MEGADETH - THE WORLD NEEDS A HERO ALBUM REVIEW

 

Megadeth returns...well kinda sorta 

By DethFanatic, May 26th, 2003

The World Needs A Hero (TWNAH for the rest of this review) was released on a rabid Megadeth fanbase in 2001. Now why were those fans rabid? After the overblown split with Capitol and the release of Risk, many a 'Deth fan salivated at the kind of music a pissed-off Dave Mustaine might conjure up for his next release. Add to that the fact that Marty Friedman had left the band to pursue "softer" music, and the recipe seemed to be set for a bonecrushing return for the Megadeth boys.

This, of course, was not exactly what happened.

First off, every Megadeth fan in existance wanted and expected a rehashing of Rust In Peace. This was not a valid expectation, no matter how many people bitched about Risk and Cryptic Writings. Evolution, people. Progression. Say what you want about the band, they have at least learned to evolve and progress. Back to the album.

TWNAH starts off with Disconnect, a personal favorite reminiscient of Youthanasia's more mellower metal tracks.

Next up is TWNAH the song. Another good one, and a great Megadeth tune in that it makes use of the attitude from one Dave Mustaine. Proof that great songs can be made using simple guitar riffs.

Moto Psycho is #3, and this one is not one of the better ones. Yeah, it sounds like a great bunch of riffage, but there are really only one or two riffs that just get rehashed throughout the entire song. A direct contrast to TWNAH, where that actually worked well. Also, the lyrics and subject matter are a bit silly after the first listen.

1000 Times Goodbye is another example of turning Dave's attitude into song. Not as good as TWNAH again, but much better than Moto Psycho. Yes, more relatively uncomplicated riffwork, but on a whole it fits the song again.

Burning Bridges is next, and this one is not very good. The song would have been perfect on Risk, and that about sums that up! The biggest problem is that Dave's vocals seem a bit forced during the chorus.

Promises is a great song. Maybe not a great Megadeth song, but definitely a great song on its own. The lyrics are moving, the musicianship is excellent, and the song itself is great to listen to.

Recipe For Hate...Warhorse is one of the finest tracks on the album, and one of the best Megadeth tracks since Train Of Consequences. The guitar work in the second half of the song is just superb, and reminiscient of what Megadeth fans had been expecting the whole CD to sound like.

Loosing My Senses is just weird. Forget this song, it just doesn't work.

Dread And The Fugitive Mind. One word: filler. Not a bad song, but we'd heard it already guys.

Silent Scorn is the latest instrumental from Megadeth. Even with the weird horn accompaniment, the song is catchy and great to listen to (and play on guitar!). Megadeth has proven able to write this kind of music, and Dave needs to do mroe of this in the future.

Return To Hangar. At first I thought this was a cheap attempt to get fans of old-school Megadeth to buy the album, but after hearing it I realized that the song was a great piece of work. Had the whole album been composed of songs along the lines or Recipe... and Return To Hangar, this album would have been recieved much better by fans. The lead guitar tradeoffs between Pitrelli and Mustaine are excellent and bring back memories of Rust In Peace's soloing.

When finishes out the album, and is Megadeth's longest song ever (ok, not counting the remix of Symphony!). It starts out alright, although Dave's vocals could have been better here. Once the distortion kicks in life gets a little better. Not too much, because you're distracted from the quality of the song by the obvious nod to Diamond Head's Am I Evil?

All in all, a decent release. For shits and giggles, lets compare TWNAH and Metallica's Load/Re-Load debacle. TWNAH is a decent Megadeth album. This is its strong point; it's clearly recognizable as a Megadeth release. The Loads, on the other hand, great hard rock albums. The difference is that in this case, they aren't good Metallica CDs. On this point Mustaine and Co. score a point, they have maintained their image and "essence" if you will regardless of the iteration of their music that one might hear. Metallica, on the other hand, evolved a little too much.

Summing up, there's a lot of good Megadeth material on this one. The only problem is that there's not a lot of GREAT Megadeth material on this one. However, the one clue that the album wasn't going to be a total load of crap is found in the credits...Dave Mustaine was the sole author for nearly all of the tracks. For thos of you not paying attention, there was at least one co-author on nearly all of Risk's tracks. You do the math.

