Part 2: The Sell Out Years??? 6. Youthanasia This album is the result of what happens when a band refuses to settle with good enough. It wasn't enough that they perfected thrash, they had to have more. In an aggressive effort to reach more fans, Megadeth decided to lighten up a little more on the thrash metal sound. They replaced it with a slightly more hard rock influence with a delicious dose of catchiness. Unfortunately, the unquenchable thirst to be bigger was unsuccessful, but the album itself is still fantastic. Many called it a sell out, I call it striving for greatness. It didn't beat the last five releases, but it holds it's own in my opinion. It also has the best opening track ever!!! 7. Cryptic Writings I got to hand it to them, this band refuses to settle. Regardless of public opinion, Megadeth continued to journey to get the most fans possible. Using the same ingredients used on Youthanasia, Megadeth journeyed deeper into the depths of hard rock. The first two tracks seem a little more soft rock then anything done previously. The result was a number 1 hit, while getting a mixed reception from fans. This was not 80s Megadeth anymore. They had already perfected thrash, now they were out to perfect their band. In my opinion, it's a really good album ;however, it doesn't reach the heights of greatness they achieved on the previous 6 releases. It's still great, but it's a little uneven. Some tracks lift it up, while others drag it back down. 8. Risk Haters are gonna hate, that's for sure. A lot more hard rock then metal which drove the fans crazy. I personally liked it more then "Cryptic Writings". I don't listen to simply one style of music, but rather I enjoy all kinds. I don't need "Rust In Peace" part 2. All I want is for my ears to be happy and "Risk" didn't disappoint me. I really enjoyed the new sound. This album proved to me just how versatile Megadeth truly are. As controversial as this may be, this album was the most professional sounding album they ever released. I love it. 9. The World Needs A Hero This album began one of the most annoying trends with Megadeth. From this release on, ever album seems to get labeled as a return to form. The irony is that they have never returned to form. They moved on creating new sounds. For me, this release sits along side "Cryptic Writings". It's good but not great. It feels tired. I still love it but I have to be in the mood. It's a little less hard rock and a little more thrash yet it's still not a thrash album. The musicianship is still perfection but I feel they were capable of more. I just wanted to mention that I hate the term "sellout". It's a pointless term and in no way means anything in regards to how good or bad one thinks the music is.
Part 3: Rebirth 10. The System Has Failed I love it when Dave gets angry. I can hear his blood pressure rising with every note on this album. For some reason, every time I listen to this album I get the insatiable urge to kick a chair!!! Again, many say it's a return to form but I call it a rebirth. It's a new Megadeth for a new age and it delivers. Take thrash metal and mix it with melody, catchiness, hard rock, and some gasoline and what you get is "The System Has Failed". Every single song rattles my bones. This album is proof that Megadeth will never die dead enough!!! 11. United Abominations Slightly less aggressive and a little more melody. The songs on this album stick in my head for days. They are perfectly crafted and well executed. It's not the comeback that the fans demanded ;however, it is a massive release that stands on it's own. I believe it's highly under-rated. 12. Endgame This was a fairly well received album. The new addition of Chris Broderick only helped propel the success of this album. This release would take the previous two releases and expand on them. I personally love the album, but it still didn't match the sheer awesomeness that would be showcased on "The System Has Failed". At times, it feels a little bland. Each song meshes together into one long track. Great but at times it can be a little boring. 13. Th1rt3en To my ears, this is the album "Endgame" should have been. All the elements from the last three releases are here and it's fantastic. "Guns, Drugs, & Money" is the most sing-a-long thrash song I have ever heard. The title track is also an excellent closer which serves it's purpose of calming to adrenalin rush one gets from the other 12 tracks. 14. Supercollider Oh no, Megadeth decided to push their sound in new directions rather then stay in their comfort zone! Oh the humanity!!! Once again the thrash subsides while the hard rock takes over. Honestly, it sounds a little bit nu-metal in my opinion. It's definitely more modern. Is it a bad album? No, it's actually really good. I will admit that it does suffer from the same issue that "Endgame" did. About midway through, the album gets a little bland. I think they simply put too many tracks on it that sound the same. Still, It's a great album that perhaps needed just a touch more diversity within the songs.
