Killing Is My Business...
                                         ...And Business Is Good! (1985) Rating: 7.5/10
    Sorry, this review took a while in coming. I guess it's because I just don't listen to this album much. Considering the brilliance of Peace Sells, Rust In Peace, Youthenasia..., it's not surprising that this doesn't get much of a play. However, it is a very worthy album, baring all the Dave Mustaine trademarks which make Megadeth albums so good.
    'Last Rites/Loved To Death' has an opening worthy of the first Megadeth album, although the rest of the song is a little boring, sounding a bit like Metallica. When I first heard it, it really got me worried. [Sorry again, I'll try to finish this review later]

Peace Sells...But Who's Buying? (1986) Rating: 9/10 
     This is the first of Megadeth's really good albums. It's also their heaviest release to date, with a lot of powerful guitars, and the occasional outburst of speed. The lyrics are typical Megadeth; witty, political, funny. 'Peace Sells', especially, provides a good laugh. However, this isn't an entirely 'amusing' album. 'Good Mourning/Black Friday' is an out and out speed-a-holic number with Slayer-esque lyrics about killings and other such disagreeable activities.
    Other notable songs are 'Wake Up Dead', 'Devil's Island' (with a truly amazing guitar solo) and 'My Last Words'. The only song I don't like is 'I Ain't Superstitious' (orig. Willie Dixon), but it's only about two minutes, so it doesn't matter.
    All Megadeth fans will enjoy this album, but don't make it your first one. There aren't any hits, or 'catchy' numbers, and there are bits which are a bit repetitive. However, considering its release date, this is a landmark in heavy metal.

So Far...So Good...So What! (1988) Rating: 8.2/10
    This was my first Megadeth album, which wasn't such a good thing. This is still an excellent release, but it's probably the most inaccessible of their albums to date, and the most 'murky'. There aren't any clean Judas Priest-ish metal songs here, just a whole lot of fast, drug drenched thrash. Again, social issues are dealt with, though with less humour and more seriousness. Try comparing 'Peace Sells' to 'Set The World Afire', and you'll see what I mean. However, just because it's a darker album, that doesn't make it worse. It has some moments that Megadeth would never recapture over the following five albums. 'Into The Lungs Of Hell' is one of those moments. It's Megadeth's only instrumental, and is the highlight of their eighties material. It starts of with a deceptively timid guitar riff before launching into heavy power chords. Then the guitar solo which is the most melodic, beautiful thing they ever attempted.
    'I.T.L.O.H.' is followed by 'Set The World Afire', a long, fast guitar number about the bleak future of atomic annihilation that we all face (according to Dave Mustaine). 'Anarchy In The U.K.' is plain annoying, and a disgrace to Johnny Rotten and his friends. However, this is made up for the emotional journey of 'Mary Jane', which has a lot of great climaxes.
    '502' is a car song, but a lot faster and dirtier than most. Then 'In My Darkest Hour' which is a painful ballad of solitude, with a lot of heavy guitar chords to create the essential atmosphere. 'Liar' is somewhat more energetic, with a guitar opening that is fast even for Megadeth.
    Finally, 'Hook In Mouth', a protest against the American censorship organisation P.M.R.C.
    This is the only Megadeth album that could really disappoint (except Risk), because it is just so scattered and muddy. But it's still a classic.

