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Megadeth - Endgame

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 September 15 2009 at 12:36:36 AM



Fin de partie? Like a Baptist on retreat, ankle-deep in teen whores, gulping down pills and booze and rubbing my lap like a crystal ball, I begged for flagrant parting “code” in the new Megadeth rec Endgame. Show me the end of days, fuckers. Mais non?! Living on borrowed time since 1988’s So Far, So Good…So What! Dave Mustaine’s somehow wrangled a band of session bozos together (again) to perpetually remake the finer moments of Peace Sells… 

How does he do it, Stew? He’s still quite a fan of self-plagiarism, kids – I believe the French call it, “self-reflexivity.” But Mustaine’s always had tunnel vision when it comes to the tropes. Sorta good thing, actually. There are several surprising moments here on a wholly unsurprising record, which makes me feel like I’m listening to a new Obituary record again for good reason. Let’s forget that Mustaine’s had more face-lifts than Jacko. Forget that he now looks like Carrot Top. Forget that he’s still, as DePalma rightly points out, interested in the, “BIG STATEMENT.” [In Araya’s voice]: “No Matter.”  

Endgame exists to pimp motherfucker’s prowess. Mustaine’s great for that, and a lot of the tracks here are nothing more than (forced) repeated viewings of Who Framed Roger Rabbit? Which is to say they are self-consciously overloaded, artistically incoherent, often excessively fuckin’ techie. But there are four really good tracks here, maybe even one great track. “1,320” is a fuckin’ great track. Drag-racing ode for the gear-headed oil scrub way more into thumbing kit car mags than sticking it to some glazed wormhole that more than likely bears striking resemblance to one of the Olsen twins. Were it not for the hyperbolic oom-pah accompanying the lead riff, the Kill ‘Em All elephant might be a little more noticeable there in the corner, shitting out a day’s worth of peanuts all over your ‘Maiden Vans. 

“This Day We Fight,” while not as together as “1,320” is all too adept at pulling bits and pieces from all sorts of places beneath, between, and behind Peace Sells… we never even knew existed. Mustaine works pathetic, self-aggrandizing pastiche into a few fuck, yeah moments. To wit: We have the sneering, pained upper-register that too easily drops into the whispered bullshit more befitting of Stallone’s Cobra. Mustaine remarkably makes lyrics like, “Wet with your blood I sharpen my sword / No turning the other cheek like a coward / Come tomorrow I may lay down and die / But not on this day!” work. And they work fuckin’ well. 

Yeah, yeah, yeah: “The Hardest Part of Letting Go…” and the title-track, and “Bodies,” and “44 Minutes” are the big-league suck. But even in the record’s most repugnant moments, i.e. “How the Story Ends,” which may as well be playing over the credits in the next die/tits/fuck/die/tits/die flick, Mustaine runs another fuck, yeah riff right up your ass (fast-forward to 1:05). This is no more than pecking around finer Metal-Up-Yr-Ass permutations of “No Remorse,” and I’m left shameless, gah-gah eyed, all whisky dick’d and looking for someone to buy me half-oldel, clab langoon. Prease? 

[Stewart Voegtlin]

Megadeth
Endgame
Roadrunner
2009

Related

- Megadeth - United Abominations

Comments (18)

  • 35 comments
    Miskatonic
    12:43 PM on Sep 15, 2009 // reply »
    No one's commenting. Could this mean that no one cares about another new Megadeth record? I haven't cared since I swore off them after Cryptic Writings.

    However, I did randomly download the promo track (Head Crusher) and was mildly impressed. The solo was pretty interesting, and it had a raw sound closer to the classic stuff. Not enough to buy the whole record. Still, if a gravy training band can impress Stew with even a few tracks, that does give a little cause for hope.

    We'll see. In the meantime, I think I'll just spin Rust, once again... Who needs the new shit?
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    12:53 PM on Sep 15, 2009 // reply »
    Can't blame 'em.

    Plus, there's so much other terrible shit to keep one occupied today, even if they can't come remotely close to playing riffs like Mustaine apparently still can.


