Megadeth - The System Has Failed (2004) (Japan MICP-10475)

Mustaine has stated that The System Has Failed will infact be the last album he writes to bear the "Megadeth" name… and when you look at it, it's a fitting final chapter for the band. He has created an album which essentially covers the mid-section of Megadeth's career. No, this is not a thrash album, so don't expect to hear gems like "Good Mourning / Black Friday part 2" on here. However, many songs on TSHF sound like they could have easily been on either Countdown to Extinction, Youthanasia, and yes, even Rust in Peace.

What seperates this album from it's predecesor, The World Needs A Hero, is that none of the new songs sound forced. Dave's music for the first time in about a decade comes off as unihibited. The mid-paced, slower songs on this album (Countdown and Youthanasia esque) have catchy melodies and riffs. Dave's lyrics sound like they have purpose this time around, and in some cases, the music rages on in ways we haven't seen since Rust in Peace.

What prevents this album from being a total sucess is that Mustaine for some reason can't give everyone too much of a good thing. The killer cuts here are : Blackmail the Universe (Rust in Peace era shredder, awesome double kick), Die Dead Enough (A nicely done Youthanasia esque ballad), Kick the Chair (Reminds me a LOT of Take No Prisioners, with awesome lyrics to boot), Tears in a Vial (sweet sounding ballad, with some nice solo work and speed metal outro), Back in the Day (Fast paced song with cool shredding and double kick outro), and Truth Be Told (Starts off slow and melodic, but the last half of the song is a pure Rust in Peace shred fest). Aside from these songs though the rest of the album is meh. No bad tracks, but nothing else stand out. Songs like The Scorpion, Something That I'm Not, Of Mice and Men, and even the album closer My Kingdom Come, all have quality and catchy riffs, but they come of as kind of stagnant. You feel as if these songs should go into a speed break, but instead keep the same tempo throughout. In some cases there is a speed break, but it never lasts long enough for you to totally get into it.

The two interlude songs, I know Jack, and Shadow of Deth both are cool, and have nice riffs, but they end to early. The latter, Shadow of Deth is the Shadow of Death prayer spoken by Vic Rattlehead, which is then followed by a sweet sounding solo… however the song then transitions into the final track, and never really establishes itself. Had Mustaine developed both I Know Jack and Shadow of Death into full length songs with lyrics, they would have been awesome.

But all in all, this album provides a not perfect, but fitting closure to Megadeths' career. If you are a fan of Megadeth's catalog up to and Including Youthanasia (as am I), you will most likely enjoy this album. Just don't buy it expecting Rust in Peace part 2, for dissapointment will surely follow (despite that fact that the album does have it's thrash moments). Pehaps thinking of this album as Countdown to Extinction Part 2 is more appropriate, seeing as it is the best Megadeth album, since then.

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