MEGADETH

PAGE UPDATED IN 2022

Reviewed:
- Killing Is My Business...and Business Is Good! (1985)
- Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? (1986)
- So Far, So Good...So What! (1988)
- Rust in Peace (1990)
- Countdown to Extinction (1992)
- Youthanasia (1994)
- Hidden Treasures (1995, compilation)
- Cryptic Writings (1996)
- Risk (1998)
- The World Needs a Hero (2001)
- Rude Awakening (2002, live album)
- The System Has Failed (2004)
- Greatest Hits: Back to the Start (2005, compilation)
- United Abominations (2007)
- Endgame (2009)
- Rust in Peace: Live (2010, live album)
- Th1rt3en (2011)
- Super Collider (2013)
- Countdown to Extinction: Live (2013, live album)
- Dystopia (2016)

- The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! (2022)


KILLING IS MY BUSINESS...AND BUSINESS IS GOOD!           1985          (Century Media)

Standouts: All, if I'm in the mood to hear 'These Boots' that is. 

I could give you the whole story of Megadeth's beginnings, but chances are you know it already so here's a quick overview instead. Dave Mustaine - Metallica's original lead guitarist - was sacked by the band pre-Kill 'Em All, so he formed Megadeth as vocalist and co-lead guitarist. The end.

Right, now that's out the way, Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! (great title) is Dave's first contraption with Megadeth, and frankly, I've always loved this record. Out of the so-called 'Big Four' of thrash metal (Metallica, Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax), it might just be my favourite of their debut albums. Despite the fact this band were all going through serious class-A drug habits right from the get-go, what they had going for them that separated them from the other bands was technical-proficiency. The playing on this album from a technical point of view is far stronger than what Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer had done on their first records - that doesn't automatically make Killing Is My Business better per say, it's just a coincidence that I personally enjoy this one the most. Either way, being good on your instruments is hardly a bad thing.

The album starts off with 'Last Rites/Loved to Death'. 'Last Rites' is a cheesy little piano/organ intro, but one that kind of sets the goofy mood of these early thrash metal albums. Thrash is goofy a lot of the time, but that's part of it's charm. 'Loved to Death' on the other hand, is a monster of a high-speed thrasher that lets you know exactly what you're in for. The title track is full of tempo-changes - fast riffs, mid-tempo riffs... all brilliant riffs! And lyrics about a hitman! And for some strange reason I have strong memories of this song being permanently stuck in my head during my end-of-school GCSE exams back in 2008. I mean, I definitely was binging on Megadeth in those days, but I vividly remember this song just constantly playing over and over in my head during those final school days. Why just that one song I have no idea. 'Skull Beneath the Skin' is probably the heaviest track on this record, with an overall darker tone than a lot of what this disc has to offer. The lyrics are all about the origins of the band's mascot, Vic Rattlehead.

Speaking of which, 'Rattlehead' (the song) is basically a tribute to Megadeth. Ya know, lyrics about "Slashing, thrashing to Megadeth!", meaning it's the most fun song on the album and some of the riffs, despite being so fast and technical, manage to be really catchy on this one. Come to think of it, 'Chosen Ones' is a really fun and oddly catchy slice of speed metal too, with lyrics about the killer rabbit from Monty Python and the Holy Grail! To contrast this, 'Looking Down the Cross' starts off with a much creepier vibe (albeit still goofy because this is a young Dave Mustaine, and it's 1985). Musically, once this track gets going it's slower number with a bit more melody overall - actually kinda welcome at this point. 'Mechanix' is the record's finale. Why do those riffs sound familiar? Oh yeah, 'cos it's just 'The Four Horsemen' from Metallica's Kill 'Em All in it's original state! Dave wrote a lot of stuff during his time in Metallica (some of his riffs were still being used for Master of Puppets) - 'Mechanix' is essentially 'The Four Horsemen' sped-up. Which do I prefer? Hmm, I dunno. I like the speed and intensity of 'Mechanix', but the lyrics are a lot dumber. Whatever, I'll take both versions thank 'ya very much.

Oh hang on, I forgot to mention the Nancy Sinatra cover (!), 'These Boots'! On paper, this sounds like a disaster. Like, who the fuck wants to hear Megadeth do their own rendition of 'These Boots Are Made for Walkin''?! Fortunately, it's not that bad. Not that great either; certainly not as good as the rest of the songs, but Dave manages to keep things thrashin' by keeping the tempo high on it at least. It's one of those covers that barely sounds like the original, which in this instance is what you want. I don't actually dislike the original Nancy Sinatra version (Full Metal Jacket, anyone?), it just seems like such a random choice of song for a metal band to cover. Anyhow, the reason I 'forgot' to mention this track is because when I were a lad (fourteen I think) I picked up the 1999 Century Media reissue, which for whatever reason never had 'These Boots' on it.

In general, almost every aspect of this album is great. Dave and Chris Poland are both outstanding guitar players, David Ellefson's bass playing on the record is very good and Gar Samuelson (RIP) is an underrated drummer who bought jazz-fusion elements to thrash. And as for Dave's vocals... well, he's terrible actually, but they work with his own songs! Everyone always bangs on about the production being poor - the band supposedly spent half their budget on drugs and fired their producer, meaning they had to produce it themselves. Honestly though, I don't think this album sounds any worse than the average thrash metal album of the time. The bass is perfectly audible, the drums are loud and abrasive... my only complaint is that the guitar tones are little lacking. The album was remastered in 2002, and Dave re-recorded his vocals for it. People are always saying that this is the definitive version. I have both, and I still like the original more, though the remaster sure ain't bad.

Adam's rating: 9.3/10

PEACE SELLS... BUT WHO'S BUYING?          1986          (Capitol)

- Standouts: Everything except 'I Ain't Superstitious'.

This one is often hailed as one of the finest thrash/speed metal albums of all time, and often for good reason. But to my ears, it's only really a continuation of what you heard on Killing Is My Business - an album that doesn't get enough credit in my books. The beefy production on Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? however, is a big step-up from the debut (provided you aren't listening to the that horrible 2004 so-called 'remaster' that is...) and makes everything sound a lot heavier than before. As for actual performances and songwriting, I'd say it's more-or-less on par with the predecessor - fine by me, 'cos I loved that first album anyway. In fact, there's just one noticeably lesser track on here, and that's 'I Ain't Superstitious'. What was Dave's obsession with including unusual thrashy renditions of songs you'd almost never expect to see on a metal record back then?! Yeah, this is his take on an old Willie Dixon blues number from the 60's. Like 'These Boots', it's not unlistenable and is certainly fun in a silly kind of way. It just baffles me that Dave was even considering to record cover songs given how talented he is as a songwriter, musically (not necessarily lyrically). There's one other track on here that doesn't quite stand up to the rest of the album to me, and that's 'My Last Words'. Well, the solo is awesome and the second half of the song is cool, but this one's just a tad weaker in my opinion (though still decent enough to qualify for the 'standouts'). 

Aside from 'I Ain't Superstitious' and the good-but-not-great 'My Last Words' however, the rest of this album is gold. 'Wake Up Dead' is an absolute classic. I recently heard Lamb of God do this number a grave injustice, Randy Blythe butchering it with his crappy vocals (meh, never liked this dude), but that's a different story. The original kicks ass, especially that ridiculously heavy part near the end. 'The Conjuring' is technical speed metal ecstasy. The title track is quite the opposite - well, it does speed up later on, but much of this song is mid-tempo, catchy heavy metal excellence! Great lyrics too - it's a political statement. Oh, and 'Good Morning/Black Friday' is awesome too. The 'Good Morning' intro is very melodic, but slowly builds up to 'Black Friday', which is a violent thrasher about a serial killer, complete with graphic lyrical content! A lot of the riffs in 'Bad Omen' remind me a little of 'Loved to Deth' from the debut, for their weird time-signature and unconventional rhythm. Real cool track, and heavy too! But my favourite song from this record has always been 'Devil's Island'. I think it's the sheer speed, precision and tightness of the riffs that make this an all-time thrash great for me. The way Mustaine and Chris Poland pull off those riffs just makes it so damn heavy.

