As music lovers are well aware, many musical artists have claimed to be calling it a career only to later decide they want to make a comeback or two. Sometimes, like Elvis, the comeback is initially successful, but not sustaining. Other bands, like the Beatles, were done when they said they were done.
Might the same hold for Megadeth? Dave Mustaine's band has already announced that their upcoming tour will be their last, and the album set for release in 2026 will also serve as their finale. The tour might last a while, but once it is done, it is done.
Mustaine made sure to clarify this in a recent interview with Metal Hammer, where he discussed how he hasn't truly thought about the end yet, as there is still so much work to be done. He also clarified that one reason the band would stop working is because of a crippling hand condition he has that makes playing the guitar extremely painful.
Megadeth's Dave Mustaine slams the door on any future tours after the current one
The condition is known as Dupuytren's contracture (the name itself sounds painful enough). Another who has suffered from the issue is actor Bill Nighy, whose last two digits on both hands are continually recoiled. He's been able to use his situation to fine effect as an actor, but Mustaine would find his line of work impossible.
In other words, even if Megadeth wanted to continue playing for years, it would have to do so without Dave Mustaine, and Dave Mustaine is, for all intents and purposes, Megadeth.
But the guitarist also made certain that he didn't want to follow in the steps of bands such as KISS, who have announced before a tour that the shows would be their last, only to come back for many tours afterward. Selling tickets by calling a tour the "final" one seems to lack integrity, especially if KISS, for instance, knew they might return.
Mustaine told Metal Hammer, "You see the scuttlebutt that is associated with bands (that keep touring after the 'final' tour). You know they never follow through with it and stick to their word...There’s so many musicians that have come to the end of their career, whether accidental or intentional. Most of them don't get to go out on their own terms on top, and that’s where I'm at in my life right now."
The positive news is that while Megadeth won't be making a new studio album after their 2026 release, and won't be touring after the current tour ends, a new live album might be forthcoming. Who knows? Maybe even more than one. Fans can hope anyway.