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Megadeth > United Abominations > Reviews
Megadeth - United Abominations

Re-Grouping Done Right - 70%

autothrall, February 16th, 2024
Written based on this version: 2007, CD, Roadrunner Records

United Abominations ushers in the 'Drover' era of the band, with Dave picking up brothers Glen and Shawn from the consistent Canadian power/thrashers Eidolon, about as perfect a fit that he was going to find from that scene north of the border outside of drafting Jeff Waters of Annihilator into the fold (which I still think should happen). The duo lends an instant seriousness and edge to the material which catapults this record right back to what might have been a follow-up for Rust in Peace, not that the riffs ever reach that same level of immortal, blazing catchiness, but this is clearly the product of much more effort than almost anything in the 15 years before it, with any cobwebs shaken out of the joints and the band sounding, I daresay it, 'young' again.

That's not to say it's the 'best' material in that timespan, but it joins the records sandwiching it as a sort of 'second wind' for Megadeth. Dave's vocal soar over the opener "Sleepwalker", as he shifts between a melody and more of his snarling, sneery attitude through the verses, with a busy lattice of thrash riffing and lead-work below that holds your attention, occasionally giving me a "Take No Prisoners" vibe. And it doesn't really apply the breaks, ever, I mean there's plenty of variation in tempo, but like its predecessor The System Has Failed, there's no real wimping out to honor some midlife crisis or emotional side of the creator's ego. A few tracks here don't work for me, like the title track on which the chorus of the title sounds a little obvious, repetitive and lame. Or "Amerikhastan" which also had some cheesy sounding vocals and political raving, not that I necessarily disagree with all his points but it just comes off in that cringeworthy "Sweating Bullets" intonation at some points.

The decision to revisit "A tout le monde" is also a strange one, though comparing this with the original from Youthanasia, it's got more pep and energy, lacking that version's darker, drearier mood. But both of them do fit within their surrounding track-list and production style, even though I don't need the guest vocals from Christina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil, and I'm half-wondering if that affected the decision to re-record it, because they needed a tune she should contribute to? Probably not. However, I'd rather have included the cover of Zeppelin's "Out on the Tiles", a bonus track from other releases of the disc, which is pretty well-rendered, although not as kinetic as the version Toxik did on their 1989 masterwork Think This. If there's one other complaint, I still don't think the bass playing is where it needs to be, because it lacks Dave Ellefson. James LoMenzo joins in here, coming over from various Zakk Wylde projects, and he's certainly a decent presence, but he just lacks that strength in his lines which could complement and even rival Mustaine in places; he's just a solid support.

For me, United Abominations is probably the weakest of the 'trilogy' in this particular Megadeth surge, since I thought the tunes on the glorified solo album The System Has Failed were catchier, and Endgame triggers all the Rust in Peace nostalgia in all the right ways. That said, it's still largely a quality album, and the one of the three that most feels like it could have had an original release in the 90s after Rust and Countdown. There are definitely some subtle callbacks, when you're listening to a tune her and remembering enough, for instance some of the low end in "You're Dead" brought back thoughts of the thrash/groove in "Architecture of Aggression", or the other I mentioned earlier, but no real direct rip-offs. It's a decent one, the Drover brothers were definitely the right guys for the job, and that would become even more apparent two years later.

-autothrall
http://www.fromthedustreturned.com

united in unevenness - 60%

Demon Fang, May 9th, 2022

I guess Nils K Rue’s time with the Drover brothers wasn’t to last as he was quickly out of the band to be replaced by… Dave Mustaine? Oh shit, this isn’t Eidolon; it’s fuckin’ Megadeth! This was honestly a pretty good move on old Megadavo’s part – Glen Drover has that drive Mustaine’s prior co-pilots (the ones since Marty Friedman, anyway) weren’t really delivering on, and he’s got some of that cool shreddy shit going for him that Marty Friedman had. Back in 2007, this was refreshing (if fairly uneven) as it sounded the closest to their best material and sounded the most inspired in over fifteen years; now, fifteen years removed from its release, it’s honestly the easiest album of theirs to go back to and enjoy from between Countdown to Extinction and Dystopia, at least based on how there are more quality songs here than across any other album from this period.

It’s one thing if they had fluked their way into some outright bangers like “Sleepwalker” and “Gears of War”; it’s another that they’re more calculated joints and they’re joined by the likes of “Washington is Next”, “Blessed Are the Dead” and “Play for Blood”. The first two tracks on the album are basically the speed metal ones, with faster picking and more kinetic drumming courtesy of Shawn Drover. “Washington is Next” is the more overtly melodic tune of the two – particularly with its leads permeating through the non-verse and non-solo bits – but the way that both tracks bob and weave betwixt their riffs etch a more energetic performance to get the album going. Yet the timing between each shift gives the riffs room to breathe, to make an impression. But this isn’t a return to the jazzy speed metal of the debut – Glen’s more Friedman than Poland, and Shawn’s definitely more Menza than Samuelson. Nah, this is just some right riffing kind of shreddy metal not too far removed from Rust in Peace… at its best moments here, anyway.

But it’s not all about speed. “Gears of War” contrasts this with a heavily melodic mid-paced riffset, with a chorus like a smart bomb and an overall composition like precision guided armament. “Play for Blood” maintains this idea, but in a far groovier, borderline Symphony X kind of way – based on its overall infectiousness with some rather hooky riffs, at any rate. “Blessed Are the Dead”, is a case where you could alter Mustaine’s vocals to his less gravelly trademark snarl (as he shifted down a few octaves here), and take out the more metallic edges of the mastering to a more rock/metal kind of deal, and it wouldn’t be out of place on Countdown to Extinction. The other two here could’ve fit there too, but I don’t know man – I don’t remember Countdown being as overly riffy as “Gears of War” was wont to be. So from there, it’s more like that bridge between Rust and Countdown… again, at its best moments here.