I was originally gonna keep my first rating of 9.5/10, but that seems far too generous to me these days. Don't get me wrong, this is a superb album, and I like it every bit as much as Killing Is My Business. But I don't think I like it more than the predecessor. And I just finished re-reviewing the Metallica discography... if I keep that 9.5/10 rating, that means I consider this to be a better album than ...And Justice for All or Master of Puppets. It isn't! 'My Last Words' is ever-so-slightly weaker than the bulk of the songs, while 'I Ain't Superstitious' is just okay. The rest of the songs are pretty much flawless, that much is true, but those two numbers have really made me rethink my scoring for this album. And that's why I'm going with another 9.3/10.

Adam's rating: 9.3/10

SO FAR, SO GOOD...SO WHAT!          1988          (Capitol)

- Standouts: 'Into the Lungs of Hell', 'Set the World Afire', 'Mary Jane', '502', 'In My Darkest Hour', 'Liar', 'Hook In Mouth'

This is probably the weakest of what I consider to be the golden age of Megadeth, i.e. the first four records, but still... you've gotta give props to Dave for churning out a record as good as this whilst going through serious heroin addiction! Ironically, Gar Samuelson and Chris Poland were fired for their own drug problems prior to the recording of this album, despite Mustaine and David Ellefson also indulging in heroin and speedballs. If you watch the VH1 Behind the Music Megadeth episode, you'll see just how much of a state Mustaine was in during the 80's - him firing anyone for drug abuse is kinda hypocritical if you ask me! Then again, Poland was supposedly pawning the band's equipment. So anyway, Jeff Young comes in to replace Poland, while Gar's drum tech, Chuck Behler steps in. So Far, So Good... So What! would be the only album to feature this lineup. 

Yep, so this might be the weakest Megadeth album out of the first four, but seven out of eight tracks here are still excellent, frankly. The turkey is the cover song (ooh what a surprise!). I honestly have no idea why Dave insisted on including yet another cover song for the third album in a row. Maybe it was the record label pressuring him to do so? Either way, the cover in question this time is a rendition of the Sex Pistols' 'Anarchy in the UK', even though Dave sings it as "Anarchy in the USA" - see what he did there! Despite the original Pistols number being one of the most iconic punk rock songs of all time, it's still the worst of the three cover songs spread across the first three Megadeth records, in my opinion. The Sex Pistols are as British as fish n' chips - replacing 'UK' with 'USA' is just lame, as is this cover in general. At least 'These Boots' and 'I Ain't Superstitious' were much weirder and fun choices by comparison.

Still, as I said, the rest of this album's top-notch. I'm still getting a kick out of it all these years later. I will admit that starting the record off with an instrumental ('Into the Lungs of Hell') seems odd on paper, but it's chock-full of cool speed metal riffin' and some brilliant lead guitar work. 'Set the World Afire' is a quality thrasher too. And as for 'Mary Jane', there's a surprising amount of melody and catchiness to counterbalance the heaviness within this one! A truly underrated song for sure, good job Dave! '502', which is all about driving fast and being chased by the cops, is yet another fun speed metaller. The lyrics are cheesy of course, but it wouldn't have worked in any other way.

The song most people tend to talk about regarding So Far, So Good... is normally 'In My Darkest Hour'. It's not my personal favourite song from this record, but I get why people love it so much. It was written as a tribute to the late Cliff Burton of Metallica. Dave was pissed that no-one from Metallica called him when Cliff died given his history with them, hence why this song exists in the first place. It's a metal ballad of sorts, but only in the sense that it features more emotional connection than usual. There's still tons of heaviness throughout it... in fact, that main riff sounds alarmingly close to Sodom's 'Agent Orange' from 1989! Whatever, Mustaine wrote it first.

As great as 'In My Darkest Hour' is, my favourite song here is probably 'Liar'. This track was written in response to Chris Poland's pawning of the band's gear, which led to his sacking. Well, that and all the drug use of course. The lyrics are fucking great, check this out:

"Start trouble, spread pain
Piss and venom in your veins
Talk nasty, breathe fire
Smell rotten, you're a liar
Sweat liquor, breathe snot
Eat garbage, spit blood
Diseased, health hazard
Scumbag, filthy bastard
Greasy face, teeth decay
Hair matted, drunk all day
Abscessed, sunken veins
Rot gut, scrambled brain
Steal money, crash cars
Rob jewelry, hock guitars
Rot in Hell, it's time you know
To your master, off you go"

Maybe Dave was going a little overboard and exaggerating the whole situation, but it's funny regardless. As it happens, he and Chris would eventually bury the hatchet, as Poland later appeared on 2004's The System Has Failed. The final song, 'Hook in Mouth' is another rock-solid thrash piece to wrap things up nicely.

Yep, the only duff track on here is the silly Sex Pistols cover, aside from that, the rest is fire. It's just that it's not always as good the last two albums, and I can't really explain why. I think it might be that the playing isn't quite as good between Jeff Young and Chuck Behler when compared to Chris Poland and Gar Samuelson. I don't think it's necessarily the songwriting. Still, this is more essential Megadeth at the end of the day.

Adam's rating: 9.1/10

RUST IN PEACE          1990          (Capitol)

- Standouts: ALL! 

I'm always debating in my head which of thrash's 'Big Four' released the best album (and by 'always', what I really mean is 'almost never'). My favourite is probably Metallica's Ride the Lightning, but then I remember Slayer's Reign in Blood. It's definitely not Anthrax; I'm a die hard fan of the 'Thrax, but they never made a true metal masterwork in my opinion. But then there's Megadeth with Rust in Peace. This is one of those records I listened to and worshiped religiously in my youth, and even if it's not a regular player in my library as an adult, it still impresses me to this day. Like, seriously - 'Holy Wars... the Punishment Due' truly is one of those perfect metal songs, up there with Rainbow's 'Stargazer', Sabbath's 'Into the Void' and Deep Purple's 'Child in Time' for me. In fact, I'd go so far as to say that not one of the other bands within the 'Big Four' have ever written a song better than 'Holy Wars'. It's got everything going for it, and it still rules. I'd describe it as technical-progressive-thrash metal. It has fast riffs, slow riffs, classical guitar melodies... and it's all epic. The playing is outstanding; this was the first record to feature Marty Friedman as the second guitarist and Nick Menza (RIP) on drums, and the whole band really clicked on Rust in Peace. Like I said, the playing is not only amazing on this track, but the whole album. And people like to slag off Dave's vocals, but can you seriously imagine anyone else singing 'Holy Wars'?!

'Hangar 18' too, showcases the technical abilities of the band; Dave Mustaine, junkie or not, can fucking play! And Nick Menza... what an underrated drummer! This is technical melodic speed metal nirvana. The lyrics to 'Take No Prisoner' are kinda crappy and sound like they've been written by a teenage edgelord ("Take no prisoners... take no SHIT!"), but you can forgive the silly lyrical content for the brilliance of the way the band thrash on this number. In short, they thrash hard, which is what you want. 'Five Magics' has some weird jazzy structures and time signatures going on, and I love it. It may not be thrashing so much, but goddamn there's so much happening on this track, but more importantly, it still manages to be memorable despite everything going on. 'Poison Was the Cure' builds up slowly with the bass, before exploding into a super-speedy assault of the senses. The riff to this one is just oh-so cool and fun!

'Lucretia' deserves more attention. It has a wonderfully melodic introductory riff, and serves as a very catchy mid-tempo metaller that breaks up this album rather nicely. 'Tornado of Souls' is more melodic metal brilliance that again blends technical riff-wizardry with surprisingly catchy songwriting. Even 'Dawn Patrol' has an integral place on this album, even if it just a short, slow, bass-driven number with a runtime of less than two minutes. But David Ellefson's bass riff is just so fucking cool! The closing title track, 'Rust in Peace... Polaris' ends up being my least favourite song on the album, but that ain't saying much. It's still extremely memorable... the main riff is weird and sporadic in an almost funky way. 

It's kinda difficult to pick any real issues with this album. Any that I do have are just subjective really. Like, I still prefer the chunky, beefy production of Peace Sells, though the mixing on this record is still very solid overall. Dave's voice can be an acquired taste I suppose, but I've never had a problem with his singing personally. And if you wanted a HEAVY Megadeth album, then this one's probably not gonna do it for ya. Heaviness isn't really the point of Rust in Peace, and all of the last three sound heavier to me - nope, Rust actually adds more melody to the songs, but not in a way to make them sound more radio-friendly. Nope, the band go all-out with their technical prowess here, and the songs just happen to be more melodic overall this time, and it only makes them better. 

