Megadeth May Hold New Album Until They Can Tour

To release or not to release? That's one of the big questions for acts that has arisen due to the pandemic as bands worry about the ability to support their new music during a touring shutdown. It looks as though Megadeth may be one of those bands holding their next album until they can support it on the road.

Speaking with TotalRock Radio (as seen below), Megadeth bassist David Ellefson provided an update on their plans, allowing for the idea that the pandemic could factor into how they proceed.

“We’re working on album number sixteen, and just finishing it up now. We’ve got a big year of touring lined up — festivals in Europe; the big ‘The Metal Tour of the Year’ is rescheduled for July and August this year; Rock In Rio in Brazil in September. And it’s all confirmed, but it depends on what — COVID has a say in this matter, unfortunately," says Ellefson.

"There’s this undecided third factor spinning over there with the pandemic that we’re just all doing the best we can to play around that. And the same with the Megadeth release schedule, being able to put things out,” he continued.

The bassist offered, “We’re gonna wanna be able to get on the road and promote it. It doesn’t make sense to drop a brand new record in the middle of a pandemic and not be able to support that. And so if that means we have to push things back a little bit so that it can be the most effective to tour it and support it, then I’m sure those are decisions that are being made … Quite honestly, those are decisions that get updated pretty much weekly inside the Megadeth camp.”

As has happened throughout the pandemic in the rock world, there have been some tour dates pushed back yet again in 2021, though at this point everything remains on schedule for Megadeth with their touring set to resume in June and continuing through the summer into September. See their current dates listed here.

Work has continued on Megadeth's next album, with singer-guitarist Dave Mustaine offering an update last month during a Rock 'n' Roll Fantasy Camp masterclass. "The tentative album title we have right now is called The Sick, The Dying And The Dead," Mustaine said. "We may change that, because there's some other titles, and I usually change the titles four or five times before I settle on anything." Mustaine also played a bit of a new song but did not offer any additional details on the forthcoming release.