Review Summary: It's a fatal illusion to think that Megadeth ever dies.
Megadeth has been “returning to form” for quite a while now, but after the oft-hated, mid-tempo rock record Super Collider, the band really needed a good release to appease disillusioned fans. I am happy to say that Dystopia delivers, though it may not quite deliver in the way fans have wanted it.
The album kicks off with the thrasher “The Threat is Real” which, in a way, serves as a microcosm of the album itself. It is rich with thrashy riffs, gruff vocals, politically charged lyrics, and eastern-inspired guitar leads. It has a chorus which adds a catchy pop element to the aggression. It isn’t the fastest thrash song on the market, but it is still rife with aggression. Interesting soloing keeps the lead parts fresh and memorable. The rest of the album follows a similar pattern. Most of the songs are not terribly fast, but are heavy. They are typically chorus-centered and have excellent lead work. This is not to say that the album is narrow-minded. The songs each have several textures that they maneuver through and all the songs stand out as individual identities. The production is very polished which unfortunately causes the vocals and drums to seem a bit synthetic. Coupled with the down-tuned guitars, the production gives this album a very modern feel to it. Overall, the album jumps back and forth between aggressive thrash to more melodic metal. The result is a listen that is heavy, yet catchy. The album on its own is a good thrash record and most thrash fans will enjoy it.
In the context of Megadeth’s discography, Dystopia holds up, but it is not their best. To me, it seems like a modern attempt at writing Rust in Peace (in spirit not in sound). Rust in Peace is a masterpiece because it literally has everything a good metal album should and more. Its riffs are incredibly memorable, the songs are catchy without being poppy, and the musicianship is off the charts. Dystopia has the catchy side to it and it has awesome instrumentation, but the riffs are not nearly as memorable as those on their other great albums. This is the only real flaw I can find with the album aside from the ubiquitous political lyrics becoming a bit tiresome. The good in this album far outweighs those two flaws however. There are some incredible songs in this record. The first that stood out to me was the title track. It sounds like the child of “Hangar 18” and “She Wolf.” The result is an incredibly catchy song filled with blistering leads. Speaking of leads, Kiko Loureiro delivers on every track with some very creative licks. The soloing is often one of the best parts of the song. Another excellent song that captures the catchy side of the record is “The Emperor” which has a very effective chorus and huge hooks that will have you singing it for days. The best thrasher on the album is the combination of “Conquer or Die” and “Lying in State.” The former is an instrumental piece with an eerie acoustic intro and then some very memorable fretboard acrobatics. The latter is a straightforward thrash masterpiece. These two together are reminiscent of the “Into the Lungs of Hell”/”Set the World Afire” and “Dialectic Chaos”/”This Day We Fight” combinations and may even surpass them. These two songs may have been better choices to open the album, but “The Threat Is Real” suffices and “Conquer or Die”/”Lying in State” eliminate any notion of the album dropping off after the A-side. Finally, the cover of Fear’s “Foreign Policy” adds a hardcore punk flare contributing to the diversity of the album. I have not heard the original so I cannot say if it does the original justice, but the cover adds variation to the album without sounding out of place.
Overall, this is a solid release and possibly the best Megadeth has had this millennium. It returns to the thrash roots of the band in the sense that it is very heavy throughout and has some speedy sections bound to induce chronic headbanging. Megadeth doesn’t try to be a pop-metal or hard rock act here which is what they needed to do after Super Collider. However, the band does not return to its traditional sound wholly. The riffing and production overall sound much more modern than some Megadeth releases which keeps Dystopia sounding like the heavier side of Megadeth’s modern releases rather than the classic thrash act they once were. However, it is better that it does not sound exactly like the Megadeth of the past. It is better that Megadeth can release good albums that sound different than Rust in Peace or Peace sells. This modern sounding album adds to the impressive discography of Megadeth without diluting the value of the masterpieces the band has released in the past.
P.S. This is my first review so thanks for reading this far. Feedback is appreciated.
