Rating:
Genre:
Rock
Release Date: 09/14/2004
The System Has Failed marks a return from the dead for
Megadeth -- and quite a glorious return, it must be said. When bandleader
Dave Mustaine was diagnosed in early 2002 with radial neuropathy -- strained nerves in his left arm and hand -- the snarling guitar shredder was forced to disband his once groundbreaking group after nearly two decades of activity. Granted, it wasn't
that big of a loss at the time, chiefly so because
Megadeth had long passed its prime. The band's key recordings date back to the
speed metal era, from 1986 (the year of
Peace Sells,
Reign in Blood, and
Master of Puppets) to 1992 (the year
Megadeth, like
Metallica a year earlier, made a distinct, more commercial shift, releasing
Countdown to Extinction -- to the dismay of many longtime fans). Following
Countdown,
Megadeth struggled. The band continued to release albums, but they weren't well received and, very sadly, one of
metal's once preeminent acts became a bitter has-been. So after
Mustaine's injury, the disbanding of
Megadeth didn't seem all that unfortunate at the time -- it seemed overdue, some would argue. Then in 2004, shortly after an exemplary reissue campaign,
Mustaine resurrected
Megadeth for
The System Has Failed. And frankly, the band hasn't sounded this vital since
Countdown to Extinction, if not
Rust in Peace (to risk overstating just how much of a return to glory this album is).
Mustaine is joined on guitar by
Chris Poland, the very talented guitarist whom he'd fired after the masterful
Peace Sells album back in the day. It's a surprise return, and no doubt a very exciting one for fans of
Peace Sells (note the shred-fest
"Kick the Chair" in particular). That re-pairing of
Mustaine and
Poland alone makes
The System Has Failed worthwhile, but there are also the songs themselves. Put simply, they're ferocious! No, this isn't a good old-fashioned
thrash album, but you can tell
Mustaine is going for that vibe, especially on songs like
"Back in the Day," one in particular that should give dyed-in-the-wool headbangers a giddy sense of déjà vu.
The System Has Failed is actually more of a synthesis, taking the reckless abandon of pre-
Countdown Megadeth and infusing it with the melodic songwriting of latter-day diamonds in the rough like
"Symphony of Destruction" and
"A Tout le Monde." Add to this some especially thoughtful lyrics (archly political, nakedly personal, and shamelessly mature), and you have the recipe for an excellent, damn near perfect
Megadeth album, up there with
Peace Sells,
Rust in Peace, and
Countdown -- as unlikely as that may seem. Regardless of where
The System Has Failed ranks alongside
Megadeth's other standout albums, however, it most certainly blows away practically every other aboveground
metal album of 2004. No joke. This is the sort of latter-day masterpiece
Metallica struggled in vain for a decade-plus to record to no avail.
~Jason Birchmeier, All Music Guide
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