Track List  :

1. Disconnect

2. The World Needs a Hero

3. Moto Psycho

4. 1000 Times Goodbye

5. Burning Bridges

6. Promises

7. Recipe for Hate...Warhorse

8. Losing My Senses

9. Dread and the Fugitive Mind

10. Silent Scorn

11. Return to Hangar

12. When

***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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What! SO FAR, SO GOOD...SO WHAT! ALBUM REVIEW

 

Dave's brightest hour 

By TheArchivist, May 30th, 2019

1988 was a very memorable year for heavy metal, if only for the release of Megadeth’s “So Far, So Good, So What!” which undoubtedly, is one of the group’s strongest efforts, crafting thrash metal with substance and passion. Unlike other thrash bands of this specific period who are trying to “out-thrash” each other, Dave chose to do the right thing, which is to write tastefully made thrash that would rise above the hoard of copycats saturating the market.

Assisting and helping Dave on this new mission is former guitar instructor turned ‘Deth lead guitarist Jeff Young, who is probably the most unappreciated ‘Deth “session player” or “hired gun” in the band’s history; he may not be a Chris Poland or a Marty Friedman but his solos show noteworthy aptitude and feeling which other thrash axe-slingers have great difficulty conveying in this type of music. New-fangled drummer, ex-roadie Chuck Behler may not have possessed the technical chops of Nick Menza or the virtuosic approach of Gar Samuelson but he is very competent in his own right, as proven by his furious pounding of the drumkit on songs “In My Darkest Hour” and “Hook in Mouth”.

Moving on to the album itself, five of the eight tracks stand out in this metal compendium which is a feat in itself considering how most thrash compilations are quite uneven, containing both great and not so great songs. Tracks “Into the Lungs of Hell” and “Set the World Afire” are excellent album openers, perfectly setting the stage for the record’s blazing brand of thrash metal; “Into the Lungs of Hell” is an instrumental track much like Metallica’s “Call of Ktulu” and works fine without any vocal accompaniment while “Set the World Afire” is literally a scorching thrasher. Listening to Dave’s pissed off singing, you can actually feel his burning but restrained anger rising to the surface; the rage and frustration Dave felt after being unfairly kicked out of Metallica (a band in which he was a significant contributor) can be palpably sensed here and the malignant misanthropy expressed in this thrash anthem is readily understood by any discerning listener.

“Mary Jane” is also a worthy addition to the Megadeth catalog, possibly as a response to Metallica’s “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)”, both songs share themes and subject matter concerning insanity (a favorite topic in thrash metal along with war and death); the major difference is that the former is a billion times better than the latter. Dave’s song simply packs more emotional wallop and resonance than James and Lars’s quasi-ballad which suffers from being a bit cheesy and juvenile. Also ‘Deth’s performance does not lose the thrash factor, keeping the thrashing element alive and relentless towards the end of the song. Later, Dave would revisit this theme on “Sweating Bullets” but the resulting output would not be as effective (after reading the lyrics of the song on the Archives though, I think Dave was singing about a bad marijuana trip and not schizophrenia as I previously suspected, the cassette tape I had back then had no lyric sheet, ha ha).

“Hook in Mouth” is another masterful Mustaine composition, featuring one of the most brutal thrash riff to be recorded on tape (okay, maybe not as brutal as any of the riffs on Pleasure to Kill); the band did not require any accompanying growling vocal or death metal riffing to achieve this. It is also worth mentioning for advocating the fight against censorship and for criticizing Tipper Gore. The real icing on the album’s cake though is “In My Darkest Hour”, arguably one of Dave’s best songs, if not the best Megadeth song; the track is possibly one of the most “pop” sounding in ‘Deth’s repertoire (the other one is “Trust” from Cryptic Writings) or rather, it is a dark, heavy song with a sort of pop sensibility (whatever that means). The track earns a lot of brownie points from fans for its progression and thoughtful arrangement; it is also one of the most heart wrenching songs written by a thrash band, penned by Dave after his troubled relationship with then girlfriend, Diana. While functioning as a sad “love song” of sorts, it also tackles the taboo subject of suicide which kind of makes it resemble Dave’s ex-band mates’ “Fade to Black” or even Judas Priest’s “Beyond the Realms of Death”.