After that… nothing. Some people have pointed out “Burnt Ice” as a highlight due to its sheer riff quantity, which would be an impressive feat if they actually contributed towards making anything other than background noise. That’s pretty much what a lot of the rest of this album devolves into. Just this vaguely metallic sound coming out of your speakers that at least fills the quiet air, and that’s it. “Burnt Ice” just happens to be the best of it because it at least has stronger riffs. Even then, they did it considerably better on the first two tracks. You could probably pick out some decent enough radio rock choruses in “Never Walk Alone” and “United Abominations”, but that would require going through hookless verses that amount to jack shit. I wish there was more to add, but frankly, the issue is of weaker hooks and tepid melodies. The riffs are there, the solos are good – perhaps even terrific – but the actual songs don’t utilize them very well. Yep, even when 2000s Megadeth generates a potentially good album, there’s this hefty fuckin’ asterisk attached to it that makes it not so good.

It’s also noteworthy that on the worse songs, Mustaine’s vocal patterns are quite... odd. “Amerikhastan” is the worst for this – and it already suffers from basically nothing working in its favor, so to have the most forced vocal lines on the record… yeah nah this song blows. Even the good songs have instances of that like the chorus to “Washington is Next” – and while we’re on this song, a more restrained sort of murmuring Mustaine juxtaposed by some harder-hitting speed metal riffs is no bueno – but you at least get some working bits like the more snarling “Gears of War” chorus or the more varied performance on “Play for Blood”. His vocals are generally not very good outside of select moments, which only exasperates some of the more forced vocal patterns.

I remember back in 2007, United Abominations was considered a return to form – and, unlike The System Has Failed, there has definitely been a case for that. Perhaps the proverbial bridge between Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction is a more appropriate comparison, as it’s a largely shreddy… speed rock joint perhaps, with moments of genuine thrash interspersed throughout. It certainly riffs harder than what they had done since Rust in Peace, and the solos positively soar as if Marty Friedman was right there with them. If this was an EP of the five good songs, this would be a silver medal next to the dynamic duo that is Peace Sells and Rust in Peace. But with the other five dragging them down, recommending a revisiting of United Abominations comes with quite a few caveats.

The true comeback album! - 80%

MaidenMartin, August 25th, 2021

After going through a rough existential crisis in the early part of the 00s, Megadeth finally decided to pull things together again. In 2004 they released The System Has Failed, which was originally intended to be a Dave Mustaine solo album but was released as a Megadeth album in order to increase the sales. Many people consider that album to be the true comeback album of Megadeth. For my money, that’s not the case since that album still suffered from the disjointed and unstructured approach that plagued their albums in the late 90s and early 00s. Despite that, there were a couple of songs on The System Has Failed that were absolutely spectacular, songs that showed that Dave Mustaine could still write some fast-paced, brutal thrash metal anthems if he wanted to. Luckily, mr. Mustaine realized that and decided to build on that momentum for the band's next release, United Abominations from 2007.

In my opimion, United Abominations is the true comeback album by Megadeth and not The System Has Failed. With United Abominations, Megadeth decided to go back to the recipe that made them a name in the metal community in the late 80s and early 90s. The fast riffing, the incredible melodic leads, the technical drumming and the nihilistic lyrics of Dave Mustaine…. Everything that made Megadeth such an awesome band in their early days is finally coming back with full force on United Abominations. Already on the opening track, ”Sleepwalker”, you can tell that the band means serious business with this album. The riffs are ripping, the singing is phenomenal and the pace is fast. Already there momentum is built, and with the next song, ”Washington Is Next”, they manage to not only keep that momentum but also to build on it. These 2 songs are probably my favorites of the album and true gems in the Megadeth canon.

What makes United Abominations such a fun listen is that it’s not always about speed and thrash metal mayhem. The approach on this album can more or less be described as a return to the style of music that the band played on Countdown To Extinction, where thrashy tendencies were combined with more traditional heavy metal anthems, and to me that’s a positive thing since Countdown are among my favorite Megadeth albums. Comparing to the alternative, commercialized approach that the band was stupid enough to take with albums like Cryptic Writings and Risk, this is accessible Megadeth done right. Memorable, fairly simple songs in a traditional manner without influences from popular trends and commercial tendencies. ”Never Walk Alone” and ”Blessed Be The Dead” are perfect examples of this formula. Easy on the ears but still heavy and written in a traditional Megadeth style. Same can be said about the title track which I could have seen appearing on Countdown To Extinction.

The only downfall is that the album loses a little steam in the middle. ”Play For Blood” is easily my least favorite song on the album. To be fair I struggle to recall how it even sounds. The remake of ”A Tout Le Monde” from Youthanasia is also a waste of space. Even though it features some nice female vocals by Lacuna Coil's vocalist Cristina Scabbia, there was literally no reason to remake that song, even more put it on an otherwise great album. It would have fitted much better as a B-side or as a separate single. Luckily, the album redeems itself with it’s last 2 tracks. ”You’re Dead” is a ripping, crushing heavy metal anthem with a chorus to die for and ”Burnt Ice”, despite being a bit all over the place vocal-wise, contains some of the bands best melodic leads of all time. A very good way to end the album indeed.

As a whole, I consider this to be the true comeback album by Megadeth. They went back to the formula that worked so well with Countdown To Extinction and managed to put out their first truly great album since Youthanasia. The thrash metal elements are back, even if they don’t take the front, and the traditional accessibility that made Countdown To Extinction such a great album is once again flourishing. While not as good as Countdown To Extinction, it’s still a very enjoyable release that also marked the beginning of the bands revival, a revival that still continues to this day.

