The fact that nothing stays the same forever, is, ironically, the only thing that does. Stylistic trends in music are no different: What type of music best performs in the mainstream is ever changing. These shifts can be natural evolutions, as in the case of the new wave of American heavy metal in the 1990s, whereas the current shift in the genre is more akin to the shedding of everything that makes metal what it is.
This change has come at the same time as titans of traditional metal rest their laurels. The rising stars of modern metal are not remotely similar to, for example, the legendary band Megadeth, who released their final, self-titled album on Jan. 28.
The band was formed in 1983 after guitarist and vocalist Dave Mustaine was fired from Metallica due to his issues with substance abuse. The current lineup of the band includes the aforementioned Mustaine on vocals and guitar, James LoMenzo on bass, Dirk Verbeuren on drums and Teemu Mäntysaari on guitar.
Megadeth’s discography began on May 17, 1985 with the release of “Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good.” Megadeth then went on to release seventeen records including hits such as “Rust In Peace”in 1990 and “Countdown to Extinction” in 1992, ending in 2026 with the record “Megadeth.”
The record contains 11 tracks, which are as follows: “Tipping Point,” “I Don’t Care,” “Hey God?!,” “Let There Be Shred,” “Puppet Parade,” “Another Bad Day,” “Made To Kill,” “Obey The Call,” “I Am War,” “The Last Note” and “Ride The Lightning (Metallica cover).”
“I Don’t Care” opens immediately with Mustaine listing the things he does not care about. The tough guy act coming from a more than 60-year-old musician is many things; pleasant is not one of them. The instrumental is still enjoyable, but the lyrics are borderline painful to listen to, making this the worst track on the record.
Although a sonically pleasant track, “Hey God?!” could have been much better. Even as Mustaine calls out to God, saying “[he’s] had a lot of things on [his] mind” it feels as if he has nothing of importance to say.
“Puppet Parade” is easily a standout track of the album. The instrumentals, vocals and lyrics are all well done and enjoyable to listen to.
“I Am War” speaks to similar militaristic themes as many Megadeth tracks, but with a different tone. “I Am War” seems to almost revel in war and all that it brings, providing a shakeup to the usual anti-war commentary one would’ve come to expect from the band. Overall this track is good enough but relatively forgettable, aside from the unique perspective.
“The Last Note” is a more introspective track than any other on the record. Here, Mustaine takes a moment to reflect on his storied career before lamenting its end with a bittersweet mix of pride and regret. Mustaine certainly has a lot to be proud of and he knows it, and he also recognizes that his legacy will outlive him, his “last note [will] never die.”
Contrary to the band’s storied career, the record has been a disappointment to many. Bennett Ardeljan, a Summit sophomore and Megadeth fan said “If I saw [the album] in a record store, I would probably hide it behind other CDs and records so other people wouldn’t have to listen to it.”
Scathing as this review may be, it isn’t wrong. The majority of the album’s tracks are average and the standout tracks, good or bad, balance each other out, leaving a record which is mediocre.
“Megadeth” is not just the end of a popular and influential band, but the end of an era. The once-dominant forces of metal are beginning to fizzle out, and there are almost no true, deserving successors to succeed them. For example, Sleep Token, a rising star in the modern “metal” scene, isn’t truly a metal band, let alone a band which produces quality music.
Take Sleep Token’s song “Caramel,” which is the most streamed track of their most recent record and according to The New York Times, the single best song of 2025. The track is described to contain elements of “rap-metal, dream-prog, pop-reggaeton, backpack hip-hop, cosplay rock, metalcore.”
As at least three of these subgenres are of either rock or metal, this song is in large part metal, yet its runtime of four minutes and 51 seconds, contains, by my count, only 104 seconds of guitar. In contrast, a track of comparable success, “The Heart From Your Hate,” by metalcore band Trivium contains four minutes and four seconds of guitar in its four minute and four seconds runtime.
Guitar is undoubtedly a core part of metal and all its variants or subgenres, so to see it cast aside in a track hailed as the greatest of a year long period is a clear demonstration of what metal is coming to, and what is being lost of traditional metal.
Now do not mistake me, I have no problem with innovation, but watching the genre that I grew up listening to, and will continue to listen to for all my life, be warped beyond recognition is without a doubt saddening. And make no mistake: This is no swan song, but a last gasp. Although even if this is the end of an era, Megadeth, and metal as a whole, had a good run, and for that I am eternally grateful.