Now, on to the album’s weak areas; the Sex Pistols cover “Anarchy in the UK” should have not been included as it offers nothing new to the table. Dave merely copied the original, note for note, without adding fresh elements to make fans bother to listen; to be honest, I still prefer Motley Crue’s version of this punk classic which is why I think the MegaDave adaptation had no redeeming value whatsoever. Also, “502” is a really annoying hard rock song about drunk driving, which reminds me of some lame and lousy Poison song; not to mention the fact that hearing about the victims of those driving under the influence should make the song doubly uncool in anyone’s book. And finally, “Liar” is just filler used to pad up the album’s short (but sweet) running time; honestly, I really don’t care about Dave’s beef with Chris. In my mind, the squabbling in the band sounds very petty and vulgar.

To conclude, “So Far, So Good, So What!” is the most underrated thrash album by Megadeth and is often neglected for their other much hyped albums “Peace Sells…” and “Rust in Peace”; it really doesn’t get the attention and praise it so richly deserves since it is one of those thrash records which managed to break free from the monotony and mediocrity of a large percentage of 80s thrash. Young and upcoming thrashers should go out and get a copy of this album, to fully appreciate the intensity of early Megadeth; hopefully, these new thrash maniacs would be inspired by the music found within and form their own thrash bands, giving birth to a new thrash metal renaissance (not the “new wave of thrash metal” crap a decade or so ago which is only a regurgitation of what once was).

Track List  :

1. Into the Lungs of Hell

2. Set the World Afire

3. Anarchy in the U.K. (Sex Pistols cover)

4. Mary Jane

5. 502

6. In My Darkest Hour

7. Liar

8. Hook in 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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PEACE SELL.....BUT WHOS BUYING ? ALBUM REVIEW

 

And The Cradle Will Rock - 95%

By Sweetie, June 10th, 2018

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

By now, it's obvious that Peace Sells....But Who's Buying was one of the greatest contributors to the great year of thrash. Being the most evil effort from Megadeth's discography, it was sure to turn many heads and reel in lots of attention. Very dark lyrics, fiery solos and ripping leads, bursts of speed, and pummeling drums are what this piece of golden thrash is well known for. Really, like Killing, there are underlying tactics that help drill this into the listeners brain and make it stick so much harder than the already blistering debut record. Dave and co. channel some of their wildest ideas from this time period in a very unique way here, one like the character described in the aforementioned Van Halen track. And why would I mention that ripping album opener from the Women And Children First record? Because that's exactly what was going on with the boys of 'Deth at the time. The cradle was certainly rocking, at an alarming rate.

There's no need to go into how wildly spectacular the solo work of "Wake Up Dead" is, or how evil the lyrics of "The Conjuring" are, etc. It's been touched on to death, and the message is received. The variety is key to keeping the record from going stale for even a second. Really though, almost every track has something in common that seems to be greatly overlooked, and that's the usage of suspense, build-up, and tempo/time-signature changes. The suspense, of course, is the biggest one. Slow, devious moments are implemented in almost every track. The bulk of the title track uses the same rhythm, and keeps it mid-paced, all the way up until the iconic "can you put a price on peace?". Then, it kicks into fifth gear with intense guitar work, only to finish the blow with the last minute or so of chanting the chorus. "Good Mourning/Black Friday" (my personal favorite track), does the same thing with clean guitars, a slower buildup of melody, soft singing, and then finishes with a transition into the pummeling riff we all know of. Using the same tactic doesn't get boring, due to the different methods of execution. The heavy use of bass plays a large role in this too, caking on another layer of suspense, and making a thicker atmosphere for the build-ups. All of it fits together like a thousand-piece jigsaw puzzle.

