Megadeth-Dystopia (2016)

Megadeth-Dystopia (2016)

By: Ghost Writer

The rise of Daesh, the immigrant conflict tearing apart the European Union, the arrival of antiestablishment populism all over the world, the dramatic fall in oil prices, Russian plane shut down by Turkey, China's growth deceleration… Well, Megadeth's main man Dave Mustaine must have plenty of inspiration available to get ready for the next chapter of his legendary highly technical Thrash Metal band, after a failed attempt at bringing back the classic Rust in Peace line up, the sad and unexpected death of Slayer's Jeff Hanneman, and perhaps the arrival of a new Anthrax record put pressure on Mustaine in order to get a new rabid record, and perhaps setting the bar high for their musical rivals and ex bandmates Metallica.

Hard times as always, are fertile soil for furious music, and Mustaine, that old venomous snake, knows it well, it's no surprise that Megadeth new record is named Dystopia, Mustaine must be also founding ties between the condition of today´s world and the timeless writings by George Orwell, a quick look at the name of the songs and you realize that Mustaine is a clever man, The Threat is Real, Fatal Illusion, Post American World, Conquer or Die, The Emperor and Foreign Policy are all signs that Mustaine is an acute observer and today's turbulent reality is cleverly put into this new record which goes back to the days of the mentioned all time classic Rust in Peace, yes, perhaps without the spontaneous caustic magic of that recording, but with enough anger and fury to make an album that stands proudly against the recent discography of the band.

The Threat is Real is an impressive opener from a band that really knows how to make impressive arrivals, it recaptures the atmosphere and dynamics of the middle eastern overtones of classics like Holy Wars, in a way is more intense, and in a way it expands into the title track, in which guitars are a little bit subdued, here Mustaine tries to fuse his glory Thrash days with the recent more radio oriented direction the band practiced a couple of years ago, is a successful experiment when compared to his previous recordings, but heaviness really starts to flourish on Fatal Illusion, where Mustaine and company relax and return to the instrumental complexity of their earlier days, going really for the throat in a fearless way.

But don’t expect heavy metal thunder to end there, as Death from Within quickly follows with great towers of thrashing guitar riffs and a powerful rhythm section led by long-time Megadeth bassist David Ellefson, and Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler, leaving us ready for the next crushing moment on the brilliantly titled Post American World, and its quasi evil twin named Poisonous Shadows, both featuring beautiful neoclassical soloing by Mustaine, somehow, Mustaine has managed to gather up a sympathetic line up that plays his perfectly tight arranged and meticulously crafted songs, it proves that Mustaine mind and guitar playing are still in top shape,  and to answer the question, Does Mustaine, the old snake, still carries enough venom in his fangs? The answer is yes, just listen to the trilogy at the end of Dystopia, beginning with the vile spitting Lying in State, the astute The Emperor and the hardcore punk filtered thru Mustaine brain of Foreign Policy, a Molotov Bomb made song, yes, Mustaine and company are back and in the best shape of their recent years.

This time, the threat is real, will Metallica be up to?