Considering how strong Megadeth's last few studio albums have generally been, the wait for their newly-released sixteenth album The Sick, the Dying...and the Dead! felt particularly long. I recently discussed about the long waits between Blind Guardian albums, but Megadeth have generally been pretty prolific - even in more recent years. Since reforming in 2004 following a two-year hiatus, the band released six albums between 2004 and 2016 - with a new album generally following two or three years after the previous one. Whilst not all of those albums were drop-dead classics, they were all enjoyable. 2013's Super Collider (which I reviewed here) is generally considered to be a weak point in the band's career, but liked most of it quite a lot - and even 2011's TH1RT3EN, my least favourite of their recent albums, has a number of strong songs on it. Megadeth have been in pretty rich form of late, then, and have easily been the most consistent and prolific of the fabled 'Big Four' - with none of the other bands' recent catalogues coming close to touching the best of Megadeth's recent work. 2007's United Abominations, 2009's Endgame, and particularly 2016's Dystopia (which I also reviewed here) are real standouts of the band's recent releases - and these albums are of such quality that they actually rival some of the band's classic albums for me. The band's founding member and main songwriter Dave Mustaine has not lost any of his creative chops over the years, and the beefier production on the recent albums makes the band sound bigger and nastier than they ever managed to previously. This is why the six year wait between Dystopia and The Sick, the Dying...and the Dead! was a really frustrating one for the fans. It is the longest wait between albums in the band's career to date, and at times it really seemed as if a new Megadeth album was not something that Mustaine was in a hurry to get finished - despite him often saying in interviews that one was coming. Earlier this year, though, the album was finally announced formally - but that was only after some drama had led to parts of the album being hastily re-recorded. Those who keep up with metal news are likely aware that David Ellefson, the band's original bassist, was fired from the band last year following a sex scandal. He had already recorded his parts for the album, so these were removed and re-recorded by genre legend Steve Di Giorgio (Sadus; Death; Testament; Charred Walls of the Damned; Spirts of Fire). I do not think that Di Giorgio was ever in the running to take over from Ellefson permanently due to his hectic schedule, so former bassist James LoMenzo stepped in for last year's tour dates. LoMenzo was then officially confirmed as the band's returning bassist, having previously been in Megadeth between 2006 and 2010, earlier this year, though - where he joins Mustaine, guitarist Kiko Loureiro, and new drummer Dirk Verbeuren (Scarve; Headline; Soilwork; Cadaver). Verbeuren makes his debut in the studio with Megadeth here, whereas Loureiro returns for his second outing with the band - co-writing most of the songs, too.
As has generally been the case of late, the album contains a mix of material: from fast thrash metal songs to more mid-paced, melodic numbers - with the odd moodier moment thrown in, too. The album gets underway with its title track which, following a scene-setting build-up featuring a tolling bell and cries of 'Bring out your dead!', is a mid-paced number that certainly borrows from the vibes of the classic Hangar 18. The opening guitar melody is something of a slow-burner, but it builds on the vibe set by the intro nicely, but when Verbeuren's drums kick in the Hangar 18 comparisons are valid. The knotty, yet melodic, guitar lead that comes in when the song gets going is reminiscent of the style of that song, and the overall groove is similar, too - with choppy riffing and metronomic drumming. There are songs here that are more furious, but for those who want something catchy from the off then the album's title track provides just that. There the band's early 1990s output is certainly referenced throughout, and a strong chorus brings the best out of Mustaine's voice. He can be a hit and miss live singer, but he sounds strong throughout the album - and his guitar interplay with Loureiro is as busy as would be expected on a Megadeth album. Sadly the lead and solo work is not credited in the album's booklet, but this song is packed with leads and solos - showcasing the band's guitar firepower from the of. Life in Hell ups the pace quite considerably, and the band's trademark thrash sound is very much on display here. Verbeuren is credited with co-writing this song, as well as the next one, and his drumming really drives everything. His footwork is fast throughout, and there are quite a few inventive drum fills here - which help to punctuate the vocal lines. Mustaine's sings the song in a much more aggressive manner this time around, which suits the faster pace of the track, whilst the riffing is furious and fast-paced. There are sections that slow the pace, though, and there is a strong groove-based mid-section with simple riffing and the punchy bass playing of Di Giorgio. This part of the song helps to break the pace up somewhat, with some gritty spoken word, but the song soon speeds up again to continue the thrash onslaught. Night Stalkers is similar, and it was one of the songs that was released as a single before the album was released. The riffing throughout moves between really snappy picking and strident power chord accents - whilst a shredded guitar lead is never too far away. Mustaine sounds really strong on this song, and the aggressive nature of the riffing suits his aging voice. His voice is definitely deeper and more gritty than it used to be, but for me that really suits the band's sound. He is joined on this song, though, by Ice-T (Body Count) who adds a short rap to a breakdown part that goes for a groovier approach. I am not a big rap fan, but Ice-T's presence does not ruin the song. His part is short, and it does work quite well in its contained manner - but the star of course is Mustaine, who picks up the slack again after the rapping finishes. The song takes a few turns as it moves along, too, with a clean guitar instrumental section that is backed by some strings - before Di Giorgio's bass takes over and full-on thrash is restored.
