In the midst of 2022, Megadeth could easily be a band living off its past, its glory years, and the billions of dollars accumulated through tours, much like most bands of their era. Many have chosen to view music primarily as a business rather than as an artistic source to continue producing quality work.
David Ellefson (bassist) controversially left the band, giving rise to a renewed Megadeth lineup consisting of Dave Mustaine (Guitar/Vocals), Dirk Verbeuren (Drums), Kiko Loureiro (Guitar), and in the studio, replacing Ellefson, Steve DiGiorgio (Bass), famous for his collaborations with metal giants like Death and Testament. This powerful lineup gives birth to ‘The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!’ An album that, in our opinion, stands as one of the best in their career.
What can we hear?
Precision, technicality, and impact, a work that could be compared even to great albums in their career, such as ‘Rust In Peace’ Megadeth presents us with fast and heavy thrash metal, showcasing a level of technical prowess surpassing their recent compositions, even outshining significant recent albums in their discography, like ‘Endgame.’
The album is heavily guitar-centric with impressive guitar solos shared between Mustaine and Kiko Loureiro, the latter in top form, reflecting the hours he dedicates to mastering his instrument in each of his guitar solos, swift yet highly melodic. Dirk Verbeuren’s drumming is also commendable, though knowing his capabilities, there’s a desire to hear a bit more from him, given his excellent work with bands like Soilwork or Aborted. However, his contribution to Megadeth fulfills its role quite well.
In this album, Megadeth revisits its roots of maturity, as they initially sought to position themselves as the fastest and most aggressive band on the scene. Nowadays, they achieve this goal. Each and every song is a must-listen, creating a balanced album that can be as fast-paced as ‘Night Stalkers’ or as groovy as ‘Junkie’ or ‘Mission To Mars.’
An opening that impresses...
The album opens with the titular track, ‘The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!’ a song that, from the moment its main riff kicks in, begins to evoke excitement in the listener. That’s why it’s so crucial to start an album with such impact. Upon hearing this track, it’s understood that the subsequent songs are filled with quality, showcasing a highly advanced level of complexity, a characteristic that the band somewhat left behind in albums like ‘Supercollider’ in 2013.
Does it surpass the acclaimed album ‘Dystopia’ from 2016? Absolutely, as unlike that work, ‘The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!’ maintains a relentless assault throughout its 14 tracks. What’s particularly interesting is that the last two tracks are covers ‘Police Truck’ by Dead Kennedys and ‘This Planet’s On Fire (Burn In Hell)’ by Sammy Hagar, with the latter performed alongside Sammy Hagar himself. From our perspective, the album ends on a high note, breaking away from the complex structures of the preceding songs to provide the listener with an auditory respite.
Despite the excellent reviews this work is receiving, it must be noted that it’s not groundbreaking. We’re not hearing something the band hasn’t done before, except for a few blast beats that Verbeuren executes on the drums in ‘Soldier On’ or the synthesizers in the intro of ‘Mission To Mars.’ Nevertheless, it’s truly satisfying to see a legendary band like Megadeth still making an impact in 2022.
Enjoyable from start to finish
Undoubtedly, we give it a rating of 9.5 out of 10. This is an album that both longtime fans and newcomers will enjoy. Megadeth has a consolidated style full of glory that continues to expand to this day, using all the resources they have to create works like this, where both production and composition are exquisite. Every instrument, every breakdown, every chorus, every solo, and every drum fill sounds perfectly well.
Hopefully, more legendary bands would continue producing such excellent work to date. What do you think? Leave us your comments!
