Megadeth

I somehow thought you guys were talking about the Clash song and not the Metallica song, so I got real confused for a couple of moments.
 
Go watch the making of Youthanasia documentary that they put out on VHS format in 1994 and let's have some discussions about that if people are interested :)


#Fightspam, #TalkDeth
 
Still on the Youthanasia vibe...check out this pro shot recording from October 25th 1994. Mere days before Youthanasia would drop officially on November 1st 1994. They are playing many of the songs from Youthanasia for the first time.

 
The System Has Failed has been bought. £2.64 inc. postage, bargain.
CD arrived, looks good... couldn't play or rip! <_<
Okay, getting a second CD copy of The System Has Failed; cost £2.69 this time.
Got a CD of Cryptic Writings on the way too; bargain £2.72!
And just ordered The World Needs a Hero CD too; knock-down £2.57!

Thoughts (maybe full reviews) will be forthcoming! :ok:

And @Black Wizard, you'll be glad to know I also acquired a copy of Kill 'Em All. An album by a band called Metallica. Hope this is the right thread to mention this?
 
Youthanasia (1994)

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1. Reckoning Day - We open up the band's sixth album with a skull-crushing riff with some driving drums that bring us up into the verse. Dave's biting lyrics and vocal delivery make it a memorable one, and despite the length, the constant build-up all leads up into a pretty strong chorus. I also love that riff that precedes the chorus, it's pretty cool. After the second run through we head into a piece that features usage of acoustics to add a bit of melodic texture to this force. This builds back into a final chorus and then the outro, which is the one weak spot this song has. It's about a minute long and that's simply too much for it, IMO. Could've been shortened a tad and the effect would be the same. I'm taking off a point for that, but the rest of this song is pretty great and it's a strong opening to the record. 9/10

2. Train Of Consequences - I fucking love the riff to this song. It sounds exactly like one of those beautiful American vessels of smoke and steam ripping up the rails on a run through canyons and open plains. The verses here are awesome, and the band have some of their best lyrics here in describing the woes of gambling. "No horse ever ran as fast as the money that you bet," is a killer line. The song really excels on the chorus, though. It's one of the best hooks they've ever had, and if you don't fucking sing-along then you're probably riding a train of consequences yourself. "Set the ball a-rollin', I'll be clickin' off the miles..." I fucking love it. So catchy and yet with a lot of crunch that drives this Big Boy locomotive right through your town, picking up the fools like myself that managed to get sucked in. Easily my favorite song on the album and a contender for my Top 10 of Megadeth overall. 10/10

3. Addicted To Chaos - Old Man Menza really shows off his talent on this opening with an infectious drum intro that hooks the listener right from start. One thing to note with this one is that despite the title, this is not a very chaotic song. I expected something bordering thrash but instead this is probably the most alt-influenced song on the entire album. I wasn't drawn into this song on my first listen, but it really gets better and better with each subsequent one. It isn't that heavy, but Dave and the boys manage to assemble a pretty great song about moving on from the death of someone important to you. I love the guitars here, they're quite melodic and help bring out the vibe the band is going for. The pre-chorus and chorus itself are quite good, and as a whole, this song is a grower, but a well-worthy one. I'm really liking it. And now I hope you're ready for a comparison, because this is the sort of thing that feels as though it could fit on Load, or, rather, have inspired Load's style. It's an interesting stylistic change on Megadeth's part and I really think they pulled it off quite well. Doesn't quite get top marks, but it's really, really good. I'm loving this song. 9/10

4. A Tout Le Monde - We move from a song about a person in the aftermath of death to a person about to meet Death face to face. Dave and acoustics manage to make an affecting opening verse discussing life in the past as a person is about to lose life in the present and will soon have to deal with no life in the future. When the heaviness breaks upon the listener, it only helps bring the song forward. The chorus is stunningly beautiful, as Dave uses French to capture his meaning as best as he can. He gives off a great, emotional performance and really brings the song to life. I swear, it almost makes me cry every time it comes on, which is funny, because before now it was just a "good song" to me. Never mind that, "A Tout Le Monde" is a fantastic song, a well-deserved fan favorite from the Megabois. 10/10

5. Elysian Fields - A descending opening leads right into a fucking killer verse. This album has a surprising amount of stuff about death, as this one follows on from the previous two as our narrator heads into the afterlife that awaits him. The pre-chorus has some cool backing vocals that help throw us into the rise of these warriors into the kingdom of gods. That chorus though... I fucking love it. "Elyyyyysian fiiiields!" It's such a good, glorious song tying in Greek religious beliefs in with metal / hard rock and is another example of just how much effort this band has put into the hooks on this album. I love this song. It's fantastic. 10/10

6. The Killing Road - Right from the opening guitar piece you can tell that we're heading into another fucking great song. The ripping intro leads into a dark verse as Dave describes his thoughts of life on the road, leaving behind all else in search of "fame", as he so blatantly states. The chorus is another killer. "I lost my mind, lost all my money, I lost my life to the killing road!" It's yet another moment where you can't help but sing along it. And holy hell is this beast an earworm. I've started humming it from out of nowhere and I don't fucking care, because it's worth this. I've officially sold my soul to "The Killing Road". Another fantastic song. 10/10

7. Blood Of Heroes - A mythic opening of acoustics and thomps leads into a driving riff that brings us to the verse. Dave's using some different vocal techniques here to sell the song, and I like it. The pre-chorus is pretty cool. "Ladies and gents, we're still alive!" is such a badass line. That chorus is great, too. I can't tell if this song is going for the Greek / Roman vibe again or if perhaps they're talking about the Achaemenid Immortals or even the Terracotta Army... or maybe I'm just thinking too much about this and there was no intention whatsoever for anything except a hard rock anthem about soldiers and heroes and stayin' alive... IDK. When the dust settles, this is another great song. It takes a few listens to really "get", but I love the way it carries on the vibe from the previous songs and pushes the album steadily forward. 9/10

