Metallica OR Megadeth?

[JudasMyGuide]

Megadeth.

Or, in the words of the immortal Kanye West: "Yo, Jaymz, I'm really happy for you, I'ma let you finish, but Rust in Peace is the best thrash album of all time! The best thrash album of all time!"

Now seriously - I like all of Metallica's output (yes, even St. Anger - my favourites though are Kill, Ride, Master, Justice and ReLoad) but Megadeth are just better.

 

[CriedWhenBrucieLeft]

Resurrecting/bumping a thread from 2009, Judas!

Actually, I just gave the thread a read from the beginning; it's quite amusing...

I think he's a more talented vocalist than Hetfield and a much more talented guitarist than Hemmet. I also think that Marty Fridman and Chris Poland (also lead guitarists for Megadeth are more talented than Hemmet.

The famous Dirk Hemmet, clearly. He was replaced by Kirk Hammett in Metallica's early years.

Say what?

SinisterMinisterX takes pilau to task for sloppy thread writing...

If you expand the question to include all of the so called big four i.e include Slayer and Anthrax then I'd probably go for Slayer.

"Metallica OR Megadeth" the thread asks. Reply? Slayer! This made me chuckle.

It's like putting up Aerosmith against Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son or the Mongol hordes against a panzer division. It's not a fair fight.

Perun gets all history on us, again!

I am not familiair enough with Megadeth to judge.

But I'll give my tuppence worth anyway...

5th?

Not sure if Foro is really familiar enough with Metallica either!

For what it's worth, I'll go with Megadeth.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Wow, this thread sure is a rotten corpse...

I threw in a vote for Metallica. As much as I love both bands, and Megadeth is probably the more consistent of the two, I have to say Metallica. They inspired me to pick up a guitar, play music, and listen to metal, so I can't really vote against them.

Dave Mustaine is a better player and his band has always been better. He has written songs that are ten times better than some Metallica stuff, but when Metallica was firing on all cylinders they had a power that Megadeth could never dream to attain. Metallica from the beginning up until St. Anger (yes, even 90's Metallica) had a thunderous presence and a power that could not be matched.

'Deth can play faster, and better, but Metallica has that sound. Dave created his own sound and it's awesome, but even the best rendition of Holy Wars (as mighty as it is) pales in comparison to Metallica ripping into Creeping Death during a live show (especially during the Newsted years).

 

[Mosh]

Not big on either, but Metallica at their best is better than Megadeth at their best, so I'll go with them. I'd say Megadeth is more consistent though. Metallica has more peaks and valleys.

 

[Collin]

Rust in Peace is nearly a perfect album, and most of the songs on that album can top all of Metallica's songs. So I'll go with Megadeth.

 

[Travis The Dragon]

As far as their first 4 albums go, I like Metallica the best, but every Megadeth album since has been better than every Metallica album since except for Risk.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

Rust in Peace is nearly a perfect album, and most of the songs on that album can top all of Metallica's songs. So I'll go with Megadeth.

I've never listened to Master of Puppets and thought, "Boy, do I wish I could hear 'Poison Was the Cure' right now!"

As far as their first 4 albums go, I like Metallica the best, but every Megadeth album since has been better than every Metallica album since except for Risk.

Megadeth have also released twice as many albums, and thus, have twice as many bad songs.

 

[2Mins]

Megadeth is Dave Mustaine plus hired hands (inc Other Dave), Metallica is a band of three since the loss of Cliff (God rest his soul).
Metallica created a genre, led it, took it overground, sold out, struggled and yet are still one of the biggest worldwide draws and they define 'awesome' live.
Dave Mustaine is a twisted, confused, aggressive individual driven by the biggest chip-on-the-shoulder in metal.
But, but... Mustaine has more talent in his fingers than the Metallica Three combined. He has written some astonishing songs, and, especially in the '80s, he took thrash to places no-one has since. His petulant, snarling singing voice has more character than Hetfield's bark and is unique. I abhor Mustaine's politics now, and what he has become, but I can't stop going back to those first four albums.

 

[Rotam]

I keep my vote.

 

[The Flash]

Metallica.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

But, but... Mustaine has more talent in his fingers than the Metallica Three combined. He has written some astonishing songs, and, especially in the '80s, he took thrash to places no-one has since. His petulant, snarling singing voice has more character than Hetfield's bark and is unique. I abhor Mustaine's politics now, and what he has become, but I can't stop going back to those first four albums.

I would actually argue that Hetfield's voice (in both pre- and post-yodel incarnation) has a ton of character. After Metallica came out, a bunch of singers started sounding like Hetfield. Turn on hard rock radio these days and every singer is doing a Hetfield impersonation. From that perspective, Mustaine is certainly more unique, but I think Hetfield's voice is equally full of character and equally as recognizable.

 

[Collin]

I've never listened to Master of Puppets and thought, "Boy, do I wish I could hear 'Poison Was the Cure' right now!

