“One of the songs is a cover song but I actually wrote it, so it’s kind of like a cover, kind of like my song”: Are Megadeth set to include a version of Metallica's Ride The Lightning on their final album?

Megadeth’s – allegedly – final album is being prepared for release next January, and it looks as though the confirmed tracklisting might include a version of Metallica’s Ride The Lightning, which of course was co-written by Megadeth's founder Dave Mustaine.

How do we know? Well, the band have gradually been revealing the tracklisting via social media, with letters of the various tracks gently coalescing together. As you can see, track 11 is shaping to be Ride The Lightning.

Or it could be a similarly-titled track? Look at it closely below – track 11 could be ‘Ales Are Shining’, couldn’t it?

Anyhoo, if it is Ride The Lightning, it would fit with what Mustaine mentioned earlier this year on a Norwegian radio show, Stjernepose. Talking about the final album, he said: “We have 13 new songs for the new album… One of the songs is a cover song but I actually wrote it, so it’s kind of like a cover, kind of like my song.”

Its inclusion would speak volumes about its author. Even after 42 years it seems Mustaine is still smarting about his exit from Metallica. He just can’t let it lie.

Ride The Lightning was the title track of Metallica’s second album, released in July 1984. By that time, Mustaine was long gone and Megadeth were already up and running. They’d release their debut Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good! the following year.

That was the first of 17 Megadeth albums, with the final one due on January 23 next year with a simple title: Megadeth. Among the other confirmed tracks are the recent single Tipping Point, as well as I Don’t Care, Puppet Parade, Made To Kill and the brilliantly-titled Let There Be Shred.

And there will be a farewell tour to accompany the farewell album. No dates have been confirmed as yet, although we do know that the band will support Iron Maiden on a number of dates next autumn, including shows at Montreal, San Antonio and Los Angeles.