Of course, you can't go into this without mentioning the early hints of prog influence. Though this wouldn't come through to its maximum until 1990, clear hints of it were peaking in 1986. Megadeth are not a prog band by any means, but their ability to shift time signatures and tempos is definitely advanced. Poland and Mustaine take turns delivering complex rhythms that don't stay stagnant, but dance all over the fret board. "Devil's Island" displays some of the best work in this department. "Bad Omen" has the the most fun and groove-infused rhythm section for sure. Of course, Ellefson's superior bass work fills in all cracks, making for a smooth ride from cover to cover. Repetitive riffs and chants are sprinkled in from time to time, and while that may not sound like a good thing, they always work. It's very much needed for the approach that's taken. A lot of talk about production is also thrown around, and while this version cleans it up a bit, the rawness of the original is definitely superior. The bonus tracks provide older mixes of half of the album, if you have this specific version.

The ability to take all of these different angles of attack; clean buildups, tempo shifts, evil themes, and speed recklessness and sew them all together in a perfect stream is talent beyond what most can display. That's what makes this record so special, and would remain a staple to their sound for records to come. The only thing that doesn't fit as well is the cover of Willie Dixon's "I Aint Superstitious", but at least it's a solid cover and it isn't bleeped out to death. As much as it would fit better as an album closer, there's no denying that "My Last Words" is an exceptional final blow, and for that, the inclusion of a stray track like this can be overlooked. Megadeth's best? Damn close, but not quite.

Track List :

1. Wake Up Dead
2. The Conjuring
3. Peace Sells
4. Devils Island
5. Good Mourning / Black Friday
6. Bad Omen
7. I Ain't Superstitious (Willie Dixon cover)
8. My Last Words

***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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KILLING IS MY BUSINESS IS GOOD ! ALBUM REVIEW

 

As good as killing business! 

By lostinbeauty, April 26th, 2020

Ah, Megadeth. Perhaps the best thrash band of all time and eternally destined to be compared to Metallica. Today they are definetly famous, but in the 80s they were still an unknown group struggling with their first album, hoping that it was good enough to bring them to light.

And Killing is my business ... and business is good! probably met expectations, although fortunately they made better records over time.

Among the prominent elements of this album there is immediately the intro to Last rites / Loved to deth. The first thing the listener hears, in fact, is Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D minor, played with the piano and guitar. It is a pleasant surprise, and it introduces the atmosphere well. The actual song has a quick and acid riff, a violent and overwhelming trend and great power and catchiness. It is certainly one of the most successful songs not only of the disc but of the subgenre itself. The crazy and gloomy atmosphere is a huge advantage. The titletrack is slower and smoother for the first few moments, then accelerates suddenly, and the tempo keeps changing until the end. In any case, it remains effective, well supported by a high quality riff and a memorable refrain. His only flaw is being too short, only three minutes.

The skull beneath the skin is simply brutal. Slow and threatening, dark and suffocating, with a guitar that is more acidic than ever and an additional dose of sadism in the voice. The incessant rhythm and the abrupt ending contribute to the sensation. Rattlehead is probably the fastest, less violent than the previous tracks and with particularly successful solos. About halfway it becomes a mid-tempo, but then it accelerates again and remains constant. It is the most catchy song and in some way it can also be considered proto-power metal. Chosen ones is another mid-tempo that is closer to heavy metal. Unfortunately, in some moments it almost seems to go out of tempo, there is a sudden slowdown which is quite mild but not so much as not to be noticed. Fortunately, a good part of the song is occupied by a solo as technical as it is fascinating, and at the end the speed increases allowing to forget the small defects.

Looking down the Cross, in addition to having highly interesting lyrics, is very gloomy, with a beginning marked by the threatening gait of the bass. The atmosphere is maintained throughout the piece, of which the instrumental part, almost hypnotic, is appreciable. Mechanix is ​​basically an accelerated version of Metallica's The four horsemen, and is officially its first version. It is a pleasant listening, given the excellent, fast and harsh instrumental structure, but suffers from the bland lyrics. The last song is a cover of These boots by Nancy Sinatra in an interesting thrash version and with the modified text. It is a successful experiment. The only problem is the remastered version of the album which has horrendous censorship. And not simply missing parts of the vocal lines, but an authentic whistle. The general advice is to avoid this version as much as possible.

As for the technical side, this record is an exceptional effort. The musicians are all extremely talented and competent, especially the guitarists. Moreover, Mustaine is certainly not known for the pleasantness of his voice, but the latter, in its roughness and violence, is fit for the genre.