Part 4: Last But Not Least (for now anyway) 15. Dystopia Here we go again. Yet another album being said to be a return to form. Just because they brought the thrash back into the mix does not make this a return to form. It simply makes it a thrash album. In any case, it's really good ;however, I have a huge complaint with this release. I don't care how great the songs are, if the sound quality is garbage then what's the point? I can stomach loudness and compression more then many on this forum, but this album crosses the line. I can't enjoy it. To be fair, the previous two suffered as well but they made up for it on the 24 bit versions which are really good. This is not the case with "Dystopia". It's far too harsh sounding for my ears. I simply can not review it as fairly. To my ears, it's Megadeth's version of Death Magnetic in regards to the sound quality. To add insult to injury, I'm one of the very few here that actually likes the 2004 remasters. That's right folks, I enjoy them. If anything, one could argue that this is a testament to just how loud and compressed "Dystopia" is. I would give large sums of money to get a remastered copy of this album with the same quality as the previous two 24 bit versions. In conclusion: In the late 80s, I discovered Megadeth via Peace Sells and I have been a huge fan ever since. They were the first thrash metal band I ever heard. While others were declaring Metallica as the greatest thrash metal band ever, I was quietly thinking to myself "no one can touch Megadeth". I have never heard a band blend so many elements into their sound while still sounding focused. The balance between aggression, technicality, heaviness, speed, and intensity, is overwhelming. They are like catching a nuclear explosion in a jar. I love a lot of bands, but none can touch Megadeth. That's my opinion anyway. Everyone has their thing!!!
Just an fyi before someone calls me on it. I somehow messed up on the album Super Collider. For some unknown reason I put the two words together. That was my mistake.
When I first got into Megadeth I picked up the remixed/remastered CDs to find i didn't like them. I own the first five albums in original CD and original 1995 release of hidden treasures.
I have multiple releases of Countdown to Extinction, Peace Sells... But Who's Buying, and Rust in Peace. Hard for me to pick a favorite album, but it is fun to argue with myself about which release I like better from a sound standpoint. The early Capitol release of Coundown to Extinction (7985312) is light, airy, and has better dynamic range than the version I have from HD Tracks and even the MoFi release. However, the MoFi release seems to strike a nice balance. I guess I like both the Capitol and MoFi release. HD Tracks' is OK, but it is kinda loud and compressed. Just a reminder that I learned not everything from HD Tracks is going to sound great to my less-than-golden ears.
The first time I heard Youthanasia I wasn't sure what to think. But the more I heard it the more it grew on me. I honestly think it's Dave exploring deep feelings of frustration. He's not amped up like CTE but he's really feeling it. Truthfully though, is there a more metal track than Reckoning Day? It's one of those albums you just have to be in certain mood for. But when you are it all makes sense. I would mark it "Transitional".