I certainly didn't mean Poison Was the Cure, and definitely not Dawn Patrol. Rust in Peace, Holy Wars, Hangar 18, Tornado of Souls and Lucretia are better than most Metallica songs.

 

[2Mins]

I would actually argue that Hetfield's voice (in both pre- and post-yodel incarnation) has a ton of character. After Metallica came out, a bunch of singers started sounding like Hetfield. Turn on hard rock radio these days and every singer is doing a Hetfield impersonation. From that perspective, Mustaine is certainly more unique, but I think Hetfield's voice is equally full of character and equally as recognizable.

I agree, Hetfield's voice has been more influential just as Metallica have been far more influential as a whole. But, as we both agree, Mustaine's voice is unique and I think his songwriting is too. The first four albums by both bands are brilliant, I just find myself going back to Megadeth more.

In terms of songwriting, where both bands have had a go at a radio-friendly rock ballad and succeeded massively with Nothing Else Matters and Tout Le Monde, much as I really like both tracks I'd rather be in a festival field belting out the words to the latter than the former. I think bitterness has been a great help to Mustaine's songwriting over the years.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

I can agree with most that, @2Mins - except that I find myself going back to Metallica more than Megadeth. Also, I would argue that although Megadeth's entire discography is better, Metallica's first four albums are vastly superior. I'm not the biggest Kill 'Em All fan, but I really don't like most of Killing Is My Business and I find SFSGSW to be one of Megadeth's worst overall. However, RIP-CTE-Youth is an amazing three album run.

I really am just splitting hairs now, though.

 

[DJ James]

Hell I'll throw my two cents out there...

Megadeth.

 

[Eddie's Uncle]

Oh yes, the ancient metaphysical question of metal, almost as old as metal itself...
Utterly pointless, but also fun and a tradition as well.

Clear answer: Megadeth. Any time, any place.
To me, Megadeth is better than Metallica in every single aspect. Better songwriting, better lyrics, better artworks, MUCH better drumming, MUCH better solos!
Technically speaking, Hetfield is the better singer in terms of range, power, versatility. No question. However, I like my thrash metal antagonistic and sneering, so I prefer Mustaine as singer too, even though he objectively weaker.

Megadeth made some crap albums, but even their worst (Risk) is still better than Metallicas worst (Lulu).

What was that? Mustaine is an unbearable asshole? Yeah, thats correct. But so is Lars. And James too, he just gets away with it.

Metallica made 3 very good albums, Megadeth made 6. And Rust In Peace wipes the floor with Master of Puppets.

 

[Mosh]

Megabümp

I voted Metallica back in the day but over 10 years and a couple mid albums later I would probably switch over to Megadeth.

 

[MrKnickerbocker]

I think Megadeth has more bad albums, but they also have more albums in general.

I actually like Risk and think it's about as good as Load/ReLoad (which I also like).

Lulu and St. Anger are abominations. But no other Metallica album reaches the uninspired lows from many tracks on albums like The World Needs a Hero, Super Collider, Thirteen, the two most recent ones, or SFSGSW (yeah, I said it). 72 Seasons is probably the worst album Metallica have done without being offensive, and even the bad songs on there are more memorable than some of the crap on those 'Deth albums I just mentioned.

Overall, I'd take Metallica still. Even if Megadeth have some albums and songs that far eclipse them.

 

[Azas]

Metallica's first five albums outshine Megadeth's RIP and CTE.

 

[Mosh]

I think Megadeth has more bad albums, but they also have more albums in general.

I actually like Risk and think it's about as good as Load/ReLoad (which I also like).

Lulu and St. Anger are abominations. But no other Metallica album reaches the uninspired lows from many tracks on albums like The World Needs a Hero, Super Collider, Thirteen, the two most recent ones, or SFSGSW (yeah, I said it). 72 Seasons is probably the worst album Metallica have done without being offensive, and even the bad songs on there are more memorable than some of the crap on those 'Deth albums I just mentioned.

Overall, I'd take Metallica still. Even if Megadeth have some albums and songs that far eclipse them.

I think my logic back then was kinda similar to this. Megadeth has lower lows and more lows (at the time we were also coming off of some of their worst albums including Supercollider, wee hadn't gotten Dystopia yet). Metallica takes bigger swings, and while a lot of it doesn't work, when it does work they reach heights that very few bands (certainly not Megadeth) have also reached.

This is relevant to me right now though because recently I have come around to thinking that Rust in Peace may in fact be my favorite Metal album of all time. It just feels like such a culmination of everything in the first three decades of the genre. There's some thrash but there's also some classic riffing, there's some prog in there, the guitar shredding is insane. Lyrically the album deals with current evens in the way metal is supposed to, it's actually wild that such a smart album came from such a crazy person. Idk, it's lightning in a bottle and, crucially, without filler. Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets are amazing, but each have several songs that I could live without ever hearing again. But does Rust in Peace have any songs that match the title track to Master of Puppets? I'm not sure.