Megadeth

Rust in Peace
$16.98
This, probably the best metal album in the world, has been remastered and the vocals have been resung in parts. DO NOT BUY THIS VERSION! IT IS TERRIBLE! MAKE SURE YOU FIND AND GET THE ORIGINAL, WHETHER ON EBAY OR SOMEWHERE!!!! AVOID THIS VERSION LIKE THE PLAGUE!!!!

United Abominations
$18.98
United Abominations being Megadeath's 2007 release and their 11th studio album and is great mix of heavy metal and thrash metal. Mustaine has written some very political lyrics and usually I have an aversion to political music but Mustaine writes with plenty of wit and intelligence so that the lyrics do not sound basic or like propaganda. The album was met by many positive reviews. Kerrang!, IGN and Blabbermouth all gave it 4/5 which I also give it. All the lyrics are included in the booklet including a list of whom plays what including the brand names of the instruments which is quite rare. The artwork is ok but a little busy. The photograph of the band is very nice. 4/5.

Countdown to Extinction
$9.93
AUTHOR'S NOTE: I recently moved over to a new review system in which I rate each song and then create an average rating for the whole album rather than just giving the album a rating based purely on my general feel for the album. This allows for a much more accurate and unfortunately a much harsher rating for each album. Because of this my new number ratings may not match up with the star ratings on my older reviews when I updated them with this new review system. Thanks for your understanding.

Megadeth was on a winning streak with Killing Is My Business, peace Sells, So Far So Good So What, and Rust In Peace. With Countdown To Extinction they continued that streak of excellence and gave us another superb metal album. Dave doesn't sound quite as angry here, but if you ask me he sounds just as good as he did in the past it's just different. It's more like real singing now and less angry thrash yells and growls. The album isn't as technical as past ones, but I think it's overall more progressive sounding and still awesome.

"Skin O' My Teeth"-Very strong opener for the album. Thrashy with a melodic chorus. 8/10

"Symphony Of Destruction"-An instant classic that gets better with every listen. The perfect mix of angry old Megadeth and newer more melodic Megadeth. It has Dave's angry growl with both thrash and melodic elements. 9/10

"Architecture Of Aggression"-This is what a song sounds like if you take a thrash riff that's a little on the simple side and then slow it down and make it into a melodic song. Not bad, but not all that engaging either. 7/10

"Foreclosure Of A Dream"-An underrated gem in my opinion. Dave's vocals shine on this album and his meaningful lyrics still ring true to this day. Combine that with a softer but still interesting guitar part and you have a great song. 8.5/10

"Sweating Bullets"-Definitely a classic in my book. It may be simple but it's a very fun and unique song that would be a blast to hear live. The intro was the first guitar part I learned and I never tire listening to Dave speaking back and forth with himself using his genius lyrics and unforgettable vocals. 9/10

"This Was My Life"-Has a very cool riff, sounds a lot like something that may have been left out of Peace Sells or SFSGSW. 8/10

"Countdown To Extinction"-A great choice for a title track and a Megadeth classic. 9/10

"High Speed Dirt"-Has a cool riff but the lyrics are kind of lame and childish. The song gets repetitive after a while as well. 7/10

"Psychotron"-Boring song with bad lyrics. Makes you wonder how it got on this otherwise superb album. 5/10

"Captive Honour"-A hint of what was to come on future albums like Youthanasia and Cryptic Writings. Very melodic, overly simple, and just kind of forgettable. 6/10

"Ashes In Your Mouth"-A very good song to close the album with. The lyrics are a litle lacking but it has a pretty cool solo and some great riffing. 8/10

Bands don't need to be super technical to be awesome, sometimes people forget that. "Foreclosure Of A Dream", "Skin O' My Teeth", and "Ashes In Your Mouth" are all good/great songs but they just can't beat out my top three for this album: "Symphony Of Destruction", "Sweating Bullets", and "Countdown To Extinction". This album may not be considered thrash anymore, but it's still a fantastic metal album that is worthy of your respect.

Endgame
$7.99
I didn't think The System Has Failed was the second coming as so many Megadeth fans proclaimed when it was released, but it was certainly their best album in a while. Along came United Abominations and I was impressed at how much Mustaine stepped his game up. I had high hopes for Endgame. They were met.

This is the band's best album in fifteen years. It's not Rust In Peace, but if you're a fan of Countdown and Youthanasia, as I am, then you'll love this one. Part of the reason I wasn't big on The System Has Failed is because it felt like Mustaine was trying too hard to make all the pieces fit to recapture his past glories, thus resulting in an album that sometimes sounded awkward. Here, everything falls into place. This is a great metal album that's simultaneously complex and catchy as hell. Of the three thrash titans to release albums this year or last year, Megadeth earns the top spot with Endgame. It also helps that it doesn't sound like it was ripped from somebody's iPod like Death Magnetic or World Painted Blood. The production is crystal clear.

Dave Mustaine is at a point in his career where he could afford to coast and rest on his laurels, but he seems determined to press ahead. This is the best album from a metal veteran since Priest's Angel Of Retribution.

Looking forward to the next one!