Yep, this is the best Megadeth album alright. Hell, it's one of the best thrash albums of all time, quite possibly one of the best metal albums of all time in general. If tight riffin' and guitar solos within metal are your thing and you don't have this in your collection, then what the fuck are you doing with your life?!

Adam's rating: 9.6/10

COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION          1992           (Capitol)

- Standouts: 'Skin O' My Teeth', 'Architecture of Aggression', 'Sweating Bullets', 'Foreclosure of a Dream', 'Captive Honour', 'Ashes in Your Mouth'

What pisses me off most about this album is the fact Dave more-or-less decided to go back to basics with the songwriting, and write relatively straightforward heavy metal songs (in comparison to anything that came before anyway, particularly Rust in Peace). And this was 1992... ooh, guess who became one of the biggest bands in the world just one year before? Metallica! And what did they do to achieve that status? Strip-back their sound and write hooky, catchy heavy metal songs with the Black Album of course! So yeah, it's no coincidence that Dave Mustaine - who was still in a feud with his former band at the time - thought he'd have a go at making his own Black Album. And this was the result, Countdown to Extinction.

The good news is that the songs on here are still good in their own right. But Rust in Peace really showed what the band were truly capable of as musicians, much like ...And Justice for All was for Metallica before they recorded the Black Album. It just seems like such a waste of great talent by watering down the music, given that Marty Friedman and Nick Menza were still very much a part of Megadeth throughout the 90's. Whatever. As I said, there's still a lot of great tracks on this record even if the simplified direction of the music is a letdown.

Firstly, 'Skin O' My Teeth' is a cool opener. No, it doesn't come close to 'Holy Wars', but it's a fun, catchy speed metal number - cool solo, nice melodies and still heavy enough to satisfy my tastes. A classic for sure. 'Architecture of Aggression' is very heavy - it's mid-tempo, sure, but the riff is cool as hell and the song has a lot of chugging grooves that I think work in it's favour. 'Foreclosure of a Dream' too, is great. I love the atmospheric, moody acoustic melody that transitions into heavy riffage. Underrated stuff. 'High Speed Dirt' is fairly good too. It's pretty fast by this album's standard, though obviously not as fast as the title suggests. 'Captive Honour' is a spot of cheesy fun too. The lyrics are stupid, but the riffs are once again really solid as far as mid-tempo Megadeth goes. I also enjoy 'Ashes in Your Mouth' too. It's not a real barnburner to go out on or anything, but it gets my juiced flowing enough I guess.

The best-known number on here actually kind of irritates me these days, and has done for a long time. I'm talking of course, about 'Symphony of Destruction'. Don't get me wrong, I dug this tune back when I was first discovering metal, but it just sounds so uninspired to me these days. The riffs are your boring, repetitive, Pantera 'Walk'-esque kind of affair, and for some strange reason it's become Megadeth's signature tune. It's one of those key songs that doesn't really summarise what this band are all about. Let's be honest, Megadeth are associated with the thrash metal genre more-so than anything else, yet this song isn't thrashy in the slightest. It's not a bad song, I guess I'm just fed up with it. I feel like a bit of hypocrite for liking 'Sweating Bullets' then, which is also extremely simple and repetitive, but the goofy lyrics ("Hello, meet the real me!") and overall tone of it almost always puts a smile on my face.

There's also some filler to be had, and it's pretty much all found on the second half of the record. 'This Was My Life' is fairly boring; the hooks are memorable, but it doesn't excite me. And the title track is just flat-out uninspired, with a chorus that is so obviously trying to achieve radio airplay. Boring power chord riffs, a slow tempo and just not much in the way of what you heard on previous Megadeth records. 'Psychotron' is also lacklustre in my books. Like, the playing on it is fine an' all, but it just goes in one ear and out the other.  

So, I do like a lot of this record, some bits I think are great. I do. It sure doesn't stand up next to any of the previous four, but as far as 90's heavy metal goes, this is still a good album overall. That said, as Megadeth's answer to the Black Album, it's infinitely weaker than the album it's trying to rival; Metallica are just better at writing this kind of stuff, plain and simple. And I really have no idea why I gave Countdown to Extinction an 8.6/10 in my original review. I always loved this record back in school, so I guess I was just telling myself that I still liked this album just as much as I did as a teenager, when in reality I just love the songs 'Architecture of Aggression', 'Foreclosure of a Dream' and 'Skin O' My Teeth' these days. The rest is mostly good but not great material, with a handful of dull moments here and there. 

When you look at just how strong those first four albums are, Countdown really is a huge disappointment by comparison. Just 'cos it has 'Symphony of Destruction' on it doesn't make it one of their best! The whole record is usually regarded as a classic these days, but I just dunno if I can agree on that anymore.

Adam's rating: 7.7/10

YOUTHANASIA          1994          (Capitol)

- Standouts: 'Reckoning Day', 'Train of Consequences', 'Addicted to Chaos', 'A Tout le Monde', 'Elysian Fields', 'The Killing Road', 'Youthanasia', 'Victory'

Dave and the boys were still riding the radio metal train in 1994, therefore Youthanasia follows a similar(ish) direction to Countdown to Extinction. The standout cuts on Countdown are still as enjoyable as I remembered, but the rest of that album just sounds weaker to me these days. Youthanasia on the other hand, has actually gone the other way with me and moved on up in my books. I really wasn't expecting that! I honestly expected this album, which I originally scored a 7.2/10, to drop to at least a 6.5/10, but this isn't the case. Naturally, it still comes nowhere near the greatness of the first four bangers, but I find much of this CD to be a rock-solid 90's metal album.

The first two songs are excellent. 'Reckoning Day' is a modest opener with it's mid-tempo pace, but it's a tight, heavy, hooky number that kickstarts the album very well indeed. It's followed-up by 'Train of Consequences' - okay, I've always loved this song from the first time I heard it as a fourteen year old. It's hands-down one of my favourite Megadeth tunes, always has been. Why? Because the riffs are absolutely infectious, the vocal arrangements are perfect (even if Dave's not the greatest singer) - it's a fine example of how to perfect a radio metal song!! 'Addicted to Chaos' is great too, much better than I remembered. Yeah, it had been a long time since I heard anything from Youthanasia save for the first two tracks, but like I said, 'Addicted to Chaos' is really solid stuff as well. More well-crafted vocal arrangements and crunchy mid-tempo riffs. It could just be me, but it also has a slightly bluesy vibe too?! And I mean that in the best way possible.

'A Toute le Monde' is a well-known song from this album, and it's a surprisingly strong ballad (!). I'll admit that Dave singing the chorus in French never really settled all that well with me, but the rest of the track is superb. Really good melodies and endlessly memorable guitar lines and hooks. 'Elysian Fields' is heavier by comparison, and helps the flow of the record. I want to slag off the little harmonica solo, but it just works on this number somehow! 'The Killing Road' has some good groove going for it, and enough heaviness that I naturally start bobbing my head to riffs. I also enjoy 'Family Tree' - especially the soloing on it. The title track is only a four-minute number, but it has an almost epic feel in it's songwriting, and is a definite classic that deserves more attention in the live setting. The closing 'Victory' is not necessarily the best track on the album, but it's definitely the most fun and also the fastest. The lyrics are composed of previous Megadeth song titles, and Dave somehow manages to pull it off in a non-cringey manner!

The production holds up really well too, and the record in general sounds much better than the predecessor. The guitar tones are meaty and there's a ton of low-end, bassy undertones to digest. Really, in terms of what Dave was trying to achieve with Youthanasia, there's not really a lot to majorly complain about here. There's a track or two on here that's weaker than the rest of the album, sure; 'Blood of Heroes' is skippable, if inoffensive. 'I Thought I Knew It All' kinda sits in this realm for me too... it's plods along a little too comfortably for my tastes (but nothing on here is unlistenable either). And as much as I like this record as a whole, it still doesn't get my blood pumpin' like early Megadeth does because it isn't fast or even that technical - there's nothing on here that's going to blow you away. The whole thing is basically mid-tempo until 'Victory', and sometimes I just don't feel like sitting through the entire thing in one sitting. But what this album does do, and does well, is provide the listener with rock-solid, catchy and mature metal tunes, good riffs, great vocal arrangements, surprisingly good lyrics (!) and excellent production.

