour is Dave Mustaine at his most revealing, vulnerable, and true,” stated Ben Schafer, Executive Editor, Da Capo. “With lacerating honesty and soulful reflection, he speaks to the universal human experience of facing serious illness and how it changes a person, their family and friends, and one’s relationship with creativity. Da Capo is proud to publish Dave Mustaine’s most unblinking memoir to date, one that isn’t only for Megadeth fans.”

“One of most harrowing experiences of my adult life has been my seven-year journey through cancer treatment and onward into remission,” Dave Mustaine says about the experiences detailed in the forthcoming book. “This story is considerably more than just go to the doctor, get diagnosed, get treatment and hopefully I live happily ever after. This was journey of me saving myself, staying alive, keeping my family together, and continuing to make music through it all.”

Dave Mustaine is no stranger to pain and suffering. He battled demons all his life—including an alcoholic father, addiction, and black magic—and turned fifty-eight believing he’d survived the worst. But in 2019, Mustaine was forced to face the loss of his instantly recognizable voice and the disintegration of his musical talent. Diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma at the back of his tongue, his entire career—and possibly his life—was about to end.

For Mustaine, it was one more opportunity to fight like hell.

In My Darkest Hour takes readers from the treatment room to the studio as Mustaine chronicles how his diagnosis inspired him to take up the pen and guitar pick, going from radiation and chemotherapy appointments straight into hours-long recording sessions, resulting in Megadeth’s sixteenth studio album, The Sick, The Dying…and the Dead! Along the way, Mustaine details how confronting his own mortality brought him closer to his family, taught him how to ask for help, strengthened his faith, and challenged the vulnerability of his art.

Filled with perseverance, hope, and the determination to never let the bastards grind you down, In My Darkest Hour is a masterful portrait of a Dave Mustaine that the world has yet to see, and serves as a moving reminder that even our most invincible heroes are human.

Now, six years removed from that initial diagnosis, Mustaine is seeing the biggest success of his 40-plus-year career with Megadeth’s final studio album and tour. Committed to go out on top, Megadeth’s new album (released in January 2026) debuted at #1 on the Billboard 200 in the U.S., marking the band’s highest debut week ever on the chart. Around the world, the album garnered critical acclaim and hit #1 in 11 countries and landed Top 5 positions on 11 additional charts.

About Dave Mustaine: Dave Mustaine and his band Megadeth are always and forever the point of no return for metal. It would be nearly impossible to conceive where heavy music and culture would’ve gone without the band founded, fronted, and fueled by vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer Dave Mustaine. As a founding member of Metallica, and then founder of Megadeth, the blast radius of Mustaine’s impact has only been magnified since 1983. Thus far, they have sold 50 million records worldwide, received a GRAMMY® Award (with 12 additional nominations), generated billions of streams, notched nine Top 10 entries on the Billboard 200, and enthralled millions of diehard fans in arenas and stadiums across the globe. Their catalog spans indisputable classics such as the platinum Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? (cited at #8 on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time”), the platinum Rust In Peace, and double-platinum Countdown To Extinction, which captured #2 on the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, Dystopia notched a Top 3 debut and earned a GRAMMY® Award in the category of “Best Metal Performance” with its title track. They only upped the ferocity with The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! in 2022. It saw them return to #3, receive a “Best Metal Performance” GRAMMY® Award nomination for “We’ll Be Back,” and incite rave reviews. In 2026 Mustaine and the band reached the apex of their success: a #1 debut with their self-titled final album on the Billboard 200. Along with #1s on seven additional Billboard charts, Mustaine and Megadeth logged #1s in eleven countries. The band is currently on their multi-year farewell tour.

About Da Capo:

Da Capo is an imprint dedicated to publishing definitive biographies, memoirs, and narrative non-fiction about music and musicians. Through music, we encounter the world and the counterculture traditions that have animated creative movements in the 20^th and 21^st centuries. From classic rock and punk to metal, jazz, and hip hop, Da Capo’s books are made with the active listener in mind, whose music is a cornerstone of their identity.

About Grand Central Publishing:

Grand Central Publishing reaches a diverse audience through books that cater to every kind of reader. Its imprints are Balance, Cardinal, Da Capo, Forever, Grand Central, and Legacy Lit.   Grand Central Publishing is one of three divisions of the Grand Central Publishing Group, which also includes Hachette Nashville and Union Square & Co.

About Hachette Book Group:

Hachette Book Group (HBG) is a leading US general-interest book publisher made up of dozens of esteemed imprints within the publishing groups Basic Books Group; Grand Central Publishing Group; Hachette Audio; Little, Brown and Company; Little, Brown Books for Young Readers; Orbit; and Workman Running Press Group. We also provide custom distribution, fulfillment, and sales services to other publishing companies.

Our books and authors have received the Pulitzer Prize, National Book Award, Caldecott Medal, Newbery Medal, Booker Prize, Nobel Peace Prize and other major honors.

We are committed to diversity in our company and our publishing programs, and to fostering a culture of inclusion for all our employees and authors. We are proud to be part of Hachette Livre, the world’s third-largest trade and educational publisher.

Visit hachettebookgroup.com to learn more about HBG imprints. For updated news follow HBG on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, Threads, TikTok, X.com, Pinterest, and YouTube.

