Megadeth Covers Metallica’s Thrash Metal Anthem

On the band’s final album, the American thrash metal band Megadeth recorded a version of Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning” in honor of his time as a founding member. The album dropped today.

“As I come full circle on the career of a lifetime, the decision to include ‘Ride the Lightning,’ a song I co-wrote with James [Hetfield], Lars [Ulrich], and Cliff [Burton], was to pay my respects to where my career first started.”

Mustaine was an original member of Metallica, but was kicked out of the band due to drug and alcohol issues and aggressive behavior. He’s since been to rehab and embraces sobriety. Kirk Hammett was hired and remains with the band, hammering the fretboard of his guitar with great speed and agility.

Burton was the original bassist who died tragically in a bus accident when Metallica was on tour in Sweden in 1986. He was replaced by Jason Newsted, who took the job until 2001. Robert Trujillo currently holds that coveted spot as the band's bassist.

Mustaine formed Megadeth in 1983 and recorded 16 studio albums. They have sold more than 38 million albums worldwide, including 6.5 million in the United States. Megadeth grew in popularity over time, but never eclipsed Metallica’s popularity. That said, both have a very strong and devoted fan base.

Megadeth kicks off their final tour in Canada, and later in the summer, they will support Iron Maiden’s North American Tour. Listen to Megadeth’s version of “Ride the Lightning.”