After months of intense work, MEGADETH is drawing closer to finishing the recording sessions for their highly anticipated seventeenth studio album. The thrash metal legends, led by vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine, appear to be entering the final phase of production.
On June 10th, Mustaine shared an update revealing that he has begun tracking vocals for the new effort, signaling that the instrumental recordings are complete and the band is moving toward wrapping up the project.
The recording sessions kicked off last November, with producer Chris Rakestraw returning to the producer’s chair. Traditionally, MEGADETH lays down the instrumentals first before moving on to vocals, and Mustaine’s recent update confirms this familiar process is underway.
This album holds extra significance as the band’s first release since welcoming guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari in 2023.
The forthcoming album will be released through Tradecraft/BLKIIBLK. While an official release date has yet to be announced, the latest updates suggest fans won’t have to wait much longer.
In an April newsletter sent to members of the Megadeth Cyber Army fan club, Mustaine shared the following about 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, The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!, was released in September 2022. This is MEGADETH‘s first album to feature drummer Dirk Verbeuren, their final album with guitarist Kiko Loureiro, and their first studio release in six years since Dystopia (2016), marking the longest gap between studio albums in the band’s history.
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