MEGADETH made history on April 26 at the Movistar Arena in Bogota, Colombia, performing "Ride The Lightning" live for the very first time. The track — originally recorded by METALLICA for their landmark 1984 album of the same name — was co-written by frontman Dave Mustaine alongside James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, and the late Cliff Burton, back when Mustaine was still a member of the band before his acrimonious departure in 1983.
The cover appeared as the 15th entry on the setlist and marks a deeply symbolic moment in thrash metal history. Speaking about the decision, Mustaine explained: "The main reason I chose to do this was to close the circle and pay my respects to my partners." He also noted that MEGADETH's arrangement runs at a slightly faster tempo than the original: "We sped it up a little bit to make it a little bit more modern."
The version features both Mustaine and Finnish guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari splitting the guitar solo, giving the performance a distinctly MEGADETH flavour while honouring the original's spirit. "The guitar playing in METALLICA changed the world," Mustaine acknowledged.
The song also appears on MEGADETH's most recent — and reportedly final — studio album, titled simply "Megadeth". The Bogota concert was part of the band's ongoing South American touring cycle.
For long-time fans of both bands, the moment carries enormous weight: the co-writer of one of thrash metal's most iconic tracks finally performing it under his own banner, decades after leaving the group that helped birth it. Whatever personal history lies between Mustaine and his former bandmates, Sunday night in Bogota felt like a genuine reconciliation — delivered at full volume and full speed.