MEGADETH - Megadeth (Review)

Written by: Blackie Skulless

Considering how much I absolutely hated the previous Megadeth effort, it’s no surprise that I had extremely heavy reservations going into what Dave and co. are calling their final record. Simply titled Megadeth, there is definitely an intentional vibe that makes a statement on its way out. Shortening the runtime, tightening the writing, and simplifying the formula was a great move. This makes room for more memorability in one track than The Sick… The Dying… And The Dead! could have hoped for in an hour’s entire time.

For one, gone are the obnoxious samples, overly ambitious aims at technicality that go nowhere, and spoken-word bullshit that sounds like an edgy teenager that discovered war. In place are sharper rhythms that aim for a truly thrash metal sound, hooks that move with purpose, all under a clear dome that allows everything from the rumbling bass to Dave’s snarl to stand out. Thus, this is structurally pretty sound on paper, and I even dig some of the transitions. Swapping from a straightforward verse into the solos moves more smoothly than you would think throughout the album.

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All of that said, it’s still painfully difficult to take this seriously. Hooks and memorability is almost always something that will make for a good record, but it can be dampened by the delivery. Even ignoring the overly clean production that gives Megadeth that generic feel they’ve had since the early 2000s, the overly corny lyrics and obvious aim for attitude make things fall flat. Tracks like “Hey God?!” and “Made To Kill“ are extremely catchy, but they sound entirely too tired and reliant on said production. Opener “Tipping Point” was clearly meant to be a furious mood-setter, and it is a heavy punch of a tune, but contains a robotic feel that shows too much evidence of a struggling frontman. Similarly, “Let There Be Shred” aims for a Rust In Peace vibe with its start/stop prowess and an advanced riff structure, but the minute the verses start I lose interest. (This is another one where the lyrics really are not as clever as the writer thinks). Finally, ones like “Another Bad Day” have a steady flow that would have been great in a Countdown To Extinction setting, but are repetitive and annoying this time around. If there’s a single track that feels noteworthy, it’s “Obey The Call” with its political charge and dramatic mood shifts, topped with a pretty solid solo.
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Personally, I would have loved it if Megadeth went out on Dystopia. The band was showing obvious wear by that point, but there was still life breathed into the music to a level that I could get behind. Instead, they chugged on for another decade and gave us the worst record to come from any of the big 4, and then a passable but also skippable goodbye. Really, you can even kind of feel the “packaging” element of this, with emphasis put on the “final” element. Many of the songs feel like they were written by Dave, about Dave, for Dave, and the cover of Metallica’s “Ride The Lightning” capitalizes on this. Do with this what you want; I’m sure it will land for some people, but for me, it’s like if you put Mustaine in Jim Carrey’s role on The Truman Show and told him it was still 1990.

Megadeth - Megadeth was released Jan. 26th, 2026 via BLKIIBLK.

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Megadeth can be found all over the internet, presumably. Here's their website.
Cover by: Blake Armstrong