Megadeth

About

Also known as: Megadeath, The World Needs a Hero, メガデス

Few bands have defined thrash metal the way Megadeth has. Formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by Dave Mustaine after his acrimonious exit from Metallica, Megadeth carved out their own lane with technically ferocious guitar work, blistering tempos, and lyrics that dig into war, politics, religion and death. They sit firmly in the so called big four of American thrash metal, alongside Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax, and their influence on the genre is hard to overstate. Their catalogue includes a string of platinum records: Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? put them on the map in 1986, while Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction cemented their legacy in the early 1990s. The band's mascot Vic Rattlehead has become an iconic fixture on their artwork and live shows. After numerous lineup changes across four decades, with Mustaine as the sole constant, Megadeth finally won their first Grammy in 2017 for the track Dystopia in the Best Metal Performance category. They have racked up twelve Grammy nominations in total and platinum certifications for five of their seventeen studio albums.