CRYPTIC WRITINGS ALBUM REVIEW

 

Middle of the road Megadeth. 

By hells_unicorn, March 1st, 2008

Written based on this version: 1997, CD, Capitol Records

This album is, by far, the most controversial of the releases that MegaDeth put out during the 90s. Unlike Risk, which everyone can pretty much agree was a complete parking lot full of dinosaur shit, this album has some redeeming moments mixed into a batter of slower and more radio-friendly tracks and some god-awful attempts to match the dry sound of the alternative rock scene. As such, it is necessary to analyze every aspect of this album so that we can measure the weight of the arguments of the defenders and the detractors of this release.

The first thing to address is the question whether this is MegaDeth’s Black Album, and to this I answer with a highly resounding “NO!”. The Black Album was a complete renouncement of the thrash genre, from start to finish, in favor of a more down tempo and repetitive hybrid of doom/thrash-like style with some cliché and obviously mainstream-friendly lyrics. Furthermore, the Black Album had a stellar production and showcased an across-the-board attempt to simplify what was once a highly non-conventional approach to song structure. This album, by contrast, has a rather obvious collection of pure thrash and speed metal songs, mixed in with a collection of songs that are similar to the Black Album’s down tempo approach to riffing, and some rather horrid rip-offs from bands like Soundgarden and Alice in Chains.

The first set of songs to deal with are the hold-over thrash tracks that stick out like a sore thumb on here. “The Disintegrators” is the first example of a speedy song, and other than a rather abrupt intro, cooks steadily throughout. The rest of the thrashing tracks, not surprisingly, are all huddled at the tail end of the album. “FFF” is pretty much a politicized version of “Motor Breath”, it's difficult to grasp the point Dave is trying to make here, but the song cooks quite well. “She-Wolf” is probably the only track on here that I can’t find any flaws with, it has a great galloping guitar line that is reminiscent of MegaDeth’s glory days in the mid-80s, and the lyrics fit right in with the subject matter found on classic albums like “Peace Sells” and “Rust in Peace”. “Vortex” mostly consists of a riff that sounds like it’s quasi-Judas Priest inspired, which fits well with this outfit as they pretty much borrowed many of their ideas from the NWOBHM, though the contrasting riff right after the solo meanders like crazy.

The next collection of songs are the ones that have been beaten up rather badly for their radio-friendly nature, though in themselves they are quite strong. “Trust” and “Secret Place” are my two favorites from this mix as they have fairly inspired solos and some rather interesting musical devices at play, in addition to some rather thoughtful lyrics. “Almost Honest” is pretty much a metal/rock single song that is meant for mainstream consumption, but this doesn’t really bother me as I couldn’t care less what the song was intended for, it’s catchy and it’s fun. “Use the Man” is basically an acoustic remake of the interlude to “Phantom Lord” with some rather goofy lyrics, this would be a song that I’d peg as mediocre although I did enjoy the fast ending.

Now it’s time to deal with the painful part of the job, the disgusting pile of excrement on here that is occupying the remaining 4 tracks on this album. “Mastermind” has two good riffs that are a bit similar to “Jump in the Fire”, but unfortunately this song is completely destroyed by some of the most ridiculous vocal tracks ever conceived, resulting in perhaps one of the most absurd choruses I’ve ever heard out of a metal band. If they had dropped the stupid fucking interchange between the voices during the chorus, and just kept the “Mastermind” vocal drone, I wouldn’t hate this song so much. “I’ll get even” is a slow, repetitive, and ultimately boring Alternative Rock song with a bassline that was ripped off of Peter Steele’s bass part to Type O Negative’s more hard hitting and inspired 1996 song “Love you to Death”. Suffice to say, all the caffeine in the world won’t keep you awake during this one. “Sin” is another song tainted with Alternative rock influences, and features one riff repeated much and varied little, although if you can manage to suffer through first minute and a half you get some fairly decent soloing followed by a more metal-like riff section. “Have Cool, Will Travel” has some solid riffs that are completely destroyed by an annoying as all fucking hell harmonica part. Hey Dave? You already wrote “I Ain’t Superstitious” back in 1986, not to mention that corky blues solo to “High Speed Dirt”, these kinds of musical jokes do eventually get old.