Since I missed this thread I’ll go ahead and do my overall Thoughts on each record.... Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good: We start off with a bang, possibly Megadeth at its most hungry, vicious, bloodthirsty. While the production definitely lets it down at times, the performances are full of piss and vinegar, this really pushed thrash to another level, more technical than most thrash at time, certainly more technical than what Slayer and Metallica were doing at the time. If I had to pick my Top 3, it would be the title track, Looking Down the Cross, and Rattlehead. I will say, I wouldn’t recommend this as a starting place for Megadeth, definitely start with the Big Two, but then go back to this and SFSGSW. However, it is still a great record, and other the censoring on These Boots, the 2002 is the one remaster I can recommend over the original. 4.5/5 Peace Sells, But Who’s Buying?!: Now onto the second album and the final record to feature the mighty Peace Sells lineup, my favorite Megadeth lineup by far. The album features tighter writing than the first record, but still some killer performances from all, frenetic drumming from Gar mothaf—-in’ Samuelson, Ellefson is rumbling like no one’s Business, Mustaine and Poland constantly going back and forth on guitar, and you have the Dark occult Of the first album but you’re also getting the socio political commentary that would become a Megadeth trademark, this is a classic record and for good reason. Except for RIP, no album better sums up this band than this record, with the anger, the darkness, the sardonic tone, it is an awesome album. 5/5 So Far, So Good...So What?: Now we come to the sole album with Jeff Young and Chuck Behler, which garnered a more mixed reception compared to the first two, and is considered the weakest of the thrash period; I can't really say that's wrong, I mean, the Anarchy cover is complete garbage, and the instrumentation is fairly lacking in personality compared to the lineups before and after it. However, it does have this very deteriorated feeling to it, and certainly Side Two is extremely badass, with cuts like Hook in Mouth, Liar, and especially In My Darkest Hour, my Top 3 for the record. While certainly flawed, it's definitely a stronger record than it's given credit for. 3.5/5 Rust In Peace: And now we come to the record that really skyrocketed Megadeth into stratosphere of metal, and goddamn is this record phenomenal. You have the best sounding record in their catalogue thanks to the great Mike Clink, the record is so on point and yet never is the music neutered, it is every bit as powerful as you expect a metal album to be. Dave shows us not only his growth as a guitarist, but also as a writer, delivering his tightest, most focused songs such as Holy War, Take No Prisoners, Tornado of Souls, and speaking of Tornado of Souls, let's talk about Mr Marty Friedman, a master of the six string with such a fluidity, such grace, great sense of melody, fantastic solos, a true one of a kind in metal. While Chris Poland is still my favorite Megadeth guitarist, Marty definitely holds his own, and to think this album was written before he joined, and yet he fits in so seamlessly. And then there is the late Nick Menza, who provides a more rock solid sound than Gar did, but is every bit as good, or at least close to it, and he really delivers the goods on this album, Polaris in particular. I really have nothing bad to say about this record, and anyone who does is not a real metal fan. A perfect record, and easily Megadeth's magnum opus, if someone is trying to get into Megadeth, get them this and Peace Sells. 5/5
And now onto the Mainstream Era: Countdown to Extinction: Metallica had the Black Album, so Megadeth has this record. Now produced by Max Norman, the band is now opening up to Marty and Nick having writing input. How did they pull off the attempt at a more commercial approach. I'd say they did pretty damn well, all things considered. By now, this lineup has solidified and remain as tight as ever, and the production needs up the tracks quite well, the instrumentation having very strong meat and substance, and add some really solid cuts like Sweating Bullets, Skin O My Teeth, and Architecture of Aggression to it. However, I do think this is a front loaded record, with the second track having some weaker tracks like Pshychotron, Captive Honor, and the title cut. However, this is a more than solid record in Megadeth’s discography, if not a pimple on the ass of RIP or the first two. 4/5 Youthanasia: Now we reach album number three with this lineup, the first and so far only time that a lineup has lasted three or more albums. And whereas the previous record had at least traces of thrash, this album has pretty much no thrash. Also, Mustaine was in the midst of rehab during the writing of this record, and it certainly shows in spots. Ultimately, while the record sort of expands on the catchiness of CTE, there's also this sort of darkness underneath, best exemplified by tracks Elysian Fields and Family Tree, and overall, I find this to be a much more solid record than it's predecessor or SFSGSW (although neither record has a song as good as In My Darkest Hour), and while the songs are not as technical as the first four records, overall the players still execute the record so well and really spice up these tracks, giving them that certain something. Overall, a very strong record and the best of these four records in the post by a wide margin. 4.5/5 Cryptic Writings: And now we come to Bud Prager's involvement with the band, and the band attempting to go into mainstream rock, including getting Dann Huff to produce. Well, there are some solid cuts like Mastermind and She Wolf, and there are some stinkers like Almost Honest, Trust, and Sin. Huff's production also has a certain faceless feel to it, and while there are some good instrumental contributions here and there, the band sounds really neutered on this album. Not horrible, but not really that great, a pretty average record overall. 2.5/5 Risk: And now the band goes full blown mainstream, and fails miserably at it. You can argue "evolution" all you want, doesn't change the fact that this is a s*** album, totally half-assed, bland, without Dave's voice, which- love it or hate it- is instantly recognizable, this would sound like any other crappy pop rock band from that period. The hooks are weak, the vocals are lethargic in many places, very rarely do you get any moment that really grabs you or sucks you in. This was a risk not worth taking. 1/5
Thank you. I gave it my best shot. I’m not really good at reviews, especially when it comes to details. I jumped on board in either 1986 or 1987. I guess I wasn’t too far off from the beginning. By the time I started listening to thrash the market was already becoming over saturated. Metallica by that point were becoming metal Gods.
