Megadeth

Not a better *thrash* song :D

Metallica made the song epic, with a slow melodic section in the middle, which ultimately has become more popular. Megadeth made it a thrash song like it was originally intended. Full speed to the end.
 
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The only thing I'm dissatisfied with in In My Darkest Hour is how low the snare is in the mix...I'm looking for it to really help accent that big main riff...but instead it feels like it drowns in the rest of the instruments.

The song is supposedly written shortly after the death of Cliff Burton.

 
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My 2 cents on Megadeth.

I'm not that fond on first album, maybe it because of production (later reissues haven't been any better, I still haven't heard 2018 version but I doubt there are many differences). Maybe because it seems to me like a half-assed effort to make an album. Example: Mechanix - Speed=/=Quality.

Next two (Peace Sells..., So Far...) is where they really stepped up. What I like is that they still kept idea of what trash/speed metal should be about (Into the Lungs of Hell) while making a more mainstream metal songs (Peace Sells). What I don't like on this first 3 albums and, unfortunately on last 3 albums is the cover. I would understand it if they were B sides on singles or addition on some special releases or something for the Japanese market. It seems amateurish, like something bands did in early 60's to gain popularity before they release their own original material.

I see why people say Rust in Peace is considered their No 1 and (I somewhat agree with that) but I still like Countdown more. Rust has some not-so-good track in my opinion (Five Magics, Dawn Patrol). Countdown, on the other hand, is flawless. @KidInTheDark666 Want to talk about classics, best known, constant played songs there there? Symphony, Countdown, Sweating Bullets, Skin O' My Teeth. In that order. I addition to that, "lower tier" songs like Architecture of Aggression, Foreclosure of a Dream (just listen to solo in that one), Captive Honour are miles ahead of same other artists efforts at that time. They managed to step up to mainstream without changing their style drastically. Side note: Demo version of Symphony sounds even better than the original, too bad they didn't kept the extra riff in it.

I'm gonna go that far and say that it's the same with the next two albums, Youthanasia and Crypting Writings (which in my opinion is extremly underrated). There weren't that many hits on those (except A Tout le Monde and Trust) or fast paces tracks (except The Disintegration, seriously @CriedWhenBrucieLeft listen to this one) but it just flows so well. It's been ages since I've listened to these two, but when I did, there wasn't a skip or fast forward, they're both perfectly balanced from start to finish.

Risk is where most people step off, or The World Needs a Hero. Later I also don't like, but Risk... Well, if you look at it like a pop-rock records then it's really well crafted, that's all I got to say. Later album is a result of a previous one and you can hear and see things falling apart. No wonder why Dave called it quits a bit later after that.

Next two, The System Has Failed and United Abominations is the least two I've listened so far and I really don't have a certain opinion on them. I know the staple tracks, and apart from that I don't have a feeling I'm missing anything.

Endgame is an awesome record and (at the time) I though Th1rte3n was too (what an idiotic name). Broderick seemed like a great addition (unlike Shawn Drover). Endgame is the trash album, that I believe most fans have waited for since 1992. On Th1rte3n I was caught on hype train and only later I could detect bland that album is. It was also a good indicator of showing where Megadeth are heading next - Supercollider. You can say to me all that you want, but I also like that album. Now, an important note to anybody who reads this or writes reviews about songs/albums. Personal feelings and general opinions are two different things. Example: I really like Weekend Warrior, but it's a bad song (considering Maiden standards). Same is with this album.

And then Dystopia. It is THE trash album of new millennium (some other contenders come to my mind but none comes close to this). I'm really sorry I haven't seen them live on this tour, since I think I couldn't go wrong whichever date (setlist) I could've chose. I don't really know how to describe it... There's just so much going on and I mean that in positive way. I mean, it's like this album warped from the 80's, just listen to the instrumental. I know they won't have Chris Adler on the next record (who did wonders on this one) but at least I hope they keep the same feel.

The End.
 
Spambot said:
Countdown, on the other hand, is flawless. @KidInTheDark666 Want to talk about classics, best known, constant played songs there there? Symphony, Countdown, Sweating Bullets, Skin O' My Teeth. In that order. I addition to that, "lower tier" songs like Architecture of Aggression, Foreclosure of a Dream (just listen to solo in that one), Captive Honour are miles ahead of same other artists efforts at that time. They managed to step up to mainstream without changing their style drastically. Side note: Demo version of Symphony sounds even better than the original, too bad they didn't kept the extra riff in it.
Click to expand...
Again, I was talking about the hardcore fanbase's favorite songs. I know what the singles and most played songs are.
 