This is the actual beginning of MegaDeth’s musical decline. Essentially this album is 2/3 good, which would make it worth about $9 to the fan of metal. However, if you are a fan of MegaDeth’s early thrash and didn’t like the changes that started on “Countdown”, I’d suggest looking for it at $4 or less, as it only has 4 songs that really qualify as worthy of your consumption.

Track List :

1. Trust
2. Almost Honest
3. Use the Man
4. Mastermind
5. The Disintegrators
6. I'll Get Even
7. Sin
8. A Secret Place
9. Have Cool, Will Travel
10. She-Wolf
11. Vortex
12. FFF

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Megadeth and Capitol Recordings! 

Purchase your remastered copy today!

 

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YOUTHANASIA ALBUM REVIEW

 

THE Megadeth album of the 1990s 

By BlackMetal213, July 23rd, 2016

As we all know, Megadeth had entered into the mostly thrash-less 1990s era of metal with their album "Countdown to Extinction" released two years prior. In my eyes, that album was the logical answer to Metallica's 1991 album. With "Youthanasia", we see the band moving further down into commercialism and leaving their thrash metal roots even further behind. This album basically expanded the sound Dave and Co. were going with on "Countdown to Extinction" and added more of a traditional heavy metal/hard rock soundscape to the already commercial-aimed music. "Youthanasia" was released in 1994, during the height of the grunge/groove metal movement and managed to stand out quite a bit regardless. Here, we see Megadeth writing songs that could be played both on MTV at the time and the radio, as well as at your standard heavy metal show. This is still obviously a Megadeth album and really, it's not a HUGE departure from the band's previous sound.

The guitar work on here is similar to "Countdown to Extinction" but Dave and Marty have both seemed to add more melody and catchy hooks to the mix. If you came here looking for thrash, you'll probably only be slightly satisfied. Songs like "Reckoning Day" and "The Killing Road" and the lyrical oath to Megadeth, "Victory", all contain some nice speed metal riffs. However, these songs are still very much in the vein of 1990s Megadeth. There really is no thrash metal to be heard here. Instead, the band takes "Countdown..." and slows down the pace, even more, adding more radio-friendly aspects to the music. This is metal, but it's commercial metal. It's still not as simplistic as Metallica's infamous album released three years prior. There is a lot more going on here. Dave is able to put far more emotion into his guitar playing in here than he had before. "À Tout le Monde" is a fan-favorite from this album. Really, most people I talk to absolutely love this song, even if they're stuck in the days of 80s thrash metal. It's a somber piece, and translates to "To All the World". This song captures Mustaine's emotions absolutely perfectly. It's not a particularly complicated song in terms of structure, however, it is very effective in creating a melancholic atmosphere. The solo in this song is also fairly simple when compared to earlier works such as "Holy Wars" or "Devils Island" or most of the stuff released during 'Deth's glory days, but its simplicity actually complements its beauty. There are other songs that follow in this path of beauty, such as within the acoustic intro to "Blood of Heroes" and even the lyrically incestual-based "Family Tree". Songs like "I Thought I Knew It All" and the aforementioned "Family Tree" actually are two of my favorites on the album due to the choruses of these songs being absolutely breathtaking. Sure, they're catchy and radio-friendly, but very controlled and effective.

