Review Summary: Angry again
Megadeth were at a crossroads at the turn of the century. Their 90’s output had started in blazing fashion with their landmark “Rust In Peace” record, followed by more commercial breakthrough albums “Countdown to Extinction”, “Youthanasia” and “Cryptic Writings”. This run of four albums was forged by their definitive line-up of lead man Dave Mustaine, original bassist David “Jr” Ellefson, wiz guitarist Marty Friedman and tech-turned-member drummer Nick Menza. Jimmy DeGrasso replaced Menza for the risky “Risk” album which saw Mustaine push the limits of commercial accessibility at the urging of Friedman. At the expense of a few new fans, “Risk” fell flat for most long time followers who, along with Megadeth, were grappling with the changing metal landscape at the end of the decade.
Exit Friedman and enter new lead guitarist Al Pitrelli for the next incarnation of Megadeth and their album “The World Needs A Hero”. Released just prior to 9-11, “The World Needs a Hero” were actually words spoken at a lunch by a Japanese promoter which struck a chord with Mustaine and his general view on the world - the music industry and politics included.
Mustaine also recognized the need for Megadeth to return to their brand of metal, without compromising the lessons learned from the preceding few albums in writing melodic and accessible songs. What’s clear is that the band’s DNA inhabits each of the songs on offer here which was down to Mustaine’s determination and co-producer Bill Kennedy’s experience of what a Megadeth album should sound like. The optics also returned, with band mascot Vic Rattlehead back on the front cover for the first time in 5 albums.
Said Mustaine at the time of release, “I can honestly tell you that it’s back to what Megadeth is. It’s just who we are. If you look at the first record, there’s a lot of really fast stuff on it and there’s a lot of really emotional stuff on it. I mean, it’s not 200 miles an hour like a lot of people think it’s going to be. It’s probably more along the lines of Rust In Peace and Countdown than anything else”.
“Disconnect” opens proceedings with a simple yet powerful driving riff which has a “Reckoning Day” feel and tempo which twists and turns with bass interludes and solos to bolster the song as it gathers momentum. The title track indulges Dave's fantasy about being that superhero rhetorically spoken about earlier. A very Megadeth bass line is the prominent feature as is the case with many of their more notable songs. A shredding bridge and solo give a triumphant feel to Dave's twisted sense of humour.
The first single “Moto Psycho” is forgettable but the following “1000 Times Goodbye” is back to tight riffing in the build-up which leads to a story about breaking up. A bitter Dave spits venom over an archetypal riff and swirling solos. Not to be taken too seriously lyrically but musically stands up. Later on, “Recipe for Hate… Warhorse” features an Ellefson bass line that evokes that of “Dawn Patrol” but this song is so much more. A mid-point change explodes this track into a series of solos reminiscent of “Hangar 18”. “Losing My Senses” is another song where Dave's vocals and story are centre stage. They work very well with the guitars to provide another cohesive and catchy song that is stylistically suited to this album's overall concept and sound.
“Dread and the Fugitive Mind” harks back to the “Sweating Bullets” jagged flow and Me Crazy narrative. It has enough driving riffs, drumming and solos to make it interesting and stand out as another varied number in this track list. Extended closer “When” sees Dave again poetically wishing ill on his enemies. The song structure has been compared to Diamond Head’s “Am I Evil” which was apparently deliberate but it works, as it has the Megadeth stamp and tone.
So where does this sit in the annals of Megadeth. Well to me, it sits just below “Countdown to Extinction” and “Youthanasia” as a heavy but accessible and well written melodic metal album that is returned to over and over again. After “The World Needs A Hero”, they ploughed on with albums of varying memorability but this is an underrated spike in an iconic metal band’s career that has stood the test of time.
