-=The All-Purpose METAL Thread=-

[Brad Barton]

Man, it's funny that so many people have Youthanasia in their top 3's. Youthanasia was universally panned, and just completely, all-around shit on since it's release...and now it seems like, in the minds of the fans, it's one of their most well regarded albums.

I like Youthanasia a lot, but it has one major, major problem. Every song is at the exact same tempo. Apparently this was Max Norman's recipe for Megadeth acheiving Metallica's level of mainstream success: Put every song, whether it's a ballad or an uptempo song, at a tempo radio stations will play, and hope one of them sticks.

This horrific production formula really killed the album. The songs are good, and a few of them I really, really dig, but they're not the songs they were meant to be. Dave has stated on multiple occasions that he made huge compromises while recording this record....and it sort of shows.

For the best of Friedman/Menza era 'Deth, give me R.I.P. or Countdown to Extinction over Youthanasia any day.

[HectorP]

I was a big fan of the Youthanasia album when I first bought it, but with time the songs started to feel samey.

[Deathstroke]

Yeah, I agree that the "stop hitting me, mommy" stuff seemed a bit forced....like they thought "Well, our name is Disturbed, maybe we should make it seem like we're....y'know, disturbed."

I actually liked the 2nd album a lot better. I thought it was a stronger album from start to finish, though lyrically it did take itself far too seriously. Tone down the P.C. and religious overtones of that album, and I think it's one of the best mainstream metal offerings of this decade.

I'm not noticing much love for 10,000 fists either. No one got into that one (Deathstroke)? I thought it was good....

Well, you can read what I thought about Ten Thousand Fists HERE!

[Deathstroke]

When it comes to Megadeth, my list pretty much begins and ends with Peace Sells...But Who's Buying? and So Far So Good So What.

I've never really been able to maintain much of an interest in the band. The guy who owns the site I write for cites Megadeth as his all time favorite band.

[cactusmaac]

Man, it's funny that so many people have Youthanasia in their top 3's. Youthanasia was universally panned, and just completely, all-around shit on since it's release...and now it seems like, in the minds of the fans, it's one of their most well regarded albums.

I like Youthanasia a lot, but it has one major, major problem. Every song is at the exact same tempo. Apparently this was Max Norman's recipe for Megadeth acheiving Metallica's level of mainstream success: Put every song, whether it's a ballad or an uptempo song, at a tempo radio stations will play, and hope one of them sticks.

This horrific production formula really killed the album. The songs are good, and a few of them I really, really dig, but they're not the songs they were meant to be. Dave has stated on multiple occasions that he made huge compromises while recording this record....and it sort of shows.

For the best of Friedman/Menza era 'Deth, give me R.I.P. or Countdown to Extinction over Youthanasia any day.

They say the music you first listen when you're 13/14 is what you judge everything else by and for me that's Youthanasia.

I don't mind the similar tempo. It's an album I can always plays straight through without skipping from one track to another. That wasn't the case for United Abominations even though the songs were technically better.

[TheLazy]

Right I'm off the a real gig thats guna put Live earth to shame, I'll try and get some good photos on my phone for posting. Expect a gig report on monday.

Peace!

:evilsmile

[PanzerMega]

In my circles, everyone I knew dug Youthanasia when it came out. It was Cryptic Writings where everyone started turning on Megadeth.

I know the tempos are all the same, but for some reason the songs have aged really well with me.

[ImpulseUCF]

Peace Sells is a great album too, but it's got some weak tracks and overall pretty shitty production.

Have you listened to the re-master? It makes it leagues beter than the original. From a guitar-playing/musician standpoint, the title track "Peace Sells" seems to be screaming to b redone as a blues song. Am I the only one that sees it? I want desperately to do a straight blues cover of it. The guitar parts seem made for harmonica, it has that slow, rhythmic chug that suits blues, the lyrics are bluesy..."Whatta ya mean I don't pay my bills? Why do ya think I'm broke?"

I also think Youthanasia is completely overrated and I agree that the compromises show. I like United Abominatinos, but something about Drover's solos just don't gel with me. He's very skilled technically, its very precise and controlled, but it lacks that energy and passion I'd expect with this kind of music. It's too safe. It's like...I keep waiting for him to hit the right notes, the high ones that make the crescendo or climax, and he never quite does.

Anyway, I know my ranking will personally differ from most everyone else's on the planet, but I'll try to explain properly.

1.) The System Has Failed & Rust in Peace - yes, a tie. For me, R.I.P. isj ust everything a speed metal band could ever aspire to be. Minor imperfectiosn at best. Some of the best soloing I have EVER heard. Friedman's solos on R.I.P. set the bar for me. Every single Deth guitarist before and since is evaluated on this scale (even Friedman) and nothing comes close.