The guitar work coming from Dave and Marty was probably at its most mature point on this album. Now, mature can mean one of many things. Either the band sold out and stopped playing heavy music, they got more melodically mature, they changed their sound to appeal to an audience, or they started playing music that your fucking grandfather would enjoy. When "Countdown..." came out, Megadeth had already matured. And here, it's the same thing. They've matured a bit, but in a positive way. This would be maturing in a more melodic way, with a key emphasis on songwriting and overall musical flow. This album has NOTHING on "Rust in Peace" or "Peace Sells...but Who's Buying?" and while those albums both get much higher scores than this album from me, "Youthanasia" contains a certain melodic element and musical flow, as I said earlier, that the band's thrash albums never had. While the band's classic thrash albums focused on technicality and precision, the 90s Megadeth albums, including the abhorred "Risk" from 1999, all focused more on simpler ideas of flow rather than long, technical solos. Make no mistake, however, we still got plenty of amazing guitar solos from Megadeth in the 90s. "I Thought I Knew It All" and "Elysian Fields" for example, as well as the groovy title-track, are amazing when it comes to guitar solos. Luckily, as with Megadeth tradition, all 12 songs on this album have ripping guitar solos. Most Megadeth songs at least have a somewhat interesting solo and these songs are no exception. I'm glad the band didn't let the simpler song structures affect the guitar solos.

Remember how I said Dave Mustaine's vocals on "Countdown to Extinction" were his best offering up to that point? Well, now that we have "Youthanasia" here, that changes. On this album, Dave offers an even better performance than prior. He sounds more spiteful and far more focused here. Honestly, here, he even rivals James Hetfield in terms of quality. Anyone who really knows me knows I like Hetfield's vocals more, regardless of the music as a whole. Dave manages to rise to his level here. Hell, maybe even above that! The emotion he puts behind his vocals is nearly unmatched here. He still utilizes the traditional higher-pitched voice that he had been using at the time but it works in favor of the music.

This album, to my ears, is the finest Megadeth record of the 1990s. While 1997's "Cryptic Writings", the album following this one, would be Megadeth's second best 1990s album, this was really their best for the time. Hell, it's even better than some of their 1980s work! Truly a testament to heavy metal and a kick in the face to the 1990s alternative style, "Youthanasia" remains one of Megadeth's finest albums and should be celebrated as such.

Track List :

1. Reckoning Day
2. Train of Consequences
3. Addicted to Chaos
4. À tout le monde
5. Elysian Fields
6. The Killing Road
7. Blood of Heroes
8. Family Tree
9. Youthanasia
10. I Thought I Knew It All
11. Black Curtains
12. Victory

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Megadeth and Capitol Recordings! 

Purchase your remastered copy today!

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COUTDOWN TO EXTENCTION REVIEW ALBUM

 

Megadave for the Masses 

By lonerider, January 23rd, 2020

Written based on this version: 2004, CD, Capitol Records (Remixed, Remastered)

It’s almost funny how some albums are typical products of their time. Megadeth’s Countdown to Extinction, released in 1992, is one such album. We all know the story: the alternative/grunge wave swept metal back into the underground and everything that was supposed to be rebellious and cool in the eighties was suddenly considered outdated, clichéd and lame. (Also, most metal musicians decided to scrap spandex pants altogether, so at least there’s that.) In the following years, metal acts with a certain status and name recognition largely fell into one of three categories: some changed their image by incorporating alternative elements into their music, some didn’t go alternative but watered down their sound to become more mellow and mass-appealing, and some stubbornly stayed true to their trademark sound or got even heavier than before.

Megadeth fall under category number two and Countdown to Extinction was the album that started the band’s gradual decline, which went on throughout the nineties and was only truly reversed sometime around the mid 2000s. Countdown to Extinction was, if I’m not mistaken, also the band’s most commercially successful album, and that commercial success was basically well-deserved because it stands as one of those (rare) instances where a metal band watered down their sound and aimed for mainstream recognition without completely wimping out in the process.

Of course Megadeth will always be compared to Metallica, and much like the latter’s notorious self-titled album, which conspicuously came out just the year before, Countdown to Extinction can hardly be called proper thrash metal any more. The difference between this and the band’s previous effort, the brilliant Rust in Piece, is indeed striking. Mostly gone are the cascades of distinct riffs, the brilliant high-speed shredding, the intricate soloing and unconventional song structures, all making way for generally shorter, simpler tracks focusing more on melodic hooks and memorable choruses than a barrage of crushing thrash riffs. A widely known track like “Symphony of Destruction” is still a riff monster in its own right, but it’s a rather concise, stripped-down, accessible one. Even so, this is prime “Beavis and Butthead” headbanging material and striking proof of Dave Mustaine’s uncanny penchant for writing guitar riffs that are both devastating and insanely memorable. In addition, the lyrics are a thoughtful reflection on the corrupting properties of political power and the dangers of millions of people subserviently falling in line to follow an ideology gone mainstream.