DATE: MARCH 13, 2026

FROM: MARCEE RONDAN/MITCH SCHNEIDER

THRASH THE CHARTS, MEGADETH’S #1 CELEBRATION
BAND GATHERS IN NASHVILLE
SUNDAY, MARCH 8
FOR PERFORMANCE AND PARTY
FOLLOWING FIRST LEG OF NORTH AMERICAN TOUR

Photo Credit: Cameron Nunez

With the first leg of the North American tour behind them, MEGADETH returned to Nashville this past Sunday night (March 8) for THRASH THE CHARTS, MEGADETH’S #1 CELEBRATION—a party honoring the Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum metal titans’ self-titled final studio album which entered the Billboard 200 charts at #1 in the U.S.

THRASH THE CHARTS, MEGADETH’S #1 CELEBRATION featured a full 10-song electric set from the band—Dave Mustaine (vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer), Teemu Mäntysaari (Lead, Rhythm, and Acoustic Guitars), James LoMenzo (Bass Guitar) and Dirk Verbeuren (Drums)—including ones from the new album and their extensive catalog.

The full set list is as follows:
“Mechanix”
“Tipping Point”
“Angry Again”
“I Don’t Care”
“Dread and The Fugitive Mind”
“Hangar 18”
“Let There Be Shred”
“Symphony of Destruction”
“Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying”
“Holy Wars”

Following the performance, the band and their team were presented with #1 commemorative plaques by Clay Bradley and Claire Dodin from BMI, Ben Burnstein and Aaron Neigher from The Orchard, Jeff Stevenson and Tim Baily from Frontiers / BLKIIBLK, Danny Nozell, Justis Mustaine and Steve Ross from CTK Enterprises.

Photo Credit: Cameron Nunez

“The last two private events for Megadeth fans were a reward for all the hard work leading up to this,” Dave Mustaine says. “Thank you to our label Frontiers and BLKIIBLK, our management at CTK Enterprises, BMI, Warner Chappell, The Orchard, and all of our guests and VIP’s. It was a blast!”

Next, MEGADETH will return to the road for performances in South America and Mexico along with a festival date in the U.S.(May 17, Sonic Temple in Columbus, OH) before heading to Europe. They’ll come back to the U.S. for additional shows in July. See the band’s full itinerary HERE.

“Congratulations to Dave and Megadeth on this historic moment,” says Jeff Stevenson, General Manager, Frontiers Label Group/BLKIIBLK Records. “We, at Frontiers Label Group/BLKIIBLK Records, couldn’t be prouder to have partnered with the band and CTK Management to help achieve this amazing accomplishment, marking a milestone in the legendary career of one of metal’s most important bands.”

The Orchard team added, “Great things happen when you build strong partnerships. The Orchard team collaborated closely with Megadeth, Frontiers, BLKIIBLK, CTK Enterprises, and Results Global. This collaborative spirit successfully engaged and excited Megadeth fans globally, leading to a #1 album debut, a first for the band, and revitalized appreciation for Megadeth by audiences worldwide. We are proud to be part of this achievement.”

Released January 23 via DAVE MUSTAINE’s Tradecraft imprint in partnership with Frontiers Label Group’s new BLKIIBLK label, the album garnered critical acclaim and hit #1 in 11 countries worldwide and landed Top 5 positions on 11 additional charts. Leading up to the album’s release MEGADETH issued four singles: “Puppet Parade,” “Let There Be Shred!”, “I Don’t Care,” and “Tipping Point.” MEGADETH also includes a very special bonus track: a reimagined version of “Ride The Lightning,” which MUSTAINE co-wrote with Metallica’s James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, and Lars Ulrich and was the title track from the group’s 1984 album.

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | X | YOUTUBE | SRO PR ASSETS

About Megadeth

MEGADETH are always and forever the point of no return for metal. It would be nearly impossible to conceive where heavy music and culture would’ve gone without the band founded, fronted, and fueled by vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer Dave Mustaine. The blast radius of their impact has only magnified since 1983. Thus far, they have sold 50 million records worldwide, received a GRAMMY® Award (with 12 additional nominations), generated billions of streams, notched nine Top 10 entries on the Billboard 200, and enthralled millions of diehard fans in arenas and stadiums across the globe. Their catalog spans indisputable classics such as the platinum Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? (cited at #8 on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time”), the platinum Rust In Peace, and double-platinum Countdown To Extinction, which captured #2 on the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, Dystopia notched a Top 3 debut and earned a GRAMMY® Award in the category of “Best Metal Performance” with its title track. They only upped the ferocity with The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! in 2022. It saw them return to #3, receive a “Best Metal Performance” GRAMMY® Award nomination for “We’ll Be Back,” and incite rave reviews. Their influence can be felt practically everywhere—whether it be Post Malone proudly sporting a tattoo of “So Far, So Good… So What!,” Homer Simpson’s iPod displaying their moniker during an episode, or Showtime’s smash hit series Billions and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey utilizing MEGADETH in plot points. The band have delivered simultaneously relevant and timeless records in five decades now, setting the pace for the thrash renaissance of the eighties, tearing through the MTV years of the nineties with swagger and style, maintaining their stride in the post-Y2K 2000s, elevating to canonical heights in the social media and streaming era of the 2010s, and unassumingly harnessing the uncertainty and unease of the Post-Pandemic world into their boldest, biggest, and best work yet.

