As famouly said by Chris Cornell on Soundgardens King Animal, "Ive been away too long", and I am well aware of that fact. I have been rather busy with a musical and overtime at work but, lets not talk about that. Let's talk about some metal. This year already has two huge metal releases, both from members of the big 4. This week I will be reviewing Megadeth's Dystopia and Anthrax's For All Kings.
Megadeth- Dystopia Review-
In 1985, the band released its debut album, Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!, on the independent label Combat Records. The album's moderate commercial success caught the attention of bigger labels, which led to Megadeth signing with Capitol Records. Their first major-label album, Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?, was released in 1986 and influenced the underground metal scene. Despite its prominence in thrash metal, frequent disputes between its members and substance abuse issues brought Megadeth negative publicity during this period. After the lineup stabilized, the band released a number of platinum-selling albums, including Rust in Peace (1990) and Countdown to Extinction (1992). These albums, along with touring worldwide, helped bring public recognition to Megadeth. The band temporarily disbanded in 2002 when Mustaine suffered an arm injury and re-established in 2004 without bassist Ellefson, who had taken legal action against Mustaine. Ellefson settled with Mustaine out of court and rejoined the group in 2010. Megadeth has hosted its own music festival, Gigantour, several times since mid-2005.
After the last album Supercollider and the disastrous backlash from the fans that came with it Megadeth really needed to turn things around. They didn't want fans loose faith in new releases like they have with Metallica. The problem with supercolider aside from the lack of heavy hitting songs was the attempt add genre musical diversity. Some styles and even some metal bands can pull of huge musical diverse albums, but it’s not every really worked well for Thrash Metal. This time they brought on Chris Adler from Lamb of God to bring back the old school vibe.
Megadeth perform Holy Wars The Punishment Due Live.
1. The Threat is Real-starts with some strange atmospheric background singing before jumping in for a huge riff and Dave spitting poison and sounding great. They seem more fired up and fierce than ever. This song has some of the best drum and bass lines I have heard in a long time. New guitarist Kiko Loureiro really keeps the blistering pace set by Dave. The songs are strongly and of course crazily political, but that you should expect. This song is a highlight and a great single.
2. Dystopia- has a more melodic start but sounds like past riffs from the Youthanasia or Peace Sells era. The dueling guitar solos really make this song. Chris Adler continues to shine here with pounding drums.
3. Fatal Illusion-starts with a slowed down start with an angular chugging line before breaking into one of the best bass lines they have ever had. They follow that with an explosion of thrash and dueling guitar solos.
4. Death From Within-a muted and pounding drum solo starts before it starts up and shows of one of the best riffs Dave has ever written. The chorus is huge and has anthemic backing vocals. The guitar solo here is so good it gave me chills. This is an album highlight.
5. Bullet to the Brain-slows things down and starts with almost acoustic riff and escalates from there. The riffs don’t stop and he weaves great melodic solos over edgy riffs. the new lineup works together magically.
6. Post American World-starts with a dark and grinding guitar lines all while Adler pounds the double petal back beat. This a slower songs, but it spits fire and hate throughout. This is one of Dave's most politically angry songs on the album. The title along says all you need to know and he gives the song dark and evil sound.
7. Poisonous Shadows-starts with a quiet and slow acoustic guitar solo duel. It builds and builds around crazy solos. This a slow and haunting ballad, or at least as close as megadeth comes to a ballad. The vocals on the ballad section are scratchy as always but are very catchy. This song makes use a full blown orchestra in a very cool way.
8. Conquer or Die-also starts slow and a melodically with a beautiful Latin style acoustic guitar solo. Before escalating to a beautiful guitar solo for a great instrumental track.
9. Lying in State- Don’t worry metal fans, lying in state kicks thrash back into gear in a big way with a fast and furious song. It all comes to a t in the last minute with the final guitar solo that is the highlight of the song. This is heaviest song on here by far.
10. The Emperor-is another solid thrash track that rips through huge solos that shine huge here. No one can say that Dave phoned it in here. Again they pull off a surprisingly catchy chorus, that ends while the solo blisters around it.
11. Last Dying Wish-is a strange closer coming close to punk with a shouted chorus and a very punk style guitar line in it. As weird as it is for them, they pull it off with the anger and instrumental skill they bring to it.
2. Dystopia- has a more melodic start but sounds like past riffs from the Youthanasia or Peace Sells era. The dueling guitar solos really make this song. Chris Adler continues to shine here with pounding drums.