“Countdown to Extinction”, the overtly melodic title track, is a perfect example for Megadeth’s new streamlined approach, as are other deceptively catchy tunes such as “This Was My Life” or “Psychotron”. These songs are still heavy enough, mind you, but they almost certainly aren’t thrash. Neither is the semi-ballad “Foreclosure of a Dream” or the weird “normal Dave meets mental Dave” schizophrenic soliloquy called “Sweating Bullets”. The thrashiest and most complex track of the bunch is probably “Ashes in Your Mouth”, whereas “Skin o' My Teeth” and “High Speed Dirt” are more like rollicking thrash-‘n’-roll tunes—energetic, catchy stuff that’s fun to scream along with but would hardly have been among the highlights of Megadeth’s previous oeuvre.

Countdown to Extinction’s popular appeal is further underlined by the glossiest, most polished production Megadeth ever had up to this point, which, at least in this particular case, is not a bad thing at all. Everything sounds crystal-clear, the guitars have enough crunch and David Ellefson’s bass makes a very audible and valuable contribution. When you’re aiming for a wider audience and increased mainstream recognition, you might as well pull out all the stops and go all in. Megadeth did just that and that they managed to do it without significantly compromising the, if you will, metalness of Countdown to Extinction is a testament to the soundness of Dave Mustaine’s artistic vision.

In the end, Countdown to Extinction is catchy enough to appeal to a non-thrash audience yet also still heavy enough to avoid the dreaded sellout label. It was a largely successful balancing act at the time, one that, quite frankly, Megadeth failed to repeat with similar prowess on subsequent albums, which got increasingly bland and toothless until Megadave finally managed to right his errant ship. Whether Countdown to Extinction turned out better than Metallica’s black album, or in fact the other way around, is the topic of another discussion. I will say it definitely turned out more focused and consistent and that if it weren’t for Mustaine’s idiosyncratic, croaking singing style, he may have had better luck trying to catch up with his long-time arch rivals. Then again, Megadeth wouldn’t be Megadeth without Dave’s vocals, so it’s really a moot point.

Choicest cuts: Symphony of Destruction, This Was My Life, Psychotron, High Speed Dirt, Ashes in Your Mouth

Track List  :

1. Skin o' My Teeth

2. Symphony of Destruction

3. Architecture of Aggression

4. Foreclosure of a Dream

5. Sweating Bullets

6. This Was My Life

7. Countdown to Extinction

8. High Speed Dirt

9. Psychotron

10. Captive Honour

11. Ashes in Your Mouth

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Megadeth and Capitol Recordings! 

Purchase your remastered copy today!

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RUSH IN PEACE ALBUM REVIEW

 

The Arsenal of Megadeth 

By Star_Fox, January 14th, 2021

Even though Peace Sells and Killing is My Business are my new found favourites, I think that Rust in Peace is probably their most accomplished album. Now, other's may argue differently; some might even say that Countdown to Extinction is the best, based on its commercial success. However, the mid-tempo approach to that album isn't as much fun as this one; this one comes closest to perfection.

The musicianship from Mustaine, Ellefson and then new members, Nick Menza and Marty Freidman, is of a very high standard. This album has a lot of good riffs, inventive time-signatures, exciting and much anticipated song finales. There are plenty of excellent guitar solos – especially in the trade-off department. All of this is based on Mustaine's attitude, aggression and his high quality songwriting. His songs cover different themes, with the main one being warfare – then there's the dark arts, drug addiction, failed relationships and government conspiracy. It's a really great combination.

Mustaine's lead work on 'Holy Wars' is fast and aggressive; Friedman delivers the more nuanced touches, with an acoustic bridge which matches the songs motif. In general, Mustaine adds these nuanced melodic and harmonic qualities at just the right moments – and that, combined with his distinctive snarling, creates the perfect blend of speed, melody and aggression. Then there's 'Hanger 18' and 'Tornado of Souls,' which have great riffs and some amazing solo work. They deliver those 'classic' guitar trade-offs and the latter song demonstrates Friedman's solo ability – it's a monster of a solo!

