Megadeth's 2016 release, Dystopia, shreds with the modern thrash sound despite the recent departures.

So What Happened Anyway?

Wikipedia and other sources indicate that long time drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick left the band prior to this release due to everything from being mis-treated by management that was fired as a result, to disputes over money, and of course... Creative differences with Dave Mustaine not allowing them to express themselves. Sadly, all attempts at reunions failed despite clear support for the idea from fans.

It seemed like a pretty bad hit to Megadeth at the time but Mustaine has long been able to triumph over any adversity he faces with his music. Megadeth brought in Lamb of God drummer, Chris Adler, to record the album and Adler went right back to work with Lamb of God thereafter. Furthermore, bringing in the Brazillion Guitarist, Kiko Loureiro from Angra, brings in an amazing lead guitar sound that absolutely shreds. Apparently, Loureiro still plays with his Power Metal band Angra whilst also joining Megadeth.

Clear as mud?

Don't worry, the album still rocks and this is not the first breakup for Mustaine or Megadeth after 15 albums spanned across 30 years.

The Best Megadeth Album in a Long Time

To me, Megadeth was hit and miss on many albums for over a decade but this time around, Megadeth has figured it out. Every track on the album rocks with numerous changes of pace, beautiful intros, amazing drums, plenty of hyper shredding guitar solos and even a bit of rather peaceful piano. Mustaine's voice sounds better than it has in a long time and is very consistent throughout the album.

The visuals in the cover art and videos reminds me much of the futuristic Dream Theatre release, The Astonishing, featuring drones that appear to be almost identical. Based on that, I would say it is fair to assume that Heavy Metal fears the increased use of drones. Regardless of my bad joke, I have always enjoyed Megadeth visuals and considered it a large part of their art. The videos below take on an animated style that I find creative and fascinating despite being rather violent.

Listen For Yourself

Listen to Free Samples of Dystopia on Amazon.

Or, checkout these official, animated video releases on You Tube.