Earlier this year, Megadeth announced plans to release a final studio album followed by a farewell tour, marking what the band says will be the end of its four-decade run. In a recent interview with Metal Hammer, frontman Dave Mustaine pushed back against comparisons to other veteran acts like KISS and Motley Crue that have staged farewell tours only to later reunite, insisting that Megadeth’s decision is definitive and not a temporary goodbye.
“I don’t think so,” he said about the possibility of reuniting in the future. “You see the scuttlebutt that is associated with bands like that. You know they never follow through with it and stick to their word.”
Megadeth’s final self-titled studio album is scheduled for release on Jan. 23, though it may not be the band’s last release. Mustaine hinted that Megadeth could also issue a live album documenting the band’s final shows.
“Look, it all depends on how the statements are crafted,” he said. “So, we’re doing no more studio albums. Does that mean there might be a live album at the end of all of this? Yeah, it certainly looks that way.”
According to Mustaine, the decision to retire was driven in part by a desire for Megadeth to go out on their own terms
“There’s so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional,” he explained. “Most of them don’t get to go out on their own terms on top, and that’s where I’m at in my life right now.”
As for what comes next after Megadeth’s farewell tour, the frontman admitted he’s still not sure what the future holds for him.
“Well, there’s so much still going on now that I don’t really want to think about that too much,” Mustaine said. “I can’t really conceive of an end right now.”
“I don’t think there is going to be a morning after,” he added. “I think for all of us, we’re always going to be in Megadeth. We’re always going to be brothers now and best friends, and we’re always going to be responsible for making some of the most fun music that bassists and guitarists and drummers will ever want to play.”