I prefer deep cuts like 'Poison Was the Cure,' 'Take No Prisoners' and 'Rust in Peace... Polaris,' though. There's a good use of bass as a focal point at the right times – most notably on 'Poison Was the Cure,' which builds from the bass, then goes into some really funky Killing Is My Business style riffing. 'Take No Prisoners,' with its lethal riffing, has one of many great lines: 'Goin' to war, give 'em hell – d-day, next stop Normandy!' All of these songs are unique, but there's still a conceptual unity. They're all war/military related, directly or indirectly; even those about drug-abuse or failed relationships are war-like, metaphorically.

This is a unique recording and what is obvious is that it took all four musicians to create it. Menza was the glue, linking all of the transitions; his drum chops and the way he accented was key to the flow of each song. That's become more evident listening to them without him, although I will say, Jimmy DeGrasso did them justice in his short tenure. This is the pinnacle of Mustaine's musical career – this is his Arsenal of Megadeth!

Track List  :

1.  Holy Wars... the Punishment Due

2. Hangar 18

3. Take No Prisoners

4. Five Magics

5. Poison Was the Cure

6. Lucretia

7. Tornado of Souls

8. Dawn Patrol

9. Rust in Peace... Polaris

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Megadeth and Capitol Recordings! 

Purchase your remastered copy today!

MEGADETH - RUSH IN PEACE FULL ALBUM

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Hardwired...to Defy All My Expectations 

By Anus_Canis, January 9th, 2021

Remember how I said in my St. Anger review (assuming you've read it) that that album was Metallica's final masterpiece? Well, fuck that because Hardwired... to Self-Destruct was Metallica's actual final masterpiece! Now anyone reading this might be pissed off because I am aware of how much you hate this album, but to be honest, before listening to it, I expected it to be one of Metallica's worst albums because their later releases generally haven't been as good as their original four albums. However, upon continuing to listen to this album, it surprised the shit out of me. It literally blew my mind because I didn't expect the album to sound so damn awesome. I honestly thought it would be like Death Magnetic but worse. But holy shit was I dead-ass wrong, as wrong as I was when I used to believe that homosexuality is immoral. By no means is this their best album, but it is a masterpiece nevertheless.

First, the riffs composed by James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett are mind-blowing! Kirk Hammett especially is a fucking genius for coming up with these riffs, even after he literally lost 250 riffs the year or two before as a result of having lost his phone! What a legend! Nearly every track on this album has well-composed riffs, but especially "Hardwired", "Atlas, Rise!", "Moth Into Flame", and "Spit Out the Bone". These tracks contain perhaps some of Metallica's best riffs, with each one capturing my interest and compelling me to not zone out without fail. My favorite of these tracks is the self-titled track, "Hardwired", which, in my opinion, is Metallica's best song since "Dyers Eve" from AJFA. There isn't much more for me to say except that this track, as well as the other three I mentioned, kicks ass. The rest of the songs also do, but not nearly to the same capacity as these four.

However, although I do love this album, I have a couple of complaints about it. First, James Hetfield's vocal work for this album is perhaps his worst to date, so that didn't do it nearly as much for me as his and Kirk's guitar work. Second, Lars Ulrich's drumming is too damn simplistic for me to even say it's remotely enjoyable, and I really hate how he's always done the bare minimum when it comes to drumming, hence why he never became as awesome as drummers such as Joey Jordison, Jason Sherlock, Vinnie Paul (R.I.P.), or even James Hetfield. I honestly wish that Lars would care more about his own craft; that way, he'd likely be able to come up with more creative drum techniques to give any later albums more substance and color instead of constantly doing the most base-level shit. Finally, I didn't enjoy the lyrics in "Now That We're Dead"; they felt too bland for me, but especially the chorus, which I enjoyed the least.

