Tag: megadeth (Page 1 of 2)

This album is when I sorta checked out of Megadeth because they became too shiny and clean. I preferred the angry, nasty, and snarling Dave and the heavy groovefest he conjured up. I understand why he moved in the direction he did. I guess he wanted to move away from the basic Metallica groove and establish his own sound.

By Megadeth standards, this album contains the most commercial song (up until this point) that they had done: Hangar 18. Great song with a great groove and some killer playing from Marti Friedman, but it’s the more basic approach of Poison Was The Cure that flicks my switch the most and is my favourite tune on the album. Definite early Megadeth vibes from this one, and I wonder I how long Dave had this one in his pocket.

For me, the first three albums are what made Megadeth and they will not be beaten. The older I get, the more I have grown to appreciate this one though.

7.5/10 from The Grooveman.

Whether you agree or not, Megadeth changed after the first three albums. I love the first three records because Dave was angry and he had something to prove to the metal universe: that he wasn’t just going to be a footnote in Metallica’s history. After this, they became a lot more polished and all those rough edges that I liked disappeared. This is the last great Megadeth record.

Into The Lungs Of Hell (ripping instrumental) and Set The World On Fire are just the perfect opening salvo. The pinched classical intro to STWOF is genius that opens up into this thrash classic.

Two of my favourite Megadeth tracks are on this album: In My Darkest Hour and Hook In Mouth. In My Darkest Hour is indeed dark but strangely uplifting and with that distinct vocal delivery, Mustaine snarls and spits his way through. I was never sure of what the lyrics meant but over the years I have gone with the ex-girlfriend theory.

I mention quite a lot about going out with a bang on records, leaving the listener wanting more, and Hook In Mouth does just that. Killer track that you don’t want to end and this is Dave at his lyrical best.

Classic album and if I’m pushed, this would be the one Megadeth album that is a necessity.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.

I love the first three Megadeth albums. Dave was angry, mean, and nasty, plus he had a big point to prove. He helped create something huge that oversees all modern metal today.

Then, I sort of lost interest. It all became a bit clean and shiny. There are also Megadeth albums that I have not heard anything from. So, let’s fast forward to the imminent release of the Deth’s latest opus.

The tracks Life In Hell and Night Stalkers, which were the first two songs I heard, are the ones that grabbed my attention. Killer tunes on this record with lots of aspects from old school Megadeth that I love, namely the fast choppy riffing, speed a plenty, and Dave spitting out those lyrics with plenty of venom. Add to that, some ripping guitar courtesy of new boy Kiko Loureiro.

The quality drips through every pore of this album and is a worthy recipient of your hard earned coinage.

9/10 from The Grooveman.

This is Megadeth’s second album, released back in ’86, and the only surviving member is good ole’ Dave himself. He has fallen out with, or sacked nearly everyone who has ever been in the band so, if you were under any illusions that this was anything other than a dictatorship, then you must have missed the memo. The first three albums are the best, as the band had a sound and vibe that was all theirs and after So Far So What they were just another speed metal band. Of course, there were rumoured to be all sorts of chemical enhancements around the band at this time, and most of which were trying to kill them. Out of that environment though came the band’s best work, and this could just be their best.

Right from the opening crunch of Wake Up Dead Mr. Mustaine means business, angry words spat at the listener mixed with angry riffs crushing your brain, there is no let up. Devil’s Island has flashback moments to his previous outfit as he is taunting his ex-bandmates with the fact that he came up with most of their first two albums. There is even an old Willie Dixon blues cover with I Aint Superstitious, but it’s the riff and groove overload that is Bad Omens that is my favourite track. There are things going on in this track that took metal to places it hadn’t been at the time. Killer track and album.

9.5/10 from The Grooveman.