Endgame is the twelfth studio album by the American thrash/heavy metal band, Megadeth. The album lasts a duration of 44:42. It was released on September 15, 2009, through Roadrunner Records.
Lineup:
Dave Mustaine – lead vocals, lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, piano
Chris Broderick – lead, rhythm, and acoustic guitars
James LoMenzo – bass
Shawn Drover – drums and percussion
Additional Musicians:
Chris Clancy – backup vocals
Chris Rodriguez – backup vocals
Mark Newby-Robson – keyboards on "The Hardest Part of Letting Go... Sealed with a Kiss"
Production:
Produced by Andy Sneap and Dave Mustaine
Engineered, mixed, and mastered by Andy Sneap
Additional recording by Dave Mustaine
Background:
Endgame is Megadeth's most technically skilled and thrash oriented record in almost twenty years. Megadeth's previous two records were definitely a move toward the musical style on Endgame, but neither of them had quite gone back to Megadeth's roots like on this record. The duel guitar solos and speedy riffs conjure up fond memories of the band's masterpiece, Rust in Peace that came out nearly twenty years before.
Chris Broderick was a huge addition to Megadeth on this record. Due to his terrific playing ability and technical mastery of the guitar, Chris could play whatever Dave threw at him in the song writing on this album. This definitely came in handy considering how many fast riffs and impressive solos occur throughout this entire album.
Endgame debuted at number 9 on the Billboard 200. As of April 1, 2011, the album had managed to sell about 150,000 copies in the US. Each track will be rated as follows: Awful, Very Poor, Poor, Below Average, Average, Above Average, Good, Great, and Superb. Here are my thoughts on each track:
Track Listing:
1. "Dialectic Chaos" (Instrumental) 2:25
I love this opening track. It has some of Megadeth's most epic guitar work and is my favorite instrumental up to this point in their discography. Chris and Dave immediately demonstrate exactly what this record is going to be all about. This song may be short, but man it is so sweet.
Grade: Great
2. "This Day We Fight!" 3:27
Megadeth brings the thrash mentality on this song. It is fast, heavy, and very catchy. The chorus of the song is definitely my favorite part thanks to its chanting and how easy it is to sing along to. The guitar solos are also fantastic and demonstrate some of the great technical playing from both Mustaine and Broderick.
Grade: Great
3. "44 Minutes" 4:37
I love the whole concept of this song. The lyrics are really memorable and the guitar work is top notch. The chorus is one of the most memorable from the entire record. The solos throughout the track are awesome and demonstrate some serious guitar chops. The powerful lyrics that really put the listener into the middle of a firefight are fantastic. Combine those with the guitar work and the product is an amazing track.
Grade: Superb
4. "1,320'" 3:49
This song reminds me of "502" from Megadeth's third album, but this is an updated version with better production and song writing. Right away the guitar riffs are fast and you know that you're in for a thrill ride. The guitar riffs are heavy and powerful. The pacing is fast and the entire song is very upbeat. There is no shortage of guitar solos just to top this track off.
Grade: Great
5. "Bite the Hand" 4:01
I love the guitar riffs that get this song started off. This is really the first track that has some obvious flaws on the record though. Even though the guitar work is really awesome on the track, I must admit this is definitely the worst chorus from the entire album. With that being said, the guitar solos are still incredible. The track just does not flow as well as others on the album. Overall, it's still a solid track thanks to its superb guitar work.
Grade: Good
6. "Bodies" 3:34
The switch between bass lines and guitar riffs with Dave's eerie vocals at the beginning of this track really gets this song started off on a high note. The chorus is easily one of the most catchy on the entire record. The guitar solos that finish this song are epic in both speed and ferocity.
Grade: Great
7. "Endgame" 5:56
Now comes the best song on the entire record. This is the main message from the entire record. What's really disturbing is that RFID chips are now being offered to employees at a company and this track predicts that the American government will soon implement these on every citizen in order to track and control us. I must say Dave's lyrical content is at its best on this song. The guitar work is top notch and the guitar solos are incredible. The entire track is basically perfect from beginning to end.
Grade: Superb
8. "The Hardest Part of Letting Go... Sealed with a Kiss" 4:41
The acoustic opening to this ballad is a nice change in pace and keeps the listener guessing on this record. Dave's vocal performance is not the best here, but he is clearly trying. The guitar riffs are really great once the song picks up though. The guitar solos that occur throughout this track are absolutely fantastic and continue this album's excellent guitar chops. The thing that I enjoy most about this track is the shift between heaviness and softness throughout.
Grade: Average
9. "Head Crusher" 3:26
Here is the absolute fastest and thrash heavy song from the entire record. The opening guitar solo and the speedy guitar riffs that ensue hit the listener right in the face and make any metal head immediately head bang. This is definitely a Megadeth classic thanks to its epic chorus, riffs, and speedy guitar solos.
Grade: Superb
10. "How the Story Ends" 4:28
I just cannot get over great Dave is at writing guitar riffs. It's so apparent on this album and continues on this song. The chorus is very easy to sing along to and extremely catchy. I love the slower melodic riffs that occur right before another perfect guitar solo. Broderick is easily Dave's best guitar player since Marty Friedman.
Grade: Good
11. "The Right to Go Insane" 4:18
I love the opening bass line on this track and then the guitar riffs that occur are epic. The riffs are simple, but the chugging is so catchy and brings back the classic thrash sound. This chorus is another standout from the album thanks to its memorable lyrics and melody. The guitar solos are just nasty. They are fast and really demonstrates the exact thing this album is all about, which is shredding.
Grade: Great
My Verdict:
Endgame continues Megadeth's trend up that occurred during the 2000's. They really bring speed and intensity that I have not seen since their album Rust in Peace. It is so great to see a band be able to return to their roots and make a memorable record that is fantastic from beginning to end. Endgame is easily one of the best thrash metal releases from the 21st century and really proved that Megadeth could continue to make quality music despite their age.
