Megadeth - Th1rt3en
As a teenager, I worshipped Megadeth and the 'Rust In Peace' album in particular. I lost faith with them when they released 'Countdown To Extinction' as the pristine, technical speed metal of the former gave way to the more commercial modern metal of the latter. This is the first album of theirs that I've bought since then.
Opener, Sudden Death, excites me as it is a triumphant recollection of former glories, reminding me of both 'Take No Prisoners' with its blistering lead guitar work, and 'Five Magicks' with its galloping verses which trade vocal lines and guitar solos. It's a truly excellent opener. Public Enemy No. 1 is even better, the spiritual heir to the classic Hangar 18. The guitar work on this, and throughout the album, is exceptional. Whose Life (Is It Anyways) is a driving, heads down, straightforward thrasher with a memorable, stomping chorus.
They can't keep this pace up however, and We The People sees a slower, groove metal approach. Guns, Drugs & Money follows a similar path but is much more successful because it's built on a good riff and a catchy chorus. Never Dead is fast and furious with tight, technical riffing and some fine drumming from Shawn Drover.
There's a difference between reliving former glories and ripping them off wholesale, and New World Order, crosses the line, sounding like a carbon copy of 'Five Magicks'. What's the point? Fast Lane is 'High Speed Dirt' for the 21st Century, although I'm not sure anyone wanted or needed that. Black Swan sees the 'Deth at their most melodic with a really strong chorus.
Every Megadeth album has one or two fillers and this is no exception. Deadly Nightshade is one example, and it bizarrely sounds like a metalized version of Weezer's 'Hash Pipe'.
Is this a return to the glory years? No, there are slightly too many fillers but there are enough glimpses of brilliance to make me want to listen to this again.
No comments:
Post a Comment