Megadeth - Endgame review

Year : 2009
Genre : Thrash Metal
Label : Roadrunner Records
Origin : United States
Rating : 9.2 / 10

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(K)illuminati connotations aside, - Dave Mustaine is a hobbyist -conspiracy theorist, as far as I know - Megadeth's 2009 LP Endgame is one exceptionally visceral statement, and this latter term of "visceral" seems to me as the most essential one amidst the many that reveal the global character of the disc.

Granted, the ideal-, the optimum form of thrash metal probably should be visceral as a thr(e)(a)shold minimum, but, if you are any kind of embracer of the genre, then you know that this is not always the case. Many is the number of the beast, -TUK! - as is the number of things that invite a thrash album to become its own parody from time to time, up to the point on which from this unfortunate transformation reigns evident and beyond the state of being preventable, since it has happened already.

Even THIS album, which I consider a pretty stellar delivery from Megadeth, features Dave Mustaine's trademark cabaret thrash metal in its full anti-glory, but the manifestations of said affliction gets assuaged by such a strong subsequent segment, that the cabaret side of things becomes tolerable, hell, even enjoyable (!!) when contrasted by the immensely eminent hooks the package packs a healthy dosage of. Yeah, there are tamer hooks on display, too, but the idea which permeates the release is something that sound to be unique : it simultaneously CRAVES acceptance, and, at the same time, does not give a FUCK if you give it to him.

It's like - Dave Mustaine would be happy to know that you love the disc, and could not care less if you would not. In other words, the disc embraces its deficits, which come to you exclusively throughout SOME points of the songwriting strategy, as the production is flawless in my book, and I'm pretty sure it is flawless in yours, too. Read on to find out more about one of the quintessential Megadeth releases.

The story, the attitude of the album is honest to the bone : it is the image of thrash metal that lives in Dave Mustaine, yet now it is fueled and presented so effortlessly throughout its prime structural components, that even the meticulously realized alibi content becomes entertaining. The titular track "Endgame" is a great example of all the central elements of Mustaine's music WHEN it spazzes around in desperation mode. Make no mistake : from a structural-, and narrative point of view, the track "Endgame" is a desperation song without a doubt, and not because of its Illuminati theme. It "just" has the capacity to showcase the tremendous charms and moving deficits of the music Mustaine can deliver when he effectively SAVES a galore of mediocre-at-best ideas, as opposed of delivering a flow of superb musical ideas. The lyrics and the music both are quite naive in this song, yet, it is noticeable that the track came into existence with a strong initial premise - later it degraded towards naivity. It is evident that Dave has created the chorus "Thiiiis is theee : end of the road/the line/your life." - you surprised me there, Dave! (Bazinga!) - because his nervous system commanded him to make a chorus there, even if he had no actual relevant idea for the chorus yet. It is easy to spot when Dave Mustaine lies, because he always reiterates his lies, to make them more believable. The bad thing is this : he uses this technique quite often. The worse thing is this : it works. Which is not to say that everything he reiterates would be a lie. Generally speaking, when Dave Mustaine starts to throw around big ass power chords in a chromatic fashion, then you know that you are in way deeper of a trouble than if the Illuminati were on YOUR specific ass to eradicate it from all reality fabrics.

It is not in the spirit of "despite", rather it is in the spirit of "with all that", that the disc emerges as a flamboyant epitome of what makes Megadeth's music so enjoyable even with its limits and deficits. Limits?? Of course! Notice the great track number 4, called "1320". First question : do you need to be a PhD thrash metal professor to notice and tamely express the notion that this song really-really-reeeeally is the same song as "High Speed Dirt" from 1992? Same structure, same mood, same feel, same EVERYTHING. BONUS! question : how many thrash metal songs you can write about high speed and shit? Seriously? High speed and shit? Oops. Dirt?

Now you think that I'm picking on Mustaine, but, this is not the case, because both songs kick your ass to hell and back. Yes, they are the same song, essentially, but, once similarity is expressed in terms of quality, then you just got something to be a fan of, so shut up and enjoy. The thing is that  the similarity is something you can be grateful for right now! And here is why : "High Speed Dirt" was a great disco-thrash song in 1992, and it is a good disco thrash song in 2012. "1320" is a great disco thrash song in 2012, and would have been a great disco thrash statement in 1992. In short, the image of music of Dave Mustaine, during the years, has become sort of a funny inner musical companion-, a thrash metal model in one's head, and one grew fond-, or at the very least, tolerant of Mustaine's most eminent musical offerings and even his manias.

Apart from steady Megadeth thrash-orthodoxies, the album features an entire row of utterly stellar thrash metal pieces that are out of this Earth. An opener of eloquent brutality. We should move into that direction! Spank that snare Lars! YEAOUAH! The second track on the album : OMFG, THAT is a rabid, flawless thrash metal song in my book. And the lyrical theme! It gives you legitimate shivers on all related layers. Yes, we might get fucked later, but not this day, this day we fight! It seems obvious to me that Mustaine got inspired to write this song via playing some fantasy MMORPG, and let us take note that this is absolutely acceptable. Inspiration is everywhere, hello?? If you are an Artist and you lack Inspiration, then it is 1. oh, so unfortunate!, and 2. you really are nothing but a spiritually lazy, unaware cunt and you deserve to be bitchslapped by Cthulhu's dick.

As noted, the first two songs on the disc are immediate sings that something special will be observable throughout the delivery : the central notion of this review, and, most importantly : of the album is super-efficient at declaring its presence right away. The notion is visceral, this time, dressed in brutal beauty. Visceral beauty sounds good enough, right? Opener "Dialectic Chaos" is a compact little instrumental piece in which thrash metal courts eloquent power metal in a shameless fashion, and the song exhibits beautiful structure and high octane intensity without a single second of submission being notable towards ACME thrash metal mechanics. You know my favorite caveat regarding this matter : when your thrash metal sounds like the soundtrack-backdrop for some fucking road-motor sport magazine in which a randomer addresses the specifications of the car you are witnessing burning rubber, or, like some pinball machine titled "Nitro Cunts In Spiked Latex With Guns" , then you are doing something wrong. OR very well. Anyway, linking Overkill's latest album to illustrate road motor sport pinball machine thrash metal, simply never gets old.

All in all, I wasn't and currently am not impressed with Megadeth's latest to date offering, and it pleases me greatly that I had the opportunity to be subjected to their 2009 material, too. Highly recommended. Other than that, here is a song about the God Programmer.

Rating : 9.2 / 10

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