Killing is my business ... and business is good! is not Megadeth's masterpiece, nor the best thrash metal record of all time, but it's still essential and, although too short, an excellent album.

Best tracks: Last rites/Loved to deth, Looking down the Cross, The skull beneath the skin

Track List  :

1. Last Rites / Loved to Death

2. Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!

3. Skull Beneath the Skin

4. These Boots (Nancy Sinatra cover)

5. Rattlehead

6. Chosen Ones

7. Looking Down the Cross

8. Mechanix

***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 - KILLING IS MY BUSINESS IS GOOD ! FULL ALBUM 

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UNITED ABOMINATIONS ALBUM REVIEW

 

Unpredictability is strong with this one 

By Mailman__, May 12th, 2018

As far as Megadeth's albums have been going pretty lately, United Abominations is literally a savior.  Every track on here has character, the production is nice, the riffs are thrashy and fun, and the lyrics are bearable.

Let's look at the riffs.  When the album started off with "Sleepwalker," I wasn't too thrilled.  It's a good song, but this was how The System Has Failed started: a good song followed by 40 minutes of snooze.  But once I got past the first four tracks without being completely revulsed, I wasn't too worried for the rest of the album.  It's weird how Megadeth does this because it's like every time they release a shitty album, they release a good one afterwards.

One of the singles from this albums was "Washington Is Next."  This is probably the best song on here because the vocal structure is actually good and the riffs make sense coming from Megadeth.  Yes, finally, a Megadeth song that sounds like Megadeth!

As far as riffs go, this album actually sounds like a Megadeth record.  It actually sounds a lot like Dystopia, which is funny because a lyric from "United Abominations" is "the threat is real."  Let the conspiracies begin.  Anyway, there are plenty of good riffs on here, something that has been quite uncommon in the previous few Megadeth albums.  "Never Walk Alone... A Call to Arms" is one example of this.  The riffs and leads are all on point, almost sounding like something off of Rust in Peace.  "Play for Blood" and the title track are also good examples because of their fun thrash metal riffs that are wonderfully fast.  They also both have nice leads.

The lyrics aren't anything new.  It's pretty much typical cheesy Megadeth.  No, not The System Has Failed or Risk cheesy; this album's "Amerikhastan" cheesy.  Or maybe "New Yorqatar."  Yes, that's a lyric from track nine.  Also, the intro to "United Abominations" sounds like a real newscast, but it's fake, so if you thought it was real, that's unfortunate.  If it is real, then that's pretty unethical broadcasting because it's very biased and passive aggressive.  Also, it's really lame and edgy.

The production, music, and lyrics are all nicely done.  So what don't I like about this album?  Well, there's always the pretty obvious option of "A tout le monde (Set Me Free) (feat. Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil).  For those who don't know, the original "A tout le monde" was released on the album Youthanasia and it became a pretty big hit (like, big enough that my mom knew about it).  Re-releasing it on this album is just Megadeth doing what they've been doing the past three albums - bringing back small elements of their better years into their music, not by making new material, but by copying the old material.  It's quite pathetic, really.

Another thing I don't like about this album is the structure.  All of the good songs are grouped in the first half of the album.  This is something relatively new as on the four albums before this, the good songs were spread out more evenly.  That's probably because they knew they were shitty albums so there needed to be something keeping it going so they accomplished that by strategically placing the good tracks among the bad ones.  This album starts to get boring around "Gears of War," picks back up, then it disappoints with "A tout le monde."  Then the last three tracks are just pretty boring with a good riff every once in a while.

Another thing I hate about this album is the album cover.  What the hell?  It's almost as bad as Iron Maiden's Dance of Death.  It's garbage and it hurts my eyes to look at.  It's like the guy who makes art for the Mission Impossible movies discovered Microsoft Paint.  Okay, that's a bit of a stretch, but whatever.  The point is it sucks.

That's pretty much it.  At this point, I can't say I know what Megadeth are going to do next.  Their discography up to this point has been all over the place, never staying consistent for more than two albums.  Well, at least this one was good.

