Megadeth - Endgame (2009)

I have said it before, and I say it again, the career of Megadeth can be compared to a roller coaster, where it starts going up until you reach the top, which is "Rust In Peace", then it goes down hill until you hit the bottom, which is "Risk". Now here is the second high point of the Megadeth hell ride, the 12th effort known as "Endgame", a album that took all of the things that made its predecessor "United Abominations" so successful and cranked it up another couple of notches. It was a album that was the main weapon in the Megadeth arsenal to reclaim there place among the thrash gods.

And holy crap, talk about thrash candy literally everywhere. It is almost like in the good old days, were the typical Megadeth song consisted of 60% riffing, 30% solos and 10% what ever could fit well into the song (lyrics, intro, more riffing, etc.). But it is not like the good old days, 20 years have passed since, the line up is different and the songs have gotten a modern make over, but it is still pretty good since Megadeth evolves, just like almost everything else in this world.

The biggest thrash steak that "Endgame" offers is the war tank known as "This Day We Fight!", a song that contains one of the meanest and fastest riffs Dave Mustaine has ever played on his six string, and together with a speed that matches Sonic The Hedgehog and the motivational skills that would match a hundred William Wallace's (the main character in the movie classic "Braveheart"), this song is a force to be reckoned with, and it works perfect together with the opening intro, "Dialectic Chaos". The first single "Head Crusher" is also a nice thrashy tune that... well, crushes heads. Pretty good for a song that is just about a medieval torture device.

There are also some songs that have more of the modern touch in it, and still works pretty well thanks to good musicianship. Some examples of that is the well composed "How The Story Ends", the slow and interesting title track and the surprisingly melodic and beautiful "The Hardest Part of Letting Go... Sealed With A Kiss". This definitely gives the album more depth and makes the whole record sound like a mix of the old and new Megadeth, without sounding cliche or stupid. The band really hit all the right notes on this album.

But no matter how much I love this album, I cannot stop thinking on how some of the songs could have been much more cooler and tougher if the band would have changed some minor details here and there. The main problem is that some of the choruses are far too weak, like the one to "1,320'". It is a nice, speedy song that really captures the racing mentality perfectly, but the chorus could as well be non existent, because it is so similar to the verse. The same could also be said to "Bite The Hand" and "Bodies", and all of those three comes after each other, which means "Endgame" has a three song long span without a good chorus, which really annoys me. The band knows how to write a great chorus, so why didn't they apply those skills to those songs?

Despite that, "Endgame" is still a fantastic album that is among the top in the Megadeth discography. The speed, riffs and attitude in this album is over flowing into rapids and you do not want to stop it, you just want more and more and more. This is the ultimate sign that Megadeth is back where they belong, playing thrash that just crushes everything in its path. Even with that modern vibe in it, "Endgame" is still a amazing piece that beats out about 90% of the opposition. This is a game that I would not want to end at all.

Songs worthy of recognition: This Day We Fight!, The Hardest Part of Letting Go... Sealed With A Kiss, Head Crusher, How The Story Ends

Rating: 9/10 Bodies