As for TSHF, I was stunned that Dave put out such a spectacular metal album so late in his career. I loved the lyrics, I love that he had something to say and seemed to have grown "Of Mice and Men," and I love that for almost every single song they would start off at the mid-tempo, slow pace. I would be kinda disappointed but it was still solid, so still listening along...then BAM! Right our of nowhere, break out into ferocity! It was like Dave was playing along like "Radio, radio radio...METAL!!" I like every song on here. Solid commercially-friendly metal at its weakest points, great Megadeth moments at the best, and the solos fit the songs perfectly and had this upbeat, smooth boogie to them.

2. Countdown to Extinction & Cryptic Writings - Another tie. I may be biased on Cryptic because that was my first Megadeth album when I was getting into metal, but I still maintain the first 4 songs are an unbelievable intro to any metal album. To me, they were the perfect fusion of metal intensity and commercial viability. The solos were amazing, if different than RIP. I liked the slower songs, but the middle and end were decidedly weaker than the intro. Still, among my faves.

Countdown? A fresh take on the old school metal formula, aggressive, cathcy songs and top-notch technical performance. Solid gold.

And now the tricky part.

3. Peace Sells & United Abominations- Solid album, some shining moments of genius in the title track, Wake Up Dead, etc, but still a tad rough and unpolished in terms of techniqe. Phenomonal album.

UA - Dave's solos are utterly un-freakin-believable here. He's on another level of musical existence or something on this album. He as this controlled, frantic, chaotic feel that remains melodious and precise. Love it. Most of Drover's don't do anything for me, though, and I think it hurts the album. "You're Dead" and "Burnt Ice" alone make this one of my top albums. My GOD, the ending of "Burnt Ice" is unbelievable.

4. So Far, So Good.... - This album takes a lot of heat, but I enjoy it from start to finish. Solid blues-based speed metal. Not sure where the hate comes from.

5. Youthanasia - Again, some solid songs, but mostly same-sounding, generic, weak, and uninspired to me. Every song has the same tempo and I hate thbe guitar tones on this one, but it had some killer solos and leads. Meh overall.

6. Killing is My Business - Very raw, but showed the brilliance that was to come.

7. Risk - Yes, I don't think Risk is the worst because although it was different and mostly a dud, at least Dave was trying something different. You can tell there was some effort here, and it shows.

8. The World Needs a Hero - Garbage. Uninspired, crappy garbage. I give it respect for what it is, though. The necessary step where Dave re-learned how to write metal songs again. I think he was still off course by trying the commercial approach and this was him trying ot get his head straight. This album suffered for it, but the System Has Failed is the culmination of the effort.

That's my thoughts.

[stealthwise]

Eh, everyone knows Megadeths best album was Risk.

seriously, I'm not sure which was worse, Risk or ST. Anger......megadeths had their share of stinkers too.

World Needs a Hero. Seriously, that album was terrible. Risk wasn't bad, it just wasn't a metal album at all, and it wasn't really Megadeth.

St. Anger just needed some actual production, it's just pro-Tools cut and paste for the sake of putting out an album after such a long wait.

Anyways, anyone here listen to Slipknot? I really didn't like their first two albums, even though they rocked live in 1999, but this last album really worked for me. It's fast, ferocious, raucous and melodic all at the same time.

[DWEarhart]

Loved the first album, the second one (Iowa) was okay but overall disappointing, then they bounced back quite nicely with Vol. 3.

They're good live, too. I got to catch'em just before their debut album came out, then again on Ozzfest, and finally on a co-headliner with Lamb of God. That night Lamb of God kicked ass, but that's the only time I've seen'em, so if that ends up being the last time, I'm glad they were great, but I wouldn't mind checking'em out again.

[HectorP]

Does anybody know if the Anniversary Edition of Machine Head's Burn My Eyes is still going to be out? I want that album, but if a 2 CD edition is going to be available I'd rather wait a little and have that one.

[Brad Barton]

I like United Abominatinos, but something about Drover's solos just don't gel with me. He's very skilled technically, its very precise and controlled, but it lacks that energy and passion I'd expect with this kind of music. It's too safe. It's like...I keep waiting for him to hit the right notes, the high ones that make the crescendo or climax, and he never quite does.

I'm definitely with you here. Every time I hear a Drover solo, I keep waiting to get that tingly feeling that the most awesome Friedman or Hammett solo's give me, and it just never comes...

1.) Rust in Peace - yes, a tie. For me, R.I.P. isj ust everything a speed metal band could ever aspire to be. Minor imperfectiosn at best. Some of the best soloing I have EVER heard. Friedman's solos on R.I.P. set the bar for me. Every single Deth guitarist before and since is evaluated on this scale (even Friedman) and nothing comes close.