Dogs of Chernobyl slows the pace somewhat, as the song opens in a moodier manner thanks to some acoustic guitars and atmospherics - before some synths kick in and a percussive drum and guitar pattern takes over. This helps the song to build in an organic way, and it soon morphs into a creepy, mid-paced track with a grinding groove and some strong guitar riffing. The main riffing throughout is rougher-sounding than is typical for Megadeth, enhancing that organic sound, and there are moments during the verses that sound like they could be effects-heavy slide guitar licks - which, if they indeed are such, would also be something out of a ordinary for the band. The song's chorus is pretty hooky, though, despite the creepy vibe of the piece, with Mustaine laying down some memorable vocal lines, before it speeds up around two-thirds of the way through following a Verbeuren drum barrage. This final portion of the song is much thrashier, with Mustaine again employing something of a spoken word-esque vocal delivery which suits the machine gun riffing perfectly. Sacrifice is more of a typical mid-paced rocker, and leaves the previous songs creepy vibes behind to again channel the band's early 1990s classic period in a big way. The guitar interplay of Mustaine and Loureiro makes the song what it is, though, as the riffing is more complex that it first seems. The main riffing throughout is quite technical, and creates some great grooves - and there are plenty of leads throughout, which each take a slightly different path and accenting the end of a vocal line perfectly. The song's chorus is very much out of the band's 1990s era, too, and has harmonies and an arrangement that reminds me somewhat of She-Wolf. It sticks in the brain as a result, and the solo section then treads a surprisingly bluesy path. Junkie is another more mid-paced track, but it feels snappier than the previous couple of numbers. The riffing has an upbeat feel to it throughout, whilst the bass pounds away to keep everything moving. Songs like this are bread and butter to Mustaine, but no-one could mistake who wrote it. Megadeth have been putting out songs like this for years, but the formula continues to work well - and the riffing throughout showcases Mustaine's approach to guitar playing, with a snappy chorus melody in particular highlighting his style nicely. The short Psychopathy follows, which is largely just a spoken word piece that is backed by a rhythmic guitar and drum pattern - with the occasional screaming lead. It essentially acts as the intro to Killing Time, though, as it segues perfectly into the latter song - which is another mid-paced rocker. It is less snappy that Junkie, though, with a fatter overall sound thanks to Di Giorgio's bass and a particularly snarling Mustaine vocal. There is less time given over to guitar leads this time, but this just allows the riffing to shine. The riffs here are very memorable - and they are perhaps a little simpler than is typical for Mustaine, which allows the song to have a really strong groove throughout. There is still a busy guitar solo section, though, but it is the only real moment of excess here.
Solider On! is a bit faster, and the song opens with a guitar and drum pattern that, fittingly, sounds somewhat like guns firing. It is another classic-sounding Megadeth piece, although it also reminds me quite a lot of the overall sound that was forged on United Abominations. That album had a particularly snarling, mid-paced sound - and Solider On! captures that well, with Mustaine really spitting out the lyrics here. The chorus also reminds me of the 2007 album quite a lot, too, and it sticks in the brain. It is one of the most overtly-catchy choruses here for me - and the little guitar pattern that sits behind the vocals during it elevates the chorus for me quite significantly. It is one of the album's more immediate cuts, and I imagine that it goes down well live - as the band has already added it to their live set. Célebutante ups the pace quite a bit, and it one of the thrashier songs here, with a driving rhythm and lots of fast-paced riffing. It is not as furious-sounding as many of the band's thrashier songs, though, and it is still pretty melodic on the whole thanks to Mustaine's more whimsical vocal delivery. The song is on the shorter side, too, being under four minutes long, but the band still allow themselves to stretch out a bit. It is generally quite snappy, as described, but there are a couple of moments that slow the pace and go for a more atmospheric sound featuring synths and some big clean guitar arpeggios. The album's penultimate cut Mission to Mars opens slowly, with Di Giorgio's bass, but it soon morphs into another mid-paced rocker - although there is a bit of a black cloud that hangs over the whole song. Despite being snappy, it has a strange downbeat feel at times - with a strong synth presence that gives it an atmospheric feel. The chorus is a good example of this, despite some strong guitar leads, as there is a mournful side to Mustaine's voice on show here. The mix works well, though, and the song is generally pretty hooky throughout - although it does drag on longer than it necessary. It has quite a lengthy closing section which features a frantic spoken word back-and-forth between an astronaut and Ground Control - which I could have personally done without. The song feels overlong as a result, and ends up being one of the album's weaker songs. The album then comes a close with a real ripper, though, as We'll Be Back is one of the thrashiest songs here, and it returns to the furiousness of cuts like Night Stalkers from earlier. It is a track that never lets up throughout its runtime, with the riffing of Mustaine and Loureiro driving everything - alongside Verbeuren's fast footwork. Due to the overall pace of the song, it is unsurprising that there is a lot of soloing to be found throughout. Both of the band's guitarists shred during the piece, and at times it really seems to act as a guitar showcase. The vocal melodies are generally less hooky here, although the chorus is still decent, but the overall arrangement and focus on shredding guitar parts ensures that the album ends on a high-octane note. Whilst I think that Dystopia is probably my favourite Megadeth album, the variety found throughout The Sick, the Dying...and the Dead! makes it another strong entry in the band's recent canon - and it is an album that shows that Mustaine does not appear to be slowing down at all. I hope that there is still more to come from him and Megadeth - and that we do not have to wait as long for the next album as we waited for this strong collection of songs.
The album was released on 2nd September 2022 via Tradecraft/Universal Music Group. Below is the band's promotional music video for Night Stalkers.
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