Whoo-Rah! - 75%

Sweetie, July 30th, 2018

Smart bombs, precision guided armament, a more sophisticated way to end up dead

Oh hell yes! We've come to what I consider the first Megadeth record that doesn't leave me hanging for as much as one track since Youthanasia, nearly fifteen years later! A lot of the post-'90s albums tend to be solid with a few that miss the mark greatly, but for the most part, they all have areas that are lacking or just too many songs to not be able to recognize a bit too much filler. That's not the case with United Abominations, though. This one revisits everything that the band built their foundation on, and is probably the first full on thrash record since Countdown To Extinction. That said, the intensity that I've always loved about this band is on full throttle, the writing and erecting of songs is back to the highest of standards, and Dave's voice is the best it's been in years. There are definitely tracks that stand out more than others, but overall, it doesn't have any continuous threads of songs that get boring.

Mustaine had already established a reputation of spewing out political themes previously, but damn if this isn't where it hits the hardest yet. United Abominations is an entire record almost entirely dedicated to warfare, corruption, new world order, and the likes. For this, the musicianship is done in a way the projects a war-like environment, with extremely abrasive drum kicks and thunderous bass-lines, all drowned in a thrashy undertone that is, as usual, overproduced, yet menacing. "Washington Is Next" is one of the more ferocious and speed infused songs that conveys this image the greatest. The title track gives the same visuals through different tactics. It's a little more down to the nitty gritty, and tones down the power a bit, while using sadder sounding chord progressions. This paints an image of hopelessness, and failure in society. My only gripe with this is how much it reels in the voice sampling, which if you ask me, actually hurts this effect.

Moreoever, the thrashy licks mixed with a more devastated feeling of an unsafe environment are brought on exceptionally. The opening track "Sleepwalker" is a very fun one, and it shows this mostly through the chorus of the song. Truly, the biggest gem to be offered is "Gears Of War", as it has the best solos, the smoothest flow, some solid transitions, and a very catchy chorus (seldom can something rest on that, but boy does it deliver!). Every minute from the suspenseful guitar intro, transitioning into the deep and devilish main riff, the gang vocals, and everything on top. Hints of groove make their way into the mix, such as on "Play For Blood", bringing on the staccato strumming and weaving those riffs into fret tapped progressions topped with more genius solo work. So ultimately, this disc refrains from being shallow, and stays compact the whole way through, despite some minor inconsistencies. Picture a thrash metal album with other toppings to spice it up. The guitar playing is definitely a standout factor overall. Those who don't like later era Megadeth, this is a good one to start with if you're reconsidering.

Unpredictability is strong with this one - 81%

Mailman__, May 12th, 2018

As far as Megadeth's albums have been going pretty lately, United Abominations is literally a savior.  Every track on here has character, the production is nice, the riffs are thrashy and fun, and the lyrics are bearable.

Let's look at the riffs.  When the album started off with "Sleepwalker," I wasn't too thrilled.  It's a good song, but this was how The System Has Failed started: a good song followed by 40 minutes of snooze.  But once I got past the first four tracks without being completely revulsed, I wasn't too worried for the rest of the album.  It's weird how Megadeth does this because it's like every time they release a shitty album, they release a good one afterwards.

One of the singles from this albums was "Washington Is Next."  This is probably the best song on here because the vocal structure is actually good and the riffs make sense coming from Megadeth.  Yes, finally, a Megadeth song that sounds like Megadeth!

As far as riffs go, this album actually sounds like a Megadeth record.  It actually sounds a lot like Dystopia, which is funny because a lyric from "United Abominations" is "the threat is real."  Let the conspiracies begin.  Anyway, there are plenty of good riffs on here, something that has been quite uncommon in the previous few Megadeth albums.  "Never Walk Alone... A Call to Arms" is one example of this.  The riffs and leads are all on point, almost sounding like something off of Rust in Peace.  "Play for Blood" and the title track are also good examples because of their fun thrash metal riffs that are wonderfully fast.  They also both have nice leads.

The lyrics aren't anything new.  It's pretty much typical cheesy Megadeth.  No, not The System Has Failed or Risk cheesy; this album's "Amerikhastan" cheesy.  Or maybe "New Yorqatar."  Yes, that's a lyric from track nine.  Also, the intro to "United Abominations" sounds like a real newscast, but it's fake, so if you thought it was real, that's unfortunate.  If it is real, then that's pretty unethical broadcasting because it's very biased and passive aggressive.  Also, it's really lame and edgy.

The production, music, and lyrics are all nicely done.  So what don't I like about this album?  Well, there's always the pretty obvious option of "A tout le monde (Set Me Free) (feat. Cristina Scabbia of Lacuna Coil).  For those who don't know, the original "A tout le monde" was released on the album Youthanasia and it became a pretty big hit (like, big enough that my mom knew about it).  Re-releasing it on this album is just Megadeth doing what they've been doing the past three albums - bringing back small elements of their better years into their music, not by making new material, but by copying the old material.  It's quite pathetic, really.

Another thing I don't like about this album is the structure.  All of the good songs are grouped in the first half of the album.  This is something relatively new as on the four albums before this, the good songs were spread out more evenly.  That's probably because they knew they were shitty albums so there needed to be something keeping it going so they accomplished that by strategically placing the good tracks among the bad ones.  This album starts to get boring around "Gears of War," picks back up, then it disappoints with "A tout le monde."  Then the last three tracks are just pretty boring with a good riff every once in a while.

Another thing I hate about this album is the album cover.  What the hell?  It's almost as bad as Iron Maiden's Dance of Death.  It's garbage and it hurts my eyes to look at.  It's like the guy who makes art for the Mission Impossible movies discovered Microsoft Paint.  Okay, that's a bit of a stretch, but whatever.  The point is it sucks.

That's pretty much it.  At this point, I can't say I know what Megadeth are going to do next.  Their discography up to this point has been all over the place, never staying consistent for more than two albums.  Well, at least this one was good.

Overall Rating: 81%

Originally written for themetalvoid.wordpress.com

Sweet pain - 78%

Face_your_fear_79, March 9th, 2018

In the past couple years I have known people who have seen Megadeth live three times. My friends say all three times they put on a great show. The band was tight and their set list was peppered with a collection of all their past works. In all three shows, Dave played some new songs from United Abominations. I always thought the new material fit into their set well and sounded as good, if not better than some of their newer material.

