Megadeth is the thrash metal band Dave Mustaine formed in Los Angeles in 1983, weeks after Metallica fired him as its lead guitarist. It made 17 studio albums, sold more than 50 million units and won a Grammy. Its last album, Megadeth (2026), was its first No. 1. Start with Rust in Peace (1990).
The Short Version
- Classic lineup: Mustaine, David Ellefson, Marty Friedman and Nick Menza.
- Biggest seller: Countdown to Extinction (1992), double platinum and No. 2.
- Texas link: Mustaine offered Pantera’s Darrell Abbott the guitar job in 1989.
- Status: farewell tour through April 2027; no Texas dates left as of October 2026.
Why Did Dave Mustaine Leave Metallica?
He was fired. Mustaine, born in La Mesa, California, in 1961, joined Metallica in 1981 after Lars Ulrich advertised for a lead guitarist in The Recycler. On April 11, 1983, before the band recorded its debut, Metallica dismissed him, citing his drinking, drug use and aggressive behavior.
His songs stayed behind. Mustaine is credited as a writer on four songs on Kill ‘Em All and two on Ride the Lightning. One of them, “Mechanix,” was reworked by Metallica as “The Four Horsemen.”
The band sent him home on a Greyhound bus from New York’s Port Authority terminal to Los Angeles. On that ride he found a pamphlet by Senator Alan Cranston that used the word “megadeath.” Back home he formed Fallen Angels with singer Lor Kane, guitarist Robby McKinney and bassist Matt Kisselstein. He then added his new neighbors, bassist David Ellefson and Greg Handevidt, and the band became Megadeth on Kane’s recommendation.
Metallica
Los Angeles, 1981. Mustaine played lead guitar from 1981 to April 1983; hear his writing on Kill ‘Em All (1983).
Killing Is My Business and Peace Sells
After about six months of looking for a singer, Mustaine took the job himself. The three-song Last Rites demo came out on March 9, 1984. Slayer‘s Kerry King filled in on rhythm guitar for five Bay Area shows in early 1984.
Jazz fusion drummer Gar Samuelson joined on October 24, 1984, and guitarist Chris Poland that December. Combat Records gave the band $8,000, later adding $4,000, to make a debut. The band fired its original producer and finished the record itself with Karat Faye at Indigo Ranch in Malibu.
Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! came out in the UK on May 17, 1985, and in the U.S. on June 12. It closes with “Mechanix,” Mustaine’s original version of the song Metallica had reworked. AllMusic’s Steve Huey called the record “as raw as Megadeth gets,” and it did not chart in its original run.
The second album moved the band to a major label. Capitol bought the rights to the Peace Sells... but Who’s Buying? sessions, produced with Randy Burns, and had Paul Lani remix them. It came out in the U.S. on September 25, 1986, the same year as the records in our 1986 thrash albums feature.
Peace Sells reached only No. 76 on the Billboard 200 but went platinum over time. Ed Repka painted the cover, with mascot Vic Rattlehead selling the ruined United Nations building. Ulrich himself wrote in the 25th-anniversary liner notes that “It has stood the test of time.”
Rust in Peace and the Classic Lineup
The late 1980s were a revolving door. Samuelson and Poland were asked to leave in 1987. Drummer Chuck Behler and guitarist Jeff Young played on So Far, So Good... So What! (January 1988), and Mustaine had replaced both by early 1989.
The fix came in 1989 and early 1990. Nick Menza, Behler’s drum tech, got the drum job. Marty Friedman got the guitar job on the recommendation of Ron Laffitte of Capitol’s management, who had heard Dragon’s Kiss, Friedman’s solo record from his Cacophony days. Friedman officially joined in February 1990, completing the lineup most fans treat as definitive.
Rust in Peace came out on Capitol on September 24, 1990. Mustaine produced it with Mike Clink at Rumbo Recorders in Canoga Park. “Holy Wars... The Punishment Due” and “Hangar 18” were the singles.
The album reached No. 23 in the U.S. and No. 8 in the UK, went platinum and drew a Grammy nomination. The Chicago Tribune‘s Greg Kot praised its “instrumental virtuosity, thoughtful lyricism and punkish rage.” It is the best record in the catalog, and Friedman’s leads are a big reason why.
The Capitol Peak: Countdown to Extinction and Youthanasia
The same four players then went for shorter songs. Countdown to Extinction (July 1992) debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, went double platinum and earned another Grammy nomination. Its first single, “Symphony of Destruction,” is still one of the band’s best-known songs.