Track List  :

1. Sleepwalker

2. Washington Is Next!

3. Never Walk Alone... A Call to Arms

4. United Abominations

5. Gears of War

6. Blessed Are the Dead

7. Play for Blood

8. À tout le monde (Set Me Free)

9. Amerikhastan

10. You're Dead

11. Burnt Ice

***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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THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED ALBUM REVIEW

 

Because The Future Just Repeats The Past - 92%

By TheDeadEndKing, April 10th, 2020

Megadeth album vs Dave Mustaine solo album? The jury is out on this one, but the results remain the same. With Mustaine writing pretty much the whole album, the session additions of returning guitarist Chris Poland, Jimmy Sloas on bass, and Zappa drummer Vinnie Colaiuta forming the core of the albums lineup, and a myriad of other guests per song, "The System Has Failed" was Megadeth's rise from the dead in multiple ways. A return to form, a comeback for Mustaine after an arm injury, a string of lackluster material preceding, and the band's overall inactivity/breakup/hiatus/death preceding it. All these factors considered, it's amazing that this record doesn't get brought up more often. It isn't perfect, but it's DAMN good.

First, the good. And there's a lot more good than bad. For the most part, "The System Has Failed" is fist-to-your-face MEGADETH. It's exactly the kind of riff-filled, shreddy, gritty, punchy thrash that makes them who they are. "Blackmail The Universe" is a great album opener, introducing it with politically-charged samples and the classic Megadeth neck-breaking, head-banging goodness. "Kick The Chair" is arguably one of Megadeth's best songs in the past 25 years, if not longer, providing a throwback very reminiscent of the 80's style. "The Scorpion", a complete outlier for Megadeth as a whole, experiments with keyboards, more progressive arrangements, and melancholic melodies, to surprising success. A bold roll of the dice that works out to a very unique result. "Tears In The Vial", a much more traditionally approached song, is a beautiful example of "old becomes new again", recycling very familiar parts of Megadeth's past without being a clone or a mockup of that material. It adds it's own flare while holding fast to the late-80's dynamic. The combination of "I Know Jack"/"Back In The Day" has one of the best sounding riff/tempo combinations on the entire record. "Truth Be Told" is an epic example of Mustaine's innovative spark, putting ballad-esque sections nose to nose with ripping riff work, several time signature changes, and mood swings in a little over five and a half minutes. Compared to a good number of albums of theirs, both before and after this was released, this is a major breath of fresh air.

Now, the bad. Or, at least, the "not as good". "Die Dead Enough" is kind of forgettable, especially nestled in between two of the album's ragers in "Blackmail The Universe" and "Kick The Chair". "Something I Am Not" is almost a radio song, with very little to pull from it compared to what it's surrounded by. The album's ending tracks, "Of Mice And Men", "Shadow Of Deth", and "My Kingdom", are lackluster. Moreover, "Shadow Of Deth" is just Psalm 23 presented "Megadeth-style", and feels unnecessary in the long run. The other two aren't all that bad, but simply don't have the fire that the rest of the album brings. It's as if Mustaine gasses out towards the end. It's not that any of these rob from the album's overall structure, but they seem almost like overflow at times.

Writing and production-wise, it's incredibly streamlined. Personally, I love that in my Megadeth. They've always had the ability to lay down filth, but they do so on polished steel. And this is a prime example of it. None of the instruments sound too drowned or out of place, mixed poorly, etc. Writing-wise, there's some suffering in some spots, but lest we forget that Mustaine wrote this entire album. For example, a guitarist writing drums can be a recipe for disaster in concept alone. However, he nailed it overall. A few spotty, aesthetic opinions from me don't really take away from the fact that this guy wrote out all the parts of every piece, and this was the result. It's pretty fantastic, all things considered. Lyrically, it's a political hellscape. If you know anything about Megadeth, this is their bread and butter, and it should come as zero surprise. I don't have to deep dive on this. It's calling card Dave, calling card Deth.

