MEGADETH – Thirteen

Since Megadeth’s reformation some six albums ago they have been more of Dave Mustaine’s solo project than an actual band.

This album is the first one since Mustaine’s old brother in arms Dave ”Jr” Ellefson decided to return to camp. With that in mind and since their last CD Endgame was their best album since the days of Youthanasia in the mid 90’s, expectations on this album were high – and I’m pleased to inform you all that they have managed to make a great record!

The sound is heavy and aggressive and there is a lot on here for all of those who loved Megadeth’s 80’s. There is also quite a lot of stuff that is a bit more melodic, but nothing real pop like they experimented with on Risk!

”Sudden Death”, for instance, mixes old style thrashy ’Deth with poppier melodies, which works out great, ”Public Enemy No 1” is heavy but catchy in the way that they did on Youthanasia, ”We The People” is a political track that sounds like old Megadeth, but in a more hard rock way and ”Black Swan” is brilliant with its catchy, poppy chorus over the really heavy foundation.

One song I’m not that sure of is ”Guns, Drugs And Money”. Not a bad one, but it never really goes anywhere despite the political and anti America lyrics. However, ”Wrecker” is great hard rock and the albums two ballads, ”Millennium Of The Blind” and ”13”, a ballad that gets faster and faster along the way and turns into a hard rock song, are both brilliant.

The Megadeth of today will probably never again be the thrash band that wrote Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good and the likes, but their later albums are very good and they are heavy albums that really should satisfy any Megadeth fan out there. Let’s just say that they are now Metal more than Thrash Metal and that suits them extremely well. This album won’t leave my iPod any time soon!

Jon Wilmenius (8/10)

Tracklist:

01. Sudden Death
02. Public Enemy No. 1
03. Whose Life (Is It Anyways?)
04. We the People
05. Guns, Drugs & Money
06. Never Dead
07. New World Order
08. Fast Lane
09. Black Swan
10. Wrecker
11. Millennium of the Blind
12. Deadly Nightshade
13. 13