No, it's still not as good as Metallica's Black Album, but Youthanasia is a highly respectable effort that certainly improves upon the Countdown to Extinction template. 

Adam's rating: 8.3/10

HIDDEN TREASURES          1995          (Capitol)

A small collection of unreleased material (eight songs in total), and it's pretty good overall! The Alice Cooper cover, 'No More Mr. Nice Guy' is a great one, and I would've much preferred to have had that over 'Anarchy in the UK' on So Far, So Good...So What!. 'Angry Again' is a bona-fide classic too. I also really like 'Breakpoint' and 'Go to Hell' (which featured in Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey, that awesomely goofy sequel to Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure). As a matter of fact, the only really lame track on here, of the eight listed, is the lazy, generic cover of Sabbath's 'Paranoid'. I know countless bands have covered Sabbath, but I really don't see the point in covering their best-known song. That just requires no imagination. Overall though, for something that is clearly a CD that caters more to fans that casual listeners, Hidden Treasures is a pretty cool listen!
Adam's rating: 7/10

CRYPTIC WRITINGS          1997          (Capitol)

- Standouts: 'Trust', 'The Disintegrators', 'FFF'

Okay, now things are really starting to take a turn for the worse! Yeah they slowed things down on Countdown to Extinction and Youthanasia, but at least they were still heavy and the songwriting was (mostly) on point. Cryptic Writings borders more on hard rock a lot of the time, and is an album I've never particularly liked, and sure as hell wasn't looking forward to re-reviewing it. Still, needs must. Plus, Youthanasia was far better than I remembered, so maybe there's just a slim chance this one won't leave such a sour taste anymore... maybe?!

The answer of course, is no. I still don't especially like Cryptic Writings. Well, I do still quite like 'Trust'. It's a catchy rocker with some decent hooks throughout, and probably the only song anyone still talks about from this album. That said, the first Megadeth CD I ever bought was the Greatest Hits: Back to the Start compilation when I was about fourteen years old, and it had 'Trust' on it. I feel if I'd just started with the debut and worked my way through the discography chronologically, then I'd probably think a lot less of it. I certainly think less of 'Almost Honest', which has an almost alternative rock feel to it, abandoning basically any trace of metal full-stop! 'Use the Man' is probably kinda lame in reality, but for some strange reason I can still listen to it and find some enjoyment. I dunno, the acoustic/electric guitar combination fused with the hooky chorus doesn't sound terrible to me personally, even if it bears almost zero resemblance to anything Megadeth were doing before. The almost bluesy 'Mastermind' is heavy by this albums standard, but if the guitars weren't played in such a subdued fashion, it'd be much heavier and better, frankly.

'I'll Get Even' fucking sucks. It's clearly taking influence from the grunge and alternative rock scene of the 90's - a scene that I personally enjoy, but not when Dave Mustaine tries to associate himself with it! 'Sin' is sorta heavy I guess, but it's dull, repetitive stuff full of riffs that I personally could come up with in five minutes. Dave's 1,000,000x the guitarist that I am, but seriously, these riffs are boring as fuck and I don't give a shit if I come across as arrogant by claiming I could write a better song. I could, and you could too. 'A Secret Place' once again crosses the radio rock boundaries, but at least it still has more of a metallic edge than a song like 'I'll Get Even'. 'Have Cool, Will Travel' starts off promisingly heavy, and honestly, much of this song is fairly decent. I just don't like the sudden poppy chorus... and the, uhh, use of harmonicas that is. Fuck it, this song is pretty lame too. 'She-Wolf' on the other hand does have one riff that it is genuinely thrashy, yet the song itself manages to not thrash! It probably doesn't help that the chorus is so melodic and poppy by comparison. That said, I still think this track is reasonably good. 'Vortex' though, is straight-up filler. 'Nuff said. Yeah, I'm getting bored of this record now.

Oh, hang on. What's the deal with 'The Disintegrators'?! Sounds kinda fast to me. You might even call it 'thrashy'... actually, I take that back - 'punky' is a better word to describe this track. Still, it is legitimately fast alright, so it gets a thumbs up from me, even if it is punkier than it is metal. There's nowt wrong with a bit o' punk every once in a while. Speaking of punk, the album's conclusion, 'FFF' sounds almost like an old-school hardcore punk song more than anything else. And it's good! Yeah, the band were capable of so much more than a song like this, but it does at least mean Cryptic Writings goes out on a high(ish) note, even if the rest of the album ranges from poor, to mediocre, to kinda good at times.

They missed the mark on this one, that's for sure. And this is still the same lineup that recorded Rust in Peace! It really baffles me that Marty Friedman and Nick Menza stayed in the band long enough to record albums like this with Dave and Mr. Ellefson. They must have only been there for the money, that's my theory anyway. 

Well, at least my scoring of this album didn't get any lower than it already was I suppose. The songs I don't like on here, I hate more than ever now. But there's also a pinch of tracks that aren't actually as bad as I remembered ('The Disintegrators', 'She-Wolf' and 'FFF')  so overall the outcome is the same for me. Either way, don't bother with this record.
Adam's rating: 4.2/10

RISK          1999          (Capitol)

- Standouts: None whatsoever! 

Oh fuck me this is bad! You'd think once they'd gotten Cryptic Writings out of their system, they'd at least go back to something even slightly resembling Countdown to Extinction or Youthanasia?! Instead we get this absolute monstrosity of a record from a so-called 'metal' band! Risk is effectively an alternative rock album with some metal influences here and there, and a whole lot of experimentation with electronic sounds and noises to supposedly 'enhance' the songs - which they don't of course. 'Insomnia' - what the fuck is this?! The main hook from the chorus comes from Dave repeating "Insomnianianianianianiania!" over and over again! And 'Prince of Darkness' barely even qualifies as a song in my books. It's full of all these spoken word passages from Dave, boring riffs, and it's way too long! The sad thing is, 'Prince of Darkness' is about as heavy as Megadeth get on this record.

They really take the piss with 'Crush 'Em' though. It's like a weird fusion of dancy beats, bluesy guitar chops and cheesy 90's pop rock singalong choruses. In short, it's horrible. Maybe the worst song Dave ever wrote. 'Breadline' barely qualifies as hard rock. Pop rock more like. It's the kind of song that would probably be half-decent if it were written by Def Leppard, not Megadeth. 'The Doctor Is Calling' is alternative rock through-and-through while 'I'll Be There' is shoddy pop rock ballad rubbish. 'Wanderlust' is a moodier song that is almost listenable to me at least. It's at this point that I actually can't think of a lot to say about songs such as the acoustic-tinged 'Ecstasy', or the weird boogie rock (!) of 'Seven'. They exist. End of. The sampling/keyboard sound or whatever the hell it is that plays in the background to 'Time: The End', sort of reminds me of Rammstein. Yeah.

Goddamn... I really struggled to sit through this one! I was feeling semi-hopeful about revisiting Cryptic Writings, but with Risk, I just knew it was still gonna fucking suck. And that it does. This is one of those records that often appears on those 'worst metal albums of all time' kinda lists, and it's easy to see why. I don't know if I'd go that far, but it certainly is one of the worst albums recorded by one of the biggest metal bands of all time. This is so far removed from anything the band were doing prior (even Cryptic Writings, up to a point) that Mustaine should have just released this as a solo album or something - and even then, I still think it's reputation would be similar to what it already is. This is the same wildman that has a huge list of thrash metal classics to his name, and even got himself booted out of Metallica in his early career! 

However, what I will say about Risk, is that if this album had been recorded by a more mainstream rock band, it'd probably be okay for the most part. Not great by any stretch of the imagination, but not horrible either. It's not like the songs are badly performed or written (although Dave does not have the voice for mainstream rock), it's just that it's the completely wrong band presenting it. It feels like a huge "fuck you" to metal fans. Like, who in their right mind was gonna turn to Megadeth for some accessible alternative rock in the 90's?! Metallica did it better because their whole image changed dramatically in the 90's, and they had the right producer and management behind them. It didn't work for Megadeth. As it happens, Marty Friedman finally left after this record. Nick Menza had already gone at this point, as Jimmy DeGrasso was behind the kit for a few years at this point. Unlucky for him.
Adam's rating: 2.5/10

THE WORLD NEEDS A HERO          2001           (Sanctuary)

- Standouts: 'Moto Psycho', 'Recipe for Hate... Warhorse', 'Dread and the Fugitive Mind'

For me, this is kinda like the forgotten Megadeth album. It took me years to obtain it - I had pretty much all the Megadeth CD's that were available at the time during my school years, except for this one. For whatever reason I never saw it in any record shop of any kind, so I remember eventually buying a used copy online when I started working full-time in my late teens.