So where does this leave us? Megadeth/MegaDave put out a killer album in the mid-00's. It isn't perfect, but it's an absolute banger that Megadeth hadn't struck gold on since "Rust In Peace". I fully believe this is Megadeth's best album outside of the that era, and is a hidden gem in their discography, with one hell of a backstory. Mustaine may be a crazy s.o.b. sometimes, but you've got to give it to the guy, he can get down when he's in a zone. "The System Has Failed" proves it. It deserves accolades among Megadeth's fans, as well as metal community as a whole. Is it "Rust In Peace" good? No. Would it have fit in that era? Absolutely. It's the baby brother of the big dogs of old, and deserves a spot at the table.

Track List :

1. Blackmail the Universe
2. Die Dead Enough
3. Kick the Chair
4. The Scorpion
5. Tears in a Vial
6. I Know Jack
7. Back in the Day
8. Something That I'm Not
9. Truth Be Told
10. Of Mice and Men
11. Shadow of Deth
12. My Kingdom

***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 - THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED FULL ALBUM 
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CAPITOL PUNISHMENT ALBUM REVIEW : The Megadeth Years

 

Tales from the bargain bin. (Part 2) 

bY hells_unicorn, March 26th, 2009

As someone who’s been a Megadeth fan for the better part of 15 years, I’ve long been wary of the dubious nature of many of this band’s compilation releases. This one is, by far, the most dubious of the lot, essentially functioning as an ironically titled get out of jail free card for a band that spent 14 years with the same record label. That’s really the only purpose that this thing severed, aside from being a promotional release for “The World Needs A Hero”, the band’s return to the metal world after a couple of years in a modern rock hiatus, and perhaps as a place for the homeless opening track “Kill The King”, at least until 2005 when the better compilation “Back To The Start” came out.

The important thing to note is that this is a promotional compilation guising as a best of, because you don’t have a best of compilation when you start off with two new songs and essentially throw in a miniscule collection of radio hits in backwards chronological order without any accounting for pacing or stylistic contrast. For those who have already heard Megadeth’s entire discography, the abrupt change in feel that occurs between “Trust” and “A Tout Le Monde” is a surreal reminder of the band’s confusion during the mid 90s, let alone the massive jolt that occurs between “Symphony Of Destruction” and “Hangar 18”. All things considered, if you know most of these songs, or even if you don’t, listening to this straight through is not advised.

Naturally many of the songs on here are obligatory classics, while much of the rest is solid, but having an entire album set up without any thought of what it would sound like when played through defeats the purpose of a compilation. Granted, in this age of ripped playlists, CD compilations are obsolete minus as a dumping place for unreleased rarities, which is what they’ve become. But considering this came out a good 9 years ago, before buying individual songs online became truly widespread, there’s no excuse for this. Throwing together a bunch of songs that happened to be audience and radio favorites happens, but at least format it in a way so that it doesn’t sound like it’s on random play.

And as if the bad track ordering wasn’t enough, before the whole thing withers away and dies we are treated to a trippy medley of Megadeth classics, put together to form a random, jagged collage of sound that I don’t care to listen to again. Random art might be a fancy for some, but anyone who thought that “Risk” had too much quirky sound effects and production gimmicks; this makes that entire album sound like Danzig’s debut. But for all of you who love old Megadeth but scrambled your brains a bit too much head banging to “Peace Sells”, which would probably explain why you might have bought this at full price when it came out, this translates into “this is pointless, don’t spend money on it”.

That’s basically the best advice I can give for anyone toying with buying this for the sake of having a good listening experience. Maybe if you can find it for under $2 at a flee market bargain shop the way I did it might be worth it for “Kill The King”, which is a pretty solid song in the slower “Youthanasia” style. This now has a bright future of picking up dust while sitting in on my shelf between my heavily dust covered copy of “Risk” and my moderately dusty copy of “The World Needs A Hero”, a fitting fate for a compilation that was probably put together over a weekend yet might have made Capitol Records more money than “Risk” did.

Track List :

1. Kill the King
2. Dread and the Fugitive Mind
3. Crush 'Em
4. Use the Man
5. Almost Honest
6. Trust
7. A tout le monde
8. Train of Consequences
9. Sweating Bullets
10. Symphony of Destruction
11. Hangar 18
12. Holy Wars... the Punishment Due
13. In My Darkest Hour
14. Peace Sells

***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 - CAPITOL PUNISHMENT FULL ALBUM  :  The Megadeth Years

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