Review Summary: WARNING: Fanboy hazard ahead. All semblances of objectivity may be abandoned in favor of (over)enthusiasm! Proceed with caution!
Within Megadeth's musical history, there seems to be a trend where the band is at its strongest just after having overcome a tumultuous and tragic period. For example, Mustaine had to attend a rehab facility due to his intense drug addiction in the late 80s, after which he assembled arguably the greatest Megadeth formation in the band's history, which recorded and released Rust in Peace, as well as a string of other critically and commercially acclaimed albums. Some 12-13 years later, Mustaine officially disbanded the group, due to suffering a debilitating arm injury and firing/losing integral members, but then made a sky-shattering return with 2004's The System Has Failed and a new team at his wing.
It is 2016 now, and, at least from my point of view, this story has just repeated itself. In the three years since the release of 2013's Super Collider, Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson, faced personal tragedies, namely the loss of dear family members, as well as professional turbulences, namely the departure of talented Chris Broderick and Shawn Drover. Completing the other half of the historic pattern which I explained, they have just released Dystopia, an album which easily succeeds in repelling the criticism that the band faced for its previous two offerings and could even claim to compete with the best 'deth records.
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Contrary to what many have theorized, in my eyes the perceived weakness of Megadeth's previous two records (13 and Super Collider) did not originate from the band's venturing into more melodic territory and abandoning its thrash roots, but rather from a lack of energy. The band has shown in the past that that it could deliver a superb headbanging affair even in its more melodic incarnations (e.g. Countdown, Youthanasia), provided they had the required energy and teamwork. These two ingredients were absent lately, as the split in the band revealed that both Drover and Broderick had felt unfulfilled as members and contributors, which somewhat explains the underperformance of the group on Th1rt3en and Super Collider.
Another reason for said shortcomings that was evident was a lack of focus and a concrete idea of which direction to develop in. It was clear that Mustaine saw the world affairs as having taken a darker turn in the last few decades, and that he intended to keep that pessimist element in the albums' themes. However, he could never quite find the right words to articulate
what exactly he saw as wrong. On one song, it was the banking elites, on another it was the NWO, on a third one, it was Biblical antagonists, on yet another it was politicians, technology, finances, drones etc. etc. Such chaotic, fickle and inconcrete accusations somewhat eroded the messages that Mustaine was trying to send, and pushed away listeners who would have otherwise agreed with him, if only his statements were a bit more tangible.
What Dystopia does is that it adeptly mends both of these flaws. The fresh blood and creative spirit that were summoned with the arrival of Kiko Loureiro and Chris Adler, make Megadeth sound energetic, inspired and driven again. There was no rush to release things quickly this time around, and it is evident that the time was taken to allow the fostering and exchange of immense talent and experience that the new formation possessed to rekindle and revitalize the music, turning it once again into a concentrated unit of force.
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The songs on here delve mostly into the standard themes already established in Megadeth's career arc. You know the drill: Dying world (Dystopia), loss of freedoms (The Threat is Real, Post-American World), dysfunctional relationships (Bullet to the Brain, Poisonous Shadows) and.. uh... exposing phonies? (The Emperor) So, there's nothing new in terms of the topics discussed. The difference this time is that Mustaine managed to channel the looseness and uncertainty present in the band's previous two endeavors into something that manifests intent and conviction. The moods and ideas that Mustaine struggled to find the right manner to express previously are now articulated with clarity and precision.
For example, the laser sharpness of The Threat is Real's mechanical riffs combined with Dave's spiteful snarl perfectly convey the constant threat and danger of a life in a hellish warzone, such as the one the people in Iraq and Syria are facing right now, or maybe in a scene right out of Nineteen Eighty-Four. Dystopia, on the other hand, sounds sad and melancholic, which is also apt; who wouldn't worry about the present environmental and climate disturbances through which our Planet is going? Similar is the palpable helplessness and forlornness in Lying in State and the decay in Post American World.
Conquer or Die, the album's instrumental, starts out like Tristram out of the Diablo video games, but then flourishes into something beautiful and, I daresay
regal. Megadeth have always been able to apply an excellent artistic touch in all of their instrumental pieces, ever since the guitar-and-piano introduction Last Rites off their debut. Besides Conquer or Die, here this is seen again in the closing piano chords in Poisonous Shadows, set over the protagonist's dying whispers. It works, damn it! It just works!
Not letting the pessimism take over, the band has also included several songs that are more on the upbeat and melodic side. One is Bullet to the Brain, which starts off somewhat muddled and languid, but then explodes into a bombastic chorus, which hits you hard and out of nowhere. The Emperor is also great, ridiculing that type of character we've all known, who is full of *** and you just can't wait until he is exposed for the joker that he is.
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I'll avoid introducing the merits of the two new Megadeth initiates, Kiko and Chris, as you should already know them well enough. Suffice to say that they have executed their duties with excellence. A bigger achievement is that their enthusiasm seems to have fed Mustaine with just the right vibes, leading to the fresh and inspired product that we see here. Striking the right chord with Dave's difficult character must have been no small feat, so props to them.
So there you have it. Objectively, I should give this a 4/5. But since I'm trying to look at things from a wider perspective, and given the context that Megadeth was in a very rough spot over the past five years, with few expecting the band to carry on, them having risen from the ashes again in full force compels me to bump up with that extra half-mark. They've found the strength again, and are back on the right track.
Recommended tracks:
There's a bit for everyone. Any one will do!