Along the way, MEGADETH extended their influence even further. During 2016, the band entered the spirits world with their very first signature beer À Tout Le Monde followed by Saison 13 in 2019. The brand asserted itself as a player in the beverage space and impressively moved over 15 million pints. Joining forces with Keystone in 2025, they ignite the next phase of Megadeth Beer on the biggest global platform yet.

Beyond his role as a music icon, Dave founded the visionary wine brand HOUSE OF MUSTAINE which uniquely blends music, culture, and fine winemaking. The brand launched with the 2013 Symphony Interrupted Cabernet Sauvignon which was inspired by Dave Mustaine’s groundbreaking collaboration with the San Diego Symphony.

###

DATE: SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2026

FROM: MARCEE RONDAN/MITCH SCHNEIDER

‘MEGADETH’:
THE LEGENDARY BAND’S
SELF-TITLED FINAL STUDIO ALBUM
EXPLODES ONTO THE CHARTS AT #1 IN THE U.S. ON THE ALL-GENRE BILLBOARD 200 CHART
ALBUM ALSO DEBUTS #1 IN AUSTRALIA AND AUSTRIA WITH TOP FIVE DEBUTS IN THE U.K.,
GERMANY, ITALY, BELGIUM, THE NETHERLANDS, FINLAND, SWEDEN, AND NEW ZEALAND

ALBUM ARTWORK

MEGADETH have good reason to celebrate. The Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum metal titans’ self-titled final studio album—released last week (January 23) to worldwide critical acclaim—has exploded onto the charts at #1 on the Billboard 200 in their native U.S. (highest previous position #2). This debut also marks the band’s 9^th Billboard Top 200 album.

The band also claims the top spot in Australia (highest previous position #2) and Austria (highest previous position #8). Other top five spots include #2 in Finland (+ #1 physical), Sweden (+ #1 physical; highest previous position #9), and Belgium (highest previous position: #6); #3 in both the U.K. and Germany (highest previous position: #6); #4 in the Netherlands (highest previous position: #7); and #5 in both Italy (highest previous position: #15) and New Zealand (highest chart position ever). Debuts in additional territories are still being compiled at press time.

“After 40 years of delivering Megadeth music, playing shows around the world, I have nothing but gratitude at this moment. Finding out that our last Megadeth record is also our first #1 only further validates my will to go out on top,” says Dave Mustaine, vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer. “Thank you to my family, Teemu Mantasaari, James LoMenzo, and Dirk Verbueren, and Chris Rakestraw, all our fans for making this possible, without you Megadeth would not be as successful as we are. I’d also like to thank the people behind the scenes, our management, Danny Nozell, Justis Mustaine, and Steve Ross at CTK, and our label BLKIIBLK/Tradecraft.”

“This recording is a labour of love, and I hope you enjoy this as much as we do. See you on tour soon!” – Dave Mustaine

“Absolutely amazing news! Thank you and congrats to our entire extended Megadeth family!” – Teemu Mäntysaari

“I want to sincerely thank all our friends and fans who grabbed a copy, we’re over the moon!” – James LoMenzo

“It feels unbelievable to sit atop the charts with an album that’s uncompromisingly Megadeth. Huge thanks to all of you who support us- you made this happen! See you on tour!” – Dirk Verbeuren

“This moment represents the culmination of the trust Dave and the Megadeth team placed in our label, BLKIIBLK/Frontiers Label Group, to deliver these results,” says Jeff Stevenson, General Manager, Frontiers Label Group. “As our label and its owner, Serafino Perugino, celebrates its 30th anniversary in 2026, the timing felt right to proudly partner in this next chapter with a band that has shaped music history since its formation in 1983.”

Tom Lipsky, A&R USA, Frontiers Label Group, adds, “This achievement is a testament to the relationship that Dave Mustaine and Megadeth have built with fans over the course of their career.”

“The impact Megadeth has made on music has forever been cemented. And, now with this long overdue #1 all-genre album, the band is going out on top” says Danny Nozell, Megadeth’s manager and Founder/CEO of CTK Enterprises. “I am so proud of Justis Mustaine, Steve Ross, and the entire CTK team, our RESULTS GLOBAL marketing team, SRO PR, and our partners at BLKIIBLK/Frontiers Label Group and The Orchard for bringing this project to life.”

Leading up to the new album (out via DAVE MUSTAINE’s Tradecraft imprint in partnership with Frontiers Label Group’s new BLKIIBLK label), MEGADETH—Mustaine, Teemu Mäntysaari (Lead, Rhythm, and Acoustic Guitars), James LoMenzo (Bass Guitar) and Dirk Verbeuren (Drums)—have released four singles: “Puppet Parade,” “Let There Be Shred!”, “I Don’t Care,” and “Tipping Point.” MEGADETH also announced a very special bonus track from the album: a reimagined version of “Ride The Lightning,” which MUSTAINE co-wrote with Metallica’s James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, and Lars Ulrich and was the title track from the group’s 1984 album.

Up next for MEGADETH, they’ll kick off their farewell tour in North America with a cross-country headlining tour of Canada launching February 15 in Victoria, BC including stops in Calgary, Winnipeg, and Ottawa before wrapping March 6 in Quebec City, QC.

