Dystopia

Amazon does great with their vinyl and their prices are great. Ships super quick and is packaged very well. Came in with no damage and sounds great! One of my favorite Megadeth albums!

There is no denying that Megadeth – Mustaine and the brand – remain a force to be reckoned with in the metal community, especially for those of us that have spent nearly 3 decades following their career and lapping up every ounce of metal forged. But along with all of the glory has come the frustration with stylistic changes and more significantly … the dreaded line-up changes. The 2014 departure of drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick – who were excellent at their trade and went on to form Act of Defiance – was the latest disruption that threatened to put the proverbial “nail in the coffin” to Mustaine’s Megadeth machine …and all this over fans ranting over wanting a reformation with Menza and Friedman. Seriously? Having seen both Drover and Broderick on the Rust In Peace anniversary tour a few years ago, these guys gelled with Ellefson and Mustaine and more than carried their weight in metal. But Mustaine has never been one to give up easily in the face of adversity and it seems there has always been a bevy of talented musicians ready to answer the call to serve in the Megadeth army. Enter Kiko Loureio (Angra) and Chris Adler (Lamb of God). These guys were more than willing to bring their own enthusiastic and talented skills to the aid of the venerable, yet resilient Mustaine. Following in the trend of current dystopian movies/themes whilst still treading in the familiar waters of Megadeth political and sociological commentary, Dystopia not only delivers a blistering performance by the new band but it also hearkens back to the early years where thrash ruled the day – this one feels a lot like the Rust In Peace era, but there is more as well.It’s rare that I listen to pre-release material because I find that it often taints the pure virgin listening experience of a new “record.” But with all of the hype about the return to thrash/guitar-driven metal, I could not resist the temptation to sample “Dystopia,” “Fatal Illusion” and the brilliant “The Threat Is Real.” The catchy riffs are there, the shred is there, and Adler more than supports the Megadeth drumming legacy. Plus, Ellefson really delivers on this record – some tasty leads on his part (“Fatal Illusion” for example) and more than just a supporting role this time around. The scathing (and semi-prophetic) lyrics continue (“Lying in State”) but this time the riffs, speed and intensity are there to back them up. While there is nothing new - this stuff reeks of Peace Sells meets Rust In Peace – Megadeth sounds vital and rejuvenated which to me is more than just fine. I found Super Collider to be a bit tedious with the experimentation, differing styles, sound-bites and such and just a bit too much like Youthanasia in that regard. The songs are shorter – but they hit hard and fast. Hints of Countdown show up here on “Post American World” – a song that has the “Symphony of Destruction” riff/vibe – and there are a few mellower elements here as well. “Poisonous Shadows” is the longest and most progressive song – and certainly one of the most thought provoking – and features some classical moments and a piano epilogue which segues nicely into the expressive and neoclassical instrumental “Conquer or Die.” The cover of Fear’s “Foreign Policy” concludes 45 minutes of pace, push and peace? – definitely a metal album folks … for metal folks.In addition to the CD and mp3 versions, there is a red vinyl version - which I can’t wait to explore - and the amazing “Terminator meets Megadeth” cover artwork lithograph (signed by Mustaine). Not only is Dystopia a Megadeth “call to arms” and a return to form, it is a bold declaration of metal defiance in an era of computer driven drivel – the threat is real indeed!!

I seen nothing wrong with this record it was awesome

This was quite a surprise, as after the past few Megadeth albums, I was seriously considering not giving this album a chance. I was interested in the new lineup - Chris Broderick is an amazing guitarist, but it was clear he wasn't happy in Megadeth and was not able to contribute much to the writing. So here comes Kiko Loureira and Chris Adler to inject some new life into things, and I must say things have certainly turned around. This is probably a top 5-6 album for Megadeth, the five star bar being set by Rust In Peace and Countdown to Extinction. The "Megadeth sound" is still there production-wise and the musicianship is outstanding - Kiko can really shred with the best of them. It's strange that listening to this, I don't really pay attention to the drums - they are fine, but your attention is not drawn to them. Chris Adler reserves his really good stuff for Lamb of God, I guess. The songs are very strong, at least the first half of the album. "Fatal Illusion" is a great song - odd, off kilter intro that leads into a killer bass line by Ellefson, and then some good ole thrash - this song is most reminiscent of the Rust in Peace era. "Death from Within" and "Bullet to the Brain" are also great, more modern sounding Megadeth songs, both with catchy verses and choruses. Things drop off after that. "Post American World" is a "Symphony of Destruction" rip off, but with a lackluster chorus, and silly, preachy lyrics. "Poisonous Shadows" and "Lying in State" are sorta boring - not memorable. The instrumental "Conquer or Die", is a nice extended solo essentially - great chops, but not anything to rave about as far as a song. "The Emperor" is a punky, tongue in cheek uptempo song that reminds me of something off of Cryptic Writings. I like it more and more on repeated listens - growing on me. The last song, a cover of "Foreign Policy", is not necessary - seems out of place. All in all, I think most Megadeth fans will find something to enjoy on Dystopia -cool riffs, interesting solos, typical Dave lyrics, tight thrash grooves, etc. A solid 4 star album.

A great addition to your Megadeth collection. Solid effort from start to finish.

Me llegó en buenas condiciones y bastante cuidado, el disco no tiene defectos y al contenido uno de los mejores que ha sacado después del desastroso Super Collider

Esse álbum é um megadeth que valeta as suas origens para criar algo novo. As músicas são pesadas e modernas, algumas faixas tem solos com violão de aço que agrega muito bem para as músicas em questão. E sim, provavelmente os solos do violão foram contribuição do Kiko Lorero.

Leider habe ich die verkehrte CD bestellt... Aber sie gefällt uns doch sehr und haben zwei Überraschungen erlebt: Falsche CD, aber Klasse!!!!

So happy, not broken and sealed, no issues, and a great album