Metal Reviews

I don't even know why I'm posting this in the death/black/thrash forum....

Could somebody please tell me what the big deal is with this album? I mean, don't get me wrong. It's a good album. But, first of all, it IS more-or-less Megadeth's sellout. The songs are clean-cut and trimmed for radio play. Guitar solos have been stripped down and are far less technical than they used to be (hell, even Ashes In Your Mouth sounds rather restrained compared to what was on Rust In Peace). And no, regardless of what some may say, this is NOT a thrash album. Heck, even the (inferior) Black Album was, in some ways, thrashier than this album. It's a mainstream metal album. Plain and simple. It also just has this very "unfinished" sound to it. Like the songs needed a couple more riffs or lines to really be complete. My final statement isn't a complaint, just an observation. It's a very "fun" metal album. Mustaine's lyrics are almost humorous in their writing and delivery (which is rare for a thrash album), and the songs have a more upbeat sound than in most metal albums. This is a good thing, but being that so many metal fans complain about "fun and humor" in metal, it surprises me that they don't have such a problem with this album. Oh, one more small quibble: The production is too mechanical sounding.

Anyway, I used to love this album about four years ago. But after a while, it does start to get old. And it really confuses me that so many metal fans praise it to death, and yet bash Megadeth's later albums. Youthanasia was NOT much different from Countdown, except in that it had better production, better songwriting, generally better guitarwork, better drumming, and better lyrics. Why THAT'S considered the "sell-out" is beyond me.

Anyway, rant over. Let the controversy begin.

Marty's lead work on CTE is better than on Youthanasia, imo. The clinical sound on this album, makes it special for me...i wouldn't like all their albums to sound the same. Ok, Rust in Peace is better than this one, but it's also better than Youthanasia, CW, Risk, TWNAH and TSHF...imo...

I completely agree. There's absoloutely nothing special about this album; besides the great Ashes in Your Mouth, each song ranges from mediocre to good; all in all a good album, but I can't understand why people consider it a masterpiece. Youthanasia and the first four are definitely the better albums. Your comments about song structure are spot on; its a fun album, but thats it.

I completely agree with you and therefore Seinfeld. This thread wins.

Not a masterpiece by any means, but a very good album. Youthanasia rules!

I would say they sold out on Risk, if anything, not this one. Bands and musicians—people, actually—just tend to mellow out as they grow older. Countdown wasn't a huge departure in style, which is something that I feel needs to be present to consider something a "sell out" album. Risk was a big departure.

But anyway, Countdown is very good, but not a masterpiece.

+1

Wtf? I actually agree with Ken for once...

I never cared much for CTE either. +1 to what Seinfeld26 and Brahm_K said.

I disagree somewhat with Ken though, and that's largely because in agreeing with the aforementioned posters, the points they made are largely reasons why CTE was a big departure. A sell-out album? Well, sort of (but not as blatant as Risk, no).

-Tyrion

Yeah, if anything Risk is the sellout album, not CTE.

CTE is great, one of my very favourite Megadeth albums. The solos on it are some of the best they have ever sounded, the tunes are good, some of it is even funny.

I love getting my dance on to Sweating Bullets.

Apart from Sweating Bullets, which is a damn cool song, the rest of the album didn't really do much for me.

Apart from Sweating Bullets, which is a damn cool song, the rest of the album didn't really do much for me.

The same applies for the entire Megadeth catalogue, only adding a few songs to the exceptions list.

Yes, Friedman's solo in Symphony Of Destruction is such a classic solo.

good album, not a classic as so many before me have said. Architecture of Agression is my favorite track.

+1 that song is really good.

Great album, not thrash, never was...It's great trhough.

Pretty much sums up my thoughts. And Youthanasia is one of my all time fav albums.

I agree. Great album.

CTE is a good album but much like any album if you play it alot it gets old duh:P but this is not a bad album by any means granted its mechanical (sp?) but that sound is a change of pace besides risk proved it could be worse was it me or was there techno on that album?

CTE is not a bad album but it is overrated, its like how piece sells (at least the song) got so much credit that the album takes the heat but that album is a great album.

Youthenasia has its bad parts but all in all not a bad album my opinion has changed on it recently. Cryptic Writtings is a great album IMO that is largely underatted.

Back to the point CTE is not a "sell out" album, St. Anger was a sell out album, CTE was Daves transition into the more melodic album Youthenasia.

Tracks such as Elysian Fields and Blood Of Heroes can show how they took infuence from CTE. Not a sell out but more of a transistion IMO

Just agreeing for the sake of posting (or is that the other way around?)

Good album, nowhere near as good as Rust In Peace. Ashes In Your Mouth & Symphony of Destruction are two of the best Metal songs ever, but other songs like Skin O' my Teeth are a bit mechanical and dull. I'd also say RISK was the Sell out.