MEGADETH
Photo credit: Ross Halfin

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | X | YOUTUBE | SRO PR ASSETS

About Megadeth

MEGADETH are always and forever the point of no return for metal. It would be nearly impossible to conceive where heavy music and culture would’ve gone without the band founded, fronted, and fueled by vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer Dave Mustaine. The blast radius of their impact has only magnified since 1983. Thus far, they have sold 50 million records worldwide, received a GRAMMY® Award (with 12 additional nominations), generated billions of streams, notched nine Top 10 entries on the Billboard 200, and enthralled millions of diehard fans in arenas and stadiums across the globe. Their catalog spans indisputable classics such as the platinum Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? (cited at #8 on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time”), the platinum Rust In Peace, and double-platinum Countdown To Extinction, which captured #2 on the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, Dystopia notched a Top 3 debut and earned a GRAMMY® Award in the category of “Best Metal Performance” with its title track. They only upped the ferocity with The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! in 2022. It saw them return to #3, receive a “Best Metal Performance” GRAMMY® Award nomination for “We’ll Be Back,” and incite rave reviews. Their influence can be felt practically everywhere—whether it be Post Malone proudly sporting a tattoo of “So Far, So Good… So What!,” Homer Simpson’s iPod displaying their moniker during an episode, or Showtime’s smash hit series Billions and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey utilizing MEGADETH in plot points. The band have delivered simultaneously relevant and timeless records in five decades now, setting the pace for the thrash renaissance of the eighties, tearing through the MTV years of the nineties with swagger and style, maintaining their stride in the post-Y2K 2000s, elevating to canonical heights in the social media and streaming era of the 2010s, and unassumingly harnessing the uncertainty and unease of the Post-Pandemic world into their boldest, biggest, and best work yet.

Along the way, MEGADETH extended their influence even further. During 2016, the band entered the spirits world with their very first signature beer À Tout Le Monde followed by Saison 13 in 2019. The brand asserted itself as a player in the beverage space and impressively moved over 15 million pints. Joining forces with Keystone in 2025, they ignite the next phase of Megadeth Beer on the biggest global platform yet.

Beyond his role as a music icon, Dave founded the visionary wine brand HOUSE OF MUSTAINE which uniquely blends music, culture, and fine winemaking. The brand launched with the 2013 Symphony Interrupted Cabernet Sauvignon which was inspired by Dave Mustaine’s groundbreaking collaboration with the San Diego Symphony.

###

DATE: JANUARY 23, 2026

FROM: MARCEE RONDAN/MITCH SCHNEIDER

‘MEGADETH’
THE LEGENDARY BAND’S
SELF-TITLED FINAL STUDIO ALBUM
IS OUT TODAY (JANUARY 23)

ALBUM ARTWORK

Six months after announcing its release, today (January 23) marks the debut of MEGADETH’s self-titled final studio album and the initial critical acclaim is one befitting the Grammy Award-winning and multi-platinum metal titans (see the pull quotes below). Meanwhile, last night (January 22), MEGADETH’s cinematic legacy event MEGADETH: BEHIND THE MASK via Trafalgar Releasing debuted on screens worldwide. Watch the trailer here.

Leading up to the new album (out via DAVE MUSTAINE’s Tradecraft imprint in partnership with Frontiers Label Group’s new BLKIIBLK label), MEGADETH—Mustaine, Teemu Mäntysaari (Lead, Rhythm, and Acoustic Guitars), James LoMenzo (Bass Guitar) and Dirk Verbeuren (Drums)—have released four singles: “Puppet Parade,” “Let There Be Shred!”, “I Don’t Care,” and “Tipping Point.” MEGADETH also announced a very special bonus track from the album: a reimagined version of “Ride The Lightning,” which MUSTAINE co-wrote with Metallica’s James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, and Lars Ulrich and was the title track from the group’s 1984 album.

Here’s some initial critical acclaim on the album:

“After more than 40 guitar-shredding years, Megadeth is going out on their own thunderous terms. The Grammy-winning thrash metal pioneers’ self-titled 17th and final studio album, out Friday, quickly establishes that this is no sappy farewell…oozes classic Megadeth with blistering guitar solos, crunchy riffs and some mile-a-second double-bass…Megadeth sends Mustaine and Co. out with one of their lengthy catalog’s best all-around releases.”
—ASSOCIATED PRESS, 1/20

“Megadeth Sign Off With Final Last Blast Of Undeniable Riffs & Shredding On Eponymous Album…Joined by Teemu Mäntysaari on guitar, James LoMenzo on bass, and Dirk Verbeuren on drums, Mustaine unleashes one last onslaught of aggressive thrash. If Dupuytren’s contracture is already affecting Mustaine’s playing, it’s not apparent on Megadeth. Mustaine and Mäntysaari tear through complex, heavy riffs and blistering solos with speed and precision…The final Megadeth album delivers those last notes. One last collection of metal aggression. One last testament to fretboard mastery. One last chance to appreciate one of metal’s greatest guitarists.”
—GLIDE MAGAZINE, 1/21