Weeks before United Abominations was released officially, the songs had been leaked onto the internet. I decided to take the old fashion approach and actually wait for the album to be released so that I could crack that cellophane off and give the album a solid listen. I did the same for System Has Failed and was disappointed. Whereas System Has Failed fell way to close to the melodic side of things (al la Youthanasia but no where near that record in quality), United Abominations holds some of the melodic nature of Megadeth while leaning slightly closer to the thrashier, Rust In Peace timeframe.

That's not to say that United Abominations is Rust In Peace II either. Far from it. Rather what happened is Dave added some speed and thrash elements back into the band's song writing. The best examples of this are probably album opener Sleepwalker, Never Walk Alone, Your Dead and the second half of Burnt Ice. The riffs and songwriting seem a bit more complex, certainly moreso than anything since Rust In Peace. Glen Drover's leads are simply outstanding. I also think that Dave has given us a lot of really good hooks, without sounding forced or cheesy. Tracks like Sleepwalker, Gears of War and United Abominations are reminiscent of some of the more memorable material on Countdown to Extinction.

I also think that this album flows together as a whole very well, with one glaring exception, A Tout Le Monde (Set Me Free). I had read that this song was recorded as a b-side, but the record company insisted using it as a single since it features a duet with Cristina Scabbia. Personally, I like this song as it was originally recorded on Youthanasia. This version is a cool alternative, but it is clearly a b-side and in my opinion should have been released as such. Otherwise, United Abominations is exactly what I expect from Megadeth. I can't understand how any longtime fan of Megadeth wouldn't find something to like here. United Abominations isn't Rust In Peace II, but then who would want it to be? Why try to relive the past when the future sounds this good? As far as I'm concerned, Dave Mustaine has released a winner here.

Sleepwalking back to success - 72%

gasmask_colostomy, October 27th, 2017

Trying to pretend that Megadeth didn't release an album with a front cover apparently showing a still from a '90s Japanese children's cartoon is more my concern than whether this is thrash or a return to form or politically invalid. In any case, I'm 10 years late, so there's not really any logic to wading into any of those battles anymore. What I will say is that I'm a fan of anything that Megadeth has ever done that has been either fast, snotty, or musically precocious, while consistency and reasonable production quality have also been in my mind when deciding on the group's worthwhile output. That means that I don't really like almost any of the '90s music put out by ol' ginger and his bunch of ruffians, nor do I feel that the weak and flim-flam albums preceding this one are worth anything more than a passing interest in my book. Dave Mustaine has been "coming back" from the band's post-Youthanasia slump with every release since 1994, but I would put United Abominations down as a little more of a comeback than most of the others.

In the first place, pairing up with Glen Drover was a good move that led to an even more comeback-ish album in the subsequent Endgame, repairing Megadeth's status as a guitar band. Even if the riffs aren't up to scratch that often, the leads are proof that Mustaine was focused on playing intricate melodic metal that seeps out (I was going to write "erupts" but nothing is quite that flamboyant here) on tracks like 'Washington Is Next!' and 'Blessed Are the Dead', the latter of the two in the smooth and winding riffing as well as the solos. The addition of rhythm duo James LoMenzo and Shawn Drover also livens things up a bit on some of the more forcible cuts, 'Pray for Blood' having all the percussive presence of a boot to the skull, especially handy since the strings are in stomping mood, the bass grunting and swearing as the guitarists ply big size 12s in stop-start fashion before drizzling gasoline solos all around the body.

What keeps United Abomination down (and remember you can't keep a good man down) is that it isn't very consistent, showering shots all around a target that one would consider to be wide enough with the number of styles Megadeth have gone through since the beginning. I mean, I get it, 'A Tout Le Monde (Set Me Free)' was remade as a single and wasn't supposed to make anyone happy who had heard the original, but it didn't turn out as either a great showcase of Megadeth's contemporary sound nor a fascinating duet with Cristina Scabbia. I guess the idea was to get fans of each band into the other, but I could have told you that that was a stupid idea even on paper, since Lacuna Coil were then an increasingly poppy post-gothic rock/alternative band with not many guitar solos, while Mustaine was just powering back up on the guitar stakes and could barely hold onto a harmony if it was attached to the trigger of a gun that was pointing at James Hetfield. Other than that, there are some curiously soft moments that are not rock but just...soft, particularly in the title track, 'Never Walk Alone...a Call to Arms', and 'Blessed Are the Dead'. These tend to miss the mark, owing to the fact that they seem pretty limp and lacking in conviction.

The songs that go either for the jugular, like those late on in the album, or towards less obvious areas, such as the opening pair and 'Gears of War', are all the better for it. I'm quite a fan of 'Amerikhastan' despite people claiming that the narration ruins it, finding that it's a much more fun romp than the subject matter should make it and a style that Mustaine eventually perfected on 'Look Who's Talking' from Dystopia. The direct punchiness of 'Burnt Ice', 'You're Dead', and 'Pray for Blood' make a strong case for the album before it closes, while 'Sleepwalker' is probably the best thing on offer, seeing as it has the most intriguing lyrics on an album of overdone diatribes, not to mention making the count in terms of nice riffs and some of the highest-ranking solo action available on this release. On the subject of those lyrics, though, it fits in with the whole children's cartoon cover that Dave would try to go for the American establishment (and/or the UN, which isn't terribly clear), since that was the done thing to do a decade ago, as if these singers were kids rebelling against their parents.

I'm not quite as thrilled with United Abominations as I was with Endgame or Dystopia (or even Th1rt3en come to that), but I know why I've always had the impression that this was a strong Megadeth effort. That's because it starts and ends strongly, with at least five or six good songs seemingly magnetized away from the slightly dull mid-section, meaning that I've mostly focused on those parts of the experience and paid little attention to the dross in between. However, tonight my girlfriend phoned me during that weaker spell, so I dwelled more heavily on the downtime (you can tell I was listening to my girlfriend, right?) and have come to see that this is only a minor success. In any case, United Abominations won't be totally left out of the Megadeth mixtape, and that's something I guess.

