New Megadeth album any good?

Listened to it 3 more times today. Still making me happy.

Have yet to buy it, but I listened to the whole thing online and...meh. It's okay, but it sounds like Dave's trying too hard to get back to his thrashy side rather than just doing what he wants. Also, like XYZ pointed out, there's really not very much emotion involved. Some people said it was too close to United Abominations, but I would have loved that. I thought UA was one of the best Megadeth records, because it's heavy, has a lot of catchy melodies, and just sounds good all around. Endgame seems to kick up the heaviness but lose the catchiness and the melodic elements UA had.

I suppose I'll buy this, being the Deth fanboy I am, but I'll wait till I find it dirt cheap.

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there's really not very much emotion involved.

When was Megadeth ever a emotional band? They play precise mechanical metal. Marty was the one who put in a some exotic lead playing but not really emotional.

Troublezone wrote:

When was Megadeth ever a emotional band?

Yes. Anger is an emotion.

Schbopo wrote:

Troublezone wrote:

When was Megadeth ever a emotional band?

Yes. Anger is an emotion.

And this album has just as much as the last...

Troublezone wrote:

Schbopo wrote:

Yes. Anger is an emotion.

And this album has just as much as the last...

Just without the memorable songs, intelligent lyrics, or the cool album cover.

Schbopo wrote:

Troublezone wrote:

Schbopo wrote:

Yes. Anger is an emotion.

And this album has just as much as the last...

Just without the memorable songs, intelligent lyrics, or the cool album cover.

I'll agree with the album cover but that really isn't important. The lyrics are the same old Dave ramblings. To me and most others the songs are good and time will tell how memorable. I know you wish it was Countdown to Extiction 2 but that would be forced.

Troublezone wrote:

Schbopo wrote:

Troublezone wrote:

Schbopo wrote:

Yes. Anger is an emotion.

And this album has just as much as the last...

Just without the memorable songs, intelligent lyrics, or the cool album cover.

I'll agree with the album cover but that really isn't important. The lyrics are the same old Dave ramblings. To me and most others the songs are good and time will tell how memorable. I know you wish it was Countdown to Extiction 2 but that would be forced.

I'm with Schbopo on this (or his he with me on this?). For the most part, early Megadeth was full of pissed off ramblings. In "Peace Sells," Dav sang like he really was responding to people that said he never made it work on time or that he didn't believe in God. If he recorded that song today, i think it would not be as powerful as it was back in the day. It would sound like Dave was monotonely(?) reading the lyrics off a sheet, not putting 100% in it. I also think the passed couple albums follow this trend (some songs do, though, buck the trend).

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But when it comes to Endgame, it just seems that Dave is just standing behind the mic, passively reading the lyrics. Go listen to Rust In Peace, So Far So Good...So What!, heck, even Countdown To Extinction and Youthanasia. You can feel the aggression and spirit in the lyrics Dave is singing. It just doesn't feel the same on Endgame.

XYZ, I think you're onto something here. I've listened to Endgame at least 12-15 times since I've had it on Tuesday and while the music is great, there is something missing in the lyrics. For the most part, they have no memorable chorus or a refrain that sticks in your mind.

When United Abominations came out, a buddy of mine who is also a huge Mega-fan, said he didn't like it. He said something like "You can't sing along with it. Dave's just rambling lyrics." I told him he was crazy, it was a great album. While I still stand by that statement, I'm starting to think that about Endgame. Aside from 'Headcrusher', I'm not remembering much ofthe songs after it's over.

I think Dave's spending more time on the music and the lyrics are done as an afterthought. They don't have much rhyme or rhythm (or passion), if that makes sense. He needs to find a nice balance of music & lyrics again.

Maybe after taking some critical hits for putting out more personal lyrics and melodic music, Dave's logic is "Fine. You want aggressive thrash music, you got it. You don't want me baring my soul lyrically? Fine. I'll just watch CNN and scribble down some thoughts on the current state of affairs."

Ahhh who knows? I'll be spinning this again and again anyway, so maybe it'll start to penetrate my thick skull.

MetalGuy71 wrote:

XYZ, I think you're onto something here. I've listened to Endgame at least 12-15 times since I've had it on Tuesday and while the music is great, there is something missing in the lyrics. For the most part, they have no memorable chorus or a refrain that sticks in your mind.

This is exactly my main gripe with the album. There are very few vocal hooks and when they're present, they're extremely subdued, even in comparison to United Abominations. In the interest of making the music more thrash-y, Dave's really sacrificed a lot of the melody that he had become quite good at writing. You have to listen to Endgame quite a few times before any sort of vocal line really properly jumps out at you, which is a shame because with slightly more memorable choruses and what not, this would be amongst Megadeth's best.

