ARTIST: Megadeth
ALBUM TITLE: Thirteen
RECORD LABEL: Roadrunner Records
RELEASED: November 1, 2011

By Mark Leja
Staff Writer, Connoisseur of Crap

Megadeth has been one of my top five favorite metal bands since my sophomore year, ever since I played Guitar Hero — I’ll admit it — and was introduced to them. If the rumors are true, Thirteen may be Megadeth’s last album.

For what it’s worth, Thirteen is definitely worth my time and money. It’s still got the ol’ Megadeth aggression, combined with some newer melodic influences and riffs, as well as much improved lyrics. The lyrics aren’t always great, but they are better than they have been in a while. In terms of riffage, the album is like a combination of their twelve previous releases. It’s got the speed and technicality of the earlier work (Rust in Peace is a good starting point), combined with the heaviness of Countdown to Extinction and the melodies of the mid to late ‘90s Megadeth. I love when bands try something new, but Megadeth manages to exceed expectations while still sticking to what they’re good at.

Simply put, “Sudden Death” is how you open an album. Catchy, fast and different, this one song is better than anything off 2009′s Endgame. The song has the Megadeth essentials, like snarling vocals and solos galore, but it also employs a lot of the melodic elements found in much of their late ‘90s material. This is the perfect setup for what’s to come, a mixture of all of the band’s styles, tones, and lyrics. Prepare yourself for your sudden death from above. “Black Swan,” having nothing to do with the movie of the same name, was  originally a bonus track from United Abominations. I was shocked it didn’t make the cut; since then, it has been one of my favorite Megadeth songs of the new millennium, and finally getting some recognition, it brings Thirteen to another level. It has great lyrics, catchy riffs, and it just feels right.

“13” is my favorite Megadeth song released during their time on Roadrunner Records. Lyrically, it’s an overview of Mustaine’s career and thoughts of him departing from the music scene, with all the struggles he’s had, and all the times he’s nearly died. After all the drugs, injuries and personal struggles, he’s recounting his life. If this is the last Megadeth song ever written, it’s a fitting conclusion to a metal god’s journey. Other songs that stuck out to me are “Public Enemy No. 1,” “Never Dead” and “Fast Lane.” Even filler songs such as “We The People,” “Millennium of the Blind,” “New World Order” and “Deadly Nightshade” are of higher quality than of subsequent releases.

In terms of the previously mentioned filler songs, I was really surprised they rerecorded “New World Order,” originally written in 1991. The problem is that, generally speaking, guitarist Chris Broderick’s solos are really forgettable. Mustaine’s still rockin it, but his lead guitarist’s quality has degraded a bit since Endgame. Technicality doesn’t equal good solo. The remaining filler songs are your typical world going to shit, and other such themes, but they’re still fine to listen to, unlike previous material that made me roll my eyes to the point that I was convulsing on the floor, speaking in tongues and foaming at the mouth.

While we’re on the subject, there are a couple of songs on Thirteen that I really need to talk about. Forcing myself to listen to them, as well as write about them, they aren’t quite the quality that I was hoping for in this release. Excuse me if I start rambling, but I am trying to ease the pain but it’s just not working. The worst offender is “Whose Life (Is It Anyways?),” not to be confused with Whose Line is it Anyway?, though I think it’s supposed to be one of them obvious puns. It kind of sounds as if Mustaine’s son wrote this song and asked his dad to make it. It’s very punk rockish, and tries so hard to be rebellious. Featuring such lyrical gems as as “You hate the way I wear my clothes. You hate my friends and where we go. I see you in the shadows. You think you know what’s best for me. You hate everything you see in me. Have you looked in a mirror?” Dave, aren’t you a little too old to be ranting about these things? “Wrecker” also crosses the line. I’ve heard that people like this song and I really can’t see why. What is this, Dave ranting about ex- girlfriends’s or the wife? Whatever the case, I couldn’t help laughing during the song and I don’t know if that was the intent or not. It has a very old school metal vibe, so musically it isn’t that bad, but the lyrics are hysterical.

Thirteen is the last record Megadeth is under contract for with Roadrunner Records, and Mustaine’s been talking a lot about retirement. Several pieces of the album artwork showcase symbols representing each of the band’s previous albums, and a shot of band mascot Vic Rattlehead in a casket make me believe that this may be the one. I wouldn’t be surprised if this was Megadeth’s finale, but I wouldn’t mind it either. Thirteen would be a great closure to a great career, and a vast improvement over Endgame. However, whatever Mustaine decides on doing next, I’ll still follow Megadeth.

RATING: 7/10

Front page photo from metality.net, interior photo from themusicnetwork.com.