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A linchpin of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal movement with an uncompromising approach that garnered both respect and sales, Richmond, Virginia's Lamb of God started out using a more inauspicious name. Employing a versatile blend of metalcore, thrash, punk, sludge, and groove-laden death metal, the band issued an eponymous full-length outing under the moniker Burn the Priest before changing their name in 1999 to avoid being mistaken for a Satanic metal outfit. Lamb of God has released a string of high-profile studio albums and enjoyed tremendous commercial success with gold-selling outings like Ashes of the Wake and Sacrament. Between 2000 and 2022, the group carved out a notable swath of sonic real estate, selling millions of records and landing multiple Grammy nominations without ever compromising their sound.

Featuring vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Will Adler, bassist John Campbell, and drummer Chris Adler, the newly rechristened Lamb of God launched in 2000 with their acclaimed New American Gospel album. The group then embarked on a lengthy touring spree, spending most of the next two years preaching their "pure American death metal" at major heavy metal festivals and small clubs alike.

Work on a follow-up effort with producer and Strapping Young Lad mastermind Devin Townsend took place in between countless road trips, so Lamb of God's sophomore LP, As the Palaces Burn, wasn't released until the summer of 2003. Ashes of the Wake quickly followed it in 2004. Produced by Machine, it featured the most fully realized material of the band's career. Ashes was both a chart and critical hit and set up a year's worth of successful touring for Lamb of God. (Epic also reissued Burn the Priest, the 1998 debut from the original band.) The Killadelphia concert film appeared in 2005, documenting a particularly fierce stretch of shows in Philly, and the same program's audio edition dropped toward the end of the same year. 2006's Sacrament debuted at number eight on the Billboard 200, and eventually went gold, while the group's 2008 hard-hitting follow-up, Wrath, climbed to number two.

A massive three-disc retrospective titled Hourglass: The Anthology was issued by Epic in 2010, covering their independent releases as well as their major-label years, and included a third disc of rarities. The set was released in two configurations: it was available for purchase in either three single-disc volumes or as a full box set. The band spent 2010 touring before eventually settling down in 2011 to record new material with producer Josh Wilbur. The result was their chart-topping seventh album, 2012's Resolution. That same year, Blythe was arrested in Czechoslovakia for charges stemming from an incident at a 2010 show in Prague that saw a young fan climb on-stage and hit his head after being pushed by the lead singer. The 19-year-old died of complications from the injury, and Blythe spent over a month in jail before being found not criminally liable for the incident and released on bail. Blythe would pen a memoir, with an emphasis on his arrest, trial, and acquittal, called Dark Days. In 2015, after a period of inactivity, the band issued its long-awaited eighth studio long-player, VII: Sturm und Drang. The following year the band released a new EP, Duke, that was comprised of three live cuts and two new studio tracks. The title track was inspired by Lamb of God superfan Wayne Ford, who had lost his five-year battle with leukemia.

In 2017, Chris Adler was involved in a motorcycle accident and sidelined from touring. In 2018, the band reactivated the Burn the Priest moniker with the covers album Legion: XX, a fun blast through some of their favorite songs by their punk, hardcore, noise rock, and sludge metal heroes such as Bad Brains, Melvins, Ministry, Quicksand, and Big Black. 2019 saw Adler replaced by former Winds of Plague and Prong drummer Art Cruz, who made his recording debut with the band on their eighth album, 2020's Lamb of God, which debuted at number 15 on the Billboard 200 and number one on the Hard Rock Albums charts. A deluxe version of the LP appeared the following year and included the previously unreleased single "Ghost Shaped People." 2021 also saw the release of Live in Richmond, VA, which featured the first of the group's live-streamed events from September 2020. The punishing single "Nevermore" appeared in early 2022 and later appeared on Lamb of God's ninth long-player, Omens, issued later that fall. Like its predecessor, Omens peaked at 15 in the U.S. and charted globally while the band logged tour miles with Pantera, Killswitch Engage, and others. ~ Eduardo Rivadavia

Formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson, Megadeth became one of the most acclaimed and successful thrash metal outfits of their era and beyond. Part of the "big four" of the genre along with Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer, the group expanded on the typical metal blueprint by speeding up the tempos and putting an emphasis on lightning-fast technical guitar skills. Mustaine's nihilistic lyrics and the band's unrelenting musical attack resulted in a series of early thrash classics. 1986's Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? and 1992's Countdown to Extinction sold in the millions and influenced the next generation of speed metal bands, while later efforts like 2007's United Abominations, 2016's Grammy-winning Dystopia, and 2022 album The Sick, The Dying... And the Dead! revealed a band with plenty of gas left in the tank.