I agree that there arn't as many vocal hooks on this album, but the excellent riffage and blazing solos more than makes up for that little shortcoming.

Well, megadeth killed last night on fallen, sadly the sound was smurf poo though.


and, I hate fallen even more now.

How can you guys bag on Mustaine's lyrics when you love Pantera? HAHAHAHA

"Risk" was an album that was supposed to be vocal hook driven (commercial)... I'm just glad he still can write good music at this point. He was going for a modern SFSGSW vibe i think... complete with a instrumental intro.

Troublezone wrote:

"Risk" was an album that was supposed to be vocal hook driven (commercial)

And it was. I'm probably alone in this, but I love "Risk". It may have been a sporadic turn into more poppish material, but every song had a hook that stayed in your head, like it or not.

Lurideath wrote:

How can you guys bag on Mustaine's lyrics when you love Pantera? HAHAHAHA

heh!! I think Endgame is quite good. It is one of the few Megadeth albums of the last several years I can listen repeatedly to...

Alex

Schbopo wrote:

Troublezone wrote:

"Risk" was an album that was supposed to be vocal hook driven (commercial)

And it was. I'm probably alone in this, but I love "Risk". It may have been a sporadic turn into more poppish material, but every song had a hook that stayed in your head, like it or not.

I don't think the lyrics to Crush 'em are of the intelligent variety. I thought Risk was ultra boring and an insult to the Megadeth fanbase. It really should have been a Mustaine solo album.

Troublezone wrote:

Schbopo wrote:

Troublezone wrote:

"Risk" was an album that was supposed to be vocal hook driven (commercial)

And it was. I'm probably alone in this, but I love "Risk". It may have been a sporadic turn into more poppish material, but every song had a hook that stayed in your head, like it or not.

I don't think the lyrics to Crush 'em are of the intelligent variety. I thought Risk was ultra boring and an insult to the Megadeth fanbase. It really should have been a Mustaine solo album.

Argh, this stupid argument again - No fan has the right to be "insulted" by a piece of music released by a band he has no connection with - Dave can release what ever he wants without, in theory, having to think about what some fans might think. If you don't like it, you say, "Bummer....oh, well", and wait patiently 'till next time. The same with Metallica - I believe they were pretty proud of what they did with Load/ReLoad, they don't deserve to be bashed for that, especially when all the bashing of the album is mostly not true.

United Abominations was an awesome album - Great metal, with lots of memorable hooks to boot - I'm looking forward to hearing this album

Well I say this is brilliant Megadeth thrash!...........if he doesn't
sound convincing its because he's 20 odd years older..............does
Robert Plant sound the same.........cause not! he's
older!............most of the critics rave about
this!............because it's.............wait for it!...........It's
GREAT.
I love it because I can't get enough of it..........I keep replaying it
because its not boring! it's METAL the way I like it, what more can I
say

Troublezone wrote:

"Risk" was an album that was supposed to be vocal hook driven (commercial)... I'm just glad he still can write good music at this point. He was going for a modern SFSGSW vibe i think... complete with a instrumental intro.

There's a difference between having vocal hooks and being commercial though. Risk failed because it just wasn't that well thought out of an album. It had it's moments, but even in comparison to Cryptic Writings, it was a far cry from what people were expecting. Albums like Youthanasia and The System Has Failed were barely that 'commercial' in a popular sense bar one or two songs, but were littered with vocal hooks. I do agree Endgame has a very SFSGSW vibe to it and perhaps that's why I don't enjoy it that much (I was never huge on that album, though it isn't bad), I just think it's a shame Dave has really reduced vocals to a bit of an after-thought.

It's an awesome album. The whole thing. Even 'The Hardest Part Of Letting Go' (the ballad). No filler on this one.

Come on, guys. Quit being so finicky. He could've gone nu-metal, or something, a long time ago. He could've quit doing metal altogether. But that's just not in him.

Just put it in the player and headbang like you did when you were 15. Let that adrenaline flow.

metalheaded wrote:

It's an awesome album. The whole thing. Even 'The Hardest Part Of Letting Go' (the ballad). No filler on this one.

Come on, guys. Quit being so finicky. He could've gone nu-metal, or something, a long time ago. He could've quit doing metal altogether. But that's just not in him.

Just put it in the player and headbang like you did when you were 15. Let that adrenaline flow.

AMEN!

metalheaded gets the post of the day award.

metalheaded wrote:

It's an awesome album. The whole thing. Even 'The Hardest Part Of Letting Go' (the ballad). No filler on this one.

Come on, guys. Quit being so finicky. He could've gone nu-metal, or something, a long time ago. He could've quit doing metal altogether. But that's just not in him.

Just put it in the player and headbang like you did when you were 15. Let that adrenaline flow.

Interesting, but I disagree.

I think "Head Crusher" set the bar too high for the rest of the album.