“It's not that I don't want to stay, it's that my hands are betraying me”: Dave Mustaine says his hand problems are forcing him to end Megadeth

Dave Mustaine from Megadeth performs on stage at the Tons of Rock festival on June 28, 2025 in Oslo, Norway.

Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine has said that his worsening hand condition has forced the band’s retirement.

The band’s final studio outing, aptly titled Megadeth, was released last month, with Mustaine making headlines by closing out the record with a cover of Metallica’s Ride the Lightning. It was also the Megadeth debut of Finnish virtuoso Teemu Mäntysaari.