Throughout Megadeth's many lineup changes, the two core members were bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine (born September 13, 1961), who was the band's official leader. Mustaine grew up in the suburbs of Southern California, where he was raised by his mother in a broken home; his mother often left him to be raised by aunts and uncles, who never encouraged his musical inclinations and often belittled him for his fondness for heavy metal. In 1981, he formed Metallica with James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. Mustaine spent two years with Metallica, developing a strong cult following in California's underground metal scene, before he was kicked out of the group in 1983, allegedly over his substance abuse. Immediately following his firing, he formed Megadeth with Ellefson, Slayer guitarist Kerry King, and drummer Lee Rauch. This lineup was extremely short-lived, and Mustaine and Ellefson soon recruited guitarist Chris Poland and drummer Gar Samuelson.

For the next few years, Megadeth toured and gained a following, signing with the independent label Combat in late 1984. The following year, the group released its debut, Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good!, which received strong reviews, not only in metal-oriented publications, but also in mainstream music magazines. The album sold very well for an independent release, which attracted the attention of major record labels. By the end of the year, the group had signed with Capitol. Megadeth's first major-label album, Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?, was released in the fall of 1986. Like its predecessor, Peace Sells was greeted by strong reviews and sales and eventually went platinum.

Although the band's fortunes were on the upswing, Mustaine was beginning to sink deeper into drug abuse, specifically heroin. Soon, his addictions began to affect his work. Many stories concerning his erratic behavior were circulating within the metal community, and they seemed to be proven correct when he fired both Poland and Samuelson before the recording of the band's third album; they were replaced by Jeff Young and Chuck Behler, respectively. The new lineup debuted on So Far, So Good...So What!, released early in 1988. So Far, So Good peaked at number 28 on the charts and also eventually went platinum (despite less-than-enthusiastic reviews); it also featured a notorious cover of the Sex Pistols' "Anarchy in the UK" with incorrect lyrics.

In the years immediately following the release of So Far, So Good...So What!, Mustaine was impaired by his drug addictions. In early 1990, he was arrested for driving under the influence and entered a rehabilitation program. By the end of the year, he was not only sober but had reconvened the band, firing Young and Behler and replacing them with guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza. This lineup recorded Megadeth's fourth and most progressive album, Rust in Peace. The record peaked at number 23 on the American charts and went platinum. Metallica broke through to the mainstream in 1991, and sensing the possibility for similar success, Mustaine followed suit in stripping down Megadeth's sound, though it remained as technically perfectionist as Rust in Peace. The result, Countdown to Extinction, was released in 1992, entering the charts at number two; the record went double platinum and became the band's biggest hit, confirming that they had retained their audience in the wake of grunge.

Now one of the most popular metal bands in the world, Megadeth moved further toward the mainstream with Youthanasia in 1994, which entered the charts at number four and, like its predecessor, went platinum. The following year, the group released Hidden Treasures, a rarities collection that featured some of the soundtrack tunes that had helped expand the group's MTV audience in the early '90s. Released in 1997, Cryptic Writings found Megadeth fully embraced by album rock radio, which formerly would never have touched the band. Ex-Suicidal Tendencies drummer Jimmy DeGrasso signed on in 1998, in time for the following year's Risk. In 2000, following the release of the best-of Capitol Punishment, Marty Friedman followed Nick Menza out the door; he was replaced by former Savatage and Alice Cooper guitarist Al Pitrelli. After signing with the BMG subsidiary Sanctuary, Megadeth debuted their new lineup on 2001's The World Needs a Hero.

