THE LAST NOTE

DAVE MUSTAINE TAKES US THROUGH THE INSPIRATIONS BEHIND MEGADETH'S FINAL ALBUM-TRACK BY TRACK-AND REVEALS HIS MOTIVATION FOR RE-RECORDING METALLICA'S "RIDE THE LIGHTNING"

- ANDREW DALY

IT SEEMS THAT Dave Mustaine's wild heavy metal journey is ending via a final Megadeth album - January's self-titled release - and a globetrotting tour.

To that end, he tells Guitar World, “We have a lot of territories we need to play before we stop. We've got a lot of stops to get to so that we can see everybody. It's more than just weekend-warrior stuff here in the States. We're not just here traveling in a Winnebago.” [Laughs]

It's hard to imagine the metal landscape without Mustaine, a man whose playing is as fiery as his personality. Thankfully, those traits come across throughout Megadeth, meaning that Mustaine is going out with a massive bang - a bang that will punctuate a hell-raising career of music-making that'll be remembered for as long as any of us are still here.

But Mustaine still has a lot in front of him, namely the aforementioned new album, which he discusses below, track by track. As is the case with any Megadeth offering, the themes run a wide gamut, but it's the album's final track, “The Last Note,” that seems the most symbolic.

“It's like we're playing to carry on forever,” Mustaine says of the song. “For people who know my music, it'll carry on. I know it will.”

"TIPPING POINT"