And now the 2000s period: The World Needs a Hero: Well, Friedman is gone, Jimmy DeGrasso remains on drums, and Mustaine tries to win people back. Did he succeed? Well, let's try and name some positives: Disconnect is a good opening track, Al Pitrelli is certainly a good pick for lead guitarist, Mustaine is certainly trying. Unfortunately, this album just feels so soulless, so uninspired, it tries to recapture the early days but it's so half-hearted in it's attempt, and it's a massive fail as a result. Pitrelli, while a great guitarist who would seem like a good replacement for Friedman, unfortunately, he has nothing to really sink his teeth into, and it's shame, cause I thought he was pretty damn good on the Rude Awakening live album. DeGrasso gives it his all, he's perfectly capable, but again, he's left with virtually nothing. Overall, unless you're a completist, this is one you can skip. 1.5/5 The System Has Failed: What was meant to be a Dave Mustaine solo album (hence the use of session players) became the rebirth of Megadeth. I gotta say, this is the most vital Mustaine has sounded since Youthanasia, his vocals filled with venom, his guitars frenetic and vicious, and holy Hell, is that CHRIS POLAND! Yes it is! Goddamn it you two, work it out so we can get more from the two of you in the future! And man, I really like a lot of these songs like Kick the Chair, Blackmail the Universe, Mustaine has really shown his maturity as a composer, he can thrash the f*** out still, and yet he adds some nice touches to them with other instrumentation. Giving that he was just going in to make a solo album, he really seemed free of any kind of burden and it shows, he sounds the most confident he has in some time, and I am glad Megadeth returned, and this was such a way to return. I could nitpick and point to one or two tracks that don't stand up to the rest, or some somewhat questionable arrangement choices, but hey, this is still pretty goddamn good. 4/5 United Abominations: Ah, we get Mustaine and James LoMenzo on bass as well as brothers Glenn and Shawn on guitar and drums. As far as this lineup goes, LoMenzo is a solid bassist, although of course I'll take Ellefson any day, Glenn isn't too bad, Shawn is a boring and predictable player, competent, but that is really it, there's just such a paint-by-numbers quality to his playing, and I can't say I was too upset by his departure. Overall, United Abominations definitely has some good things going for it, with some really strong hooks and riffs, making songs like Washington Is Next! and Play for Blood very engaging listens, although good God did we not need the Toute le Monde remake. Although it is somewhat front-loaded, I will still give a solid reccomendation for this record. 4/5 Endgame: Out goes Glenn Drover, and in comes Chris Borderick, a monster guitarist. Thoughout the record, he and Mustaine trade some serious licks with each other, the rhythm section is solid, and Mustaine delivers his best material in quite a while. I won't say it's quite on par with their classics, but it definitely holds it's own with the early years, this was easily the band's best in well over a decade, probably fifteen. If there's any 2000's Megadeth record I would recommend to someone, this is the one, this is a badass record. 4.5/5
All right, here's my take And I want to notice that my tastes are somewhat unusual with Megadeth, even though I definitely consider myself a die-hard Megafan. 1985 - Killing is my Business... And Business is Good! This one of course wasn't the first Megadeth album to me but it definitely holds up nicely in my top 3 albums from the band. Fast paced aggression with jazzy seasoning and some bits of insanity, if you ask me. I really like the incorporation of Gar's drumming style here and ferocity from Dave. Yes, original production as we (Megafans) know suffered from drugs, alcohol in terms of money spent, but Century Media remastered release (although I only have 2011 version which is more into loudness war side than 1999) and 2002 Remixed & Remastered showcased all the needed details and more aligned mastering-mixing treatment [I'm writing this after my experience with France MFNCD46 which had some strange volume issues on tracks]. I also have 1985 MFN vinyl which is good as well, but let's get back to my opinion. That's a metal blast for me and again one of my favorites. Songs are diverse, really energetic and raw. Mechanix and Looking Down the Cross are my choices on it. I wonder what Dave will bring with a new reamstering work... 9.5/10 - just because of mastering issues on the original. 