Megadeth

Megadeth
Endgame (2009)
Roadrunner Records
Rating: 4 out of 4 Pentagrams
Reviewed by: Jeff Deth

For all long time fans of Megadeth, this is truly the record you’ve been waiting for. United Abominations certainly gave hint to how good Dave Mustaine’s songwriting can still be but Endgame takes it to a whole new level. This is a complete return to the form of Rust in Peace/Countdown to Extinction. Every single track shreds. There’s not a single misstep. Its seems as if Mustaine pulled together touches of his best work spanning over his whole catalog to create this record. The first track Dialectic Chaos is an instrumental nod to the first track from So far, So Good, So What and 1,320 is a lightning speed track that sounds right off the Killing is My Business… album. It’s truly amazing to hear all these eras mashed together and still sound completely fresh and relevant today.

The riffs on every track are incredible. The solos that get put down are as energetic and inspired as anything recorded by any of the previous Megadeth lineups. The addition of lead guitarist Chris Broderick must certainly have put some wind in the sails for Mustaine. I feel like Broderick is the best fit in this band since Marty Friedman. His chops are just mind-blowing.

As indulgent as the musicianship is, the songs are still very compact and to the point. Endgame also has very sharp and pointed lyrics, political at times but also personal in classic Mustaine style. Every element showcases classic Megadeth. Mustaine is making a very bold statement with this record. At his age there’s no explanation as to how he can be writing music as aggressive and fast as he is. Endgame blows away just about everything I’ve heard in the past few years by contemporary metal bands. This is just a case of the veterans showing everybody how metal is supposed to be done.

If I were ranking the Megadeth catalog, Endgame would be 4th on my list out of the 12. While it doesn’t quite top Rust in Peace, Peace Sells… or Countdown, it closely follows. To be able to come back after all these years and create music of this caliber is very impressive. The band clearly has assessed their strongest attributes and what their fans have loved about them. It’s refreshing to have a band give the fans what they want while staying true to themselves. All the miscues and experiments are over. This is classic Megadeth speed metal!