“Megadeth,” by Megadeth, is the last album of a band that has shaped the state of metal for the past 40 years. Is it any good? No.
Not as an album that exists on its own without context, and not as a farewell to Megadeth’s legacy. The songs repeatedly fall back on the same watered-down tropes the band has relied on since the 2000s, with the only “innovation” being moments that sound like Rust in Peace or Youthanasia. I understand that, since this is supposed to be their final album, it is not meant to introduce a brand-new sound. The problem is that the album becomes incredibly stale after just a few songs, eventually blurring together despite the seemingly obvious distinctions between tracks.
The main fault of the album is the vocal performances. Dave Mustaine sounds bored, like he doesn’t even care about this record, despite how important it should be to Megadeth. This album should sound like a statement, like one last reminder that Megadeth still exists. But it does not work. It is almost impressive how little these songs stand out from one another. For a thrash metal band, how does one even make a song with so many guitar solos boring?
That is not even getting into the lyrics. “I Don’t Care” is the biggest offender, featuring some of the most laughably out-of-touch lines delivered by what sounds like a hybrid of Dave Mustaine and a dying bullfrog. As for the other songs, “Puppet Parade,” “Obey the Call” and “Another Bad Day” are as generic and forgettable as their titles suggest.
The only real highlights are “Tipping Point” and “Made to Kill.” “Tipping Point” features impressive soloing, decent vocals and tolerable lyrics. If the entire album sounded like this track, it might actually be solid. “Made to Kill” is possibly the only song that truly captures Megadeth’s early style, though it is weighed down by questionable vocal and guitar performances.
If you listen only to these two songs, which were released as the first singles, you might think the album would turn out well. Silas Young (9) says, “The first song is good, so the rest should be good as well, probably.”
Sadly, once the album was released, many listeners realized how disappointing it was for a supposed final Megadeth album. Young said, “I mean, the album isn’t awful, but as a finale?”
The biggest failure of the album comes at the very end. The final track is a cover of Metallica’s “Ride the Lightning,” a choice that undercuts what should have been a closing statement on Megadeth’s legacy. After four decades apart, it feels as though Dave Mustaine is still stuck responding to his departure from Metallica rather than closing his own chapter.
“‘Ride the Lightning’ doesn’t make sense being here, even as a bonus track, and it’s not even a good cover,” Young said.
Overall, this album is a disappointment. It fails to accomplish what a final album should, despite a few redeeming moments.