Underrated - 90%

octavarium, April 8th, 2016

As I have explained in my reviews of Endgame and Dystopia, Megadeth is a bit of a “roller coaster” band. The band kicked off their career with a series of six albums during the 80’s and early 90’s that ranged from very good to amazing. The mid 90’s to early 2000’s saw a dip in quality and creativity, before roaring back strong in the mid to late 2000’s, then taking yet another dip in the two albums prior to the massive comeback of Dystopia. The System Has Failed was largely a step in the right direction after the disappointing late 90’s-early 2000’s albums, but 2004’s United Abominations is the album that truly got Dave Mustaine and the gang back on track.

The sound on United Abominations is very polished, so even the faster songs don’t sound all that “thrashy”. That doesn’t hurt the album in any way, though, as the melodies are infectious and sound is still rather heavy. If anything, United Abominations is more of a 21st century answer to Countdown to Extinction. There are still some faster, more aggressive songs such as album opener Sleepwalker (which takes a fast riffing mid-paced melody approach), You’re Dead, and Burnt Ice. The fast-paced Washington is Next! (arguably the best song on the album) and the slower-paced title track are the songs that will really stick out and the listener will most likely find themselves singing the choruses days after hearing them. Gears of War and Blessed are the Dead are strong mid-pace powerhouses, although both seem to stop short of a third verse and chorus in favor of a solo section. However, this serves to show off the impressive chemistry between Dave Mustaine and Glenn Drover, a strong guitar duo in their own right before the arrival of Chris Broderick. This album also has some of Dave’s finest lyrics, largely politically-charged yet still sarcastic and humorous at times (Amerikhastan being a prime example). Dave’s songwriting has always been at its best when he sings about something he’s passionate about, and we all know how passionate he is about politics, war, corruption, etc.

While Play for Blood is rather unremarkable, the remake of A Tout le Monde is the only song that really did not need to be on this album. If anything, THIS should have been the bonus track rather than Black Swan (although that song would become one of the highlights of the eventual Th1rt3en album). Cristina Scabbia is a fine singer, but she does not add anything truly meaningful to this version and applying a more polished production value to a song that sounded good on the slightly more gritty Youthanasia further takes away from it. Stick with the Youthanasia version.

While the middle is a bit hit-or-miss, a strong opening and a solid finish make United Abominations not only one of Megadeth’s most underrated albums, but also one of their best. Fans of Countdown to Extinction and Youthanasia will find plenty to love, and even the more diehard thrash fans will enjoy Burnt Ice, You’re Dead, and Sleepwalker. The band would continue this momentum with the excellent and slightly more thrash-oriented Endgame two years later. Still, United Abominations is the album Megadeth needed to prove they were still among the kings of heavy metal.

There Was A King, An Evil King... - 85%

Twisted_Psychology, July 1st, 2009

Given that 2004’s "The System Has Failed" was originally intended to be a solo album by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, it could be argued that this release is the first real Megadeth album since "The World Needs a Hero" was released in 2001. It is the first album to feature drummer Shawn Drover and bassist James Lomenzo and it’s the only album to feature guitarist Glen Drover. It may also be the angriest album that the band has released since "Countdown to Extinction" and is easily the band’s most political to date.

Musically, the album combines the intensity of "Rust in Peace" with the accessible nature of "CTE" and "Cryptic Writings." The songs themselves range from violent thrashers ("Sleepwalker," "Washington is Next!"), mid-tempo crushers ("Play For Blood," "You’re Dead"), and a few songs that really come out of nowhere ("Amerikhastan"). The new line-up also manages to come together strongly in comparison to the band’s better known teams. Every song is packed with strong guitar riffs, solid rhythms, and vocals that range from sarcastic to desperate.

The guys in Megadeth are certainly no strangers to politics but this album may possess some of the band’s most intense lyrics to date. Frustrations with the American government can be found within the words of "Washington is Next!," "Amerikhastan" seems to poke fun at the War on Terror, and the title track provides several angry rants aimed towards the United Nations. For the most part, they’re pretty well thought out but many lines sound somewhat awkward in their delivery (“Hey, Jihad Joe? Guess what? We're coming to get you!”). A few other themes present in the album’s lyrics include revenge ("Sleepwalker," "You’re Dead"), drug abuse ("Burnt Ice"), war and its after effects ("Gears Of War," "Blessed are the Dead"), and a few more personal affairs along the way ("Never Walk Alone... A Call to Arms," "A Tout le Monde").

Ultimately, the album’s main flaw seems to be that some songs feel rather recycled or just don’t seem to connect with one another at times. "Never Walk Alone" features an opening riff that sounds like it was taken straight from "Vortex," the guitar/bass trade-offs on "Blessed are the Dead" sound eerily similar to those found on AC/DC’s "Next to the Moon," and "Burnt Ice" seems to replicate the twin guitar trade-offs on "Hangar 18" with a lesser degree of success (Not to mention a possible reference to Sabbath's "Sweet Leaf" with the coughs in the beginning...). Not to mention a few songs such as "Amerikhastan" and "You’re Dead" seem to be hastily constructed when compared to their more successful counterparts.

I’m also divided when it comes to the re-recording to "A Tout le Monde." As a fan of the original song on "Youthanasia," I can safely say that this version is pretty decent and the guest vocals by Lacuna Coil singer Cristina Scabbia are beautifully done. However, it seems to be rather processed in comparison to the original and feels like an unnecessary addition that could’ve been filled in by their cover of Led Zeppelin’s "Out on the Tiles" or "Black Swan." I just think that it would’ve been better as some kind of bonus track rather than one of the album’s actual songs. Kinda like what Metal Church with their recent re-recording of "Watch the Children Pray" the year before...

There are a few inconsistent songs but this is still worth checking out for Megadeth die-hards.