“Whether the song hits fast and ferocious or mid-paced and menacing, this eponymous audio book in 11 chapters is peppered with intricate elements at almost every point…The album’s pacing feels like a nostalgic back-and-forth: fast thrash blowouts, chunky mid-tempo crushers, then another burst that drags you back into the pit. And the standout moments keep stacking up…For a band that has announced that the end of the trail is well within sight, Mustaine and company have definitely opted to go out with a bang…if this truly is the end, it’s hard to imagine a better send-off.”
—SONIC PERSPECTIVES, 1/21

“…it definitely is a great modern nod to what Megadeth is still excellent at. Starting with the tune ‘Tipping Point,’ it tells fans how impressive it is that each guitar solo and arrangement can be as intricate and different as they are after seventeen studio albums…a bunch of quality Megadeth songs that send the band out with a bang.”
—CRYPTIC ROCK, 1/19

“From start to finish it’s undeniably unapologetic…The rhythm playing is more than up to snuff as Mustaine is laser focused to write his last array of devastating chugging rhythms. Something vital to bring up is the delivery & sound of Dave’s voice. He might sound better than he did on the masterful Dystopia. Mustaine is in complete control & it shows…It would appear that Mustaine visited the fountain of youth for inspiration. His guitar rhythms on the album display nimbleness (there are plenty of single notes mixed with palm-muting), thunderous chugging, and slick key changes at will…Megadeth will go out with a bang.”
—THE METAL PIT, 1/20

Up next for MEGADETH, they’ll kick off their farewell tour in North America with a cross-country headlining tour of Canada launching February 15 in Victoria, BC and include stops in Calgary, Winnipeg, and Ottawa before wrapping March 6 in Quebec City, QC.

MEGADETH
Photo credit: Ross Halfin

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | X | YOUTUBE | SRO PR ASSETS

About Megadeth

MEGADETH are always and forever the point of no return for metal. It would be nearly impossible to conceive where heavy music and culture would’ve gone without the band founded, fronted, and fueled by vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer Dave Mustaine. The blast radius of their impact has only magnified since 1983. Thus far, they have sold 50 million records worldwide, received a GRAMMY® Award (with 12 additional nominations), generated billions of streams, notched seven Top 10 entries on the Billboard 200, and enthralled millions of diehard fans in arenas and stadiums across the globe. Their catalog spans indisputable classics such as the platinum Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? (cited at #8 on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time”), the platinum Rust In Peace, and double-platinum Countdown To Extinction, which captured #2 on the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, Dystopia notched a Top 3 debut and earned a GRAMMY® Award in the category of “Best Metal Performance” with its title track. They only upped the ferocity with The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! in 2022. It saw them return to #3, receive a “Best Metal Performance” GRAMMY® Award nomination for “We’ll Be Back,” and incite rave reviews. Their influence can be felt practically everywhere—whether it be Post Malone proudly sporting a tattoo of “So Far, So Good… So What!,” Homer Simpson’s iPod displaying their moniker during an episode, or Showtime’s smash hit series Billions and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey utilizing MEGADETH in plot points. The band have delivered simultaneously relevant and timeless records in five decades now, setting the pace for the thrash renaissance of the eighties, tearing through the MTV years of the nineties with swagger and style, maintaining their stride in the post-Y2K 2000s, elevating to canonical heights in the social media and streaming era of the 2010s, and unassumingly harnessing the uncertainty and unease of the Post-Pandemic world into their boldest, biggest, and best work yet.

Along the way, MEGADETH extended their influence even further. During 2016, the band entered the spirits world with their very first signature beer À Tout Le Monde followed by Saison 13 in 2019. The brand asserted itself as a player in the beverage space and impressively moved over 15 million pints. Joining forces with Keystone in 2025, they ignite the next phase of Megadeth Beer on the biggest global platform yet.

Beyond his role as a music icon, Dave founded the visionary wine brand HOUSE OF MUSTAINE which uniquely blends music, culture, and fine winemaking. The brand launched with the 2013 Symphony Interrupted Cabernet Sauvignon which was inspired by Dave Mustaine’s groundbreaking collaboration with the San Diego Symphony.

###

DATE: JANUARY 21 ,2025

FM: MARCEE RONDAN/MITCH SCHNEIDER

MEGADETH
RELEASE FINAL SINGLE
“PUPPET PARADE”
FROM THEIR
SELF-TITLED FINAL STUDIO ALBUM
OUT THIS FRIDAY, JANUARY 23

LISTEN TO THE TRACK HERE
PRE-ORDER THE ALBUM HERE

With the release of MEGADETH’s final studio album out this week (January 23), the metal titans have shared the final single “Puppet Parade” from the much-anticipated album released via DAVE MUSTAINE’s Tradecraft imprint in partnership with Frontiers Label Group’s new BLKIIBLK label. Listen to the track HERE.

“‘Puppet Parade’ is about somebody’s mundane life and how they go through life with everyday being the same as the day before,” MUSTAINE says. “It is about a person who has a dead-end job, a dead-end relationship, a dead-end life. Many of us are going through this monotony, even right now. I wanted to share ‘Puppet Parade’ to try and illustrate how we often show people what we want them to see, instead of how we really feel.”

Up next for MEGADETH, they’ll kick off their farewell tour in North America with a cross-country headlining tour of Canada launching February 15 in Victoria, BC and include stops in Calgary, Winnipeg, and Ottawa before wrapping March 6 in Quebec City, QC.