While on break from touring, Mustaine suffered a serious injury in January 2002 while staying in Texas. He was diagnosed with having radial neuropathy shortly thereafter, a condition that prevented him from playing guitar. The compressed radial nerves in his left arm and hand were strained, leaving Megadeth little recourse but to disband in April 2002 after almost 20 years in the music industry. During his time off, Mustaine prepared an elaborate reissue campaign, remastering each album and reissuing them all with bonus material. This campaign set the stage for a Megadeth revival, which came in 2004 and 2005 with a surprising comeback album, The System Has Failed, and some heavy touring. Capitol released a new best-of, simply titled Greatest Hits, just as Megadeth hit the summer concert circuit, headlining Mustaine's own Gigantour Festival. In 2007, Megadeth released the politically charged United Abominations, followed by the similarly apocalyptic Endgame in 2009. Released in 2011, Th1rt3en was the first Megadeth album since 2001's The World Needs a Hero to feature the bass playing of founding member Dave Ellefson and production by Johnny K (Staind, Disturbed). Containing some of the band's darkest and heaviest material in years, it combined new songs with older ones written years ago but never recorded. In 2012, the band embarked on a tour playing its fifth album, Countdown to Extinction, in its entirety. The tour resulted in the release of concert album Countdown to Extinction: Live, which arrived the following year. Super Collider, the group's 14th studio outing, was also released in 2013. Just after its release, Mustaine and company pushed on, announcing on their website that Megadeth were already writing material for a follow-up album.

The band encountered a number of difficulties over the next two years. First, Mustaine's mother-in-law, who had been suffering from Alzheimer's disease, went missing in October of 2014; her body was discovered on a campground at the end of November. Ellefson's brother passed away after a struggle with cancer, and the band went on a brief hiatus to support him.

After hearing rumors that Mustaine was considering a reunion of the Rust in Peace lineup, drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick left the band. It wasn't until April 2015 that Megadeth finally began recording in a Nashville studio with new guitarist Kiko Loureiro (Angra) and drummer Chris Adler (on loan from Lamb of God). Co-produced by Mustaine and Toby Wright and mixed by Josh Wilbur, it also contained orchestrations from celebrated Music City arranger Ronn Huff, father of producer Dann Huff. Mustaine leaked the art and track list for Dystopia in late July. In October, the pre-release single "Fatal Illusion" was issued, followed by the full-length in January of 2016. Dystopia would be the band's second highest-charting record, right behind Countdown to Extinction. The title track would also be awarded the 2017 Grammy for Best Metal Performance, making for Megadeth's first Grammy win after multiple fruitless nominations.

In 2018, the band unveiled a deluxe reissue of their debut, Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good! The Final Kill. The set included a remastered edition of the original album; live cuts recorded in England, Germany, and the U.S. between 1986 and 1990; a three-track demo from 1984; and a rare cover, "These Boots." The next year Mustaine hand selected 35 tracks from the band's massive studio discography to be compiled into an anthology/greatest-hits collection entitled Warheads on Foreheads. The epic collection was released in March of 2019.

The band headed into the studio later that year to begin work on the follow-up to Dystopia but were met with an array of hardships. Mustaine was diagnosed with throat cancer, the Covid-19 pandemic cut short the group's 2020 tour, and longtime bassist Dave Ellefson was forced to leave the group in 2021 after sexually explicit videos of him and a young fan were posted online. Still, Mustaine vowed to keep the band afloat, and they worked on their 16th long-player, The Sick, The Dying... And the Dead!, from 2019 to 2022, when it was released. Ellefson's bass parts were removed from the album following his dismissal from the band, and new basslines were recorded by Testament's Steve Di Giorgio. In addition to being the first album to feature new drummer Dirk Verbeuren, The Sick, The Dying... And the Dead! included a cameo from Ice-T, and digital bonus tracks featured Sammy Hagar singing lead on a cover of his 1979 song "This Planet's on Fire (Burn in Hell)" as well as a rowdy rendition of the Dead Kennedys' "Police Truck." Six years passed between Dystopia and The Sick..., making it the longest stretch between studio album's in Megadeth's nearly 40-year history. ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine

Although he never appeared on any of their albums, guitarist Dave Mustaine lent a major hand in creating Metallica's groundbreaking thrash metal sound. Born on September 13, 1961, in La Mesa, CA, Mustaine and his family had to move often while he was a youngster to escape the wrath of his alcoholic and violent father. It was through his older sister that he was turned on to music (mostly the singer/songwriter folk sounds of Cat Stevens), but by his teenage years, Mustaine had become a major metal fan; teaching himself to play guitar while not learning from his father's mistakes, he began indulging heavily in alcohol and shortly thereafter, hard drugs. It was during his tenure as a drug dealer that he was turned on to the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (Iron Maiden, Saxon, Motörhead, Venom) from a "client" who would offer payment in the form of albums.

