Since Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine’s announcement in January of 2021, metalheads all around the world have been eagerly anticipating Megadeth’s latest album The Sick, the Dying, and the Dead. As we wait on the album’s release this spring, here’s the top 5 albums that defined the band’s sound and left a lasting impression on the genre as a whole.
5. Youthanasia (1994)
Hugh Syme’s cover art for the album is one of the most striking visualizations in Megadeth’s discography. Straying slightly from the band’s 80s thrash roots, Youthanasia remains the band’s most musically diverse albums.
From slower, brooding songs like “A Tout Le Monde” to the heavy, brutal sound of “Addicted to Chaos”, there’s not one dull song on the album. Compared to the heavy political satire of the band’s previous albums, Youthanasia had an almost mythological feel to it.
Songs like “Elysian Fields”, “Reckoning Day”, and “Black Curtain” deal with the themes of the afterlife and the apocalypse. Other songs on the album like “Victory” and “I Thought I Knew it All” go into more personal territory, detailing Dave’s struggles with fame and drugs both musically and lyrically.
4. Cryptic Writings (1997)
For almost 25 years, Cryptic Writings has remained one of Megadeth’s most underrated albums. While some tracks stray too far into “hard rock” territory for diehard metalheads, the album’s riffs, solos, and overall composition are as fresh as ever.
While “Trust” is undeniably the album’s most successful track, the album is full of other memorable, more experimental songs. While the band’s next album Risk strayed too far into “hard rock” territory, Cryptic Writings struck the perfect balance.
The album is full of high-energy tracks like “FFF” and “She-Wolf”. Even the album’s odder songs like “Have Cool, Will Travel” keep that high energy feel, accentuated by Mustaine’s aggressive vocals.
3. Countdown to Extinction (1992)
Out of all Megadeth’s albums, Countdown to Extinction best exemplifies what fans love about the band: complex compositions, memorable riffs, dark humor, and political satire. Similar to Alice Cooper’s best work, Countdown to Extinction tackles themes such as nuclear war, the American prison system, and mental illness with Mustaine’s signature sarcasm.
With songs like “Sweating Bullets” and “Symphony of Destruction”, Countdown to Extinction won over both hardcore metalheads and the MTV crowd. Despite the album’s popular appeal, the album also contained darker tracks like “Captive Honour” which satirized the American justice system and horrible prison conditions.
Countdown to Extinction remains a classic of thrash metal, and has been recognized by critics as both musically accomplished and socially conscious.
2. Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? (1986)
Peace Sells…but Who’s Buying?’s cover art features the band’s mascot Vic Rattlehead, standing in front of a destroyed United Nations building and leaning over a sign which reads “For Sale”. This unforgettable image has defined the band’s music ever since.
The album’s title track “Peace Sells” opens with metal’s most iconic baseline and details Mustaine’s grievances with American politics. Other tracks dealt with even darker themes such as the musically and lyrically brutal “Black Friday” and the occult-themed “Bad Omen”.
Following off of the heavy but unpolished record Killing Is My Business… and Business Is Good!, Peace Sells…but Who’s Buying? Paved the way for Megadeth to become one of the most popular metal bands of all time and revolutionized the genre.
1. Rust in Peace (1990)
None other album of the 80s thrash era can boast as many iconic tracks as “Rust in Peace”. From “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due” to “Hangar 18” to “Tornado of Souls”, each track in the album is a classic of thrash metal.
Fast, heavy, and unrelenting, “Rust in Peace” has riffs on par with the great riffs of 70s rock. “Tornado of Souls”, with it’s high-energy solo and aggressive vocals, hypnotizes the listener, dragging them into the album’s world of chaos. “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due”—Mustaine’s commentary on religious conflicts—has remained a staple of the band’s live performances for over three decades.
With such an acclaimed discography, it’ll be quite the challenge for Megadeth to top their previous work. However, if the band remembers what made its previous albums great, their upcoming album could stand alongside the best.