Megadeth Gives Ride The Lightning a Heavier Send-Off on Final Album
Megadeth’s final self-titled album, released Jan 23, 2026 via Mustaine’s Tradecraft and BLKIIBLK, features a faster, heavier version of Metallica’s Ride The Lightning, a track Mustaine co-wrote with James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Cliff Burton. Mustaine chose the song to “close the circle” and pay tribute to his Metallica-era influence; he and current Megadeth guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari split the solo. The band discusses the decision in recent interviews, and the track appears as a bonus on the Megadeth album, which marks the group’s farewell release.