3. Fatal Illusion-starts with a slowed down start with an angular chugging line before breaking into one of the best bass lines they have ever had. They follow that with an explosion of thrash and dueling guitar solos.
4. Death From Within-a muted and pounding drum solo starts before it starts up and shows of one of the best riffs Dave has ever written. The chorus is huge and has anthemic backing vocals. The guitar solo here is so good it gave me chills. This is an album highlight.
5. Bullet to the Brain-slows things down and starts with almost acoustic riff and escalates from there. The riffs don’t stop and he weaves great melodic solos over edgy riffs. the new lineup works together magically.
6. Post American World-starts with a dark and grinding guitar lines all while Adler pounds the double petal back beat. This a slower songs, but it spits fire and hate throughout. This is one of Dave's most politically angry songs on the album. The title along says all you need to know and he gives the song dark and evil sound.
7. Poisonous Shadows-starts with a quiet and slow acoustic guitar solo duel. It builds and builds around crazy solos. This a slow and haunting ballad, or at least as close as megadeth comes to a ballad. The vocals on the ballad section are scratchy as always but are very catchy. This song makes use a full blown orchestra in a very cool way.
8. Conquer or Die-also starts slow and a melodically with a beautiful Latin style acoustic guitar solo. Before escalating to a beautiful guitar solo for a great instrumental track.
9. Lying in State- Don’t worry metal fans, lying in state kicks thrash back into gear in a big way with a fast and furious song. It all comes to a t in the last minute with the final guitar solo that is the highlight of the song. This is heaviest song on here by far.
10. The Emperor-is another solid thrash track that rips through huge solos that shine huge here. No one can say that Dave phoned it in here. Again they pull off a surprisingly catchy chorus, that ends while the solo blisters around it.
11. Last Dying Wish-is a strange closer coming close to punk with a shouted chorus and a very punk style guitar line in it. As weird as it is for them, they pull it off with the anger and instrumental skill they bring to it.
Megadeth Perform Dystopia Live.
This is a huge and blistering return to form for Megadeth who with the new lineup additions of Lamb of God’s Chris Adler and New guitarist Kiko Loureiro seem to be in top creative form. After the dismal Supercolider Dave Mustaine put branching out musicly aside and went back to what he does best. This album is the most focused and driven I have heard them since 2009’s Endgame. As always Dave is singing about xenophobic things and his usual crazy political mumbo jumbo, but that’s just Dave and if that bothers you maybe this isn’t the right band for you. I know its early, but so far it’s the best metal album of the year.
Here is my Video Review of Megadeth's Dystopia.
Recommended Songs: The Threat is Real, Fatal Illusion, Death From Within, and Lying in State.
4.5/5 Stars
Anthrax- For All Kings Review-
Anthrax's lineup has changed several times over their career. The band has had a number of vocalists including Neil Turbin, Joey Belladonna, Dan Nelson and John Bush. Founding member Scott Ian and early arrival Charlie Benante, who joined Anthrax in 1983, are the only band members to appear on every album. Bassist Frank Bello has played on every album except the band's first. In 2010, Joey Belladonna returned to Anthrax and has since recorded two more studio albums with the band, Worship Music, released in 2011, and For All Kings released in 2016.
Anthrax had a huge return album with 2011’s Worship Music and the much sought after return of Joey Belladonna as lead vocalist. This was a huge moment for anthrax fans like Bruce Dickenson's return on Brave New World was for Maiden fans. That reunion and the hype around it brings sometime distracts from the music itself. Not to say that Worship music wasn’t great, but the expectations are distracted by the fact that the old gang is back together. Now with For all Kings the smokescreen is gone and all eyes are on consistency, can all your old friends conjure up the magic again beyond that initial exciting reunion.
Anthrax Performing Indians live.
1. You Gotta Believe-Starts off with a slow drum build before exploding into full thrash riffs. This song seems like a homage to persistence of time. This song is one of the best and heaviest songs on the album. This song would be so fun to scream along to live, definitely a highlight. Its full of trash and melodic riffs and slows down in the bridge before exploding again at the end.
2. Monster at the End-Slows things down a bit and let’s Joey Belladonna shine on power vocals. There are huge riffs here but what really brings the song together is the powerful chorus sections that brings us the feel of huge concert singalongs.
3. For All Kings-has one of the best openings on the album with a huge screaming “For All Kings” from joey before breaking into the huge riffs. This song trashes hard but also really works the huge chorus sections that are destined for a live performance and crowd participation. This song has huge vocals and riffs and a lot of thrash. I think its an album highlight.