1986 - Peace Sells.. But Who's Buying? While being one of the fan-favorite classic album from the band it doesn't grab my feelings to the same extent as KIMB. Yes, songs are more complex and less insane but to me thhe album sounds a bit over the top technical in terms of melodies. Maybe they even more into the jazz territory, I don't know... The mastering this time definitely is better and have that great vintage feel, especially on my favorites Wake Up Dead and Peace Sells. Anyway, it's interesting to listen to but I don't have much of an emotional connection with it somehow. 6.5/10 1988 - So Far, So Good... So What! I got this album with PSBWB so they definitely made a team in my head. It is more raw, closer to the vibes I got from KIMB but again at first I wasn't really ummm amazed by it, kinda same as it was with PSBWB. As the time passed I started to appreciate side A more for sure. But the songs I usually see listed as fan favorites like Hook in Mouth and Liar are not my cups of tea for the most part. Still, a good album. Especially after R&R treatment imho. Into the Lungs of Hell and Set the World Afire are my choices here. 6.5/10 1990 - Rust in Peace Well, it is considered to be a prime example of the greatest speed-thrash-technical metal album by a lot of metalheads. And that's when the "golden" lineup was arranged. The quality of musicianship is definitely there, I feel that it is refined to it's perfection and features just right amount of thoughtful musicanship as it started from PSBWB, but again I don't get the overall vibe from it, though I enjoy it more as an album than PSBWB and SFSGSW. Great songs, one of my favorite solos, very tight live performance from the band but again, I can't say I'm a big fan of that little era in terms of setlists. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due and Hangar 18 are my standouts. 6.5/10 1992 - Countdown to Extinction First of all, I don't like the original mastering of it. It has a certain treble edge and maybe kinda digital color to its sound, especially on cymbals and drums, but it is interesting to listen to anyway. Just my two cents from my somewhat "audiophile" personal view. Don't get me wrong, I appreciate and respect that most fans I know described CtE as the best mastering-wise. Now the band sounds even more tight on the record. A grueling process of perfection on every note in a studio. It has its moments of course. Yet once again something is missing to me. It is different from Rust in Peace, it is a new side of Megadeth and definitely a different approach while retaining their signature work. I choose Skin O' My Teeth and Foreclosure of a Dream as my picks and get not to mention the title track. 6.5/10 1994 - Youthanasia And now we're getting to my soft spot. I guess I'm just obsessed with that period and album. My favorite live shows and performances of the band started from that year and ended up on 2001. The most diverse setlists, unplugged sets, rare songs, improvisational solos, extended versions... I guess that's what was growing from the seed the band planted in 1989 when Marty and Nick enlisted. Back to the album. It was my first introduction to the band and I guess heavy metal genre in general. To me this one is perfect. Amazing melodies, the most catchy riffs per song, grabbing vibe and brilliant atmosphere. So hard to pick favorites, but let's go with Train of Consequences (my ultimate favorite) and Reckoning Day. 10/10 1997 - Cryptic Writings While being even less complex than Youthanasia, I totally dig this album too. Very melodic with different tempos (just listen to Trust and FFF) yet retaining great vocal performance and overall production. I remember David Ellefson noted his favorite bass tone on that album. Again, another album I can listen to from start to finish and it's hard to choose a favorite track. I'll go with Almost Honest, I'll Get Even, One Thing. 10/10 To be continued...
