Why Dave Mustaine Chose 'Ride the Lightning' for Megadeth's Metallica Cover

Now that Megadeth leader Dave Mustaine has confirmed that there will be a version of "Ride the Lightning" as a bonus track on the band's self-titled final album, he's discussing the decision publicly.

Mustaine famously started his music career with Metallica and songs that he worked on appeared on their first two albums, including the Ride the Lightning title track that he co-wrote while still with Metallica. Over the years, writing credits have been a sticking point between Mustaine and his former band, but the Megadeth leader says that his decision to take on "Ride the Lightning" was actually a show of respect for his former band and his legacy as a musician.

What Dave Mustaine Is Saying About Megadeth Recording "Ride the Lightning"

In an Instagram post shortly after the news was revealed, Mustaine offered, “On the new album, we recorded ‘Ride the Lightning.’ The reason we did that was, obviously, it's a song that I had a lot to do with writing. When James [Hetfield] and I were working on the song, it became clear to me, when he first started playing guitar, how good of a guitar player he was. I thought it would be really cool to close the circle, to show respect, and to play the songs that I've written with Metallica, to honor our friendship even though it's been strained and ruined from emotions over the years when we were not necessarily friendly."

He continued, "One thing I've always had is a tremendous respect for James' guitar playing and Lars [Ulrich]' songwriting. So it was cool to do this and add it to the record. We sped it up just a little bit and played around with the solo. Teemu [Mantysaari] and I tossed it back and forth to each other, so you might hear some differences with the tempos. And of course, I sing differently from James too. But once again, it was about completing the circle and showing what James and I, as guitar players, did to change the world.”

What Else Has Dave Mustaine Shared About Megadeth Recording "Ride the Lightning"?

In an exclusive interview with Rolling Stone, Mustaine shared, “It wasn’t really that I wanted to do my version. I think that we all wanted it to turn out a certain way, and for me, this was about something so much more than how a song turns out. It was about respect.”

Not only was this about giving a nod to James Hetfield, Mustaine says it's also paying homage to his own legacy. “I wanted to do something to close the circle on my career right now, since it started off with [the pre-Metallica band] Panic and several of the songs that ended up in the Metallica repertoire, I wanted to do something that I felt would be a good song,” he shares.

“Our intentions were pure,” Mustaine says. “I didn’t have any reason I was going to say, ‘Oh, hey man, this thing that we’ve had for 40 years where you guys will never tour with me, me doing the song is going to change things.’ That wasn’t it at all. It was more about: This is my life going forward. I want to do things that are respectable. And I think doing something where we can pay honor to the guy that … I mean, I hate to say this, because it’s just so fucking arrogant, but the guitar playing in Metallica changed the world.”

READ MORE: All 6 Metallica Songs Co-Written by Dave Mustaine Ranked Worst to Best

While being very complimentary of Hetfield, Mustaine added, “I think the whole purpose of this was not to try and rekindle relationships or anything. It was about showing respect to a man that… I don’t believe he thinks I respect him and I wanted to make that clear.”

“I wanted to pay tribute to the band,” he adds. “And just now that I’m getting ready to hang my guitar up, I wanted to make sure that nothing is left unsaid.”

About Megadeth's Final Album

After a series of teases earlier in the week, Megadeth confirmed the 10 tracks that will officially be on their self-titled album when it arrives on Jan. 23, 2026. But a day after the final song from the album was revealed, the singer confirmed the rumor that he'd recorded a Metallica cover and that "Ride the Lightning" would be a bonus track.

The band has already issued "Tipping Point" as the lead single from the record. Pre-orders are now also available for the self-titled set through the Megadeth website.

In addition, Megadeth are expected to embark on a farewell tour launching in 2026, but so far official headline dates have yet to be revealed.