As for the music, critics at the time were apparently hailing The World Needs a Hero as a 'return to form' for Megadeth, but I can only assume that's because of just how terrible Risk was. In that sense I guess it is a return to form, but don't be fooled - this is NOT 'Rust in Peace Part Two'. It's more like a return to the sort of thing Dave was doing on Countdown to Extinction or Youthanasia, only the songwriting is sadly much less inspired overall. I mean, I had to repeat opener 'Disconnect' 'cos it went straight over my head after I first heard it. Mid-tempo, plodding, tired metal and somehow lacking the hooks. Not terrible, just extremely mediocre. The title track is quite good though - not great - but the chorus is at least memorable enough and I kinda like the groove of the riffage on it. 'Moto Psycho' is decent too. The song as a whole has a pummelling rhythm to it, and tight riffs to boot. It's not fast or anything like that, but it's solid as far as mid-tempo Megadeth goes. '1000 Times Goodbye' is pretty good musically (the solo is great), but the lyrics are godawful, relationship and breakup nonsense. Those cringey female voice samples are completely out of place for a metal album too. I'd expect 'em on a fucking Britney Spears record, not this! The lyrics really do not pair with the music whatsoever.

'Burning Bridges' is pretty heavy once again, but forgettable overall and not one that would ever make a playlist for me. 'Promises' is terrible however. It's a silly ballad complete with string arrangements (!) - it's like Dave was trying to write his own version of the Smashing Pumpkins' 'Tonight, Tonight' - only it sucks. 'Recipe for Hate... Warhorse' is thankfully better. It's still slow to begin with, but the guitar work is much more interesting and more in-line with what Dave is known for doing. The 'Warhorse' half is faster, but still not quite fast enough to really thrash, sadly. Still, not a bad song at all. 'Losing My Senses' has a whiff of alternative metal about it, but I don't mind this one either actually. It's not great or anything, but I was nodding my head to it, so I must like it up to a point.

One track from this record that I've always had a soft spot for is 'Dread and the Fugitive Mind'. That's because it was featured on that compilation I started off with (Greatest Hits: Back to the Start), so it's a Megadeth song I'd been familiar with since I first got into them. Like 'Train of Consequences' from Youthanasia, this song has some great vocal arrangements, memorable riffs and well-crafted hooks to make one great, radio-friendly metal song. I mean, it's not as good as 'Train of Consequences' of course, but it is still very strong. Same can't really be said for 'Return to Hangar', which, aside from the title, is apparently a sequel to 'Hangar 18'. Of course, it comes nowhere near the brilliance of 'Hangar 18'. It does at least bring a little more energy to the record, and is not completely worthless - just massively inferior to the song it pays homage to in every single way. The album's finale, 'When', is the longest track Dave has ever written at a little over nine minutes long. Many of the riffs and vocals are directly paying homage to Diamond Head's 'Am I Evil?', so obviously some people tend to bash Dave for that one. At least it brought some much-needed heaviness to the music.

This album may be a whole lot better than Risk (and Cryptic Writings for that matter...), but about half-way into the songs, I was craving some speed! I'm trying to understand Dave's mindset during this period - 'cos at this point he'd been playing almost constant mid-tempo songs with Megadeth that lack the technical prowess of the early material for over a decade. It's like he simply didn't give a fuck about writing songs to the best of his abilities anymore. Granted, Youthanasia was great, but it just surprises me that he still wasn't ready to thrash at this point. I guess the metal scene of the early 2000's still wasn't favouring thrash metal, so the band weren't about to go old-school again just yet. I also don't like the production, well, to be more specific, I don't like the tinny drum sound. 

As it stands, The World Needs a Hero is just a 'meh' record for me. Most of the songs on it are okay, listenable - and a couple of them I genuinely like. But it just feels quite underwhelming when you look at the final product; it almost feels like a bunch of leftovers that never made it onto Youthanasia. I think I've only ever listened to it in full maybe five times in over ten years, and I have no urge to hear it again after this review. Says it all really.
Adam's rating: 5.9/10

RUDE AWAKENING          2002          (Capitol)

Two-CD live album with a guy still in bed, falling from a skyscraper on the cover - hence the title Rude Awakening. Pretty cool packaging in my opinion, even if it looks more like a studio record at first glance. No songs from Risk, and just one from Cryptic Writings ('She-Wolf'), so there's tons of classics to be found save for the ones off The World Needs a Hero, which sound better in the live perspective anyway. Rude Awakening was actually the only live album they had at this point, and I assume they released it around this time to remind people that they still had endless great thrash tunes before the likes of Risk and Cryptic Writings.
Adam's rating: 7/10

THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED          2004          (Sanctuary)

- Standouts: 'Blackmail the Universe', 'Kick the Chair', 'Back in the Day', 'Tears in a Vial'

Some people call this a Dave Mustaine solo record because he technically didn't put a functioning band together to record it, just himself and some session musicians. One of those session musicians just happened to be Chris Poland. Erm, you know how I said Mustaine and Poland buried the hatchet in my So Far, So Good...  review? Well, they technically did at first, but then when Dave reissued Rust in Peace in 2004 (not long after the release of The System Has Failed), he included a bunch of demos that Chris played on back in the day without his permission. So obviously Chris sued Dave and they haven't worked together since. Oh yeah, and the reason for all the session musicians is because in 2002 Dave fell asleep with his arm over the back of a chair and subsequently could not play guitar for over a year, so the band went on hiatus until he recovered.

Me personally, I don't consider this to be a Mustaine solo album. Dave is Megadeth after all, and there's nothing unusual going on here musically. In fact, 'Blackmail the Universe' sets things off to a promising start. This is the best album opener in a long time - it's definitely thrashy and heavy enough to be considered 'thrash' in my books, which sure is refreshing. Shame then, that the second track, 'Die Dead Enough' goes back down the melodic radio metal, Cryptic Writings-style route once again. The riffs are pretty generic and uninspired, but the song as a whole still manages to be listenable if mediocre. 'Kick the Chair' is much better though, and about as old-school as Megadeth have sounded in many years. It still has some understandably modern vibes, what with the production and just the way Dave sings and the way he writes lyrics. But I certainly do rate this track. 'The Scorpion' is weaker, but that's only because 'Kick the Chair' is quite possibly the best song on the album. I get a sense of Youthanasia from the mid-tempo 'The Scorpion', so it's still fairly decent overall. The use of backing keyboards actually does it justice, surprisingly. 'Tears in a Vial' treads into melodic metal territory once again, but it's competent enough to be enjoyable. Nicely arranged riffs and vocals put this above 'Die Dead Enough' for me. It does pick up in speed towards the end, and almost has a traditional power metal feel - almost.

'Back in the Day' is excellent however - it's not really thrash, more like speed metal - but very strong speed metal at that. The riffs are superb, as are the vocal arrangements. In fact, this track contains some of the best singing I've ever heard from Dave! 'Truth Be Told' starts off as kind of a mediocre ballad, but the guitar shredding and riffing later on saves this track from mediocrity. 'My Kingdom' is fun while it lasts, but is a little on the short side at barely three minutes. Still, not a bad note end on at all. Naturally, there's some filler numbers on here too. 'Something That I'm Not' isn't awful or anything, just too repetitive and unnecessarily long at five minutes. Meh, 'Of Mice and Men' ain't so hot either. The vocal introduction is stupid, and the rest of the song is just by-the-numbers, mainstream-sounding metal that could pass off for a dozen other bands if it weren't for Dave's instantly-recognisable vocals.

A genuinely good album overall. Three of the songs here I really like ('Blackmail the Universe', 'Kick the Chair' and 'Back in the Day'), but more importantly is the fact that while there are a few generic moments to sit through here and there, nothing on here is completely offensive and unlistenable. The last bunch of albums all had some pretty terrible moments of their own, this one can be mediocre at times, but that's it really. For the most part it's decent - sometimes great. Certainly a step in the right direction anyway. 