Pros:
1) The new line-up sounds great together
2) Great song variety
3) The lyrics have their intriguing moments

Cons:
1) Some songs are either unoriginal or feel hastily constructed
2) The lyrics can be somewhat goofy at times
3) Was the "A Tout le Monde" remake really that necessary?

My Current Favorites:
"Sleepwalker," "Washington is Next!," "United Abominations," "Gears of War," and "Blessed Are the Dead"

Almost on par with Rust In Peace - 97%

MegaHassan, November 5th, 2008

There, I’ve said it. United Abominations is almost as good as Rust In Peace. I’m not saying that the two albums are similar and that United Abominations is Rust In Peace II. I’m simply saying that United Abominations kicks just as much ass as Rust In Peace does. The title of this review won’t exactly endear me to the majority of metalheads, but I have my reasons. I’ve lived with this album for well over a year, I got it the day it was available in Pakistan, and it was also the first Megadeth album I had the pleasure of hearing. I bought Rust In Peace on the same day as well, and I became addicted to both the albums – at times I found it hard to decide which album I liked more. Before I bought this album, I had a faint idea of what Megadeth sounded like. I had already heard Peace Sells on GTA: Vice City. I borrowed The System Has Failed from a friend and listened to a couple of songs. But United Abominations just blew me away. Rust In Peace did too - it was my introduction to thrash metal – but United Abominations introduced me to the harsher side of heavy metal. Had I listened to Rust In Peace BEFORE United Abominations, I’m pretty damn sure I wouldn’t have liked it as much.

But enough with the nostalgia. What makes this album so great in my eyes, other than the fact that it helped me get out of my Iron Maiden and Judas Priest phase? I couldn’t pin-point it before because I didn’t know a lot about metal. I feel that now I’m able to make a valid judgment, even though it might be biased. But hey, there’s no such thing as an unbiased opinion.

The thing that caught my attention the first time I listened to it was the pure aggression displayed in this album, both from the vocals and the musicianship. Honestly speaking, I haven’t the faintest idea why some of the reviewers here on the Encyclopaedia Metallum think that the album is devoid of any energy whatsoever. If they can’t notice the venom in Mustaine’s voice when he sings “No one is safe/When I close my eyes/I come take your life” then they have no right to review this album. Mustaine is able to make three lines of laughable lyrics and turn them upside down with his hate filled vocals. When the vocal performance is compared to Megadeth’s 80’s work, it is definitely superior. The sad thing about Megadeth in the 90’s was that while Mustaine’s vocals continued to improve, the quality of their music began to decline. I am 100% sure that UA features Mustaine’s best ever vocal performance, and top top it off, the music is every bit as good as it once was.

Mustaine’s vocals aren’t the only thing in this album that is filled with energy. Mustaine’s riffs are excellent and show a lot of variation. From the groovy riffs of Play For Blood and Gears of War to the speed metal assault of Washington Is Next, none of the riffs in this album are second rate. Every single one is made of 24-carat gold, with my personal favorite being the main riff of Sleepwalker. Mustaine also does some great solos, but Glenn Drover’s work tops Dave’s work at times. Burnt Ice is full of great solos – 10 of them, in fact! The solos contrast with the lead work at times, but also blend in perfectly. A unique combination.

The drum work is solid. Shawn Drover isn’t a reincarnation of Gar Samuelson, but he doesn’t need to be. He has his own style, and he manages to keep the drum work from getting stale and boring. His drum lines blend in with the Mustaine’s and Glenn Drover’s guitar work perfectly. Shawn has to be appreciated for making his drum work stand out while not taking any attention away from the riffs.

I don’t have much to say about the bass except that it too is solid. It isn’t nearly as audible as when it was in Peace Sells or Killing In My Business, which really is a pity. LoMenzo isn’t the best bassist in the world but he manages to provide the glue between the guitars and the drums.

Mustaine has received a lot of criticism for his lyrics in this album. One of the people who reviewed this album stated that it shouldn’t be a problem since Mustaine’s vocals have always been slightly juvenile. The lyrics, like everything else, show variety as well. You have songs about Mustaine being pissed off at people (Sleepwalker, You’re Dead), you have pseudo-political songs (Washington Is Next, United Abominations, Amerikhastan, Gears of War), songs about relationships (A Tout Le Monde, Never Walk Alone). The remaining songs Play For Blood, Blessed Are The Dead and Burnt Ice are about online gaming, religion and drugs respectively.

So, what about the actual music? I’ve delved into the parts that make the music what it is but I haven’t really said anything about the music itself. Well, the music is the same as its parts. It’s varied, and it never gets boring. The first three tracks are all pounding heavy metal songs which at times tend to lean towards thrash and speed. The next five are more mid tempo and groove oriented, but still manage to kick ass. The final three songs are a bit more experimental and are filled with great solos.

Overall, it’s a great album. Probably the best release of 2007 (barring Systematic Chaos and Paradise Lost). The album has a sense of unity, a sense of purpose and a determination that wasn’t present on any Megadeth release after Youthanasia. Mustaine set out to make an album that would kick his detractor’s teeth in, and although others may disagree, Mustaine did just that.

Stand-out tracks:

Sleepwalker
Washington Is Next
Play For Blood
Burnt Ice
You're Dead
United Abominations

Dave doing what Dave does - 40%

The_Ghoul, August 4th, 2008

Dave Mustaine has to be one of the most arrogant metalheads this side of Lars Ulrich. I'm convinced he thinks every shit he shits out is made of pure 24k gold. United Abominations is filled with pseudo-clever political statements that lack any sort of subtlety, or class for that matter. I refuse to refer to them as lyrics, because they're more like rants of a burnt out rockstar.

