After months of intense work, thrash metal legends Megadeth are closing in on completing the recording sessions for their highly anticipated seventeenth studio album. Fronted by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine, the band appears to be entering the final stages of production.
On June 10th, Mustaine gave fans an exciting update, revealing that he has begun tracking vocals for the new album. This milestone suggests that the instrumental parts are now complete, and the band is moving steadily toward wrapping up the project.
The recording process began last November with longtime collaborator Chris Rakestraw returning to the producer’s chair. As is typical for Megadeth, the band recorded all the instrumentals first before moving on to vocals, a method confirmed by Mustaine’s recent progress report.
This upcoming release holds special significance as the band’s first album to feature guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, who joined Megadeth in 2023. Fans are eager to hear how his addition will shape the band’s sound on this record.
The album will be released through Tradecraft/BLKIIBLK, although an official release date has not yet been announced. Given the recent updates, it seems fans won’t have to wait much longer to hear the new material.
In an April newsletter to members of the Megadeth Cyber Army fan club, Mustaine expressed his enthusiasm for the new album: “I’m sure by now that you have seen our clips from inside the studio from our recording record 17. I am really anxious for you to hear our new music. I can tell you that this record is a lot like the first ten years of Megadeth.”
Megadeth’s latest album before this, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!, was released in September 2022. That album marked several milestones, including the debut of drummer Dirk Verbeuren, the final record featuring guitarist Kiko Loureiro, and the band’s first studio release in six years since Dystopia (2016) — the longest gap between studio albums in Megadeth’s career.
Megadeth continues to maintain an extensive global touring schedule throughout 2025, with dates including:
- Jun 13, 2025 – Manchester, TN – Bonnaroo
- Jun 28, 2025 – Oslo, Norway – Tons Of Rock Festival
- Jul 03, 2025 – Seville, Spain – Iconica
- Sep 22, 2025 – Istanbul, Türkiye – Kucukciftlik Park
- Sep 28, 2025 – Copenhagen, Denmark – Royal Arena
- Oct 01, 2025 – Düsseldorf, Germany – PSD Bank Dome
- Oct 03, 2025 – Stuttgart, Germany – Schleyerhalle
- Oct 04, 2025 – Zurich, Switzerland – Hallenstadion
- Oct 06, 2025 – Budapest, Hungary – Budapest Arena
- Oct 07, 2025 – Prague, Czech Republic – O2 Arena
- Oct 10, 2025 – Kraków, Poland – TAURON Arena
- Oct 12, 2025 – Paris, France – Zenith
- Oct 14, 2025 – Amsterdam, Netherlands – Ziggo Dome
- Oct 15, 2025 – Brussels, Belgium – Forest National
- Oct 17, 2025 – Munich, Germany – Olympiahalle
- Oct 18, 2025 – Berlin, Germany – Velodrome
- Oct 20, 2025 – Birmingham, United Kingdom – Utilita Arena
- Oct 22, 2025 – Dublin, Ireland – 3Arena
- Oct 24, 2025 – Manchester, United Kingdom – AO Arena
- Oct 26, 2025 – London, United Kingdom – The O2 Arena
- Oct 28, 2025 – Glasgow, Scotland – OVO Hydro