Leading up to the new album, MEGADETH—Mustaine, Teemu Mäntysaari (Lead, Rhythm, and Acoustic Guitars), James LoMenzo (Bass Guitar) and Dirk Verbeuren (Drums)—have released three tracks: “Let There Be Shred!” (watch the video HERE), “I Don’t Care” out (watch the video HERE); and “Tipping Point,” the album’s first single (watch the video HERE). MEGADETH have also announced a very special bonus track from the album: a reimagined version of “Ride The Lightning,” which MUSTAINE co-wrote with Metallica’s James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, and Lars Ulrich and was the title track from the group’s 1984 album.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, MUSTAINE revealed in a social post directly shared with his worldwide fanbase and Cyber Army that the forthcoming album will mark the final studio album from MEGADETH, who’ve sold over 50 million records worldwide and received a GRAMMY® Award (with 12 additional nominations). He shared the announcement of the album and tour via his alter ego Vic Rattlehead.

MEGADETH
Photo credit: Ross Halfin

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | X | YOUTUBE | SRO PR ASSETS

About Megadeth

MEGADETH are always and forever the point of no return for metal. It would be nearly impossible to conceive where heavy music and culture would’ve gone without the band founded, fronted, and fueled by vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer Dave Mustaine. The blast radius of their impact has only magnified since 1983. Thus far, they have sold 50 million records worldwide, received a GRAMMY® Award (with 12 additional nominations), generated billions of streams, notched seven Top 10 entries on the Billboard 200, and enthralled millions of diehard fans in arenas and stadiums across the globe. Their catalog spans indisputable classics such as the platinum Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? (cited at #8 on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time”), the platinum Rust In Peace, and double-platinum Countdown To Extinction, which captured #2 on the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, Dystopia notched a Top 3 debut and earned a GRAMMY® Award in the category of “Best Metal Performance” with its title track. They only upped the ferocity with The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! in 2022. It saw them return to #3, receive a “Best Metal Performance” GRAMMY® Award nomination for “We’ll Be Back,” and incite rave reviews. Their influence can be felt practically everywhere—whether it be Post Malone proudly sporting a tattoo of “So Far, So Good… So What!,” Homer Simpson’s iPod displaying their moniker during an episode, or Showtime’s smash hit series Billions and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey utilizing MEGADETH in plot points. The band have delivered simultaneously relevant and timeless records in five decades now, setting the pace for the thrash renaissance of the eighties, tearing through the MTV years of the nineties with swagger and style, maintaining their stride in the post-Y2K 2000s, elevating to canonical heights in the social media and streaming era of the 2010s, and unassumingly harnessing the uncertainty and unease of the Post-Pandemic world into their boldest, biggest, and best work yet.

Along the way, MEGADETH extended their influence even further. During 2016, the band entered the spirits world with their very first signature beer À Tout Le Monde followed by Saison 13 in 2019. The brand asserted itself as a player in the beverage space and impressively moved over 15 million pints. Joining forces with Keystone in 2025, they ignite the next phase of Megadeth Beer on the biggest global platform yet.

Beyond his role as a music icon, Dave founded the visionary wine brand HOUSE OF MUSTAINE which uniquely blends music, culture, and fine winemaking. The brand launched with the 2013 Symphony Interrupted Cabernet Sauvignon which was inspired by Dave Mustaine’s groundbreaking collaboration with the San Diego Symphony.

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DATE: DECEMBER 19, 2025

FM: MARCEE RONDAN/MITCH SCHNEIDER

MEGADETH
TODAY RELEASE NEW SINGLE
“LET THERE BE SHRED!”
FROM THEIR
JANUARY 2026
SELF-TITLED ALBUM,
THE BAND’S FINAL STUDIO RELEASE
WATCH THE VIDEO HERE
PRE-ORDER THE ALBUM HERE

GROUP PREPARES FOR MULTIPLE JANUARY EVENTS
TO CELEBRATE THE ALBUM’S RELEASE

“On the day I was born, a guitar in my hands
The heavens rumbled a thunderous command”
—“Let There Be Shred!”

As anticipation continues to build for MEGADETH’s final studio album—out January 23, 2026 via DAVE MUSTAINE’s Tradecraft imprint in partnership with Frontiers Label Group’s new BLKIIBLK label)—the metal titans have today (December 19) released the latest single and video for “Let There Be Shred!” The track is a rapid-fire manifesto with jaw-dropping riffs and “a tsunami of sound,” to quote a lyric from the song. Directed by Keith Leman, the video features DAVE participating in a mixed martial arts battle alongside live performance footage that highlights the track’s fretboard ferocity. Watch the video HERE and listen to the song HERE.

“When Megadeth started we said we would be fast and furious…we said so on the flyers we handed out,” DAVE MUSTAINE says. “This song is fast and furious. Know it! It has a very hooky chorus that draws you in and you can’t help but play air guitar and headbang to this one.

“It’s the second video from the new record that we made with Keith [Leman], who also directed ‘I Don’t Care.’ It was a blast to make and it’s a tribute to my first Sensei, Benny ‘The Jet’ Urquidez and my Professor, Reggie Almieda. Everyone on the set was really stoked to see each of us do our stunts. In the end, we got the balance of shredding and ass kicking just right!”