Youthanasia followed in November 1994, reaching No. 4 and going platinum in the U.S. two months later. Cryptic Writings (June 1997) made No. 10 and went gold. Risk (August 1999) also went gold. Friedman left at the end of 1999, citing “musical differences.” That July, former drummer Gar Samuelson had died of liver failure in Florida at 41.
The 2002 Breakup, the Return and Dystopia
The new decade opened on a new label. The World Needs a Hero came out on Sanctuary in May 2001 and debuted at No. 16. Then an injury nearly ended the band. After a kidney stone procedure, Mustaine compressed the radial nerve in his left arm and could not grip with that hand. On April 3, 2002, he announced that Megadeth was breaking up.
He reformed the band in 2004 for The System Has Failed (September 2004), which reached No. 18. United Abominations (May 2007) got to No. 8. Endgame (Roadrunner, September 2009), the first album with guitarist Chris Broderick, entered at No. 9. It is the late-period record to hear first, with the speed and precision of the Capitol years.
Ellefson rejoined in 2010 after eight years away. Th1rt3en (Roadrunner, November 2011) debuted at No. 11, and Super Collider (June 2013), the first release on Mustaine’s own Tradecraft label through Universal, debuted at No. 6.
The Metallica wound had been healing in public. Ulrich invited Mustaine to talk on camera for the documentary Some Kind of Monster (2004), a scene Mustaine later said mischaracterized him. On June 16, 2010, the Big Four of thrash metal, Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth and Anthrax, shared a bill for the first time, at Sonisphere in Warsaw before 81,000 people. On December 10, 2011, Metallica invited Mustaine to play at its 30th-anniversary shows.
Dystopia arrived in January 2016 with guitarist Kiko Loureiro. Its title track won Best Metal Performance at the February 2017 Grammys, the band’s first Grammy win. On May 21, 2016, former drummer Nick Menza died of a heart attack while performing with OHM in Los Angeles. Drummer Dirk Verbeuren joined in 2016, replacing Chris Adler on Adler’s own recommendation.
The next stretch was harder. Mustaine was diagnosed with throat cancer in June 2019 and said on stage on January 31, 2020, that he was cancer free. Ellefson was dismissed in May 2021. The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! followed in September 2022, and guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari replaced Loureiro in November 2023.
The Final Album and the Farewell Tour
On August 14, 2025, Megadeth announced that its next album would be its last, with a farewell tour to follow. Megadeth came out on January 23, 2026, on Frontiers’ BLKIIBLK label through Mustaine’s Tradecraft imprint. Mustaine produced it with Chris Rakestraw, with Mäntysaari, bassist James LoMenzo and Verbeuren.
It debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 73,000 equivalent units, 69,000 of them pure sales, in the week ending January 29. The band’s previous best had been No. 2 with Countdown to Extinction in 1992. In a statement reported by Blabbermouth on February 1, Mustaine put it plainly:
“Finding out that our last MEGADETH record is also our first No. 1 only further validates my will to go out on top.”
The album ends where the story began. Its bonus track is a cover of Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning,” a song Mustaine co-wrote before he was fired. The tour opened on February 15, 2026, in Victoria, British Columbia, with Anthrax and Exodus, per Loudwire. Mustaine told Kerrang! in November 2025 that it could run “another three to five years.”
Megadeth in Texas
Megadeth’s biggest Texas story is one that didn’t happen. When Mustaine rebuilt the band in 1989, he first offered the guitar job to Arlington’s Darrell Abbott of Pantera, then billed as Diamond Darrell. The deal fell through because Darrell wanted his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul, hired too, and Menza already had the job.
The brothers stayed home, and Pantera released Cowboys from Hell in 1990, as our Cowboys from Hell feature tells it. Rotting Corpse knew Vinnie Paul from the other side of the glass. He engineered the band’s 1987 and 1988 demos at Pantego Sound, as our discography records.
Pantera
Arlington, Texas, 1981. The Abbott brothers’ band; start with Cowboys from Hell (1990), the record they made instead of joining Megadeth.
Megadeth kept coming back to Texas. In 2016 it played River City Rockfest at the AT&T Center (now the Frost Bank Center) in San Antonio. Its own tour archive lists 713 Music Hall in Houston on August 3, 2024, then Irving and Austin on August 20 and 21.
The farewell run’s only Texas date so far was September 29, 2026, at the Alamodome, opening for Iron Maiden. Between songs, Mustaine told the crowd, “There were rumors that we’re retiring after this tour, and the rumors are true.” Our San Antonio metal history explains why that city still turns out.
Alamodome Open
San Antonio’s domed stadium hosted the farewell tour’s only Texas show, on September 29, 2026. The San Antonio Current reported a near-capacity crowd.