Living in the Los Angeles area by this time and inspired by this new heavy style, Mustaine set out to form a band patterned after the NWOBHM sound that would focus more on music than image (the complete opposite of what the entire glam metal scene of the Sunset Strip was doing at the time). Through a local paper ad, Mustaine hooked up with singer/guitarist James Hetfield, drummer Lars Ulrich, and bassist Ron McGovney -- leading to the formation of Metallica. Although the band's sound and approach would eventually influence countless other metal bands, Metallica wasn't succeeding in L.A. With McGovney not pulling his weight, the group welcomed new bassist Cliff Burton to the fold -- but Burton would only join if the group relocated to San Francisco. With nothing to lose, the band made the trip, and instantly garnered a substantial following with their high energy live shows and a heavily circulated demo, No Life 'Til Leather. The demo landed a record deal with the independent Megaforce label, but the group would have to relocate yet again, this time to New York.

Shortly after arriving, Metallica booted Mustaine from the band, citing that his self-destructive ways were proving detrimental to the others.

Deeply depressed, Mustaine returned back home on a bus. It was during the nearly weeklong ride that Mustaine came up with the name and concept for his next band, Megadeth -- the subject matter and lyrics would be more thought provoking than his previous band's, and the music would be even more intense and precise. Shortly after he returned home to California, Mustaine befriended a metal-loving/bass playing neighbor in his apartment, Dave Ellefson, who was the first to enlist in Mustaine's new outfit. Drummer Lee Rash and former-Slayer guitarist Kerry King also signed on and began playing out (with Mustaine eventually handling the vocal chores in addition to guitar). By 1984, Rash was replaced by Gar Samuelson, while Chris Poland stepped in for King, who had returned back to Slayer, as Megadeth signed to Combat Records. Their debut, 1985's Killing Is My Business, created a buzz in the metal underground, but the buzz turned to a roar by the time of their major-label debut for Capitol a year later, Peace Sells...But Who's Buying, considered one of the greatest metal releases of all time, eventually reaching gold status.

Throughout the rest of the '80s, Mustaine's addictions grew larger and more dangerous as he and Ellefson were the only constant members amidst a revolving door of other hired guns. 1988's unfocused So Far So Good So What was followed two years later by Rust in Peace, a glorious return to form. It was perceived in the press that Mustaine was now finally "clean and sober," but this proved not to be case, as he continued to battle his demons throughout the '90s. Mustaine also continued to duke it out in the press with his former bandmates in Metallica, as he claimed to have written the majority of the music for their first few albums (to a certain degree, this proved to be true, as Mustaine earned songwriting credits for such early Metallica songs as "The Four Horsemen," "Jump in the Fire," "Phantom Lord," "Metal Militia," "Ride the Lightning," and "Call of Ktulu," among others). Nevertheless, Megadeth racked up such further hit albums as 1992's Countdown to Extinction, 1994's Youthanasia, and 1997's Cryptic Writings. In addition to his Megadeth duties, Mustaine also appeared in the 1988 Penelope Spheeris-directed metal documentary Decline of Western Civilization II: The Metal Years, covered the Democratic National Convention for MTV in 1992, joined former Fear frontman Lee Ving for a one-off project dubbed MD.45 (their lone album was 1996's The Craving), and designed his own line of instruments for the Jackson guitar company.

After several near-death experiences, Mustaine cleaned up his act for good in the late-'90s, as Megadeth continued to tour and crank out further releases -- 1999's experimental Risk and their first release for the Sanctuary label, 2001's The World Needs a Hero. The band (and to a greater degree, Mustaine) was the subject of a VH1 Behind the Music episode the same year, as well. ~ Greg Prato