Megadeth – Dystopia Album Review

Let’s not pretend – Super Collider and Thirteen were…questionable at best. This left me wary as I sat at my desk ready to hear the latest offering from Megadeth. Half the band had left in the last year, leaving Ellefson and Mustaine with what looked like nothing to continue the legacy that is Megadeth. Would I have to fight to find the good points to balance out the bad? Thankfully, THANKFULLY not. You will know what I mean when I say that old Megadeth are back, and it feels like it’s been so long since we heard them. Mustaine and Ellefson made some wise decisions when choosing their new members for the latest lineup. Chris Adler, drummer of Lamb of God absolutely shines on this album with Brazilian prodigy Pedro Henrique “Kiko” Loureiro of Angra stepping up to the guitarist role. Dystopia starts very differently to any of Megadeth’s other albums. With soft female vocals transcending into classic Megadeth’s fast, choppy riffs, I was instantly looking forward to sitting down to listen to this album. The title track is masterfully put together, seeming like Mustaine has learned that his vocal range isn’t what it used to be. He sticks to within his limits and delivers an amazing studio performance, with a much heavier sound when compared to their recent albums.

Mustaine has a different sound to his usual performances on other works – slightly gruffer, with an older, more refined sound. There feels like a lot more anger and politics are being channelled through this album, with the band perfectly delivering this feeling through well-timed solos and choppy riffs that only Megadave knows how to write. I have missed this. 30 years and 15 albums on, there is a strong feeling that Megadeth have still got ‘it’. Much like Slayer bringing their old-school sound with their release of Repentless last year, Megadeth have gone back to what they’re good at and deliver a near-on perfect album of windmill-inducing, balls-to-the-wall thrash.

On this 11-track album, although vocally brilliant from Mustaine, and excellently supported by Ellefson and Adler, the lead guitar doesn’t really speak to me as much as Megadeth’s earlier work. It’s not bad, it just doesn’t possess as many of the hooks that Megadeth used to be so good at, something which is becoming more and more apparent with each Megadeth release. Loureiro, in my opinion hasn’t really shone on this album, and part of me wonders if Mustaine had taken over the solos would it perhaps have a different sound, more signature to Mustaine’s volatile style? Poisonous Shadows strikes me as an easy-listening, non-offensive track that you could have in the background of a dinner with your grandma.

Chris Adler, on the other hand, is seamlessly integrated into the band, with his aggressive Lamb of God style being a brilliant addition into revamping the energy into Megadeth.

Track Listing::

1. The Threat is Real
2. Dystopia
3. Fatal Illusion
4. Death From Within
5. Bullet to the Brain
6. Post American World
7. Poisonous Shadows
8. Conquer or Die!
9. Lying in State
10. The Emperor
11. Foreign Policy