New platter "Endgame," in stores Tuesday, Sept. 15, may not be 1990's holy grail, "Rust in Peace," but it definitely ranks at a lofty position among the band's strongest efforts. No small feat considering Mustaine's considerable back catalog, and factoring in that "Rust" is one of heavy metal's most liquid-pure testaments. "United Abominations" in 2007 began the journey, and "Endgame" is the real deal.
Recorded at the band's own Vic's Garage studio in San Marcos, California, the quartet's 12th studio disc is a return to old-school form with only a few wisps of melodic explorations from the band's middle years remaining exposed. It's a literal clinic showcasing Mustaine's capabilities when it comes to his faith and devotion in worshipping at the Altar of the Gnarly Rock Guitar Riff.
No need to drop guitar tuning down to ungodly depths here. Mustaine proves you can use the instrument's six strings as our axe-grinding forefathers intended and play music every bit as heavy as bands who dwell in the dungeons of metal's lowest registers, where detuning reduces strings to limp rubber bands.
But Megadeth has always been about more than seismic riffs; Mustaine is about songs and ideas and not settling for what the establishment might be spoon-feeding you.
And let us not forget that when the man is soloing, notes pour from his nimble fingers like demons fleeing a tent-revival exorcism.
Mustaine has found new life in working with yet another new guitarist in Chris Broderick (ex-Jag Panzer), who also brings his A game in his first Mega outing. "Endgame's" 11-song roster gets ripping with the instrumental "Dialectic Chaos," which occasionally winks at Boston's "Foreplay/Long Time" in its chording, only it's more like "Foreplay" if it were played by a steroid-craving, 600-pound gorilla.
Broderick, a seven-string disciple who joined the band after guitarist Glen Drover bowed out in 2008, ably gets reacclimated to using one less wire out of the gate, shredding spellbinding solos over Mustaine's chunky one-two rhythmic punches. The pair absolutely punish their axes, ensuring every fret is is shown some love.
But the tension really surges when the ringing feedback of "Chaos" gives way to the tidal wave of "This Day We Fight!" The slashing ode to the battlefields of yore boasts a busy, blistering riff akin to a swarm of bees with an attitude problem.
"Stopping at nothing, just short of fulfilling my destiny, willing to die in my will after you for what I believe," Mustaine snorts.
The swirl of angst established early on is diminished a bit on track three, "44 Minutes." Mustaine eases off the clutch and opts for a harmonic slow burn with Broderick, vividly retelling the tale of the "North Hollywood shootout," a bloody firefight between two heavily armed and armored bank robbers and patrol and SWAT officers of the LAPD in 1997.
Mustaine shoves his foot on the gas again, appropriately, on "1,320,'" a high-octane homage to the potent stench of fuel, horsepower and scorched tires found in the adrenaline rush of high-performance drag racing.
It's here where Mustaine truly proves his dominance as an overlord among rock's greatest riff merchants. The swift, pentatonic string-bending has Mustaine's unmistakable fingerprints everywhere, and the tangled phrasing is as instantly recognizable as the singer-guitarist's mop of golden-red curls draped over his constantly bobbing head, his sneering upper lip and his snarling vocals.
While there's certainly evident chemistry between Mustaine and Broderick, crisp drumming by Shawn Drover and machine-gun bass from James LoMenzo thoroughly supercharge the syncopated fits and starts of "Bite the Hand." Brit producer Andy Sneap coaxes razor-sharp performances out of Mustaine's new gang.
But it's not all metal bliss here. One of the album's lesser cuts lies in "Bodies," which is reminiscent of classics like "Symphony of Destruction" from 1992's "Countdown to Extinction," but the tune never really grips the throat convincingly. There isn't enough friction to carry the load.
Not to fear. "Endgame's" future concert staple -- the crushing title track -- conjures thick clouds of unholy smoke. Mustaine, ever the resistance fighter when it comes to American politics and global injustices, demonstrates his harsh distaste for people being forced into snug cubicles of conformity and control.
The song is a scathing indictment of government, a frightening warning regarding the potential advent of totalitarian rule, New World Order-style.
Amidst rolling thunder and an ominous opening riff, "Endgame" lumbers to life when Big Brother, his voice piped through loudspeakers, barks: "Attention! Attention! All citizens are ordered to report to their district detention centers! Do not return to your homes! Do not contact anyone! Do not use any cellular of GPS devices! Surrender all weapons at once! Attention! This way to the camps!"
From there, the song moves through its paces at various neck-breaking torents, highlighting Megadeth's penchant for being able to rhythmically shift on a dime. Rich distortion flows from Mustaine's beloved Flying V, and Broderick delivers plentiful fretboard fireworks.
Things momentarily slow down again on "The Hardest Part of Letting Go ... Sealed With a Kiss," which finds Mustaine and Broderick pulling the plug for a bit in favor of an acoustic attack, and then the ante is upped once again by the album's first single, "Head Crusher."
The cheeky title belies the tune's uncompromising power and unbending heaviness, which is akin to vintage Megadeth a la "Wake Up Dead" or "Holy Wars ... The Punishment Due." Mustaine and Broderick spiral nearly out of control as they once again put the frets to the test with smoking solos, and the rhythm section stutters and pounds like a jackhammer. In the Megadeth aresenal, this sucker's destined for the rank of general.
"How the Story Ends" and "The Right to Go Insane" finish the disc off, the former somewhat of a letdown due to possessing an uneasy chumminess with 'Deth's "Cryptic Writings" era, but the latter rights the ship again with pulverizing power chords; clever, doomy drums and bass; and Mustaine's final spits of venom.
David S. Mustaine, who released "The World Needs a Hero" in 2001, has returned with a vengeance, folks. While "Endgame" is a title that suits this new album just fine, "Hero" might have actually been more appropriate.
Welcome back, Dave. -- James Chesna
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