4. Breathing Lightning-is probably the best song on the album combining a lot of 80s era Anthrax sounds with a more modern metal style. This song really has something for all metal fans. It layers the melody of powerful harmonic chorus over huge chugging riffs. The verses jam out and the chorus's soar to huge vocal breaks. This track combines it all perfectly.
5. Suzerain-Has some huge chugging metal riffs but looses a little steam in the choruses, they don’t soar as much as other songs and tend to take a little bit of the wind out of the sails of the song.
6. Evil Twin-this song picks up the steam dropped on suzerain and rocks along a one of the heaver songs on the album. I hear a lot of classic sounds in this song that reminds me of 80s Anthrax.
7. Blood Eagle Wings-This song makes the same mistakes as some of Death Magnetic's it just goes on for way too long and its way too repetitive. The song does rock out, but I just feel like a much faster more aggressive song here would have served the album better.
8. Defend Avenge-picks the pace back up a little bit with huge riffs right out of the gate and puts the album back on track with a much more aggressive sound.
9. All of Them Thieves-continues the rise back up with even faster and more aggressive riffs and vocals. This song brings us back to the height of the first half of the album with impressive riffs and aggressive vocal lines.
10. This Battle Chose Us-Then comes my least favorite song on the album. This song is just very generic and feels like a generic radio rock song from a far worse band. The pace sucks all the progression from the last two songs and just bores me. I’m glad it didn’t end here because it would have been very disappointing
11. Zero Tolerance-The actual album closer is a ten times better song with some of the best riffs and solos on the album. Its a straight balls to wall trasher and it washes the last song from your mind. This is a great song and the heaviest song on the album. It is defiantly an album highlight.
2. Monster at the End-Slows things down a bit and let’s Joey Belladonna shine on power vocals. There are huge riffs here but what really brings the song together is the powerful chorus sections that brings us the feel of huge concert singalongs.
3. For All Kings-has one of the best openings on the album with a huge screaming “For All Kings” from joey before breaking into the huge riffs. This song trashes hard but also really works the huge chorus sections that are destined for a live performance and crowd participation. This song has huge vocals and riffs and a lot of thrash. I think its an album highlight.
4. Breathing Lightning-is probably the best song on the album combining a lot of 80s era Anthrax sounds with a more modern metal style. This song really has something for all metal fans. It layers the melody of powerful harmonic chorus over huge chugging riffs. The verses jam out and the chorus's soar to huge vocal breaks. This track combines it all perfectly.
5. Suzerain-Has some huge chugging metal riffs but looses a little steam in the choruses, they don’t soar as much as other songs and tend to take a little bit of the wind out of the sails of the song.
6. Evil Twin-this song picks up the steam dropped on suzerain and rocks along a one of the heaver songs on the album. I hear a lot of classic sounds in this song that reminds me of 80s Anthrax.
7. Blood Eagle Wings-This song makes the same mistakes as some of Death Magnetic's it just goes on for way too long and its way too repetitive. The song does rock out, but I just feel like a much faster more aggressive song here would have served the album better.
8. Defend Avenge-picks the pace back up a little bit with huge riffs right out of the gate and puts the album back on track with a much more aggressive sound.
9. All of Them Thieves-continues the rise back up with even faster and more aggressive riffs and vocals. This song brings us back to the height of the first half of the album with impressive riffs and aggressive vocal lines.
10. This Battle Chose Us-Then comes my least favorite song on the album. This song is just very generic and feels like a generic radio rock song from a far worse band. The pace sucks all the progression from the last two songs and just bores me. I’m glad it didn’t end here because it would have been very disappointing
11. Zero Tolerance-The actual album closer is a ten times better song with some of the best riffs and solos on the album. Its a straight balls to wall trasher and it washes the last song from your mind. This is a great song and the heaviest song on the album. It is defiantly an album highlight.
Anthrax Performing Antisocial Live.
Overall through all its ups and downs this is a very good trash album and a very good Anthrax album. I was a fan of Worship Music, but to me this feels like a much better return to form than the former. It also show lots of references to older album like Persistence of Time, which was my favorite Anthrax album. This album has a few moments where it looses steam and has a couple of tracks that seem like filler from a hard rock band. However majorly front loaded this album combines the sounds of classic 80s thrash with some sounds of modern metal in a good way. It also has some of the best song writing from Anthrax in a very long time. They combine huge choruses with great riffs to make an album that will stick with fans of Anthrax old and new.
Here is my Video Review of Anthrax's For All Kings.
Recommended Songs: You Gotta Believe, For All Kings, Breathing Lighting, and Zero Tolerance.
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