  • 108 comments
    jniff
    1:07 PM on Sep 15, 2009 // reply »
    Your review has motivated me to check it out. I stopped following them after Rust in Peace. That's not to say there haven't been a few decent tunes since then. It's just that hearing bad Megadeth is, well...

    I will say this, I think at his best, Mustaine can now top Hetfield in songwriting.
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    1:17 PM on Sep 15, 2009 // reply »
    Mustaine's always been a better songwriter than Hetfield, IMO. Exhibit A: "The Mechanix" a/k/a "Four Horsemen;" "Metal Militia;" "Jump In the Fire," and "Phantom Lord."
  • 67 comments
    Chauncey Chomperz
    1:46 PM on Sep 15, 2009 // reply »
    I am a tiny bit curious about this record, its fun to cling to the idea that a total jerk like Mustaine STILL harbors a massive inferiority complex, and even a turd lauded as a "return to form" like Death Magnetic could light a fire under his ass to make him write another "rust in peace" or "peace sells". Even though I know its about as likely as Nas making another "Illmatic".

    I agree Mustaine has always been a better songwriter then Hetfield. Megadeth had the chops (playing and songwriting) in spades, but Metallica had the vocal hooks.
  • 108 comments
    jniff
    3:07 PM on Sep 15, 2009 // reply »
    Your right on about 1,320.
  • 23 comments
    trummer
    5:52 PM on Sep 15, 2009 // reply »
    i must say your reviews are getting better and better. this one was excellent and is making me check out ole dave's new record. you could squeeze everything past 'countdown' together and get a pretty good full length juice out of it i says.

    'return to hangar' on that world needs a hero album had me headbanging those many years back.

    keep it up stew. i dig it.
  • 64 comments
    neu konservatiw
    7:51 PM on Sep 15, 2009 // reply »
    Y'all are some fuckin' rednecks.
  • 64 comments
    neu konservatiw
    7:51 PM on Sep 15, 2009 // reply »
    Vans.
  • 4 comments
    Kalle Runeson
    12:14 AM on Sep 16, 2009 // reply »
    Havent cared about the big four since 1989, but always try to give a new disc a spin to know whats up. I say new Metallica wins over MegaDave. It has some kind of personal content and maturity matching these washed up rock stars age and place. New Megadeth is more a product of Dave going to work and the A&R guy tells him thrash is back and in with the kids.
  • 29 comments
    David
    11:38 AM on Sep 16, 2009 // reply »
    Are 'metal band' Vans officially Hot Topic culture? I think they're pretty cool, but I actually skate, and have since Ron from MDC was cutting boards for Fogtown back in the day (Board to Death!).

    These new songs from Megadeath are the best I've heard in a really long time.
  • 4 comments
    whiskey
    1:44 PM on Sep 16, 2009 // reply »
    Mustaine [in tears]: "I miss my little Danish friend!"
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    5:34 AM on Sep 17, 2009 // reply »
    David, if you know what Fogtown is and you're still skating, I don't think you have anything to worry about.
  • 67 comments
    chauncey chomperz
    11:50 AM on Sep 17, 2009 // reply »
    some gold from Mustaine...maybe old news but anyway

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_AAPHM_TPmI&feature=player_embedded
  • 374 comments
    VOEGTLIN
    11:55 AM on Sep 17, 2009 // reply »
    The people that leave comments on YouTube videos are Mensa members.

    BTW, is Mustaine wearing Vans in that vid?!
  • 108 comments
    jniff
    2:19 PM on Sep 17, 2009 // reply »
    I listened to Kill 'em All last night. Goddamn! Mustaine helped make that album even if he didn't play on it. I'd take modern day Megadeth over modern day Metallica any day. At least Dave can still play some classic sounding riffs with energy.
  • 67 comments
    chauncey chomperz
    8:35 AM on Sep 21, 2009 // reply »
    dude you want to see some real mensa members? check out the comments on videos on porn sites like tube8 and shit. often better than the porn...seriously.
  • 67 comments
    chauncey chomperz
    8:21 AM on Jun 07, 2010 // reply »
    "glazed womholes"?! how did this escape me the first go round. jesus. that could make a black man blush.
 

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