8. The Family Tree - I love the opening to this song, with the melodic acoustic / electric mix setting up a bass-driven verse about parents and offspring. The pre-chorus really soars, and leads up to a pretty cool chorus which also took some time to build on me but I've really gotten it now. The lyrics feel like a dark twist on the whole "How do I love thee? Let me count the ways..." thing. As a whole it's another grower and another great song that I like quite a lot. 9/10

9. Youthanasia - A pretty cool opening steps down into the verse, where I don't quite think Megadeth were on-point in the lyrical department, although you can at the same time see what they're trying to do and where they're coming from. The pre-chorus here is a bit stronger IMO, and the chorus itself is pretty cool. I think it's a solid song overall, despite the pitfalls, but at the same time it's one of the weaker songs for me. The fact that it's as good as it is is a testament to the quality of this album. 8/10

10. I Thought I Knew It All - A heavy opening chugs into the verse which is some solid stuff. The pre-chorus's lyrics are kinda cheesy, but damn, the melody's great. That chorus though. It's so fucking good. That feeling of "I thought I knew it all" is terrifyingly relatable. I can't tell you how many times I've thought I'd known it all and then it's... back to the front. Ha, slipped in another Metallica reference. So far, so good. I also love that melodic piece at the end of the instrumental section. This song is nearly a 10, but gets held back slightly because the verses, which are solid, don't quite blow my mind. The rest of the song is stellar. 9/10

11. Black Curtains - The opening here smacks down upon the listener before grooving its way forward into a pretty solid verse. The chorus here is simple and works. Dave's vocals are rather sinister and add to the effect the band is striving for here. After Countdown To Extinction, an album with a ton of audio bits woven into it, it's interesting to note that the only one on this album is on this song. Otherwise, that's it. Shout-out to the cool solo in the middle here. This is maybe the most paint-by-numbers song on the album, but it's still pretty good. The groove makes it work really well in the context of the whole. 8/10

12. Victory - After an entire fleet of strong songs, Megadave et al decide to toss in this closer, an homage to all their previous works intertwined with kicking off a drug addiction. It's always interesting to see bands try this sort of thing, and it always walks a thin line between success and failure. They nevertheless manage to pull it off, stapling a great pre-chorus building a better real chorus and a pretty solo section (reminiscent of stuff like on Peace Sells...) to this novel affair. There's enough good stuff here to round up the score. A great ending to a great album. 9/10

I didn't actually expect all that much from Youthanasia going into it, but with every listen this album only gets better and better. The hard rock vibe they've striven for is pulled off masterfully, almost all of the hooks are awesome, and as a whole it's just a wonderful experience. The score ties with Countdown To Extinction, but I'd elevate this one about the previous album because it's stronger as a whole entity. A surprising great and, thus far, the best album after Rust In Peace.

Rating: 92%
 
Youthansia is OK. The guitar playing feels more subdued than on the previous two albums, so it's a step back for me musically as the guitar playing is one of the main events when I listen to Megadeth. Friedman's style is less shred and more classic rock. It fits the material, but I thought Countdown to Extinction had a better balance of accessible rock tunes and crushing Metal. The songs on here are accessible, there's some good riffing and grooves, but overall I'm not sure if I'd ever come back to it.
 
Youthansia is OK. The guitar playing feels more subdued than on the previous two albums, so it's a step back for me musically as the guitar playing is one of the main events when I listen to Megadeth. Friedman's style is less shred and more classic rock. It fits the material, but I thought Countdown to Extinction had a better balance of accessible rock tunes and crushing Metal. The songs on here are accessible, there's some good riffing and grooves, but overall I'm not sure if I'd ever come back to it.
This^
 
The thing about Youthanasia is that despite the feeling of “I doubt I’ll come back,” you really need to anyway. The songs get better with every listen.
 
I was feeling masochistic, so I listened to most of The World Needs A Hero on my commute home tonight. I hadn’t listened to it in years, but it was still at least as bad as I’d remembered it being.

Worst choruses of any Megadeth album. Worst vocal harmonies of any Megadeth album. Worst overall lyrics of any Megadeth album. Arguably the worst song of any Megadeth album (the title track). Lots of boring-to-lame guitar playing. A sequel song that’s even worse than “The Unforgiven II”. Utterly pathetic.

Like I said before, this album is like a cover band trying to sound like Megadeth and failing. I would gladly listen to Risk or Super Collider instead of this one. Worst album of their whole catalog.
 
Worst choruses of any Megadeth album. Worst vocal harmonies of any Megadeth album. Worst overall lyrics of any Megadeth album. Arguably the worst song of any Megadeth album (the title track). Lots of boring-to-lame guitar playing. A sequel song that’s even worse than “The Unforgiven II”. Utterly pathetic.
Nah. Disconnect is an awesome song, and many others are pretty good. The World Needs A Hero is also a solid song, far far from their worst.

I would gladly listen to Risk or Super Collider instead of this one. Worst album of their whole catalog.
:facepalm:
 
Dread and The Fugitive Mind is the only one I like from TWNAH, that song and TSHF album are the only things that I return to of their post Cryyptic Writings material.
 
Dread and The Fugitive Mind is the only one I like from TWNAH, that song and TSHF album are the only things that I return to of their post Cryyptic Writings material.
There's not a single good song on UA or Endgame?
 
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