Hear Megadeth's Version of Metallica's 'Ride the Lightning' - Out Now!

Megadeth's final album — titled Megadeth — has been released, which means the band's version of Metallica's "Ride the Lightning" is out as well.

It's a moment that's been more than 40 years in the making, ever since Metallica made the decision to split with Dave Mustaine on April 11, 1983. Their stories have been linked and intertwined ever since, fueled by a sense of competition that was natural among all metal bands looking to prove their meddle, make themselves known and assert their legacies.

As Megadeth's story winds down with a farewell tour that has no firm end date as of yet and this eponymous record, it's a full circle moment for Mustaine, whose contributions to Metallica will be heard in a brand new way — with Megadeth.

Learn more about this new version of "Ride the Lightning" and hear it for yourself further down the page.

What Dave Mustaine Said About Megadeth Recording "Ride the Lightning"

"Ride the Lightning" is one of six Metallica songs Dave Mustaine is credited on. It first appeared on the 1984 album of the same name, Metallica's second release following Kill 'Em All which formally launched the band's career a year earlier.

"That was the beginning of my songwriting career," Mustaine told Loudwire Nights radio host Chuck Armstrong in a recent interview, looking back on his life as a musician and his time in Metallica.

"I had been learning how to play in the latter part of the '70s, so when the '80s came out, it was only punk rock and disco. And of course there was pop rock...you know, if you wanted to really be heavy, you had to listen to bands like REO Speedwagon. And so doing 'Ride the Lightning,' it was kind of completing the circle and I think it's cool in so much as it's paying my respects to the band that I first went to the dance with," the Megadeth leader continued.

READ MORE: The 5 Best Technical Thrash Albums (Ranked)

He added, "I've always had a tremendous respect for James [Hetfield's] guitar playing and Lars [Ulrich's] songwriting is really quite unorthodox and beautiful at the same time. So when we started off together, I honestly didn't think we were going to last anyway because there was just so much personality. Whether that was combustible or not, I still really respected those two guys.

As to how he arrived at recording his version of the song, Mustaine went on, "I was talking with my management and they said, 'Why don't you do 'Ride the Lightning,' and I said, 'Well, then that would be my version of it,' because I'm not going to do a cover song. I'll play it the way that we played it and I'll speed it up a little bit and we'll spice up the drum fills at the end and maybe we'll spice up the solo and the rhythm section underneath it on top of speeding the song up a little bit. Just make it like how when we were doing those demos, there was this, just, fucking aggression. And I think a lot of that was because of our living environments and that we drank more than we ate. It sure was fun, though."

Megadeth, "Ride the Lightning" (Metallica)

Get Your Copy of Megadeth's New Album on Vinyl

Megadeth, the final album by the thrash legends, is out now!

1. "Tipping Point"
2. "I Don't Care"
3. "Hey God?!"
4. "Let There Be Shred"
5. "Puppet Parade"
6. "Another Bad Day"
7. "Made to Kill"
8. "Obey the Call"
9. "I Am War"
10. "The Last Note"

Get your copy from Loudwire Vinyl Shop or directly from the button below.

Will Megadeth wind up being the best thrash album of 2026? Time will tell.

For now, take a look at the best thrash album of each year, going all the way back to 1983.