Megadeth announce final album and farewell tour, release new single Let There Be Shred!
Megadeth, the influential American heavy metal band, have released a new single and music video titled Let There Be Shred! on 19th December 2025, ahead of the group’s forthcoming and final studio album. The self-titled album is scheduled for release on 23rd January 2026 via Dave Mustaine’s Tradecraft imprint in partnership with Frontiers Label Group’s BLKIIBLK label. The announcement comes as the band prepares for a series of events and a farewell tour to mark the end of their recording career.
The track Let There Be Shred! is the latest release from Megadeth’s last album and features a music video directed by Keith Leman. The video combines live performance footage with scenes of frontman Dave Mustaine participating in a mixed martial arts battle. Mustaine commented, “When Megadeth started we said we would be fast and furious…we said so on the flyers we handed out. 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!”
In the lead-up to the album’s release, Megadeth have announced several events. On 22nd January 2026, the eve of the album’s release, Megadeth: Behind the Mask – a cinematic legacy event – will debut in over 1,000 cinemas across more than 35 countries, in partnership with Trafalgar Releasing. Additionally, a day-long immersive event, Let There Be Shred: The Ultimate Megadeth Immersive Listening Event, is scheduled for 17th January in La Vergne, Tennessee, offering fans an in-depth experience of the band’s music and history.
Following the album release, Megadeth will begin a farewell tour, starting with a Canadian headlining tour on 15th February 2026 in Victoria, British Columbia, and concluding on 6th March in Quebec City. The current line-up features Mustaine, Teemu Mäntysaari (guitars), James LoMenzo (bass), and Dirk Verbeuren (drums).
Earlier this year, Mustaine announced that this would be Megadeth’s final studio album, marking the end of a career that has spanned over four decades, with more than 50 million records sold worldwide and a Grammy Award to their name. The album will also include a bonus track: a reimagined version of Ride the Lightning, originally co-written by Mustaine with members of Metallica.
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Photo: Ross Halfin
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