But metal is never about the lyrics, so I will talk about the music behind the lyrics. And it is here that it's mostly Dave doing what Dave does. The songs are painfully generic, with nothing to separate them from anything else Dave has done post-Rust in Peace. I don't think Dave knows how to write a good song anymore. All he knows how to write are pop songs (as evident on Risk) and as a result, these come off as modern rock with a metal mask on. It's all verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus and nothing in between. There's none of the genuine emotion that was conveyed in past work. There's none of the frustrated anger of Killing is my Business..., none of the social contempt of Peace Sells, and none of the epic narration of Rust in Peace. In ten (or even five) years nobody will know what United Abominations is, and nor will they care. It might get the occasional mallcore kid into Megadeth, sort of like a gateway, but once they discover the more classic works, this won't be listened to. Even Risk will be remembered as "the album where Dave sucked modern rock cock and swallowed". But this, along with The System Has Failed, and Cryptic Writings, will not be remembered in the years to come. There's simply nothing to jog the imagination, nothing for the fan to hold on to. This is basically Dave going through the musical motions. The riffs are boring, the chorii are boring, and the solos are boring. Seeing as that's all this is, we can conclude it's a boring album.

Like I said earlier, the words suck too. This is just an album made by a bitter and butthurt man (who cried in that Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster) and should be treated as such. If you're knowledgable to stumble upon Megadeth on this site, you should know not to get this. There's no reason to get it. If you do, I can guarantee it will gather dust. Dave should just call it quits and admit that Megadeth hasn't made anything of worth since Youthanasia.

The REAL return of Mustaine - 72%

quacktheripper, November 18th, 2007

We all listened to Gears of War when it came out (as part of the OST of the game, to the excellence of which a certain Chacko Khan testifies.) and considering how fucking bad that song was, Sonic Abominations seemed like a more apt title for the album. Cut to March 2007, when samples of Sleepwalker were posted on the net. True, I probably had very low expectations from it but the song took me by surprise. It had all the trademarks of ass-kicking era Megadeth : a buzzing sledgehammer of a riff, that pissed-off snarl that ONLY Mustaine can possibly pull off and some superb lead guitar work. Now, here was hope that there was probably going to be a quality thrash/speed metal offering.

Alright, let’s cut to the chase here. There are approximately 93,846,171,015,101 threads on the internet about how MetallicA and Megadeth and some other bands that pioneered the thrash revolution have sold out, are not true to their roots anymore and “Megadeth/MetallicA’s next album : Do you think they can recapture the magic?”. However, the real question about a band like MetallicA or Megadeth today is do they WANT to make an album like Master of Puppets or Rust in Peace. I mean, it was the ‘80s; these guys had mullets and spandex. That kinda shit gets to you and you make pissed off music which kicked muchos behind (really, fucking mullets!!). But NOW, sitting in their 20 million dollar mansion with a tennis court and an indoor hot water pool and Jacuzzi, it’s kind of hard to be pissed off, right? Apparently not, as Mustaine has proved with United Abominations. I don’t know what that fucker is ticked off about now but damn, it’s worked wonders. Wait, maybe it’s George Bush. I mean, it wouldn’t be the first Bush-bashing album that has been outstanding this year. We already had Ministry's The Last Sucker getting a few kvltheads banging.

United Abominations is possibly Mustaine’s best output since Countdown to Extinction. It truly signals an intent to get back to producing the angry, vengeful, neck snapping music that we all came to love Mustaine for. The sound on this album is essentially a hark back to Countdown To Extinction and, to a lesser extent, Rust In Peace in terms of sheer ferocity of the riffage, the intricacy of structuring, blistering lyrical work and most importantly, the fucking awesome solo work, something which has been sorely missed since Marty “The God of Guitar” Friedman moved out. Glen Drover (ex - King Diamond) fills that void more than competently on this album and Mustaine too, is back in fine touch, pulling off a few scorchers himself. Bass duties are handled by James Lomenzo (ex-Black Label Society) but seriously, who are we shitting here? I miss Ellefson.

On to the good parts of the album now. As mentioned before, the song structuring and lyrical work are highly reminiscent of Countdown To Extinction, especially on songs like Sleepwalker and Amerikhastan which mirror the kind of elaborate finesse displayed on songs like Foreclosure of a dream and Architecture of Aggression. There's a lot of mid-paced ass kickers on the album such as the title song, Pray For Blood and the rather melancholy You're Dead which might I add, is a dead ringer (haw!no pun intended) for This Was My Life. The lyrics are extremely well written too, mostly dealing with the Iraq war and some Bush-bashing thrown in for good effect.


“And to beat violence, you must ignore the focus groups,
You must send in the Mossad, turn off the BBC, CNN
And don't look back
Rest assured there'll be no more Middle Eastern crisis. Hell, there'll be no more Middle East!”
YEAH! Go Mustaine!

There are a couple of clunkers on the album, such as the aforementioned Gears Of War and a new version of A Tout Le Monde with Christina Scabbia (of Lacuna Coil) further emasculating an already limp-wristed piece of work.However, these are only minor aberrations in what is otherwise an extremely ballsy, all out thrasher.

I am not going to imply that United Abominations warrants your undividend attention, or that it is going to garner any significant fraction of of the playtime that Rust In Peace or Countdown to Extinction managed to. Indeed, that money might be well utilized in purchasing the new Evile or Fueled By Fire. However, this album holds a lot of retribution value for most Megadeth fans.Vindication for sticking by the band through the bad times. And for my money, Mustaine finally gets his one up on MetallicA.

Originally written for [url]http://kvltsite.com[/url]

United Abominations - 70%

Emoholocaust, September 28th, 2007

Well here we go again. The 3rd Megadeth album in a row where all we heard leading up to it's release was how it was going to be the next "Rust In Piece" and the return to the thrash roots this band built it's name on in the late 80's early 90's. Much like the last few albums the first song released (from this album it was "Sleepwalker", last album it was "Kick The Chair") was the thrashiest song from the album really making you believe this was going to be it. Megadeth was back.

Well once again this has all been a wolf in sheeps clothing. "United Abominations" is not "Rust In Piece", "Peace Sells", or even "Countdown to Extinction". Dave has once again fooled us but this time there are a few more solid tracks than I was expecting here although I still wouldnt call this a thrash release. But I will admitt it is the best thing this band has released in qutie some. But lets get the bad out of the way first.