You might find it weird that I own two copies of this album, considering it's not one of my favourites. One is my original CD which I've had since school, the other is a vinyl copy that my brother bought for me as a Christmas present maybe four or five years back. He gave me this and also a vinyl copy of Napalm Death's From Enslavement to Obliteration. Of course, I don't think I'd ever have forked out my own wallet for a vinyl copy of The System Has Failed, but my brother is primarily a hip-hop fan and not exactly an expert on metal, but he knows the bands I like even if he doesn't know all their stuff. Still, it is nice to own any Megadeth on vinyl, so cheers Tom.

Adam's rating: 7.3/10

GREATEST HITS: BACK TO THE START          2005          (EMI)

Apparently the tracks chosen for this compilation were compiled by fans, but I seriously doubt anyone would have chosen the abysmal 'Prince of Darkness' from Risk. Or even 'Trust' from Cryptic Writings for that matter. In fact, looking at the track-listing some ten years after purchase, there's a lot of problems to be had. I mean, the 17 songs featured span every album that was out at the time (save for The System Has Failed), but realistically, there's still not enough tracks from the early days. Classics like 'Devil's Island', 'Tornado of Souls', 'Rattlehead', 'Set the World on Fire' etc. are all missing, with a maximum of two songs for each album instead. 'Mechanix' is the only song off Killing is my Business, actually. It's a damn shame really. Still, I do like each of the tracks, but if I had my way, this would be a very different Greatest Hits package. When I was 14 however, I still played it to death before picking up more of their studio albums, so I guess it did it's job overall. Plus, 'Kill the King', an exclusive number from the Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years compilation is featured here (I don't own Capitol Punishment, and I don't need to thanks to this CD).

UNITED ABOMINATIONS          2007          (Roadrunner)

- Standouts: 'Sleepwalker', 'Washington Is Next!', 'Gears of War', 'You're Dead'

This album was kind of a big deal back in 2007. People were calling it a 'return to their roots', but then people had already been making that claim since The World Needs a Hero was released. I was fourteen in 2006, and a Megadeth fan, so this was the first new release record of theirs that I remember being psyched for. Well, I can't deny that the often politically-motivated United Abominations is another step in the right direction, just like The System Has Failed. 'Sleepwalker' is literally the best and most thrashy opener in well over a decade when you look at this record from a contemporary point-of-view. It's not a carbon-copy of their early sound; you have to remember that Mustaine had already been through a lot since the days of Peace Sells. Drugs, rehab, medical issues and plenty of band lineup changes. So obviously he's not the same man he once was. But 'Sleepwalker' is modern-tinged thrash metal that contains all the tight riffing and solos you'd want from a Megadeth record.

'Washington Is Next!' is very strong too. Extremely melodic, technical speed metal with some Iron Maiden-esque guitar harmonies written all over it. Not as heavy as the old-school records, but still great in it's own right. Sort of reminds me of the newer Anthrax material, in that they tend to write more melodic speed metal-type stuff over pure thrash these days, but still do a damn good job in the process. The same can be said for 'Never Walk Alone... a Call to Arms'. This track is admittedly a tad slower and slightly weaker than the former, but the guitar work on it is very inspired and enjoyable throughout. 'Gears of War' was predictably featured in the video game, and has a very Countdown to Extinction vibe overall. Solid mid-tempo Megadeth, not a lot else to say. I also dig 'Play for Blood', which features some spectacular guitar soloing and leads throughout. The rest of the song is good but not great, but like I said, the guitar works makes this one stand out. 'Amerikhastan' touches on politics again, and the intro is piss-poor, as are the lyrics. Musically it's very good, even if I can't ignore the fact it features the line "Hey Jihad-Joe, guess what? We're comin' to get you!"...'You're Dead' (crappy title), is one of the heavier songs on this record. 'Burnt Ice' ain't a bad note to go out on either.

In terms of any potential filler, the title track is disappointing. It's kind of all over the place - melodic one second, then heavy the next, plus there's too many silly spoken-word, political passages. This is the kind of track that they would never play live due to how disjointed the songwriting is. Looks like I'm right in saying that too, judging by setlist.fm. Don't get me wrong, 'United Abominations' is far from one of the worst Megadeth songs, it's just average at best. 'Blessed Be the Dead' is fairly uninteresting too. It's essentially Youthanasia-style Megadeth, only weaker. Like a lot of the more average Megadeth material these days however, fortunately it's not like unlistenable or anything like that. Just underwhelming. I do think the re-recorded 'A Tout le Monde' was a waste of time however. It's been sped-up a tad now, and also features Christina Scabbia of the gothic band Lacuna Coil dueting with Dave. Meh, I guess if I'd never heard the original, I could maybe enjoy this version more, but it just seems soulless now. Lacuna Coil were fairly big in 2007 from what I remember, so I guess Dave was trying to branch out to a wider audience. Me personally, I always thought they sucked, and I rarely hear anyone talk about them these days. 

I'll stick this one just below The System Has Failed. The songs themselves aren't as consistent as the predecessor's offerings, but the lead guitar work is pretty outstanding throughout United Abominations. I'll certainly give it that. And once again, most of the songs here are decent overall, with 'Sleepwalker', 'You're Dead' and 'Washington Is Next!' all good enough to make a Megadeth playlist for me. Thing is - and I've always felt this way about this era for the band - good is not good enough, especially for a band of this calibre! Whatever, at least it's not Risk.

Adam's rating: 7/10

ENDGAME          2009          (Roadrunner)

- Standouts: 'This Day We Fight!', '1,320'', '44 Minutes', 'Bite the Hand', 'Endgame', 'The Hardest Part of Letting Go... Sealed with a Kiss', 'Head Crusher'

Finally! Megadave is back in full force and he's actually writing songs to the best of his abilities! Well alright, Endgame is still no Peace Sells or Rust in Peace, but it is by far the best Megadeth album since Youthanasia. That ain't no bullshit. It probably helps that the then-newly recruited guitarist Chris Broderick was present for this record, which starts off with the instrumental shredfest, 'Dialectic Chaos'. It then fades into 'This Day We Fight!', which is a full-speed thrasher. Technical riffs, crazy soloing plus Dave in angry mode - what more do your want?! None of that mid-tempo, simple riffage on this track, nor is there any obvious focus on writing hooks. It's refreshing. It's kind of disappointing that the whole album isn't like this, but the mid-tempo tracks are still very solid for the most part. '44 Minutes' is one of them. The guitar melodies and solos are exquisite, so I guess Dave needed Broderick to really kick his songwriting into gear again.  '1,320'' is pretty excellent too, to be fair. Megadeth in melodic speed metal mode - tons of harmonised guitars, very enjoyable stuff. 'Bite the Hand' is similarly great too, although this one is actually thrashier more than it is speed metal.

'Bodies' is another mid-tempo track, but that's okay 'cos it's good mid-tempo Megadeth. That said, the soloing at the end of the track is blistering. The title track is no 'Holy Wars', but it is a fine, almost-epic thrash piece chock-full of meaty riffs and tight performances. When Endgame came out it really made me realise just how long it'd been since we had a Megadeth record that actually sounds this way. Even the ballad, 'The Hardest Part of Letting Go... Sealed with a Kiss' is enjoyable enough. The song transitions from moodier, almost gothic-like parts into heavier, typically-Megadeth segments. It's certainly a lot better than that pointless 'A Tout le Monde' re-recording on the last record. The main single, 'Head Crusher' is a nice and straightforward thrasher. Not quite the best thrashfest on this album, but still a lot of fun. The weakest track on this CD for me, is probably 'How the Story Ends', but thankfully even the weaker tracks on here are still serviceable. This song still has it's moments of greatness, predictably in the guitar work. The closing number, 'The Right to Go Insane' is a tad weaker as well, but I do like the chugging riffs on it and once again, if this is what qualifies as filler, then I'm okay with it.

