Megadeth Albums (13)
'United Abominations'
Release Date 5/15/2007
Tracks 11
Label Roadrunner
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What The Critics Say
Megadeth have been through a lot of lineup upheaval circa the early 21st century, with longtime leader Dave Mustaine being the only familiar face left in attendance. But Megadeth's crunchy, venomous thrash has remained intact, as heard throughout their 2007 release, United Abominations (their first for the Roadrunner label). While many thrash-metal bands take the easy way out lyrically -- by detailing their encounters with Señor Beelzebub -- Mustaine has never shied away from voicing his opinion about politics and the state of the world. And as evidenced by such biting tracks as "Washington Is Next!," "Gears of War," "Amerikhastan," and the title track, Mustaine remains as outspoken as ever about what he's been seeing on CNN for the past few years. Musically, Megadeth were never afraid to show off their prog-worthy chops, and the 2007 lineup (which sees Mustaine joined by bassist James LoMenzo and the sibling tandem of Glen Drover and Shawn Drover on guitar and drums) appears custom-made for tackling "tricky bits" -- including the album-opening "Sleepwalker." Elsewhere, a re-recording of "A Tout le Monde" -- as a duet between Mustaine and Lacuna Coil's Cristina Scabbia -- has "radio/MTV airplay" written all over it. They may have lost the plot for a period (remember 1999's Risk?), but with United Abominations, Mustaine and company certainly sound reborn. [The 2007 Roadrunner edition includes one bonus track.] ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
'That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires'
Release Date 1/1/2007
Tracks 22
Label Image Entertainment
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What The Critics Say
In the best scene of Metallica's overblown Some Kind of Monster documentary, Dave Mustaine admits to Lars Ulrich that he feels like he's always coming in second place to his former band. But in reality, Mustaine has for many years fronted one of metal's most popular and enduring bands, Megadeth, who still release strong-selling albums and are able to headline large venues. Case in point, their first-ever live release, That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires. Originally issued as a DVD, this audio portion chronicles a performance from 2005 at Obras Stadium in Buenos Aires, before 25,000 rabid fans. As evidenced by several previous live rock/metal DVDs by other artists (especially Rush's Rush in Rio), fans way down south are an exuberant bunch -- not only singing along to the lyrics, but managing to sing along to the riffs, as heard here on such standouts as the long-lost "Set the World Afire," "Wake Up Dead," and "Hangar 18." But they really go bonkers during the closing trio of Megadeth's best-known tracks -- "Symphony of Destruction," "Peace Sells," and "Holy Wars." Long considered one of the most precise and tight thrash bands, That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires offers further hard proof to this claim. ~ Greg Prato, All Music Guide
'The System Has Failed'
Release Date 9/13/2004
Tracks 12
Label Sanctuary
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What The Critics Say
The System Has Failed marks a return from the dead for Megadeth -- and quite a glorious return, it must be said. When bandleader Dave Mustaine was diagnosed in early 2002 with radial neuropathy -- strained nerves in his left arm and hand -- the snarling guitar shredder was forced to disband his once groundbreaking group after nearly two decades of activity. Granted, it wasn't that big of a loss at the time, chiefly so because Megadeth had long passed its prime. The band's key recordings date back to the speed metal era, from 1986 (the year of Peace Sells, Reign in Blood, and Master of Puppets) to 1992 (the year Megadeth, like Metallica a year earlier, made a distinct, more commercial shift, releasing Countdown to Extinction -- to the dismay of many longtime fans). Following Countdown, Megadeth struggled. The band continued to release albums, but they weren't well received and, very sadly, one of metal's once preeminent acts became a bitter has-been. So after Mustaine's injury, the disbanding of Megadeth didn't seem all that unfortunate at the time -- it seemed overdue, some would argue. Then in 2004, shortly after an exemplary reissue campaign, Mustaine resurrected Megadeth for The System Has Failed. And frankly, the band hasn't sounded this vital since Countdown to Extinction, if not Rust in Peace (to risk overstating just how much of a return to glory this album is). Mustaine is joined on guitar by Chris Poland, the very talented guitarist whom he'd fired after the masterful Peace Sells album back in the day. It's a surprise return, and no doubt a very exciting one for fans of Peace Sells (note the shred-fest "Kick the Chair" in particular). That re-pairing of Mustaine and Poland alone makes The System Has Failed worthwhile, but there are also the songs themselves. Put simply, they're ferocious! No, this isn't a good old-fashioned thrash album, but you can tell Mustaine is going for that vibe, especially on songs like "Back in the Day," one in particular that should give dyed-in-the-wool headbangers a giddy sense of déjà vu. The System Has Failed is actually more of a synthesis, taking the reckless abandon of pre-Countdown Megadeth and infusing it with the melodic songwriting of latter-day diamonds in the rough like "Symphony of Destruction" and "A Tout le Monde." Add to this some especially thoughtful lyrics (archly political, nakedly personal, and shamelessly mature), and you have the recipe for an excellent, damn near perfect Megadeth album, up there with Peace Sells, Rust in Peace, and Countdown -- as unlikely as that may seem. Regardless of where The System Has Failed ranks alongside Megadeth's other standout albums, however, it most certainly blows away practically every other aboveground metal album of 2004. No joke. This is the sort of latter-day masterpiece Metallica struggled in vain for a decade-plus to record to no avail. ~ Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In what will be the last Megadeth album, barring the release of any previously hidden gems or an improbable (but rooted-for by many) recovery from an arm injury that caused leader Dave Mustaine to fold the venerable band only a couple of months after this album hit the shelves, Rude Awakening is a far better career encapsulation than the spotty Capitol Punishment compilation. Live discs are fraught with their own limitations, and this double set is no exception. Mustaine's singing abilities were never a strong point; however, even bearing that in mind, the likes of "Train of Consequences" and "A Tout le Monde" find him to be straining and barely keeping up. There are occasional glitches, and the long solos that bridge "She Wolf" and "Reckoning Day" -- highlighted by a Jimmy DeGrasso drum segment that is so repetitive it almost gives you carpal tunnel syndrome just listening to it -- don't add much. Still, Megadeth will be remembered for a unique-sounding and very technical thrash style that they helped pioneer and a staunchness to stick to their guns through a myriad of member changes and fashion fads, and at the end of the day, Rude Awakening does nothing to taint that legacy. ~ Brian O'Neill, All Music Guide