Dang, sorry for those typos in my message. Gotta be more careful with what I write because sometimes I get some kinda rush and dive deep into my thoughts haha) All right... 1999 - Risk AFAIK, this is where Megadeth fanbase definitely experienced a really hard earthquake. Since Dave decided to reach out more into commercial production (while delivering one of the strongest vocal performances for Megadeth studio work, as some say) Risk sounds even more rock and less metal. I knew about it but the first experience of this album came from 2004 Remixed & Remastered version on which Dave pulled back some ear candies and stuff so... I was actually questioning myself why that album was received so bad by half of their fanbase. Yes, there are no moshing and thrashing riffs but menacing Prince of Darkness, beautifully sad Time: The Beginning, great Ecstasy, rocking Seven... They're really good to listen to! So overall I really liked that effort all and all. When I decided to listen to original 1999 version though... That's when I thought that something was wrong with overall sound and delivery from the songs. Somehow original mix definitely sounds very alien. Anyway, Breadline and Prince of Darkness are my standouts along with Japan bonus track Duke Nukem Theme, which might have been my first introduction to Megadeth songwise. 4.5 for original, 8/10 for 2004 R&R 2001 - The World Needs a Hero Now this album marks an introduction to a new chapter for Megadeth since the golden lineup was vanished and the band decided to make it all heavy again. There's still some Risky melodic presence but the heavier and riffy side definitely sounds like a new-found metal field in my opinion. And that field is what still helds on on the more recent records. Don't know how to properly name it but that new-found metal approach for sure can be heard on all songs after 2000 in comparison to earlier works. Back to the album - it is good enough. That's when the band finally paid a visit to Russia back in July 2001. And that's how most Russian fans experienced live 'Deth for the first time. A good mix of melody and heaviness but I thing it doesn't feature enough creativity I guess in comparison to earlier classic albums. Disconnect, The World Needs a Hero and Losing My Senses are my picks. 7/10 2004 - The System Has Failed Here's something Dave considered to be his solo effort but ended up as a new offering from the band after ressurection and I would say a base approach for all other albums after tasting waters with "introduction" found on TWNAH. I still remember when I tried to listen to Endgame it felt way to heavy and aggressive to me after 90s albums. When I clicked "Play" button on this album - it was all good. Just the right amount of heaviness and pleasant melodies. Good solid album with a fresh sounding approach to his music is what I can say about it. Favorites are Of Mice and Men and Blackmail the Universe. 7.5/10 2007 - United Abominations Going more into politically charged territory I like the melodies of that record more than on TSHF. More shredding work, brilliant Washington is Next! solo and quite interesting effects and voices (like on title track and Amerikhastan) that bring out more vibe to the record. Shawn rented John Bonham's drumkit and the band hired Andy Sneap to master the album. As far as I can recall Dave said they used more vintage gear on that record too. But as you know mastering on CD left much to be desired My picks are Sleepwalker, Washington is Next! and Play for Blood. 8/10 2009 - Endgame Now this is the album that got me puzzled. As I wrote earlier at first I was upset with it being really heavy and aggressive to my ears and perception (only Dialectic Chaos was my favorite). Later on it settled on me and now I can say that indeed it is one of the best efforts of Megadeth post-00. Very precise riffing, venomous solos by Chris Broderick and tight rhythms. But still I don't like This Day We Fight! and The Hardest Part of Letting Go... Sealed with a Kiss, haha) Regardless, Dialectic Chaos, 44 Minutes, Bite the Hand are best for me here. 4.5 /10 at first, now 8/10 2011 - Th1rt3en Th1rt3en was the first album I followed from being announced and then released along with keeping us fans updated on Cyber Army forums. I still remember listening to a pre-order download of it and my leg started to bounce during New World Order. Of course I knew that almost half of the album was earlier tracks and demos, but it appeared that I definitely prefer to hear them again over newly written material. Not by a high margin though. What I really liked at the moment is that it wasn't too much heavy to me like Endgame or UA and that's why I liked it more. Finally a great ballad 13, finally a proper release for my favorite Black Swan. Didn't quite agree on what was done to Millenium of the Blind though Still, pretty solid album with a nice sound (oh that HDtracks release). Black Swan, New World Order, Sudden Death. 7.5/10 Well, I'll take some break before writing about SC and Dystopia.
