Megadeth "TH1RT3EN" Review

On November 1st 2011, Megadeth will release their thirteenth studio album aptly titled “Th1rt3een.”

Having always been the most consistent band out of the Big 4 (Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax) and heavy metal in general, “Th1rt3en” is a very diverse record which has everything from radio friendly songs (Public Enemy #1), to hard hitting thrash (Never Dead) and even some cool dark sounding stuff (Millennium of the Blind, 13.)

In my opinion, Dave Mustaine has always been one of the most underrated riff writers of all time and on this guitar driven record, he plays to his strength. The riffs are as memorable as they were back in 1990 and shows that even at age 50, Mustaine has not lost a single step. Him and fellow guitarist Chris Broderick have a much stronger back and forth dynamic on their second full length release together as the solo's mesh better and have a more unified sound. Add in the fact that founding bassist David Ellefson has made his long awaited return to the band after a ten year absence, and the result is a rejuvenated superior sounding Megadeth.

While still primarily a thrash album, “Th1rt3en” is a much more experimental sounding record than Megadeth's previous release “Endgame.” Although not always the case for most albums, for “Th1rt3en” the experimentation is positive, as it allows Megadeth to incorporate some old school Black Sabbath sounding stuff as well as more modern sounds to the songs with great results. However, each song is still distinctively Megadeth from the chugging guitar riffs to the loud heavy but technical and precise drumming, each song on “Th1rt3en” would not feel out of place on an earlier Megadeth release during their prime golden years.

The perfect example, is the opening song on the record “Sudden Death” as it has all the elements one would expect from Megadeth and opens up the album kicking you straight in the ass. The heavy drumming, galloping riff and beautiful guitar solo are all hard hitting thrash and a brutal way to kick off the album.

This leads right into the first single released from the record and it is “Public Enemy #1.” “Public Enemy #1” features all of the above attributes but also features a catchy chorus which is perfect for radio and live shows, allowing crowds all across the globe to sing along with for years to come.

A standout track on the album is the song “Never Dead.” Progressing from a minute long dark, gloomy, slow building intro the song jolts in unbelievably fast in an all out thrash metal assault. The track never relents its speed for the duration of the course and is thus the fastest and one of the heaviest songs on the album.

“Black Swan” is another great song on “Th1rt3en”, but unlike “Never Dead” it is a slower and friendlier hard rock type of song which I could see getting spins on the radio due to its catchy chorus. However, right after this the album picks up speed right again on the next track “Wrecker.” Along with featuring an amazing guitar solo, “Wrecker is the track with my favorite vocal performance. Mustaine seems angrier on this song, and his scream during portions of the track sound brutal and slightly deranged.

“Th1rt3en” closes out with a theatrical experimental song which is also the titled track of the album. With a sound similar to Megadeth's classic “In My Darkest Hour”, “13” closes the album on a solid note. Despite the slow beginning, the song picks up pace and intensity halfway through and ends really heavy before calming down again.

Overall, I immensely enjoyed “Th1rt3en” as Megadeth have once again put out a worthy and extreme metal release. In a time where it is difficult to get excited about heavy metal music due to all the crappy releases, it is comforting to know that with a Megadeth release you will always get quality music. Sounding just as good as they ever did, “Th1rt3en” is a record which is easy to get into if you're a fan as it has elements from previous records as well as new progressing material you expect from a legendary band of this caliber.

Ranked on the Beavis and Butt-Head Scale:
4 Beavis' out of 5 Butt-Heads

Songs I Recommend:
Public Enemy #1, Never Dead, Black Swan, Wrecker, 13

Tracklist:
1.Sudden Death
2.Public Enemy #1
3.Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)
4.We The People
5.Guns, Drugs, Money
6.Never Dead
7.New World Order
8.Fast Lane
9.Black Swan
10.Wrecker
11.Millennium of the Blind
12.Deadly Nightshade
13.13