Rust In Peace (1990)

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1. Holy Wars... The Punishment Due - We went from a pretty dirty, raw sort of album to one that's lean, mean, sleek, and gleaming in the sun. Everything about this opening riff showcases how far Megadeth has come as an entity. Marty Friedman and Nick Menza are welcomed into the fold with one of the greatest pieces the band has ever had. The clean production here boosts the heaviness here quite well. The pummeling drums and bass back these two guitar gods fantastically well. It's certainly one of the best riffs in metal and music in general. Dave's vocals here aren't exactly good, but I love how they fit into the music. "Holy Wars" lasts for a little more than two minutes and then changes up with an acoustic piece into the slower but just as heavy "Punishment Due". I know nothing much about The Punisher, but I like the way Dave mixes emotion with bitterness in crafting his vocals here. Marty comes in at intervals with some cool soloing, but we eventually speed up into the "real" solo, which is also awesome and a real showcase of the technicality on display here. The rip-roaring outro finally brings this song to a close, and what a song it is! "Holy Wars..." has it all - excellent musicianship, great lyrics, and it's more metal than you will ever dream of being. It's also the most prog-infused piece Megadeth have created thus far, and is basically the "Hallowed" of their discography. Kind of like with "Hallowed", I wouldn't say it's the band's best song like most people would, as there are two other songs on this album alone that I like more than this. But that being said, most of this album is perfection itself, and this song isn't any exception. It's fucking awesome. What a way to kick open a release. 10/10

2. Hangar 18 - If "Holy Wars..." wasn't good enough for you, surely "Hangar 18" is. Lots of people have said it already, but I'll say it again - this is pretty much the greatest example of what makes dual guitar so good ever put down on an album. I mean, seriously. Dave and Marty combined their talents to create a ripping song that wastes no time whatsoever in getting started. The opener is heavy, mean, and has a ton of menace backing it at the same time. But the verse riff is where the dual guitar really shines through. A single guitarist trying to attempt something of this caliber would never manage to do this. Sure, multi-tracking the stuff would work, but playing it live? Out of the question. And yet Megadeth have performed this song live almost as well as they have in studio. Which is another thing I love about this band - much of their live performances absolutely nail the songs down. I love the verses here too. Aliens and metal combined will never not be cool IMO. Dave even throws in some surprisingly great lines in ("The military intelligence / two words combined that can't make sense!"). I don't always agree with what the dude is saying, but there's a certain art to his crafting of lyrics that often strike the listener with some "wow" moments. There's all sorts of soloing between the two verses, but then the band just say "fuck it" and head into the final section, which is basically just Dave and Marty trying to one-up each other with solo after fucking solo. There's also some really heavy parts intertwined between them, and the whole thing leads up to an absolutely spectacular finish. This is beyond question my favorite Megadeth song, and my choice for the best song in thrash metal overall. It's got everything I want from the genre and then some - heaviness, aggression, pacing, soloing, sheer technicality and musicality, etc. The list goes on. At one point this was actually my favorite song out there. That's changed, obviously, but fuck if it isn't just as good as the day I first heard it. This one hits 10 and keeps shooting up. It's beyond fantastic. 11/10

3. Take No Prisoners - After the sheer exhilaration of the first two songs, one would think that the album would dip a bit in quality afterwords. But it doesn't. "Take No Prisoners" opens with a really fast piece of riffing as Nick comes in on the drums a few times before we actually get going. It's a fantastic way to open the song. The first verse with Dave starting the lines and backing vocals finishing them is awesome. Dave Jr. even gets a bass fill into this song, which is awesome. That guy is all over this album with absolutely fantastic basslines, it's awesome. The song goes into a faster piece throughout as Dave keeps dumping biting lyrics onto the listener. The best part is when it changes up on "No one knew what would happen there..." and the dudes actually flip around JFK's iconic speech to suit the song. The outro of "Take no prisoners, take no shit!" works fucking well too. This song is about three and a half minutes in length, and yet it's absolutely awesome throughout. The musicianship is still pumping at full throttle and it's a pretty great anti-war song on top of that. It's nothing short of great. Love this song. 10/10

4. Five Magics - A throttling opening sinks down into a great melodic section backed by some great bass and led by some fantastic guitars. It's an eerie piece that sets up the rest of the song quite well. Once again, the musicianship on display is absolutely fantastic. This piece just simply sounds so good. We loop through twice before finally changing up into the verse around the two minute mark. The topic this time around is wizardry and black magic. I mean shit, Dave even throws in wyverns, how cool is that? The verse is great, and then we change up into a faster piece. At times it seems like it'll lose the greatness here, but it manages to hold on to it regardless. The pre-chorus is some hard-hitting stuff, and the actual chorus is some cool shit. The final verse here with the menacing vocals offsetting Dave's typical ones is a pretty cool way to handle it. The outro solo is absolutely awesome. It's around this time that I really get a rush from listening to this album. The fact that it holds up so well all these years after I first heard it is surely a testament to its quality. This song is fucking perfect too. 10/10

