Megadeth has sold 38 million copies worldwide to this day and are regarded as one of the greatest Thrash Metal bands ever alongside Metallica.
The first question to ask here: Is this a simple cash grab or are they in it for the long run?
Here’s a statement by Dave Mustaine, the lead singer:
“As long as Megadeth has been a band, I’ve made sure that we were leading the charge. Our first album set the standard for thrash metal. We were literally the first band to have a website. Our fan club Cyber Army was started in 1994. Our 2016 album Dystopia came with a full Virtual Reality experience. And now with the rise of web3 technology and its ability to directly connect us with our fans – this moment is perfect for Megadeth. It allows the ultimate connection with our community, and with none other than the almighty Vic Rattlehead as our standard-bearer. See you there.” – Dave Mustaine
My 5 observations ahead of their NFT collection launch
1) Authentic designs
Using a mascot (Vic Rattlehead) for the NFTs is a good creative move I feel. You choose something that the fans can identify with. They have experimented with VR technology before, that makes their future entry into the Metaverse more believable.
2) Dead Discord Community (so far)
The Discord already has 7,000 members but no interaction, announcements yet. Why start a Discord then? A dedicated Twitter page seems enough to spread the word. Once the community has active members, you can open the gates to a Discord.
3) Collab with Avenged Sevenfold
They are teaming up with the “Deathbats” NFT Community from Metal band “Avenged Sevenfold” giving away 1,000 whitelist spots. Good move. Again this is believable. Both are communities around Metal bands. Also the guitar player of Avenged Sevenfold (M.Shadows) is an NFT collector and active in the community
4) Building Trust
Dave Mustaine did appear at a Twitter space on Sept. 13 with 800 people tuning in. 
Communities in the end are build on trust and a project rises and falls with it.
5) No visible utility (yet)
No announcement about what is included. Their roadmap mentions a “IRL + ON-CHAIN UTILITY REVEALED”. Better over deliver than overpromise I guess, but let’s see.
To make a lasting impact, it needs to be more than this:
→ “Here’s your exclusive merch”
→ “Hey, how about concert tickets before the general sale?”
→ “Oh and you can skip the line at concerts and get in early”,
I am a Metal head myself so I am excited to see where they take this.