'The World Needs a Hero'
Release Date 5/14/2001
Tracks 12
Label Metal Is
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What The Critics Say
After leaving Capitol and losing longtime guitarist Marty Friedman, Megadeth felt that a retooling was in order. Risk had been the culmination of their move toward commercial accessibility, so much so that the album engendered a backlash among fans. So, they attempted to craft a more metallic record with The World Needs a Hero, going so far as to resurrect early-years mascot Vic Rattlehead for a gory cover that just screams heavy metal. And The World Needs a Hero does indeed prove to be the band's heaviest offering in quite some time, certainly much more so than Risk. In fact, fans who just want to hear the group play straight-up metal will probably find this their best album since Rust in Peace or Countdown to Extinction -- and Dave Mustaine tries to conjure memories of both. "Return to Hangar" is a sequel to Rust's prog-thrash classic "Hangar 18"; the new lyrics are in the same meter, but recited over a much simpler riff (shades of Metallica's "Unforgiven II," anyone?). Album closer "When" nicks riffs from Metallica's "Am I Evil?" cover; meanwhile, "Dread and the Fugitive Mind" (which first appeared on Capitol Punishment) has a growly recitation and stop-start riff straight out of "Sweating Bullets." These tracks point up the album's biggest problem: Too much of the material feels like rehashed Megadeth Lite. Most cuts are taken at medium-to-slow tempos, and Mustaine's production is still pretty radio-friendly, which means that the group never quite kicks up the fury or flash of past glories. As a result, the aggression Mustaine tries to whip up for his trademark lyrical melodramas often sounds forced, especially on the banal breakup drama "1000 Times Goodbye." The World Needs a Hero is as professional as one would expect, but the album as a whole never quite catches fire, leaving it feeling too much like Megadeth-by-numbers; one can't help but wonder if the group has many ideas left. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
In many ways, Megadeth's career trajectory has run parallel to Metallica's; both bands started out as speed-metal outfits, then broadened into technically adept progressive thrash, and in the early '90s, streamlined and slowed down their songs for mass-market acceptance. While that mainstreaming process was initially viewed as both commercially and artistically successful, it also meant that neither band represented heavy metal's cutting edge any longer. As MTV combined its appetite for new trends with decreased music programming, Megadeth found themselves unable to rely on it or a cultish underground fan base to promote their music. So, they began to concentrate on a medium that had all but ignored them during the '80s: album-rock radio. Certainly, radio had become more willing to accept their music as time passed, and Megadeth cultivated that more conservative audience with polished production and reduced fury. And that's what they continued to do with 1999's Risk. To their credit, Megadeth never went as far as trying to reshape their sound around AOR's rampant '70s worship, so even if their music lost a good deal of its danger and excitement, it has aged gracefully (something that can't always be said of Metallica's '90s output). Risk is not much of a departure from its two predecessors; more reflective, melodic, and conventional than the Megadeth of old, it delivers a well-played set of hard rock tunes suitable for metal and AOR fans alike. Some of those tunes are catchier than others, and they're enough to carry the album if you're a fan of this style. Even if the album's title is a misnomer, it's startling to see Megadeth still around -- and still successful. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
Megadeth's follow-up to the hit Countdown to Extinction lacks the focus of its predecessor, but Youthanasia makes up the difference with more accessible, radio-friendly production and tighter riffs. Unfortunately, they have abandoned some of the more experimental, progressive elements in their music, but those are hardly missed in the jackhammer riffs of tracks like "Train of Consequences." ~ Stephen Thomas Erlewine, All Music Guide
'Countdown to Extinction'
Release Date 7/6/1992
Tracks 11
Label Capitol
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What The Critics Say
Megadeth guns for arena thrash success and gets it on Countdown to Extinction. Following the lead of 1991's Metallica, Megadeth trades in their lengthy, progressive compositions for streamlined, tightly written and played songs more conducive to radio and MTV airplay. Cries of "sellout" seem pointless when the results are artistically (as well as commercially) successful; songs like the mega-hit "Symphony of Destruction," "Skin O' My Teeth," "Foreclosure of a Dream," and "Sweating Bullets" are among the band's best. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
What The Critics Say
A sobered-up Mustaine returns with yet another lineup, this one featuring ex-Cacophony guitar virtuoso Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza, for what is easily Megadeth's strongest musical effort. As Metallica was then doing, Mustaine accentuates the progressive tendencies of his compositions, producing rhythmically complex, technically challenging thrash suites that he and Friedman burn through with impeccable execution and jaw-dropping skill. Thanks to Mustaine's focus on the music rather than his sometimes clumsy lyrics, Rust in Peace arguably holds up better than any other Megadeth release, even for listeners who think they've outgrown heavy metal. While the whole album is consistently impressive, the obvious highlight is the epic, Eastern-tinged "Hangar 18." ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
