Review Summary: Marred by a couple of flaws, yet still going strong
Having had a 2-year late start compared to their rivals' debut, Megadeth had a lot of catching up to do in terms of quantity and quality. By 1986, Metallica had already transcended the thrash niche with their magnum opus Master of Puppets, whereas Megadeth was still stuck within the confines of the subgenre and was looking for ways to broaden their horizons in order to become more recognised. And their third album,
So Far, So Good... So What! by and large succeeds in doing that, despite a few missteps.
By opening the album with an instrumental,
Into the Lungs of Hell, the band convincingly displays that they are no longer satisfied with only dishing out 3-4 minute thrashers and are ready to expand and venture out into more progressive territory.
Set the World Afire follows in the same vein, maintaining the pace by incorporating lengthy instrumental passages while still retaining the thrashy elements. The song is also a great display of Megadeth's trademark technical complexity -- take a note towards the end of Mustaine's solo where he is
playing artificial harmonics and singing at the same time. Wow!
Thus we arrive at the album's midsection, where it loses its momentum a bit. Unlike the covers on Megadeth's previous two albums which were a natural result of the band having two jazz fusion musicians in its lineup, the cover to punk anthem
Anarchy in the UK simply seems incongruous with the context of this album and the band's discography.
502 is a full-on thrasher that suffers from mismatched riffing which would have been more adequate on the band's debut album.
Mary Jane is not very impressive either, lacking memorability. There's simply too much going on in the song instrumentally and vocally, making it lack focus. It does however pick up speed towards it second half, providing for a more interesting conclusion.
Thankfully, once the subpar midsection lumbers through, the album returns to a great pace with
In My Darkest Hour. Metallica showed back in 1984 that they are more than a thrash band, and are capable of overleaping the subgenre's limits by writing the ballad
Fade to Black. And in 1988, Megadeth follows suit with their attempt at a thrash ballad. Featuring a phenomenal emotional charge and buildup, as well as evocative lyrics like
"Time has a way of taking time", the song easily earns its place among the band's finest songs while at the same time proving that Megadeth are also able to enrich the direction of their songwriting.
Up next is
Liar, a song made hilarious (in a good way) by how unabashedly offensive it is. The subject matter is Mustaine's feud (the first of many) with former guitarist Chris Poland. Even though beef is an unlikely topic within metal, the song succeeds thanks to its catchy hooks, humorous lyrics and that 20-second uninterrupted vocal tirade near the end. And finally,
Hook in Mouth is a very anthemic semi-punk piece, featuring deliciously vicious trademark thrash riffage, gang vocals, a mean bassling, and a very strong performance by the otherwise not-very-notable Jeff Young.
Ultimately,
So Far, So Good... So what! is an album which gives the promising sign that Megadeth are capable of songwriting that surpasses the limitations of the thrash subgenre, and sets the table for expanding into something more diverse. And we all know which album follows next and exploits that vein to the fullest.
Recommended tracks:
- In My Darkest Hour
- Hook in Mouth
- Liar
- Set the World Afire
P.S. Get the remaster.
