Album Review: Megadeth – Megadeth

By DAN SOUTHALL

IF YOU are any kind of fan of heavy metal in all its forms then Megadeth need no introduction. It is a career of every success and excess worthy of a thousand stories. Dave Mustaine has always been too honest and over-opionated; now at retirement age he has decided that this will be the band’s last studio recorded statement.

Megadeth have played a multitude of styles over their tenure and some tracks here sound like they have been dug out of the vault and reworked, such as the melodic “Hey God?!” where Dave puts his faith at the forefront for the first time whilst keeping a questioning rhetoric. Others come across as half-hearted and some are a genuine thanks to the fans, like the goofy “Let There Be Shred”.

Mustaine lays it all out particularly on “Last Note”, ready to bow out gracefully with a list of perceived achievements. Of course, with a massive world tour to close out I am sure we will be treated to at least one more live document.

Overall, Megadeth has assembled some of the strongest material. Personally I found the previous two releases forgettable beyond an Ice T cameo, and Chris Adler wasn’t used as well as he could have been on Dystopia.

But here Mustaine has something to prove like on The System Has Failed, one of the strongest albums in their modern era. This album is speckled with venom and spit while Mustaine proves his worthiness one last time.

As if to close the circle in his mind, the band finish on a worthy cover of “Ride The Lightning” by some other little band called Metallica. Why the moment, the need for musical closure? Because Dave helped write it and wanted to record it his way and what better time than now? The production quality makes it feel like it was banged together in rehearsal and the decision to tack it on here very last minute. The world would be no different for not hearing it, but perhaps would have been better in the middle of the album so it could all end on the more emotionally powerful “Last Note”.

This is a strong album that won’t be without its detractors. Megadeth has a way of getting underneath the skin and elicit emotions due to many factors including the wandering musical direction of the 90s and Dave Mustaine’s outspoken nature. But don’t let that draw your attention away from the closing chapter. Thanks for the music and madness Megadeth.

Get Megadeth – Megadeth on CD