Rust In Peace (1990) Rating: 9.8/10
    This is my favourite Megadeth album. There is a new lineup now, with only Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson remaining, but the newcomers are more than adequate. Mustaine and Marty Friedman (guitars) blend perfectly, to create a really exciting combination of tough rhythm guitar and speedy lead guitars. The new drummer, Nick Menza, is also very good with a lot of fancy rolls and fills in all the right places.
    Basically, the things that separate this from the previous albums are great production and more music orientated songs. On earlier albums, a lengthy song like 'Holy Wars...The Punishment Due' would not have worked, because there is too much melody, and not enough speed. And songs like 'Dawn Patrol' would have been out of place before, because it's a drum, bass and vocal track, with no savage guitar tearing into it.
    The highlights of this album are obvious from the first listen. 'Holy Wars' is the most developed, mature track, because it enters the realm of a Thrash epic. 'Hangar 18' was a hit, and features some really nice rhythm guitar work at the beginning.
    'Poison Was The Cure' seems a little bit short, which is a pity because it's a really great song. Again, the guitar work is nice. However, the best song IMO is 'Tornado Of Souls', the most simple, straight forward song on the album. It opens with two killer riffs before the rhythm and the vocals take over. The chorus is nice and heavy, but the first part of the song pales in comparison to the second, in which another killer riff quickens the pace. Then, at the third minute, the guitar solo, which is Megadeth's most skillfully constructed, and technically superior to 'Into The Lungs Of Hell'. In my list of great guitar solos, it's up at the top with 'While My Guitar Gently Weeps' (Eric Clapton/George Harrison) and 'Bold As Love' (Hendrix). Quite astonishing.
    The last highlight is the title track, which is probably the closest to their earlier styles. It's faster, heavier, and the lyrics are the only funny ones on the album.
    I consider this to be a big leap in the world of Thrash, and should be sought out by any Heavy Metal collector. And for anyone who plays the guitar, check out those riffs!

Countdown To Extinction (1992) 7.9/10
    When it was released, CTE was the worst Megadeth album. The songs were good, but not absolutely brilliant, which is what most Megadeth fans are accustomed to. I suppose it must have been hard to make a follow up to RIP, so they decided to go commercial. Not to say that this isn't great, it's just not fantastic.
    There are a few duds on this album, which could have been left out. 'Sweating Bullets' was unlistenable, 'High Speed Dirt' was boring, and 'Captive Honour' was pointless. But the other eight songs were good. Standout tracks included 'Foreclosure Of A Dream', 'This Was My Life', the title track and 'Ashes In Your Mouth'. The big hit of the album was 'Symphony Of Destruction', which is more of a pop song than anything else.
    Of Megadeth's eight great albums, this is the last you should consider getting. However, make sure you get it all the same, because it does have its moments and is still better than Metallica.

Youthenasia (1994) Rating: 9.4/10
    Whoa! Who could expected such a masterpiece??? This really is one awesome album. In terms of listening enjoyment, this is probably Megadeth's best, rivalled only by Cryptic Writings. The style has completely changed, and for the better. The songs are entirely riff orientated, similar to Metallica's The Black Album, only better. It's impossible to find a dud here; it's filled to the brim with quality and perfection. If I could change anything about it, I wouldn't.
    Finding highlights is difficult. Every song is opened by a classic Megadeth riff before Dave Mustaine's much improved vocals join in. For a lot of bands, this formula wouldn't work for a whole album, but it suits Megadeth fine, never declining into mediocrity or boredom. However, the best of the songs is probably 'Addicted To Chaos', because it blends real emotion with the killer guitars. The title track is also noticably above the rest, and is the only song reminiscent of the days when Megadeth were a speed metal band.
    It's finished off with 'Victory', which is a really strange song. The lyrics are entirely constructed of album and song titles from previous releases, and gets a bit annoying after the first minute. However, the Diamond Head-esque guitar lead makes up for it, and finishes the album in style.
    I would strongly advise that you get this before any other Megadeth album. All heavy metal fans will dig this, especially those who still think that Metallica are the best band on the planet. The best heavy metal album of 1994.

