Out of the Big 4, Megadeth are the more interesting and artistic…this for a couple reasons. Depending on the album, for the most part, mainman/guitarist Dave Mustaine always finds a way to incorporate his thrash metal roots. Whether it is for a song or two or three, or a consistent compositional theme throughout an album. Secondly, even though no one likes to have a rotating lineup with changing musicians, this benefitted the Deth adding a spark to the creativity and arrangements. For album #15, with Lamb of God’s Chris Adler on drums and guitarist Kiko Loureiro (Angra), Megadeth again sound inspired and reenergized.

Opener ‘The Threat Is Real’ lives up to its title and sets the tone for the entire album. Just like how with the addition of Chris Broderick (guitar) made “Endgame” a great combination of “Rust In Peace” and “Countdown To Extinction”, Adler and Kiko have also upped the ante on ‘”Dystopia’, and gave Mustaine a kick in the ass. By the second (title) track, and ‘Fatal Illusion” (with Ellefson’s bass making a nice nod to “Rust”), you will forget about the super clunker “Super Collider”. Both the drums, rhythm guitars and leads maintain a consistent level of energy and an attack amongst the eleven songs. “Dystopia” also features, what I can tell, is some of Megadeth’s most intricate and challenging lead work since “Rust In Peace”. That’s all Kiko doing his thing finger picking at the beginning of ‘Bullet To The Brain’, ‘Poisonous Shadows’ (which contains fine touches of orchestral accents), and instrumental ‘Conquer Or Die’, pulling in the sounds of his native country. ‘Post American War’ has an effective straight forward delivery and crunchy riff, ‘Lying In State’ includes Mustaine’s usual lyrical commentary on society, “What we are witnessing is the decline of western civilization”, while ‘The Emperor’ feels like a ‘Skin O My Teeth’, or something from “Th1rt3en”. Depending what edition, closing two tracks are under three, and four minutes (Budgie cover of ‘Melt The Ice Away’), simple and to the point in the spirit of Deth’s cover of ‘Anarchy in the U.K.’