Endgame is a great album, simple as. But after redoing my Metallica page, and re-listening to their album Death Magnetic from 2008 (around the same period as this), I don't think I can say I enjoy Endgame quite like I do DM. Endgame as a whole - as strong as it is (and it really is strong) - isn't always that memorable. It takes quite a lot of listens to really digest everything on here, but thankfully it's almost never boring.  And if you thought the guitar playing on United Abominations was great, well, Endgame only improves upon this aspect. Any album that scores an 8/10 or more can really be considered a 'return to form', surely?!
Adam's rating: 8.1/10

RUST IN PEACE: LIVE          2010          (Shout! Factory)

Having a live recording where the entire setlist consists only of one particular album (well, apart from the fact they added some old favourites at the end) is more of a novelty than anything. I mean, I enjoyed this CD, but part of me thinks it's purely because I love Rust in Peace THAT much. Being recorded some 20 years after the album it's based around, Mustaine is not going to sound as good vocally at this point in time - which was inevitable, but he and the rest of the line-up can still PLAY! The performances are tight as fuck, but if I'm honest, this isn't exactly the first album I grab when I want to hear some Megadeth. I think I've listened to it twice, maybe three times in total 'cos, like I said, it feels like a novelty in the end. Unless you were actually THERE for the show that is.
Adam's rating: 7/10

TH1RT3EN         2011          (Roadrunner)

- Standouts: 'Sudden Death', 'Public Enemy No. 1', 'We the People', 'Never Human', '13'

I'm really trying to get into the mindset of Mr. Mustaine. Endgame was the fastest, heaviest and most technical Megadeth album since Rust in Peace, and everyone loved it. So why then, did he decide not to continue in that direction and instead, slow things down a little once again? Why?! Needless to say, Th1rt3en (which is a terrible album title and ridiculously stylised, not mention the fact '13' in general is an overused title by metal bands in general...) received only lukewarm reception in comparison to it's predecessor. That said, this record is still far from what I consider to be 'bad Megadeth' - it's just disappointing more than anything. 

It does actually kick off with a blazing number, 'Sudden Death'. It's a rock-solid thrasher that could have quite easily fit on Endgame. 'Public Enemy No. 1' could probably qualify for radio airplay, but it's still quite an enjoyable mid-tempo metaller. The guitar playing and vocals stick in your head. The verse vocal arrangements on 'Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)' are a little uninspired, but there's enough ferocity on this track to bang your head to. I actually quite enjoy 'We the People' too. It admittedly gives off more of a groove metal vibe than it does thrash or speed metal, but it's a well-written ditty that's enjoyable from start to finish. 'Guns, Drugs & Money' isn't perfect; it starts off with a fairly dull and inspired riff, but it still has some cool bits here and there, with tempo-changes and some nice lead guitar work - so it's not all bad. I kinda like it.

'Never Human' sits in line with the melodic school of speed metal. Fast, but not necessarily all that aggressive. Still pretty nice though. The lyrics in 'Wrecker' suck too, but again, the music's fine I guess. 'Fast Lane' is fucking terrible lyrically, such a lame chorus! But in terms of everything else, it's pretty decent once again. Fun riffs, good soloing, and plenty of speed. 'Millennium of the Blind' goes for more a ballad-type sound, so it breaks up any potential monotony that could've quite easily been there if it weren't for the variety of a song such as this. The closing title track is also a ballad, and a good 'un at that. I think when you write an album with this many four-minute(ish) songs, you kinda need a ballad or two in there to keep things interesting.

Given that Th1rt3en is made up of thirteen songs (...and the fact it's also the band's thirteenth studio album), I guess there had to be some weaker material on here somewhere. 'New World Order' - this one just bores me, frankly. Run-of-the-mill, mid-tempo riffs. You've heard it all before. To it's credit, it does pick up in speed later on, but not enough to redeem it's mediocrity. Also, 'Black Swan'. Meh. That's all I have to say about it. And 'Deadly Nightshade', although not horrible, is about as generic as it gets. And to be honest, the album as a whole is too long. It's almost an hour in length, presumably because Dave insisted on having thirteen songs on his thirteenth record which he titled Th1rt3en. Groan. Why do bands love doing this?! Suicidal Tendencies did literally the exact same thing, as did Anvil. The real issue though, is just how tame almost everything is after the predecessor. Mustaine and Broderick were off the hook with their guitar solos on Endgame, yet here they're much more subdued by comparison. And like I said in the beginning, the intensity's been taken down a notch, and it's a real shame given the quality of the last record.

There's no point in even comparing Th1rt3en to Endgame. It's not in the same league. Put it next to albums such as United Abominations and The System Has Failed however, and it sits quite comfortably among them. Yes, there's filler on here, but once again there aren't any songs that I physically cannot stand to listen to. I've only listened to this album a handful of times since it was first released, and I don't think my opinion of it has changed one bit.

Adam's rating: 7.1/10

SUPER COLLIDER          2013          (Universal)

- Standouts: 'Kingmaker', 'Super Collider', 'Built for War', 'Cold Sweat'

Metacritic: 41/100

Metal Archives: 46%

Damn. This album takes a beating from fans and critics alike! Oddly enough, I remember buying it about a month after launch and actually kinda diggin' it. I don't recall enjoying it any less than albums such as United Abominations or Th1rt3en anyway. 'Kingmaker' is still a great way to start off Super Collider, that's for sure. It's a punchy speed metal piece that sure sounds like the Megadeth I want to hear anyway. And weirdly, I quite like the radio-friendly title track too. It's melodic heavy metal, but the hooks and playing on it are inspiring enough to be enjoyable. It doesn't sink to the levels of Cryptic Writings-style songwriting anyhow. I feel like 'Burn!' is actually rather solid and listenable too. Again, it's melodic heavy metal, but the guitar leads are great, and the riffs are catchy enough to make me want to revisit it. The lyrics are total garbage though. I mean, how many fucking songs are there that rhyme "fire" with "desire"?!

'Built for War' is a nice slab of old-school sounding metal, while 'Off the Edge is just about good enough to avoid the filler category for me. 'Dance in the Rain' - this one doesn't do a lot to stand out among the rest of the album, until it gets to that fast part at the end which kicks ass. And 'Beginning of Sorrow' is fairly decent too. Nice and heavy, crunchy riffs, plus some moody atmosphere in the middle. 'The Blackest Crow' too, is kinda moody and dark in it's atmosphere. The use of banjo sounds like a recipe for disaster, but it's done in a way that gives the song an ominous tone more than anything. 'Don't Turn Your Back...' keeps the ball rolling with it's relatively fast pace. And surprisingly, the album ends with a cover of Thin Lizzy's 'Cold Sweat' - and it somehow manages to wrap things up rather well! I love the original, which is one of Lizzy's heaviest songs ever. This cover is obviously inferior by comparison, but Dave's certainly gotten better at covering songs as he grows older. No, the worst song on here is probably 'Forget to Remember'. It's far too basic and underwhelming next to the rest of the material, and almost feels like an attempt at an arena anthem.

Well, it's official. I no longer have good taste in music, 'cos I clearly cannot hear all the supposed faults that everyone else heard on Super Collider. I don't think this a bad record! Certainly in the same ballpark as The System Has Failed, United Abominations and Th1rt3en anyway. And definitely far better than Cryptic Writings or The World Needs a Hero. Fair enough to anyone that doesn't like Super Collider - everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but I've seen some reviewers stick the 'hard rock' label on this record. Like, what?! Sure you don't like it, but anyone calling this 'hard rock' can fucking do one! It may not be thrash, but it is heavy metal. Excluding Risk, the only Megadeth album that comes close to hard rock is Cryptic Writings, and even that record still has more of a metallic edge overall. But yeah - Super Collider. Nothing on here is gonna blow you away, but the album is at least fairly consistent from start to finish. It should be better of course, but it's definitely not one of my least favourite Megadeth records.
Adam's rating: 7.1/10

COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION: LIVE          2013          (Universal)

I don't really know what to think of these live albums - you know, the one's where they play an album in full. They make for a cool collectors disc for sure, but they're almost always recorded decades after whichever album was released, meaning the energy usually isn't up to the same standards as back when said album was new. Actually being at a gig like this is a cool novelty for die hard fans who don't particularly want to hear the usual setlist for the millionth time (I saw Anthrax play Among the Living in it's entirety at Sonisphere 2014 and again in 2017 for a headlining tour), but is Countdown to Extinction really the album the droogies wanted to hear live? Well, they couldn't exactly do Rust in Peace again, but I'm pretty sure Peace Sells would be choice number two for the majority of fans, and I'd be surprised if it wasn't. Not that Countdown is a bad album of course, and I can't deny the fact it's their biggest-selling record to date. But sales doesn't necessarily make it the most popular with the fans. Still, guitarist Chris Broderick rips through the songs while the rest of the old codgers plod along! Nah, it's a pretty enjoyable live CD really. Plus, while they did play the entire Countdown record, there's also some other oldies thrown in, like 'Holy Wars', 'Peace Sells', 'Hangar 18' etc., so it's more bang for your buck if anything. Not essential for the casual listener (unless you loved Countdown to Extinction that much but are not actually a Megadeth fan...if such people exist...) but definitely worth the purchase for all you droogies out there.
Adam's rating: 7/10

DYSTOPIA          2016          (Universal)

- Standouts: 'The Threat Is Real', 'Dystopia', 'Fatal Illusion', 'Death from Within', 'Bullet to the Brain', 'Poisonous Shadows', 'Conquer or Die', 'Lying in State'

I've liked every release from The System Has Failed onward. Always have, (probably) always will. But until Dystopia came along in 2016, only one of those albums really stood out, and that was 2009's Endgame. At this point in time however, Chris Broderick's left the band and been replaced by Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, formerly of the band Angra. It was kind of disappointing when Broderick left, but at the same time he was hardly being used to his full potential on Th1rt3en and Super Collider. And lets be honest, even if Dave is hiring and firing secondary guitar players a little too often, we Megadeth fans are pretty used to it at this point.