Finally, each of the songs sounds distinct from its predecessors, even from Death Magnetic. This album felt much more passionate and energetic than the previous one, as I felt that Metallica finally mastered the art and craft of composing modern thrash metal music. Not a single one of the songs bored me, unlike in the case of its predecessor, which is still a good album, but it doesn't compare to the sheer awesomeness that is Hardwired... to Self Destruct. I mean, albums such as RTL, AJFA, Kill 'Em All, and even Testament's Brotherhood of the Snake were better than this one in my opinion, but this one still kicks ass.

Overall, although I have a few complaints about this album, it completely blew my mind because I expected it to be so much worse. James Hetfield and Kirk Hammett really got their act together after 19 years of struggling to put together an album that was phenomenal musically. The riffs are phenomenal, and each song has a unique sound that cannot be found even on Death Magnetic. I mean, sure, St. Anger is perfect for what it is, hence why I ranked it higher than any of the other Metallica albums, but Hardwired... to Self Destruct is so much better musically. Furthermore, if I could say anything about this album, it was Hardwired... to defy all my expectations.

The songs I would recommend the most from this album are "Hardwired", "Atlas, Rise!", "Moth Into Flame", and "Spit Out the Bone".

Track List  :

1. Hardwired
2. Atlas, Rise!
3. Now That We're Dead
4. Moth into Flame
5. Dream No More
6. Halo on Fire
7. Confusion
8. ManUNkind
9. Here Comes Revenge
10. Am I Savage?
11. Murder One
12. Spit Out the Bone

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Loudness and Blow Up Recordings! 

Purchase your remastered copy today!

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THE BIRTHDAT EVE~誕生前夜 ALBUM REVIEW

 

Pleasure guaranteed on this excellent debut killer - 95%

By kluseba, August 5th, 2011

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DEVIL SOLDIER ~戦慄の奇蹟 ALBUM REVIEW

 

Traditional heaviness meets visionary innovation 

By kluseba, October 27th, 2011

The second strike of the more or less infamous Japanese heavy metal legend is not as groundbreaking as their first release but nevertheless a very strong record. There are still a few new interesting elements to find.

Some tracks on the record have a more progressive driven sound and Minoru Niihara's vocals strangely remind me of those of Rush's legendary vocalist Geddy Lee. This isn't a bad thing at all as he has a very unique high pitched and energizing voice. Just listen to the opener "Lonely Player" that also reminds a little bit of Van Halen.

The band has also some really unique guitar riffs by Akira Takasaki on the record that get a more and more technical and dystopian sound. The riffs of "Hard Workin'" remind me a lot of the progressive thrash icons Voivod and their legendary guitar player Denis d'Amour but Loudness created this very unique sound a few years before the Canadians did. I really felt as if I got stroke by a thunder when I listened to this track for the first time. Loudness show that they are still innovating on their second output and they are without a doubt ahead of the times.

Next to some straight traditional heavy metal songs that breathe the fresh energy of the wild early eighties and have not lost their charm at all nowadays such as "Loving Maid", the band also continued to write some diversified and rather calm epic tracks for this very solid release with the highlight being the closing title track "Devil Soldier". There are many melodic and memorable guitar riffs, a great pumping and energizing bass guitar, a solid and diversified drumming plus some great changes in style to find within this little gem.

The only reason why this album gets a weaker rating than the first is that it is less innovating and surprising with the exception of "Hard Workin" and that there is also a true catchy anthem missing on this release. But anybody that liked the first album of the band won't be disappointed with this one neither. This is entertaining, authentic and energizing traditional heavy metal from an exotic country with a couple of positive and even innovating surprises. If you have a chance to get your hands on of the rare copies of this record, don't hesitate if you are a heavy metal maniac.

Track List  ;

1. Lonely Player
2. Angel Dust
3. After Illusion
4. Girl
5. Hard Workin'
6. Loving Maid
7. Rock the Nation
8. Devil Soldier

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Loudness and B & M Recordings! 

Purchase your remastered copy today!

LOUDNESS - DEVIL SOLDIER FULL ALBUM 

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