5. Poison Was The Cure - I've already stated my love of Ellefson's basswork on this album, but he actually manages to get in a really cool intro here that I really, really like. The guitars build up until we launch into the actual song, which is absolutely flying along. The music is frantic and fast as fuck. Dave rips out lungs on the verse, which deals with issues of drug addiction and shitty relationships. The outro solo here is fantastic. This is my choice for the album's weakest song, but I still think it's pretty strong overall. Megadeth attempted this fast style on previous albums, but I think they pulled it off best here. It's the second shortest track on the album, but despite the fact that it just seems to rip right through in no time, it helps the album's overall experience quite well. Great stuff. 9/10

6. Lucretia - A twisted Dave laugh kicks off the song, which moves into a fantastically haunting guitar piece. It's pretty fucking awesome, and leads into the verse, which is also great as Dave recounts his experiences with what goes on in his house late at night. Maybe he's just insane, or maybe there really is a ghost that tiptoes through the hallways. The intro returns again and we move back into the verse before Marty takes over with a truly stunning solo. I mean seriously, it's so fucking good, and it's not even his best on the album. I love this song. If I had to pick a "hidden gem" from the record, it'd be "Lucretia". Haunting song with absolutely fantastic performances from all involved. 10/10

7. Tornado Of Souls - I love the move from "Lucretia" into "Tornado Of Souls", it's a fantastic double-shot of technical madness. The intro is fucking brilliant and moves into the riff with expertise unmatched by artists of similar calibers. Dave sounds pissed off and emotional at the same time, which I love. The verse here is awesome, but the chorus is stellar. The guitars here drive the song forward with a lot of might and bite. The first bridge is great, but then the song takes a turn after Nick's drum fill (which is also awesome). Dave and Marty conjoin guitars for a stretch before we hit the second bridge, which is fucking great and has more emotion than most would expect. Some great riffing and then we hit that motherfucking solo. Godfuckingdammit. It's been years since I first heard this song, and I've still never heard another solo that matches this one. The way Marty builds it up into it hits its peak is just so fucking good. There's emotion and strength put together and I love it. Definitely my favorite solo in music. Love it. The outro verse is fantastic too. This song is almost as good as "Hangar 18". I love every second of this song, from the biting lyrics to the absolutely stellar performances from the band, in particular that motherfucking solo. This is another song that's better than perfect for me. I often get tears in my eyes listening to it. It's just simply that fucking good. 11/10

8. Dawn Patrol - People like to rip on "Dawn Patrol" all the time, citing it as the worst song on the album, but man, I've always thought it's great. With nothing but Ellefson and Menza providing the music and backing Dave's mock British accent, this one adds a special sort of feel to the album as a whole and works quite well in providing a stopover from the brilliance of the previous song and the heaviness of the title track. I really do love this one. 10/10

9. Rust In Peace... Polaris - Nick Menza opens up this song with a fucking awesome drum intro before the rest of the band joins in with a ripping riff. Then we change-up into the actual verse, which features some cool Dave-isms and leads into the pre-chorus, which is pretty kickass. "The warheads will all rust in peace!" is such a cool line. We actually go through this thrice before anything changes, but it's worth it, because the song provides such a cool vibe to the end of the album. After that third chorus, we drop out and rise back up into a fantastic riff that takes us through the shortest solo on the entire album. The rest of the outro is just a bunch of awesome riffing before Dave comes in for the final couple of lines. Believe it or not, this is actually my least favorite song on the album after "Poison Was The Cure", but that's really just a testament to the overall quality of this release. This is a great title track with a lot of fantastic guitar bits and is a hell of a lot of fun to listen to. Awesome closer to the album. 10/10

Rust In Peace is every bit as good as people have claimed over the years. It's a vessel to showcase the technicality of this line-up, but every song on here as great even beyond that. I see a lot of parallels to Judas Priest's Painkiller - band coming back with an album with more ferocity than anyone could've believed possible - but unlike Painkiller, I think that Rust In Peace actually holds up from song to song, never truly letting itself down. I'd probably give Master Of Puppets a slight edge as the better thrash album, but this one is really fucking close behind it. I used to listen to this one a lot, and coming back to it now has been a really fantastic experience. I'm happy to say that it hasn't lost anything. It's still a perfect thrash album.

Rating: 100%
 
I use 100% as the cut off, but if I was going by the actual average, yes, this would be a 101%. :p
 
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