Photo: Taylor Wimberly via Google
Megadeth Albums: Where to Start
Here is the order we would take the 17 studio albums in:
- Rust in Peace (Capitol, 1990): the classic lineup at full speed, and the best thing the band made.
- Peace Sells... but Who’s Buying? (Capitol, 1986): the title track, “Wake Up Dead” and the template for everything after.
- Countdown to Extinction (Capitol, 1992): tighter songs, bigger hooks, “Symphony of Destruction.”
- Endgame (Roadrunner, 2009): the strongest of the later records.
- Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! (Combat, 1985): raw and fast, with Mustaine’s “Mechanix.”
- Megadeth (2026): the goodbye, and the “Ride the Lightning” cover.
Megadeth
Los Angeles, 1983. Start with Rust in Peace (1990), then Peace Sells... but Who’s Buying? (1986) and Countdown to Extinction (1992).
Where to See Megadeth Live
As of October 2026, the band’s tour page lists no more Texas dates. The September 29 Alamodome show was the last one. These are the upcoming dates it does list:
- November 7–19, 2026: New Zealand and Australia: Auckland, Adelaide, Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
- February 22–25, 2027: Japan, Osaka and two nights at the Budokan in Tokyo; the Osaka date and first Budokan night are marked sold out.
- March 9 to April 13, 2027: UK and Europe, from The O2 Belfast through London’s OVO Arena Wembley, Paris, Berlin and Madrid to Lisbon. Black Label Society and Testament were announced as support for the entire run.
Watch the official tour page for anything new in Texas.
Start with “Those Without Conscience” (1987)
It opens the summer 1987 tape that Vinnie Paul engineered at Pantego, two years before Mustaine tried to hire his brother, and it’s a fast, dark song about a killer who can’t control his own mind (lyrics).
Sources
- Wikipedia: Megadeth
- Wikipedia: Dave Mustaine
- Wikipedia: Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!
- Wikipedia: Peace Sells... but Who’s Buying?
- Wikipedia: So Far, So Good... So What!
- Wikipedia: Rust in Peace
- Wikipedia: Marty Friedman
- Wikipedia: The World Needs a Hero
- Wikipedia: Endgame (Megadeth album)
- Wikipedia: Th1rt3en
- Wikipedia: Super Collider
- Wikipedia: Megadeth (album)
- Blabbermouth: First Big Four show (June 16, 2010)
- Blabbermouth: Mustaine to Kerrang! on a three-to-five-year farewell tour (November 12, 2025)
- Blabbermouth: First-ever U.S. No. 1 with final album (February 1, 2026)
- Blabbermouth: 2027 European tour with Black Label Society and Testament (August 3, 2026)
- Loudwire: Farewell tour kickoff in Victoria (February 16, 2026)
- San Antonio Current: Iron Maiden, Megadeth and Anthrax at the Alamodome (September 30, 2026)
- Megadeth official site: Tour dates and archive
- Wikimedia Commons: Megadeth performing in San Antonio, Texas, May 29, 2016
Frequently Asked Questions
Why was Dave Mustaine kicked out of Metallica?
Metallica dismissed Mustaine on April 11, 1983, before recording its debut album, citing his drinking, drug use and aggressive behavior. He is still credited on four Kill ‘Em All songs and two on Ride the Lightning.
When was Megadeth formed?
In 1983 in Los Angeles. Mustaine first formed Fallen Angels with singer Lor Kane, guitarist Robby McKinney and bassist Matt Kisselstein, then added his new neighbors David Ellefson and Greg Handevidt. The band became Megadeth on Kane’s recommendation. The Last Rites demo followed on March 9, 1984, and the debut album in 1985.
What is the best Megadeth album to start with?
Rust in Peace (Capitol, 1990), the first album with Marty Friedman and Nick Menza. It went platinum and drew a Grammy nomination. Peace Sells... but Who’s Buying? (1986) and Countdown to Extinction (1992) are the next two to hear.
Did Megadeth ever have a No. 1 album?
Yes, once. The self-titled final album, released January 23, 2026, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with 73,000 equivalent units. The band’s previous best was No. 2 with Countdown to Extinction in 1992.
Is Megadeth breaking up?
Yes. In August 2025 the band announced that Megadeth would be its last album, followed by a farewell tour. Mustaine has said the tour could run three to five years. As of October 2026 it lists dates in Australia, New Zealand, Japan, the UK and Europe through April 2027.
Did Megadeth try to hire Dimebag Darrell?
Yes. In 1989 Mustaine offered the guitar job to Pantera’s Darrell Abbott, then billed as Diamond Darrell. The deal fell through because Darrell wanted his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul, hired too, and Nick Menza already had the drum job.
