Once upon a time, there was a boy named Dave Mustaine who played for a little Bay Area band that went by the name of Metallica. Eventually Mustaine, was unapologetically ejected from this band, and this boy never quite got over this rejection from the band that he once called friends (who also went on to major fame and fortune). As a neutral observer of all things metal, I find Mustaine's inability to move on from the whole Metallica debacle a little funny considering that Davey boy went to form the equally impactful Megadeth, which gave the world some of the most original sounding thrash this little blue planet of ours has ever heard. For some reason though, Dave has always been his biggest critic and has never seen himself living up to the potential he couldhave had in Metallica. Dave, if you are reading this, I am going to put my foot down as a neutral observer and make one thing clear: after listening to your latest release United Abominations, you are, and will forever be more loyal, and more metal than Metallica will ever be. Oh, and you are a better guitarist than Kirk Hammet.

Yes folks (especially die hard fans of Megadeth), the band we all have seen falling into the 90's pitfall of sell out fever, has continued their rebound with United Abominations, an album that has worked out the kinks apparent in The World Needs A Hero, and has expanded from the groovy sound of The System Has Failed to a more of a...oh...what's the term I am trying to think of....oh yes....to more of a thrashy sound! Is it complete outright old school thrash? No, but it takes a sound that is probably most apparent on Youthanasia, but with more ripping solos and a modern metal spin on things which was a welcomed addition to their previous outing.

A bit more on the ripping solos....damn. This is not the best album of Megadeth, but I will say, without a shadow of a doubt, that United Abominations features the best soloing of Mustaine's storied outfit. Somebody has clearly lit a fire under the ass of Mustaine (I am thinking it is the brothers Drover of Eidolon that can be partially thanked for this), because this is some of the best soloing I have heard in a long time!

Some of the highlights on the record pretty much include the thrashiest of the bunch which includes You're Dead and Burnt Ice amongst a few others. The last portion of Burnt Ice is just so damned blistering that I have to keep checking my calendar to make sure its not 1990. The outrageousness of these tracks is quite impressive, and I will take great pleasure in putting these tracks on repeat.

For the biggest surprise of this review, I am going to have to admit that not only do I think the re-make of A Tout Le Monde is better than the original, it is also one of the best songs on this album! I found this song to be quite enchanting and much more emotional than the orginal (which I believe was the intention of Dave in remaking this song).

The one minor trepidation in having outright satisfaction with this album is the vocals of Dave Mustaine. Yes, no one has ever claimed that Mustaine has ever been an amazing vocalist, but on this album in particular, it seems like the lyrics and the way Dave sings them, are almost like spoken word poetry on top of metal guitar riffs. Is the entire album like this? No, there are some mighty catchy choruses, but on some of the songs, like United Abominations and Amerikhastan, I sometimes find myself focusing on the lyrics more than the music itself. Some may say this is an effective use of artistic expression, and maybe it is, but I personally listen to music to find that perfect unity of vocal and instrumental tightness. I am not saying that Mustaine is somehow detached from the music, but it can become distracting at times. Perhaps this is simply a production issue? Probably. Like I said, it's quite minor.

Okay...closing statements. What can I say to close out this review? I mean really? United Abominations represents what many die hards have been hoping for for years, some sort of return to form by the band that we have all been so influenced by. Mustaine has repeatedly stated that, while he likes his 90's material, it was definitely influenced by the suits on the major records labels. I hope that Megadeth has found a decent, supportive home at Roadrunner, and I really truly hope that the fans are appreciative of this effort, because Mustaine has made a concerted effort to give his loyal fanbase something that they can write home about after so many years. Is United Abominations another Rust In Peace? No, but I am beginning to think that the world doesn't need another Rust in Peace, because United Abominations is a pillar in itself.