Well here we are. Over forty years since their first album release, we have number seventeen… the self-titled and final release from Megadeth. Wow. Well, we still have 3-5 years of the final tour to look forward to, but here’s our view of the album itself.
“Tipping Point” you will have heard and it’s as close a hark back to the classic stuff as you’ll get, especially with that breakneck opening riff. What’s good is that it’s not quite representative of the album as a whole. The main strength of Megadeth (the album) is it seems to pull a little from all over the band’s history in terms of sound and pacing, making it the perfect way to round off an impressive career.
“I Don’t Care” is a little more like a track from one of the recent albums, definitely more the fast-paced heavy metal or punk rather than thrash, with a near-spoken vibe to it made familiar by the likes of “Sweating Bullets”. “Hey God” is a more melodic, though crunchy, number which could well be written from a personal perspective. Mustaine’s religious beliefs are public knowledge, and he’s never been one to hide that heart on his sleeve. It’s by no means a preachy number, more a conversation between Mustaine and the guy named in the song title.
“Let There Be Shred” is a personal highlight. Full of those blistering short solos and chuggy driving riffs that were the mainstay of Rust In Peace, the lyrics may be cheesy but who cares? It’s fun! With “Puppet Parade” the music drifts into the style more associated with the likes of Risk and The World Needs A Hero. Definitely more of a traditional melodic metal sound, and definitely the kind of track to listen to at home rather than rock out to in a live setting. I really like it; it’s got a great riff and in Behind The Mask Mustaine says that this was probably the hardest track to write. Well, they nailed it once they got it sorted! Apparently a merging of “Symphony of Destruction” and “Angry Again”, the offspring is here for you to listen to.
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If there’s a track on here that I’m less keen on than the others, it’s “Another Bad Day”. A decent riff in the background, but I found the song a little repetitive. Again, the lyrics are self-referential (especially the bit about teeth, believe it or not!) but… I could skip this one on a repeat play.
It’s not a Megadeth album without an anti-authority or anti-war (or both) song, and here we have “Made To Kill”. While it’s no “Peace Sells” or “Holy Wars”, it’s a more mature and modern update based on a current world view. “Obey The Call” has a slow build with those notes hitting various memory buttons from older works, escalating into a thumping and rather heavy number. Following on from the war rhetoric of “Made To Kill”, this seems more of an anti-establishment number and is definitely referencing the world as it stands today.
As we head for the final stretch “I Am War” is Mustaine’s take on Sun Tzu’s Art of War, and quite a different one from Sabaton’s! “The Last Note” is not quite accurate in terms of its title as there is one more little track to go, but it is a great way to round off a final album. Lyrically it is very much a final song, a curtain closer, a last strum of the guitar. Musically it’s a cracker. Emotionally it’s even better.
So… the last song. The one that completes the circle that Mustaine has mentioned in interviews and statements. “Ride The Lightning”, which he had a large part in writing and one song he claims as his own from the early Metallica days. This is a very faithful “cover”, certainly in terms of the music itself. Without playing them both side by side, the Megadeth version sounds downtuned ever so slightly and there are some stylistic lyrical changes, but otherwise it’s pretty much a direct copy of the Metallica track. Which isn’t a bad thing. I mean, why mess with perfection?
Oh, can I make a shout out regarding the artwork theme for both the album and its associated singles and so forth? Vic in that white suit and the flames? Absolute perfection.
With three to five years to go before Megadeth play their final show, we still have them around for a bit longer but this is a strong album to go out on. It’s no Rust In Peace… but few bands can hit that kind of height multiple times. It is a good way to wrap up the 40+ year story. Solid, enjoyable and with some memorable songs which will fit right into that last set list.
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Megadeth is out on January 23rd
Header photo by Skull Lens Photography
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Great write up! So long as listeners don’t expect Peace Sells or Rust Mark II then they won’t be disappointed. Putting Ride The Lightning at the end is probably the most Mustaine thing he’s ever done!
Yeah, Megadeth have changed over the years and trying to recreate one of those foundational albums without the same band, situations and crew wasn’t going to happen. But as a swansong, it’s a decent collection.