Meanwhile, MEGADETH are preparing for a busy month with a series of events leading up to the album’s release, along with the launch of their final tour, including:

• MEGADETH have teamed with Trafalgar Releasing for MEGADETH: BEHIND THE MASK, a cinematic legacy event that will debut on screens worldwide Thursday, January 22—on the eve of the album’s January 23 release. The film will screen in over 1,000 cinemas across 35+ countries. Read more HERE.
• The group have also announced an exclusive, day-long immersive celebration LET THERE BE SHRED: THE ULTIMATE MEGADETH IMMERSIVE LISTENING EVENT set for Saturday, January 17 in La Vergne, TN (just outside Nashville). MEGADETH will host fans for an unforgettable look inside the band’s world with a jam-packed day that will offer attendees the opportunity to get closer to the band, the music, the stories, and the legacy than ever before. Read more HERE.
• On the live front, MEGADETH will kick off their farewell tour in North America with a cross-country headlining tour of Canada launching February 15 in Victoria, BC and include stops in Calgary, Winnipeg, and Ottawa before wrapping March 6 in Quebec City, QC. Read more HERE.

Leading up to the new album, MEGADETH—Mustaine, Teemu Mäntysaari (Lead, Rhythm, and Acoustic Guitars), James LoMenzo (Bass Guitar) and Dirk Verbeuren (Drums)—have released two tracks: “I Don’t Care” out (watch the video HERE); “Tipping Point,” the album’s first single (watch the video HERE). MEGADETH have also announced a very special bonus track from the album: a reimagined version of “Ride The Lightning,” which MUSTAINE co-wrote with Metallica’s James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, and Lars Ulrich and was the title track from the group’s 1984 album.

Meanwhile, earlier this year, MUSTAINE revealed in a social post directly shared with his worldwide fanbase and Cyber Army that the forthcoming album will mark the final studio album from MEGADETH, who’ve sold over 50 million records worldwide and received a GRAMMY® Award (with 12 additional nominations). He shared the announcement of the album and tour via his alter ego Vic Rattlehead.

MEGADETH
Photo credit: Ross Halfin

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | X | YOUTUBE | SRO PR ASSETS

About Megadeth

MEGADETH are always and forever the point of no return for metal. It would be nearly impossible to conceive where heavy music and culture would’ve gone without the band founded, fronted, and fueled by vocalist, guitarist, songwriter, and producer Dave Mustaine. The blast radius of their impact has only magnified since 1983. Thus far, they have sold 50 million records worldwide, received a GRAMMY® Award (with 12 additional nominations), generated billions of streams, notched seven Top 10 entries on the Billboard 200, and enthralled millions of diehard fans in arenas and stadiums across the globe. Their catalog spans indisputable classics such as the platinum Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying? (cited at #8 on Rolling Stone’s “100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time”), the platinum Rust In Peace, and double-platinum Countdown To Extinction, which captured #2 on the Billboard 200. Meanwhile, Dystopia notched a Top 3 debut and earned a GRAMMY® Award in the category of “Best Metal Performance” with its title track. They only upped the ferocity with The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! in 2022. It saw them return to #3, receive a “Best Metal Performance” GRAMMY® Award nomination for “We’ll Be Back,” and incite rave reviews. Their influence can be felt practically everywhere—whether it be Post Malone proudly sporting a tattoo of “So Far, So Good… So What!,” Homer Simpson’s iPod displaying their moniker during an episode, or Showtime’s smash hit series Billions and Bill & Ted’s Bogus Journey utilizing MEGADETH in plot points. The band have delivered simultaneously relevant and timeless records in five decades now, setting the pace for the thrash renaissance of the eighties, tearing through the MTV years of the nineties with swagger and style, maintaining their stride in the post-Y2K 2000s, elevating to canonical heights in the social media and streaming era of the 2010s, and unassumingly harnessing the uncertainty and unease of the Post-Pandemic world into their boldest, biggest, and best work yet.

Along the way, MEGADETH extended their influence even further. During 2016, the band entered the spirits world with their very first signature beer À Tout Le Monde followed by Saison 13 in 2019. The brand asserted itself as a player in the beverage space and impressively moved over 15 million pints. Joining forces with Keystone in 2025, they ignite the next phase of Megadeth Beer on the biggest global platform yet.

Beyond his role as a music icon, Dave founded the visionary wine brand HOUSE OF MUSTAINE which uniquely blends music, culture, and fine winemaking. The brand launched with the 2013 Symphony Interrupted Cabernet Sauvignon which was inspired by Dave Mustaine’s groundbreaking collaboration with the San Diego Symphony.

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DATE: DECEMBER 12, 2025

FROM: MARCEE RONDAN/MITCH SCHNEIDER

MEGADETH
ANNOUNCE
LET THERE BE SHRED:
THE ULTIMATE MEGADETH IMMERSIVE LISTENING EVENT

TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR
SATURDAY, JANUARY 17, 2026
EXCLUSIVE DAY-LONG IMMERSIVE CELEBRATION IN NASHVILLE

With MEGADETH’s final studio album set for release on January 23, the metal titans have announced LET THERE BE SHRED: THE ULTIMATE MEGADETH IMMERSIVE LISTENING EVENT set for Saturday, January 17 in La Vergne, TN (just outside Nashville). This exclusive, day-long immersive celebration will offer attendees the opportunity to get closer to the band, the music, the stories, and the legacy than ever before. Join MEGADETH—Dave Mustaine, Teemu Mäntysaari (Lead, Rhythm, and Acoustic Guitars), James LoMenzo (Bass Guitar) and Dirk Verbeuren (Drums)—for an unforgettable day inside the band’s world. A limited number of tickets are available HERE for the event.

