Lamb of God, Megadeth Pledge Allegiance to the Riff on Megajam ‘Wake Up Dead’

When Lamb of God decided to cover “Wake Up Dead,” the blistering thrash odyssey their tourmates Megadeth released in 1986, they asked themselves how they could make it bigger. So they decided just to ask Megadeth to record it with them. Their new recording of the song features the five members of Lamb of God with additional vocals and guitar parts by Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine and cameos by the rest of his band.

Following a trek last year that they called the Metal Tour of the Year, the two bands are once again hitting the road for the 2022 edition of the Metal Tour of the Year. Trivium and In Flames will open each date of the run, which kicks off on April 9 in Las Vegas.

“We had a blast playing with Lamb of God on their cover of ‘Wake Up Dead,’” Mustaine said in a statement. “Almost as much fun as we’re going to have playing every night on Metal Tour of the Year. I’m looking forward to seeing everyone!”

“The first leg of the Metal Tour of the Year back in 2021 was a total blast, and we’re about to take it on the road again,” Lamb of God frontman Randy Blythe said. “What better way to kick it off than a little inter-band jam session? All nine members of Megadeth and Lamb of God are on the thrash classic ‘Wake Up Dead.’ Turn it up, and we’ll see you on the road!”

A socially distanced video for the tune shows each musician recording his part of the song, with Mustaine and Lamb of God frontman, Randy Blythe, trading vocals. They even sing in unison on the chorus. As with all great Megadeth songs, though, the real fun is watching the Lamb of God guitarists each work their way through Mustaine’s maddeningly difficult, chromatic riffs and how Mustaine, Megadeth’s Kiko Loureiro, and Lamb of God’s Mark Morton handle the solos. Loureiro and Megadeth’s Dirk Verbeuen and James LoMenzo also join in on the fun, adding to the gang vocals on the song’s “You die” outro refrain.

“‘Wake Up Dead’ was a massively important song for me as an aspiring young guitar player,” Lamb of God’s Mark Morton said. “It was one of the first songs that began my lifelong love of thrash metal and helped reinforce for me that, while solos may be fun, my allegiance is to the riff! So you can imagine what a thrill it’s been for Lamb to cover this legendary song with Dave and the rest of the Megadeth guys. Truly an honor. We all had a lot of fun putting this together and I think you can hear that energy in the track. I hope everybody enjoys this one and we can’t wait to see y’all on the Metal Tour of the Year.”

Last summer, Megadeth confirmed that they were working on a new album, The Sick, the Dying, and the Dead but have not so far announced a release date. Lamb of God recently released a collaboration with noise rockers Health titled “Cold Blood.”

Metal Tour of the Year Dates

April 9 – Las Vegas, NV @ Michelob Ultra Arena
April 10 – Tucson, AZ @ Tucson Arena
April 12 – Colorado Springs, CO @ Broadmoor World Arena
April 14 – Corpus Christi, TX @ American Bank Center Arena
April 15 – Lafayette, LA @ Lafayette Cajundome
April 16 – Brandon, MS @ Brandon Amphitheater
April 19 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
April 21 – Fort Wayne, IN @ Allen County War Memorial Coliseum
April 22 – Green Bay, WI @ Resch Center
April 24 – Sioux Falls, SD @ Denny Sanford PREMIER Center
April 26 – Omaha, NE @ Baxter Arena
April 27 – Cedar Rapids, IA @ Alliant Energy PowerHouse
April 29 – Kansas City, MO @ T-Mobile Center
April 30 – Tulsa, OK @ BOK Center * No Trivium
May 3 – North Charleston, SC @ North Charleston Coliseum
May 4 – Greenville, SC @ Bon Secours Wellness Arena
May 6 – Nashville, TN @ Bridgestone Arena
May 7 – Peoria, IL @ Peoria Civic Center
May 9 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Petersen Events Center
May 10 – Rochester, NY @ Blue Cross Arena
May 12 – Portland, ME @ Cross Insurance Arena
May 13 – Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena
May 15 – Allentown, PA @ PPL Center
May 17 – Laval, QC @ Place Bell
May 18 – Toronto, ON @ Budweiser Stage
May 19 – Quebec City, QC @ Videotron Centre