I can't add anything to this, as it sums up my thoughts almost exactly.

As for TSHF, I was stunned that Dave put out such a spectacular metal album so late in his career. I loved the lyrics, I love that he had something to say and seemed to have grown "Of Mice and Men," and I love that for almost every single song they would start off at the mid-tempo, slow pace. I would be kinda disappointed but it was still solid, so still listening along...then BAM! Right our of nowhere, break out into ferocity! It was like Dave was playing along like "Radio, radio radio...METAL!!" I like every song on here. Solid commercially-friendly metal at its weakest points, great Megadeth moments at the best, and the solos fit the songs perfectly and had this upbeat, smooth boogie to them.

I liked TSHF too, it has some great songs and that old Megadeth spirit we all know and love -- on some songs. Then there are others that are clearly aimed at radio airplay, which is not a bad thing in itself, it is what it is, but it makes the album seem off kilter.
It hops from Old-school metal tracks like Blackmail the Universe straight into radio-friendly diddy's like Die Dead Enough...and it just seemed manufactured to me. Like dave took a bunch of songs he'd written at various points (and styles) of Megadeths career that they never used, crunched 'em together and made them an album.

Another thing about TSHF that nudged it off my top 5 was the excessive Talk-Metal.
Dave Mustaine is notorious for Talking his lyrics over a riff and eschewing the melody-line, and this works sometimes, maybe once an album at most (Sweating Bullets, for instance), but TSHF is plagued with Talk-Metal. It has 2 or 3 songs where dave just straight up talks the lyrics over a generic sounding riff with a slightly demonic inflection in his voice -- it's almost like spoken-word Metal.
UA has this problem as well, but the album is just so much more solid to me. It seems like every song was written in the same time-frame, being mindful of the album they were trying to make. They adhere to each other a lot smoother.

Countdown? A fresh take on the old school metal formula, aggressive, cathcy songs and top-notch technical performance. Solid gold.

It's Megadeth's "Black Album", and much like the Black Album it doesn't have one really weak track on it.
This may be literally the only Megadeth album that I don't skip at least one track while listening to. Insanely solid album, the high-point of their pro career.

7. Risk - Yes, I don't think Risk is the worst because although it was different and mostly a dud, at least Dave was trying something different. You can tell there was some effort here, and it shows.

You know, if you put Risk on and tell youself "this is not a Megadeth album"....some of the songs are actually pretty damn good. Seriously.
Yes, Dave sold out and made some pop-Metal songs....but take them for what they are and there is actually some damn good music on Risk.
Prince of Darkness, the Doctor is Calling and the "Time" songs are killer tunes. They aren't thrash, but they're good songs.

8. The World Needs a Hero - Garbage. Uninspired, crappy garbage. I give it respect for what it is, though. The necessary step where Dave re-learned how to write metal songs again. I think he was still off course by trying the commercial approach and this was him trying ot get his head straight. This album suffered for it, but the System Has Failed is the culmination of the effort.

I liked WNAH for one reason: The cover. Best Megadeth album cover ever. It deserved a better album than WNAH...even though I thought Burning Bridges and Disconnect were good songs.

[Man In Black]

They say the music you first listen when you're 13/14 is what you judge everything else by and for me that's Youthanasia.

nah, if that were the case, Id stil be listening to Spin doctors. :D

I think musical tastes can change a lot as you age....take Youthenasia for example, when it first came out I absolutely hated it. Now I just really, really don't like it.
For megadeth, it really does begin and end with Peace sells.....after Poland left they lost their way.

[DWEarhart]

Hell yeah they can change. I grew up on Obituary, Tesla, Cannibal Corpse, Def Leppard, Kreator, N.W.A., New Order, Venom, and the list goes on, but my musical tastes have always spread throughout the entire spectrum. It's all just a part of growing up, and even now I'm going back to the 50's and 60's to find some good stuff.

I always favored rock and metal, but I would never turn down a chance to hear something new.

[DWEarhart]

Does anybody know if the Anniversary Edition of Machine Head's Burn My Eyes is still going to be out? I want that album, but if a 2 CD edition is going to be available I'd rather wait a little and have that one.

Rob Flynn wrote on the Machine Head blog that it's been cancelled. It was supposed to be out in October of 2006, then September 2007.

From that blog post:

This is the year of The Blackening, and the time frame to re-release it has passed, not to mention that the idea of re-releasing a 13-year old album that we already celebrated with 2 anniversary shows (3 years ago) makes zero sense to us. We were never excited about re-issuing it to begin with, as it was just gonna have a bunch of b-sides, and wouldn't have been nearly as cool some of the other re-issues that had DVDs and all sorts of cool shit... so, as much as some of you may be bummed, know that it's better this way."