MEGADETH – Plan To Release New Music In 2020

In this recent interview with Rollingstone.com, MEGADETH vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine discussed his cancer diagnosis and treatment, the latter of which he recently completed and continues to recover from. Also briefly mentioned in that interview were plans for Megadeth to potentially release a few new singles around the time of their early 2020 European/UK tour with Five Finger Death Punch and Bad Wolves.

In a new companion piece to that interview over at rollingstone.com, Mustaine spoke a bit more at length at what the legendary thrash metal group have up their sleeves music wise. While his cancer fight this year saw the band set aside their plans to work on a new album, they did complete the frameworks for “nine really crushing songs” in rough demo form prior to his diagnosis.

According to Mustaine, the band are currently mulling over releasing two to four new tracks prior to the tour. Tentative track titles include:

“The Dogs Of Chernobyl”
“Faster Than Anything Else”
“Rattlehead, Part Two”

One song in particular may also find the band’s bassist David Ellefson taking on the vocal duties. Mustaine said of that:

“I said to him, ‘What was the biggest song that Kiss ever had?’ He goes, ‘Beth.’ I said, ‘Yeah, we should write a song like ‘Beth,’ where it’s a ballad and it’s just you singing it.

I think you should write a song about what it’s like being in Megadeth with me, because I read all your lyrics, and I know that your lyrics are aimed at me. You’re upset. So why don’t you write about it?’”

He continued:

“I’m going to try to work on it now for this record, and if it doesn’t get on this record, I’m going to try to work on it on the next record. Because it was actually really cool to see Ellefson writing something and hear him singing.”

Ellefson himself previously gave up his ownership stake in the Megadeth brand and became a salaried employee following a previous fallout between himself and Mustaine. Dates for the band’s upcoming tour with Five Finger Death Punch and Bad Wolves include:

02/03 Berlin, GER – Max-Schmeling Halle (Tickets)
02/04 Hamburg, GER – Sporthalle (Tickets)
02/06 Frankfurt, GER – Festhalle (Tickets)
02/08 Oberhausen, GER – Koenig-Pilsener Arena (Tickets)
02/09 Stuttgart, GER – Schleyerhalle (Tickets)
02/10 Munich, GER – Olympiahalle (Tickets)
02/12 Warsaw, POL – Torwar
02/14 Prague, CZE – Tipsport Arena (Tickets)
02/16 Milan, ITA – Alcatrazz (Tickets)
02/17 Zurich, SWI – Hallenstadion (Tickets)
02/19 Vienna, AUT – Stadthalle (Tickets)
02/20 Budapest, HUN – Budapest Sportarena (Tickets)