It looks like yesterday but it's been six years since Dystopia, in 2022 Dave Mustaine's Megadeth are back with the new The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!
The album would have been released last year without the pandemic but it would have been a little different as the bass parts, originally recorded by Dave Ellefson were actually rerecorded by Steve Di Giorgio (we all know why, right?). Also, there is a new official member compared to the predecessor, the drummer Dirk Verbeuren, probably my favourite drummer in the band after Nick Menza. The extraordinary Kiko Loureiro on the guitar completes the lineup.
Did I like the album? Hell yeah, I think there are killer tracks and it's even better than Dystopia, in my opinion. The title track "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" is a pure Megadeth song and to me, it's an instant classic: catchy vocals, high tempo and signature guitars towards the end of the song. My favourite song on the album and one of my favourites of the year, if I can exaggerate a bit. I love the spoken word part of "Life in hell" (I love the fact that Dave Mustaine is still pissed off about life) and I think the singles "Nightstalkers (feat. Ice-T)", "Soldier On!" and "We'll Be Back" were very well received by the fans, appreciating the fast tempos and the adrenaline of the first period of the band.
Among other moments I loved about the album, was definitely the contrast between the melody of the chorus of Dogs Of Chernobyl and the fast part at the end of it. I always love the "songs against someone" when Dave can spread his hate: in this album, we find "Killing time" when Dave sings "you are a sick psychopath" (among other lovely sentences) is music to my ears. The performance behind the microphone is very good (of course compared to the current possibilities of the singer), Dave gave everything in this album and the vocals are overall very convincing, as well as the rest of the band from every point of view.
As in every review, I even say in this one that the album could have been shortened a bit (12 tracks for around 55 minutes in the standard edition, 2 tracks more for the deluxe) and personally I would have cut Sacrifice, my least favourite on the album, but considering the all the issues the mastermind had in the last years and the fact that he's been writing music for about 40 years, this album is a little miracle, in my opinion.
Rating 75/100
Top tracks: The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!, Dogs Of Chernobyl, Killing Time.
Skip track: Sacrifice
02. Life In Hell
03. Nightstalkers (feat. Ice-T)
04. Dogs Of Chernobyl
05. Sacrifice
06. Junkie
07. Psychopathy
08. Killing Time
09. Soldier On!
10. Célebutante
11. Mission To Mars
12. We'll Be Back
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