megadeth

The brainchild of Dave Mustane, who was the original lead guitarist for Metallica until feuds between James/Lars and him finally caused his booting from the band. While Metallica lost a great guitarist, the thrash world came out with a great thrash band of the '80s.

Killing is my Business...And Business is Good! (Combat) 1985

1. Last Rites/Loved to Death
2. Killing is my Business...And Business is Good!
3. Skull Beneath the Skin
4. These Boots
5. Rattlehead
6. The Chosen Ones
7. Looking Down the Cross
8. Mechanix

Killing is my Business came out in 1985 after Dave mustered together the original Megadeth (Dave Mustane, David Ellefson, Chris Poland, and Gar Samuelson). What the music world was served was a thrash platter which, despide really bad production on behalf of Combat Records, sold 500,000 copies, which was good for an independent record company. These Boots is a cover from the Nancy Sinatra song and Mechanix is the original version of Metallica's The Four Horsemen.

Peace Sells...But Who's Buying? (Capitol) 1986

1. Wake Up Dead
2. The Conjuring
3. Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?
4. Devil's Island
5. Good Mourning/Black Friday
6. Bad Omen
7. I Ain't Superstitious
8. My Last Words

Peace Sells would turn to be a classic thrash album. After the semi-success of Killing is my Business, Megadeth went back into the studio and pushed out Peace Sells, under a new record label. Capitol cleaned up Megadeth's sound and it payed off. Wake Up Dead, The Conjuring, and Black Friday are all great songs on here, as well as the rest of the album. I Ain't Superstitious is a Willie Dixon cover.

So Far, So Good, So What! (Capitol) 1988

1. Into the Lungs of Hell (instrumental)
2. Set the World Afire
3. Anarchy in the UK
4. Mary Jane
5. 502
6. In My Darkest Hour
7. Liar
8. Hook in Mouth

So Far, So Good, So What! brought a shift in not only Megadeth's band members, but music sound as well. We are dished out with thrash songs like Set the World Afire and Hook in Mouth, but are also introduced into some more progressive toned songs like Mary Jane and In My Darkest Hour. Gone are Chris Poland and Gar Samuelson who are replaced by Jeff Young and Chuck Behler. Though the new lineup did not last long, this album still sold millions and brought Megadeth to more fame. Anarchy in the UK is a Sex Pistols cover. Hook in Mouth was originally going to be on Megadeth's first album, but was cut due to productivity costs. Set the World Afire was originally titled Megadeth, which Dave wrote on his bus ride to L.A. after being "fired" from Metallica.

Rust in Peace (Capitol) 1990

1. Holy Wars...The Punishment Due
2. Hangar 18
3. Take No Prisoners
4. Five Magicks
5. Poison was the Cure
6. Lucretia
7. Tornado of Souls
8. Dawn Patrol
9. Rust in Peace...Polaris

Well, Dave finally sobered up and Megadeth improved because of it. This album is a masterpiece in the music world. Holy Wars and Take No Prisoners are two of the best thrash songs Dave has written yet. This album was soaring through the charts and gained No. 2 on the music charts but fell short of Metallica's Metallica (the Black Album). Not that that matters for true thrash fans, because devoted fans like us would buy it even if it didn't top the charts. This is probably my favorite Megadeth album yet.

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Countdown to Extinction (Capitol) 1991

1. Skin o' My Teeth
2. Symphony of Destruction
3. Architecture of Aggression
4. Foreclosure of a Dream
5. Sweating Bullets
6. This Was My Life
7. Countdown to Extionction
8. High Speed Dirt
9. Psychotron
10. Captive Honour
11. Ashes in Your Mouth

Well, I had a brain fart while I was doing this. THIS album went to No. 2 on the billboards, not Rust in Peace. So, all that stuff said about the soaring, that actually happened to this album. Though THIS album is what took Megadeth to the top, many say that Megadeth sold out. Well, I don't think they did. They cleaned their sound up a little bit, but they never said they wouldn't do any videos for MTV or wouldn't hop on a major label (*cough* Metallica) and this album still has plenty of thrash written songs, such as Skin o' My Teeth, High Speed Dirt, and probably the best track on the album, Ashes in Your Mouth. Teriffic album.

Youthanasia (Capitol) 1994

1. Reckoning Day
2. Train of Consequences
3. Addicted to Chaos
4. A Tout le Monde (Goodbye World for those non-French speakers) (not that I speak French, either)
5. Elysian Fields
6. The Killing Road
7. Blood of Heroes
8. Family Tree
9. Youthanasia
10. I Thought I Knew It All
11. Black Curtains
12. Victory

Well, there's quite a bit to say about this here album. I purchased this one in the Mall of America while I was in Minneapolis a couple years ago because it was on sale. Well, Megadeth have refined their sound quite a bit in Youthanasia. Gone are the metal thrashing riffs of Peace Sells and in are many progressive metalish songs, such as Addicted to Chaos, Elysian Fields, Blood of Heroes...hell, pretty much the whole album. The best songs, I think, are Reckoning Day, Youthanasia, and Black Curtains; those have the heaviest sounds in the album. I was a bit disappointed in the progressive metal path Megadeth had taken at this point, but it is a good album nonetheless.

