New Megadeth Album

[TreSavedge]

So, just finished the new Deth that just dropped, phew! My brain is on fire.

It's heavy as in deep. It's one of those albums I can tell will grow on you with multiple listens, which I look forward to. There's so much to take in I hesitated to even post this originally and had to wait for my heart rate to slow down.

Very warm tones overall. I find it fascinating how an album's sound can match the overall cover art and message they are going for. Dystopia was sleek, metallic (no 'a'), grey and futuristic. This one brings everything back to browns and earth tones, black plaques, WARM leads. Vic Rattlehead goes from the future to some sort of early-modern or renaissance era setting.

The title track as well as Killing Time (yes I thought of 'Doin Time') and Celebutante are the highlights for me. The latter is certified thrash with a quote from the classic "Looking Down the Cross".

Spoiler alert: it's funny to hear Dave call military cadence and recite nursery rhymes, as well as the Monty Python quote to start the album.

Anyway...talk amongst ya'selves.

 

[Ed Seith]

Will be giving this a listen today. I enjoyed Dystopia a lot, but it didn't have a long shelf life with me - after a couple weeks I moved on from it and never went back. Love Kiko's playing, though, so really looking forward to giving this a good chance.

PS: I saw Megadeth at a large club in NYC in the early 90s during the golden era and you didn't.

 

[Ed Seith]

Two playthroughs, and I don't really know song names, but this is quite good, and very aggressive, if not as memorable as Golden Era stuff. The biggest thing I came away with from this is my god, what a stunningly precise rhythm player Mustaine is, and at his age, he's as ferocious and precise as ever.

Davey uses a pick-shaped scalpel to slice into riffs with the enthusiasm of Dahmer at the end of a hunger strike.

Fucking hell, what a band it would have been had he and Hetfield continued on!

 

[TreSavedge]

After 2 full plays and a 4-5 picky-choosey listens after that, I still think Killing Time, Celebutante and title track are what I'm digging. I really like the old school warmer tones this time around. Something about Kiko's phrasing, you can pick out almost every note of the runs no matter how fast he goes. That's something I can't say for a lot of guitarists: having that level of clarity. Usually when a chops run happens it gives that "well i'll learn that in 20 years maybe" effect but you can really hear every note articulated with Kiko and hum with it.

The weakest part for me hasn't changed since first listen. Track 2 doesn't do much for me and he puts two back to back 6+ minute songs after that as tracks 3-4. Of those, the 2nd one: 'Dogs of Chernobyl' is great but I think it would have been better served to not have another 6-7 minute track ahead of it and I think Chernobyl could easily get lost in between filler which is a shame because it's a great tune... right @Gabby Heafy?

Just a strange choice to lay the track order like that. I think after tracks 2-3 the rest of the album out is beyond enjoyable. Not counting the 2 bonus track covers we're getting a classic 11 song Deth album. The 6-5 split with the interlude after track 6 for 12 total tracks is a nice split. Ultimately I think the back half is much stronger but the title track and Chernobyl are my favs from the first half.

 

[TreSavedge]

I think it goes without saying "Mission to Mars" will be heavily talked about and meme'd...
And yes it does give me the same vibes "Exist" from "The Stage" did. Actually it gives me the same vibes as that whole album.

 

[JakAngelescu]

I think it goes without saying "Mission to Mars" will be heavily talked about and meme'd...
And yes it does give me the same vibes "Exist" from "The Stage" did. Actually it gives me the same vibes as that whole album.

Literally listening to this right now!!

I went CRAZY over the end solo tapping in Celebutante!! And the lyrics in the sick the dying and the dead are SO COOL

 

[JakAngelescu]

Excellent breakdown dude. I agree

 

[Ed Seith]

I keep coming back to this album and really enjoying it. I think it’s their best album since the peak of the golden era of Megadeth, and that’s high praise.
The rhythm work is stunning. That after all these years, Dave can continue to come up with engaging and original riffs that sound fresh and yet also “classic Deth” at is a testament to his genius.
That he can write lyrics like “Killing Time” and genuinely believe they are NOT about himself reinforces his insanity, and that juxtaposition of insanity and genius is the jet fuel on the Megadeth fire that we love so much.
“Ready to Go” is probably the most golden-feeling song here, but they’re all solid tunes. I’m not surprised at the presence of Police Truck, since they did “Anarchy” all those years ago too. I didn’t know the other cover was a Sammy Hagar original, but it’s great to hear him singing on it too, which brings my next point. I think this is also Dave’s finest vocal performance in many years, too.

 

[JakAngelescu]

The intro of dogs of Chernobyl was incredible