Well, I've already given away the fact Dystopia is obviously one of the best Megadeth albums from the last two decades. Like Endgame, this is Dave doin' what he does best, and that's thrashin', speedin', technical metal by throwing in plenty of angry songs as well as tuneful ones too. Case in point, blistering opener 'The Threat Is Real' and the fantastically melodic 'Hangar 18'-esque title track. Both these songs are superb, and destined to be classics in the future. 'Fatal Illusion' is awesome too; this one features some insanely technical picking speeds that I've come to expect from a band like Megadeth or Annihilator. Intense stuff! 'Death from Within' has more of a modern thrash take - heavy, chuggin' riffs. A touch of groove in there too, but used for great effect. I find it comparable to a lot of the newer Testament records, and that's only a compliment. 

'Bullet to the Brain' is mid-tempo by comparison, but it's as heavy as the rest of the songs and somehow not quite in line with the usual Countdown to Extinction or Youthanasia-type material I normally find myself comparing these kind of tracks to. The soloing on it is outstanding. 'Poisonous Shadows' is a powerful, atmospheric ballad while 'Conquer or Die' is a fine instrumental with some pretty flamenco playing as well as all the expected electric guitar shredding. It's followed-up by the pummelling 'Lying in State', which has riffs that remind me a little of 'Black Friday' from Peace Sells - so that's great! Dave's not done with cover songs yet, but like 'Cold Sweat', the cover of Fear's 'Foreign Policy' on this album is also a lot of fun, and a lighter note to end this record on.

The worst song on here to me is probably 'Post American World', because the slower riffs on this one don't quite excite me. However, even as one of the album's weak spots, it hardly qualifies as filler. Once again, the guitar solos are brilliant on it, and there is still a cool, foreboding tone to this track. 'The Emperor' is another track on here that's good but not special. It's kind of like Megadeth in autopilot, albeit good autopilot.

Dystopia is a very fine record indeed. It ain't perfect of course, but as far as all the legacy metal bands that are still putting out albums to this day, this is certainly one of the better ones that springs to mind for me. Others that I can think of include the last couple of Anthrax records, Judas Priest's Firepower and pretty much anything Saxon have done for the past twenty years. It really makes me realise just how unreliable Dave Mustaine is as a songwriter! When his brain is working at it's maximum capacity, he can come out with something as great as this... next thing you know he's only using his mindpower to 70% of it's full potential, and putting out a solid-yet-unremarkable album like Th1rt3en! As I'm writing this, the new Megadeth record, The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! is due to be released in less than two weeks. Hopefully it'll be another Dystopia and not another Super Collider.

Adam's rating: 8.7/10

THE SICK, THE DYING... AND THE DEAD!          2022          (Universal)

- Standouts: 'The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!', 'Life in Hell', 'Night Stalkers', 'Dogs of Chernobyl', 'Celebutante', 'Mission to Mars'

It's been a long time since the launch of a new Megadeth album has genuinely excited me - there's been too many hit and misses across the past two decades. I do go out and buy them when they are released, although not always right away. However, after recently re-reviewing more-or-less this entire page, I decided to pre-order a CD copy of The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!. For some reason, I had a good feeling about this one. Couldn't really pinpoint exactly why that was - yeah, Dystopia was excellent, but then so was Endgame, and we had two good-but-not-great released after that one. I listened to Dave Mustaine on the Joe Rogan Experience a week or so before The Sick... launched, and I was still busy listening to the entire discography at that time, so I guess I've just been feeling kinda hopeful in general for Megadeth lately.

So, this new album - which was delayed by almost three years - is now here with us, and I've listened it a few times over the past few weeks. Frankly, I like it quite a lot. The title track just happens to be the album opener, and Dave's throwing in Monty Python references with the "Bring out your dead!" intro. Not the first time he's been inspired by Monty Python, remember 'Chosen Ones' from Killing Is My Business? Anyhow, it's a solid opening number, a tight, melodic speed metal number that satisfies my needs. 'Life in Hell' is more of an aggressive thrasher in the classic Megadeth sense, which is great of course. In terms of riffs, 'Night Stalkers' contains by far my favourite riff on this entire record. I'm talking of course, about the fast one. Hot damn! This is a super-fast, precise number that kicks ass across the board. Definitely one of my favourite Megadeth numbers in more recent years. It also features a cameo appearance from Ice-T. It's just a brief, spoken-word, tongue-in-cheek segment - much like his appearance on Black Sabbath's 'The Illusion of Power'. It doesn't really add anything to the song in all fairness, but I can't help but smile whenever I hear Ice's voice. When he's not rapping and focusing on his band Body Count, some of his lyrics and the way he over-exaggerates certain words is hilarious (listen to Body Count tracks like 'Voodoo', 'Evil Dick' 'Get a Job', 'Institutionalized 2014' to see what I mean) - he's a funny guy when he wants to be.

'Dogs of Chernobyl' almost has a ballad kind of quality about it. It starts off with a slow-building, almost majestic acoustic introduction, before transitioning into a slower, melodic slice of heavy metal. Towards the end however, the speed and intensity builds up quite significantly. It's another strong track. The riffs on 'Killing Time' bear some resemblance to the song 'Kill the King' - a well-known Megadeth number that isn't actually featured on any of their normal studio LP's, but rather a compilation from 2000 (Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years). To be fair, I wouldn't be surprised if 'Killing Time' ended up on some people's filler lists, but I dig it. It sounds to me like it could fit on Youthanasia. 'Soldier On!' is notably stronger however, blending Dave's brand of technical thrash with plenty of melodic guitar chops. In terms of Dave and Kiko Loureiro's guitar leads in general, this track is one of the better ones.

The final three numbers have also been going down well with me. 'Celebutante' just screams 'old-school speed metal'. It doesn't do anything drastically new or special for Megadeth, it's just a decent, fun and fast metaller. 'We'll Be Back' is another tight, speedy thrasher with some mighty impressive guitar solos. And then there's 'Mission to Mars', which on paper should be the worst song on this record, yet it ends up being almost the complete opposite. The lyrics are deliberately silly and corny, take a look at some of these examples - "I wanna, I wanna be an astronaut!", "Starting lift-off procedures... all systems standing by - over - over?!", "I headbang on the gangway, say my prayers, cross my heart and hope to die, open a window for the seven sisters of Pleiades, Hello ladies, Hello moon man!". And yet, I can't help but love this track! It's the most fun Megadeth number in... well, forever!! Musically it has more of a radio-friendly heavy metal kind of style, but it just works - end of.

I do enjoy 'Sacrifice' musically; it even has a couple of guitar parts that seem to remind me a little of 'Hangar 18'. However, Dave's vocal performance on this track is noticeably weaker and more tired-sounding than most of the other songs on here. I don't know if this has something to do with the fact the album was recorded over a two-year period. 'Junkie' is serviceable Megadeth, and musically similar to the kind of stuff you heard on albums like Th1rt3en and Super Collider - but it's certainly not a highlight for me.

I don't think I can stick this album above Dystopia, but I've still been enjoying The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! a lot. It's definitely up there as one of the best latter-day Megadeth releases that's for sure. Erm, I'm gonna go listen to 'Mission to Mars' again now, see ya.

Adam's rating: 8.2/10