The initial itinerary for LET THERE BE SHRED: THE ULTIMATE MEGADETH IMMERSIVE LISTENING EVENT will include an acoustic Megadeth performance, Megadeth Master Class, Gibson Guitar Talk, Band Q&A + More. Additional details are as follows:

●An Acoustic Megadeth Performance

A rare acoustic set including new album tracks and classic hits.

●Megadeth Master Class

Band members break down legendary riffs, songwriting, tones, and
techniques—right from the stage.

●Gibson Guitar Talk

Dave and Gibson CEO Cesar Gueikian take the stage for an intimate
conversation on Dave’s signature guitar lineup, what it means to be a Gibson ambassador, and to share some special news with you before anyone else.

●Band Q&A

●Evening Hang & Full Album Playthrough

●Immersive Spaces & Displays

●Food, Drinks Megadeth Beer & House of Mustaine Wine Tasting

●Exclusive Merch Kit

●Individual Photo with the Band

●Contests, Competitions, Giveaways & Prizes

ALBUM ARTWORK

Leading up to the album’s debut, MEGADETH have released two tracks:  “I Don’t Care” (watch the video HERE and listen to the song HERE) and “Tipping Point,” the album’s first single (watch the video HERE and listen to the song HERE).  MEGADETH have also announced a very special bonus track from the album:  a reimagined version of “Ride The Lightning,” which MUSTAINE co-wrote with Metallica’s James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, and Lars Ulrich and was the title track from the group’s 1984 album.  Pre-order the album, via DAVE MUSTAINE’s Tradecraft imprint in partnership with Frontiers Label Group’s new BLKIIBLK label, HERE.  Read more about the album’s full track listing HERE.

MEGADETH
Photo credit: Ross Halfin

WEBSITE | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | X | YOUTUBE | SRO PR ASSETS

DATE: DECEMBER 11, 2025

WATCH BRAND NEW
MEGADETH: BEHIND THE MASK
TRAILER HERE
TICKETS ON SALE NOW FOR THE
GLOBAL CINEMATIC EVENT THAT
CHRONICLES THE BAND’S 40-YEAR CAREER
Go to megadethfilm.com to get tickets

IN CINEMAS WORLDWIDE JANUARY 22 FOR A LIMITED TIME ONLY
FILM WILL BE SHOWN ON
MORE THAN 1,000 SCREENS WORLDWIDE
FIRST LISTEN EVENT TO COINCIDE WITH THE JANUARY 23

RELEASE OF MEGADETH’S SELF-TITLED ALBUM,
THE BAND’S FINAL STUDIO RELEASE

CLICK HERE FOR FILM ASSETS

Legendary metal titans MEGADETH and Trafalgar Releasing have revealed the trailer for MEGADETH: BEHIND THE MASK, a cinematic legacy event that will debut on screens worldwide Thursday, January 22.

Watch the TRAILER here.

Tickets are now on sale for the film that will screen in over 1,000 cinemas across 35+ countries on the eve of the release of the band’s final studio album out January 23. To get tickets, and for more information and to sign up for updates, fans can visit megadethfilm.com.

In MEGADETH: BEHIND THE MASK, Dave Mustaine pulls back the curtain on 40 years of MEGADETH, sharing untold stories of the band’s past and the creative fire that drives them.  Interwoven throughout, audiences will get to experience the world premiere of MEGADETH’S new self-titled album in full, brought to life with a 40-year retrospective career-spanning interview and Mustaine’s own track-by-track reflections about the band’s final studio album. This one-night-only listening event will provide a first-listen to this landmark project. MEGADETH: BEHIND THE MASK is an immersive celebration of one of the most influential bands in metal history, capturing their legacy while heralding a powerful new chapter.

Leading up to the album and film’s debut, MEGADETH—Dave Mustaine, Teemu Mäntysaari (Lead, Rhythm, and Acoustic Guitars), James LoMenzo (Bass Guitar) and Dirk Verbeuren (Drums)—have released two tracks:  “I Don’t Care” (watch the video HERE and listen to the song HERE) and “Tipping Point,” the album’s first single (watch the video HERE and listen to the song HERE).  MEGADETH have also announced a very special bonus track from the album:  a reimagined version of “Ride The Lightning,” which MUSTAINE co-wrote with Metallica’s James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, and Lars Ulrich and was the title track from the group’s 1984 album.  Pre-order the album, via DAVE MUSTAINE’s Tradecraft imprint in partnership with Frontiers Label Group’s new BLKIIBLK label, HERE.  Read more about the album’s full track listing HERE.

Press Contacts

USA & Canada – Marcee Rondan at Schneider Rondan Organization | marcee@sropr.com

Rest of World – Sylvie Field at Trafalgar Releasing | sylvie.f@trafalgar-releasing.com