Cryptic Writings (1996) Rating: 8.1/10
    I read a lot of crap reviews about this one. Phrases like 'Megadeth's epitaph' and 'going downhill' come to mind. Needless to say, I was reluctant to spend $30 (Aus) on it. However, when I found it for only $15, I took the plunge.
    I'm glad I did get it, because it's a really enjoyable album. Not heavy or aggressive or anything like that, just enjoyable. The songs are all accessable, with a few more softer moments. There are a few influences from the upcoming 'alternative' scene, which shows that Megadeth are still paying attention to the rest of the world. It's the only Megadeth album title and cover not to have political significance, but there are still a lot of issues dealt with. For the first time, Megadeth start talking seriously about drugs (esp. heroin), which is a big change from the days of So Far So Good. Unfortunately, there is a noticable lack of excellent riffs, which could have been expected after Youthenasia. However, great vocal melodies and atmospheres make up for that.
    Unlike its predecessor, there are some good and bad tracks. 'Trust' is the opener, which sounds a lot like their 1994 sound. However, 'Almost Honest' has a very different feel, as does the lyrically brilliant 'Use The Man'. 'Mastermind' could have fitted easily on to CTE, and is by far the worst track. 'The Disintegrators' is short, but really amazing. Lots of fast guitars and vocal hooks make it the most appealing song on the album. However, it's somewhat upstaged by 'I'll Get Even', a sad, emotional song about pain and rejection. A nice guitar melody in the chorus adds the final touch.
    'A Secret Place' has a very Eastern feel, with an instrument that sounds a lot like a sitar. 'Have Cool Will Travel' is okay, but not great. The last three songs, 'She-Wolf', 'Vortex' and 'fff' are all excellent, and slightly heavier.
    This is one of those releases that don't really do anything particularly innovative, but are thouroughly entertaining all the same. This still has many years to come spent in my CD player.

Risk (1999) Rating: 7.2/10
    Like Cryptic Writings, I heard a lot of bad stuff about this album. The only difference is that most of it was true.
This marks the end to the succession of Megadeth's good albums. Sure, it has a few really excellent songs, but there are so many weak ones that it would have been better not to release it at all.
    The style has changed, but it's difficult to understand why. The new style consists of a few more sound effects, slow boring intros, melodic choruses which don't make sense and don't sound good, and drumming that is often unbearable.
    The worst songs are pretty obvious from just flicking through the tracks. 'Breadline', 'The Doctor Is Calling' and 'Wanderlust' should never have appeared on any albums, yet alone a Megadeth one. However, after half a dozen listens, two or three songs have grown on me. 'Insomnia' is by far the best. If it had been included on Cryptic Writings instead of 'Mastermind', that may well have been the best heavy metal album of the nineties. 'Prince Of Darkness' isn't as good, but it's okay. 'Crush 'Em' reminds me of Guns 'n Roses, but inferior. 'Seven' starts off badly, but finishes with a bit of excitement.
    At the end of the album are two songs, 'Time: The Beginning' and 'Time: The End'. Though still a bit weak, they become quite enjoyable by the end.
    There has been a lot of crap released in 1999, which is the only reason why they had the nerve to release this album. If it had been released at any other time, people would have completely ignored it. That's not to say it's the best album of 1999 - IX Equilibrium is a hundred times better. This truly was a disappointment.

Risk (2) (1999) Rating: 8/10
    I've decided to review Risk again. The first time I reviewed it, I didn't like it much (as you can tell), because I'd only heard it about six times. However, the more I hear it, the more I like it. I've now become addicted - it hasn't left my CD player for a week.
    The key to liking this album is ajusting to it. It's not a typical Megadeth album, and should not be treated so. There are more pop songs, and more weird sounds, but once you get used to it, it's actually a good thing.
    There are some songs I heard the first time and didn't like, but are now some of my favourites. Of course, I still really like 'Insomnia', but I've also decided 'Prince Of Darkness' is one of Megadeth's best 90s songs. 'Crush 'Em' is also a really good song, which a heavily emotional chorus. But I think my newest favourite is 'I'll Be There'. It's a ballad with some really nice lyrics, and beautiful chorus and then an emotion packed finale. Usually I hate that knid of stuff, but just like 'A Tout La Monde' (Youthenasia) this works well.
    I've also changed my mind about the last two songs. 'Time: The Beginning' is a great song, in the tradition of 'I'll Get Even'. 'Time: The End' also has a lot of great guitar work, and tops off quite an enjoyable album.
    If you dig Megadeth, make sure you have all the other albums (except CTE), then get this - it's still worthwhile, and you might really like it.