I would without a doubt agree that your tastes in Megadeth are unusual I mean this as no disrespect or anything, but I can't imagine the universe where Peace Sells and and Rust in Peace are ranked as the bands worst output.
haha) that's why I wrote a disclaimer about that It seems so to me. You know, I rate albums high when I can listen to the record front to back without a desire to skip certain tracks. And if I feel "the flow" of the album, than it's good, it's going to 10 for me. What I definitely notice is that CtE and RiP are among my least listening to albums from Megadeth discography. But I quite often reach out to single songs like Skin O My Teeth, Foreclosure of a Dream, Countdown to Extinction, Crown of Worms, Holy Wars, Hangar 18...
Finally going to put some thoughts here. Definitely the best of the big four by far, in my opinion. 1. Killing is My Business...and Business is Good! (1985): This was cutting edge stuff for 1985. If Energetic Disassembly didn't come out this same year, this would have been the most frenetic, outlandish and technical thrash metal album to have appeared that year. Insane jazz-flavored thrash metal that perfectly blends the complex and jagged riffing of Mustaine and Ellefson along with Poland and Samuelson's jazz sensibilities. If it weren't for the cover (and some of the mastering), it'd be perfect. An appallingly underrated debut even by Megadeth's standards of fame. 9.5/10 2. Peace Sells but Who's Buying? (1986): This album surpasses both Reign in Blood and Master of Puppets. An unpopular opinion, perhaps but it just has everything. Complex musicianship bolstered by eventful composition and powerful performance. An idiosyncratic but superbly well-crafted work which takes everything from the previous album and improves upon it and never gets old. The fact that they released something that could match it afterwards is astounding in and of itself. 10/10 3. So Far, So Good, So What?! (1988): The weakest album of the 1985-1990 era, to be sure. However, despite the cover and some more uneventful tracks, it still has plenty of good about it. Set the World on Fire, Into the Lungs of Hell, In My Darkest Hour and Liar, 502 and Hook in Mouth are great tracks that the band should definitely be proud of. A transitionary work that is definitely sandwiched by two extraordinary albums but a good album nonetheless. Speaking of the other album... 8/10 4. Rust in Peace (1990): With the introduction of Nick Menza and virtuosic shredder Marty Friedman to the band, Megadeth crafted one of their most focused and unabashedly technical works ever. A multifaceted album that throws everything and the kitchen sink into its composition without missing a single goddamn beat along the way. From epics like Holy Wars and Tornado of Souls to scorching thrashers like Hangar 18 and Take No Prisoners, this album will throw you into the swirling vortex of its composers' own infernal technicality and you will only ask for more by the time it ends. A classic. 10/10 Well, there's the classic years done for me. I'll definitely have more to say on the contested years that come later on.
