Megadeth’s final album will feature a rerecorded version of Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning,” as confirmed by frontman Dave Mustaine. In a recent interview, Mustaine explained that the decision to rerecord the song was about respect rather than personal desire.
Mustaine, who was an early member of Metallica, received a writing credit for “Ride the Lightning” because it includes riffs he created. However, he was fired from the band in 1983 before the song was recorded, and Kirk Hammett took his place.
“Our intentions were pure,” Mustaine said about the rerecording. He emphasized that it wasn’t about trying to change the past or rekindle relationships with his former bandmates. Instead, he wanted to focus on his future and create music that he feels is respectable.
Mustaine also mentioned that James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich were not informed about the rerecording in advance, and they haven’t reached out to him since. He expressed a desire to show respect to Hetfield, stating, “I don’t believe he thinks I respect him, and I wanted to make that clear.”
The self-titled final Megadeth album is set to be released on January 23, 2026. The lead single, “Tipping Point,” is already available for fans to enjoy.