Hidden Treasures (Capitol) 1995

1. No More Mr. Nice Guy
2. Breakpoint
3. Go to Hell
4. Angry Again
5. 99 Ways to Die
6. Paranoid
7. Diadems
8. Problems

Well, this is Megadeth's cut tracks. Most of the ones on here are songs which were released on movies or soundtracks. No More Mr. Nice Guy is an Alice Cooper cover and was on the horror movie Shocker. Go to Hell was on Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey. Angry Again was on AHNULD's huge failure (but still funny to watch), Last Action Hero. 99 Ways to Die is on the Beavis and Butt-head soundtrack. Paranoid is the Black Sabbath cover. Diadems, originally titled Demon Night, was on the Tales from the Crypt. Problems is a Sex Pistols cover. Rather short and should have had other cut tracks that weren't released in the US, like Crown of Worms (Youthanasia), Duke Nukem, and New World Order. Still a good CD to listen to. The Paranoid cover is killer.

Cryptic Writings (Capitol) 1997

1. Trust
2. Almost Honest
3. Use the Man
4. Mastermind
5. The Disintegrators
6. I'll Get Even
7. Sin
8. A Secret Place
9. Have Cool, Will Travel
10. She-Wolf
11. Vortex
12. FFF

Well, the Megadeth of old is pretty much gone here. The new Megadeth have changed their sound into a more radio friendly pop metal band. I kinda like the songs like Trust, A Secret Place, and She-Wolf, but I really don't like the new pop metal approach from Megadeth. I'm used to hearing songs that are fast, aggressive, and are very radio unfriendly. If you're into pop metal, I guess you'll like this CD. But, I found it not in my tastes and is my most least listened to Megadeth CD. This led to me not buying Risk, though I was tempted to import a Japanese version of Risk for the Duke Nukem cover on it.

Capitol Punishment (Capitol) 2000

1. Kill the King
2. Dread and the Fugitive Mind
3. Crush 'Em
4. Use the Man
5. Almost Honest
6. Trust
7. A Tout le Monde
8. Train of Consequences
9. Sweating Bullets
10. Symphony of Destruction
11. Hangar 18
12. Holy Wars...The Punishment Due
13. In My Darkest Hour
14. Peace Sells

The only reason I bought this album was because of the new tracks on it. Kill the King and Dread and the Fugitive Mind show that Megadeth can still play some heavy tunes. The album is basically a "Best of..." album. The only problem is that they didn't include classic tracks like Wake Up Dead, The Conjuring, Hook in Mouth, or anything from Killing is my Business... Instead, they put a bunch of pop metal crap on there like tracks 3-8. They could have done without In My Darkest Hour as well, but that's my opinion. The bonus tracks are worth buying the album...if it's under $10, of course.

The World Needs a Hero (Sanctuary) 2001

1. Disconnect
2. The World Needs a Hero
3. Moto Psycho
4. 1,000 Times Goodbye
5. Burning Bridges
6. Promises
7. Recipie for Hate...Warhorse
8. Losing My Senses
9. Dread and the Fugitive Mind
10. Silent Scorn (instrumental)
11. Return to Hangar
12. When

Finally, Megadeth have come back to their metal roots! This album is the best thing that could have happened to Megadeth. Songs like Burning Bridges, Dread and the Fugitive Mind, Return to Hangar, and When bring Megadeth back to what they were playing like 10 years ago instead of this radio friendly crap. Marty Friedman and Nick Menza have been replaced by ex-Savatage guitarist Al Pitrelli and ex-Suicidal Tendencies drummer Jimi DeGrasso (who joined Dave in the MD.45 side project). If you ask me, this is the best lineup Megadeth have had so far in their near 20 year career. When sounds a lot like Am I Evil? (Diamond Head). I think Dave and Steve Hatler wrote this one, but I'm not sure.

Rude Awakening (Sanctuary) 2002

Disc One

1. Dread and the Fugitive Mind
2. Kill the King
3. Wake Up Dead
4. In My Darkest Hour
5. Angry Again
6. She-Wolf
7. Reckoning Day
8. Devil's Island
9. Train of Consequences
10. A Tout le Monde
11. Burning Bridges
12. Hangar 18
13. Return to Hangar
14. Hook in Mouth

Disc Two

15. Almost Honest
16. 1,000 Times Goodbye
17. Mechanix
18. Tornado of Souls
19. Ashes in Your Mouth
20. Sweating Bullets
21. Trust
22. Symphony of Destruction
23. Peace Sells
24. Holy Wars

It's about time Megadeth have realeased a live album/DVD. Rude Awakening is jam packed with classic Megadeth songs to make anyone want to listen/watch it for hours. The CD sounds better than a few select Megadeth CDs and the DVD is spectacular. The only problem is that the CD costs $24.99 at local retailers and the DVD is about $34.99. The best bet you can get is to get either of them off ebay. Or if you're a true fan, fork over the normal fee...yeah right! Either are a must get for any Megadeth fan.