The World Needs A Hero (2001) Rating: 7.3*/10
    Shame! After eight original, skillfully written albums, Megadeth have finally done what Metallica did a long time ago; they've gotten lazy. The corpse of Dave Mustaine just about sums up Megadeth in the 21st century - completely dead. This album is packed full of recycled riffs, mediocre reworkings of songs that were crap anyway (I'm not talking about 'Return to Hangar 18', which is one of the few highlights). Many riffs are taken straight from bands like Diamond Head (main riff to 'When' and riff under solo for 'Disconnect', just to name a few) and the 'Burning Bridges' chorus is basically 'Use the Man' in disguise.  The acoustic part to 'When' is almost identical to the intro to 'The Call of Khtulu' by Metallica, which was co-written by Mustaine. And 'Dread and the Fugitive Mind' reeks of 'Sweating Bullets', which I hated. But at least CTE had some genuinely original, exciting songs which made it unique. This album is really just a disgrace. But, like all Megadeth albums since Peace Sells, it is enjoyable, if only to hear Mustaine's funny voice and listen to the solos. 'Disconnect' and 'Promises' are good songs, as is 'Return to Hangar 18', although it does rely a little too much on the original. Surprisingly 'Silent Scorn', the instrumental, is also really good. But it just isn't enough, especially considering their legacy. It's good for a listen, but probably shouldn't have been made.
 *Rating would have been higher had this not been a Megadeth album. High expectations increased my disappointment.

The World Needs A Hero (2) (2001) Rating: 8/10
    I'm making a habit of this - yes, I've decided to review TWNAH again. I will not delete the above because everything is valid, but what it doesn't say is that this may be a self parody, but it's actually intended to be. This isn't no Metallica shit - Mustaine has a sense of humour, and this album is where his lyricism and penchant for social satire comes to the fore. Note that Dave Mustaine wrote 11 of the 12 songs, and all the lyrics. Previously, David Ellefson has contributed at least twice, and Marty Friedman certainly had an influence. This is basically Mustaine solo, which means he indulges himself in all the stuff that might have been inappropriate when Megadeth was a band, as opposed to Mustaine with hired hands. That is why I initially had such a bad reaction - I'm used to the control and restraint whiich Megadeth usually have, in terms of indulgence. Like a solo album, this has all the trademarks of Megadeth, but it's more personal, and is more focussed on Mustaine's voice.
There are things I still don't like, but the riffs, while not too original, are still enjoyable. That's what matters - Mustaine tried to make an album for the fans, instead of challenging them on every release, which he's done since the beginning. And what's wrong with hearing riffs that sound all-too-familiar? At least they're good riffs. It's like a compilation, because although it may not rank alongside the 'proper' albums, its still good music. Sometimes metalheads get too concerned with progress and technicality and superlatives - fastest, heaviest, darkest, meanest, most original, most daring, most surprising. This should read 'No superlatives attached' on the cover! It's just Mustaine making an album which contains everything Megadeth fans enjoy, without trying to remake any particular album. Mustaine knows what kind of riffs we like and which kind we don't, and he's just reworked all the riffs he knows sound good, then made an album of them, with just a bit more arrogance, a bit more indulgence, and a little less originality. So what - Hammerfall haven't written an original tune in their lives, and people still like them.
May I also say, in defence of the accused (defending him against my previous review), that an album is about the musicians making the music they want to make. I've played guitar long enough to know that this is what is fun to play. Rust in Peace is hard work - this is fun, and it gives more room for improvisation at concerts. Megadeth no longer need to proove themselves - they've prooved their talent with the last 8 albums. This is what Mustaine wants to write and wants to play, and we shouldn't hassel him just 'cause we happen to like one album more than other.
So, in conclusion, get TWNAH and enjoy it because it's got some amazing riffs, some kick-ass solos and a great vibe. That's what metal is about, isn't it?