Megadeth Debut Atop ARIA Charts With Final Album

Megadeth(Credit: Ross Halfin)

Megadeth have gone out with a bang following the release of their self-titled final album, which was released last Friday (23 January).

The record claimed the top spot on the ARIA Albums Chart this week and also topped the Vinyl Albums Chart in Australia. The achievement marks Megadeth’s first #1 and 11th Top 50 appearance in Australia, including the Top 10 debuts of Youthanasia (#9 in 1994), Dystopia (#6 in 2016) and The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead (#2 in 2022).

By hitting #1 on the ARIA Albums Chart, Megadeth overtook competition from Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving, Louis Tomlinson’s How Did I Get Here?, the Kpop Demon Hunters Soundtrack, and Taylor Swift’s The Life Of A Showgirl.

Joining the band in the top five of the Vinyl Albums Chart are Louis Tomlinson’s How Did I Get Here?, Poppy’s Empty Hands, Olivia Dean’s The Art of Loving, and Aussie group The Paper Kites’ If You Go There, I Hope You Find It.

The Paper Kites have debuted at #1 on the ARIA Australian Artist Albums Chart, overtaking new releases from The Kid LAROI, Ocean Alley, Spacey Jane, and Tame Impala.

Last year, Megadeth announced that their self-titled album and accompanying tour dates would spell out the end for the successful thrash metal outfit.

Comprising vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine, Teemu Mäntysaari (lead, rhythm, and acoustic guitars), James LoMenzo (bass guitar) and Dirk Verbeuren (drums), the final album saw Megadeth reimagine the Metallica song, Ride The Lightning, originally written by Mustaine alongside Metallica’s James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, and Lars Ulrich.

In an open letter announcing their final album, tour, and disbandment last August, Mustaine said that Megadeth are in a unique position where they can “go out on their own terms on top.”

Mustaine added, “We can’t wait for you to hear this album and see us on tour. If there was ever a perfect time for us to put out a new album, it’s now. If there was ever a perfect time to tour the world, it’s now. This is also a perfect time for us to tell you that it’s our last studio album. We’ve made a lot of friends over the years, and I hope to see all of you on our global farewell tour.

“Don’t be mad, don’t be sad, be happy for us all, come celebrate with me these next few years. We have done something together that’s truly wonderful and will probably never happen again. We started a musical style, we started a revolution, we changed the guitar world and how it’s played, and we changed the world. The bands I played in have influenced the world. I love you all for it. Thank you for everything.”

At the time of publication, no farewell Australian tour dates have been announced. Megadeth will take their final album to fans in North America and Canada in February and March.