And at last my final reviews, SC and Dystopia 2013 - Super Collider Another album I witnessed as a fan being prepared and released. Video updates were definitely promising. After it was released, I remember I liked it more than Th1rt3en. As the time passed, I can say that it is a good album and quite an interesting offer from the band. My downpoints are there's less Chris' presence in my opinion in comparison to Endgame and some ideas I saw in Updates were left out or turned out different (that's what happened to A House Divided, such a great vibe was from Dave playing on clean sound and nothing from it was used on the final track). The sound itself is good but I think Th1rt3en somehow sounds more refined mastering-wise. Glad SC got a hi-res release too. My ultimate favorites are The Blackest Crow, Dance in the Rain, Beginning of Sorrow and Cold Sweat. 7/10 2016 - Dystopia I was serving army when the album got released so I didn't have any expectations or umm pre-thoughts on it. I knew that the band got a new guitar player - Kiko Loureiro (never heard about him before) and Chris Adler recorded the drums (not a fan of Lamb of God). I kinda liked the first tracks like Fatal Illusion and The Threat is Real but they didn't sound like new hits to me. After the record got released I was left with quite perplexed feelings. Only one track sparked my interest to the same extent as my favorites from previous albums - Me Hate You which was a bonus track though. The Emperor was a definite downpoint from my expectations (upon release) as well as Poisonous Shadows and Foreign Policy (especially after brilliant cover Cold Sweat). As the time passed I started to really appreciate Dystopia and aforementioned singles. I guess the album grown on me more and more after seeing Megs live in Tilburg last summer where they performed Poisonous Shadows, The Threat is Real, Conquer or Die! and Post American World, but I really hope for more hooks and something to grab my perception more again. For now I think album sounds nice and in general on par with Th1rt3en and SC. Another thought I have is that I don't quite like the style of Kiko's melodies. He's a great technical player no doubt but it seems to me that South American flamenco influences are not my taste. My picks here Me Hate You, Dystopia. 6/10 at first, now 7/10
And now the current decade, the 2010s: Th1rt3en: I remember being really excited for this one, as I thought “Hey, it’ll be like Endgame but with Ellefson.” I played the record, and... Broderick and Mustaine played some really crisp leads, Ellefson doing some nice work on bass, but Sudden Death proved to be Long, Agonizing Drawl. Public Enemy Number One, again, decent guitar work executed pretty spot on, middling melody, bland drumming, s***ty lyrics. And it mostly plods along, although I dig New World Order, cool tune (written with the RIP lineup, gee, wonder why it’s the best thing on here?). Overall, this record is pretty forgettable and unless you’re a completist, you can skip it. 2/5 Super Collider: And now Megadeth is once again trying to go full blown radio rock, and do they succeed this time? The album opens with Kingmaker, which has some nice bass work from Ellefson at the beginning, some fairly decent guitar work. This song is no great shakes, and it is definitely lifted from Children On the Grave, but an okay opener. Then we get the title track, and s***, does the song suck, such weak melodies, the music is limp, it has no punch whatsoever. And sadly, it’s not the worst on here, between Burn! or The Blackest Crow, or a lifeless cover of Thin Lizzy’s Cold Sweat, This Album is horrible. Don’t buy it. 1/5 Dystopia: Well, Mustaine s*** the bed yet again, we lose the guitarist and drummer, yet again, there’s talk of a RIP reunion, yet again, Mustaine is a dick, yet again, people are preparing for the worst, yet again, and he and they prove us wrong, yet again. This album is AWESOME! First off, you get Chris Adler, and though I’m not really a Lamb of God fan, this dude is one incredible drummer, and I love the fact that he is such a big Megadeth fan, and he really adds something to these tracks, and though Dirk is really good from the live clips I’ve heard, I’m still a little bummed that Adler won’t be on the next album, because he had a certain flair to his playing, more so than any other post-Menza drummer. And we also mention Kiko Loureiro, or Kiko Linguine as I call him since I can’t pronounce his name for s***, but man, when I looked him up right after he was announced, goddamn, this dude impressed me. I heard some Poland, heard some Friedman, and yet, still felt distinct from those two, and hearing him just breath new life into this band, and I’m glad he has writing credits on here, knowing he can and will contribute instead of just “play this”, and I think letting Kiko write will really help the band in the long run. And the songs are extremely sharp on here, in both craft and execution, tracks like Fatal Illusion and The Emperor having such an attitude and conviction. This is, f*** it, best album since Rust In Peace, and I was not expecting it to be that good. The band is absolutely on the right track, and I can’t wait to hear the next record. 5/5 Oh, and KIMB is getting a five now, because that’s how I roll.
Picked original (not remastered) Risk ($12) and Cryptic Writings($3) used. Risk came with 2nd CD called No Risk Disc” with 6 songs. 1 from each album except first album.
Cool Dave interview on Killing is My Business. Dave Mustaine Reflects on Megadeth's 'Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!'