The remake of "A Toute Le Monde" is weak. The original sucked and now it features the singer of Lacuna Coil. It's almost like Megadeth were looking for the type of hit Evenesance had a few years ago with "Bring Me to Life" which is pathetic. This is supposed to be a thrash album!! "Never Walk Alone" is just a slowed down, more radio friendly version of Tornado of Souls". The riffs are a dead give-a-way and the chorus is lame. Also on many of the tracks there are goofy political soundclips like on the last album, and much like the last album its annoying. You can already get the message through the music and with these soundclips added it just seems too preachy and over the top.

But there are a good number of solid songs here that might make it worthy for old school fans to check it out. The aformentioned "Sleepwalker" is awesome. Even if it is a re-hashed version of "Good Mourning/Black Friday". It is the heaviest song on the album and the epic intro leading into the song works perfectly. "Washington Is Next" is another solid song although I feel Dave sings too much in the song. Musically its probably the most technical song on the album. New lead guitar play Glenn Drover does and amazing job on the solos, proving he is worthy for the spot once held by great players like Marty Friedman and Chris Poland. "Pray for Blood" and Gears of War" are both two cool songs as well. Their both mid-tempo songs but they donts seem as soft and commerical as many of the mid-tempo songs the band has been doing these past 13 years.

I cant help but get dissapointed as I once again expected this to the glorious return to thrash that Dave and the record label hyped it up to be. I guess I'm a sucker for falling for it a 3rd time. Still I would say this is than the lastest releases from Metallica,and Anthrax, and probably the best thing Megadeth has done since "Countdown to Extinction". I know Dave plans on doing at least one more album and I really hope he lets it all fly next time. He has an amazing band beind him and I know he can pull out another classic. The signs are there he just needs to get over the whole radio friendly thing. Your not going to top Metallica in that department Dave. Let it go. Take the higher road and you'll see in the end you'll be more respected.

United Abominations - 82%

Icipher, July 16th, 2007

The new Megadeth album was highly expected and has gained some of the highest chart positions for the band in many years. This was surely mainly due to Megadeth active touring in the past three years, their new record label Roadrunner and the dedication of their fans. While many people seem to expect another Rust in Peace this will propably never happen ‘cause all records are products of their time. With the comeback record, The System Has Failed in 2004 Megadeth surely was a one man band supported by session musicians. The album however showcased some of the most powerfull tracks since the classic Countdown to Extinction, in the form of Blackmail the Universe, Kick the Chair and The Scorpion and you knew to expect something good for the future. With a steady line-up that grew together while touring Megadeth is once again a true band and this can be heard on their latest release United Abominations.

The album opener Sleepwalker really showcases this statement, all the members seem to have had input in this track with James Lomenzo delivering some well executed basslines in the beginning, good melodic solos by Glen Drover and very good drumming by Shawn Drover, all lead tightly by the brainchild himself, Dave Mustaine. One that really pops into a listeners mind is the fact of this album consists of very different tracks and tons of solos. The songwriting here is very good with some suprising time changes on few tracks and the voice of Dave Mustaine has never been as captivating. The riffing on this album really uses elements from all the albums in the bands catalogue and some new elements have been thrown in as well with some progish vibe here and there. The controversial À Tout Le Monde is a good remake of the classic but with a more mainstream rock feel, a good remake but pales in comparison to the original and breaks the more aggressive vibe of the album a bit. The songs are heavy, yet melodic and catchy demonstrated best with the single track Washington Is Next!.

From a lyrical point of view this album really has a lot to say. Now the title really showcases only one aspect of the album which is political, but there ain’t more than four tracks dealing with politics. The rest well, some of getting even or revenge, some biblical references, human relationships and the closing track Burnt Ice showcases the tragedy of a drug addict.

Now the production is very good with thick basslines and clear solos although at times the rhythm guitar could’ve been thicker and personally I’m not a fan of the basic thrash metallic floppy bass drum sound. United Abominations is a very good album by Megadeth, not their best work but truly impressive of a band with such a long history of complications. If you liked albums like Countdown to Extinction and Cryptic Writings, United Abominations is almost as diverse as those and this definitely is the most solid and natural release with the classic Megadeth vibe since Countdown in 1992.

Megadeth - United abominations - 60%

Radagast, June 29th, 2007

'United abominations' has been described in some quarters as the thrashiest Megadeth CD since 'Rust in peace', and while that may be true, it's a bit of a misleading sentiment. There are certainly a few breaks here and there that approach the Megadeth style of old, but there is no way 'United abominations' could be looked on as a thrash CD. Being no less than their 3rd release in a row to be described with that old 'return-to-the-roots' adage, its refreshing to see that, while it certainly isn't entirely true, Dave Mustaine has at least written a collection of songs that are unmistakably metal from start to finish for the first time in over a decade.

Along with his new colleagues, guitarist Glen Drover, his drummer brother Shawn (both from the Canadian band Eidolon), and former Black Label Society bass player James Lomenzo, Mustaine has turned out a very consistent selection of songs that while hardly world-beating, are mostly enjoyable enough if taken in their own right. It may seem like setting expectations a little low, but a bit of realism is needed when awaiting a new Megadeth CD. Following their total abandonment of their thrash roots for 1994's power metallish 'Youthanasia', Megadeth's decline was almost terminal. The 2 separate comeback CDs – one from the pop-rock nonsense that was 'Risk' and the other from a self-imposed exile, were both fair efforts, but were hamstrung by some weak songs and a simple lack of inspiration.

'United abominations' is certainly an improvement on its 2 predecessors, 'The system has failed' and 'The world needs a hero', but at times also sounds quite unimaginative and lifeless, without ever becoming offensive to the ears. Songs like "Gears of war" just seem to plod along without really going anywhere, whereas others such as "Blood on ice" are in fact really quite good. Definitely the best aspect of the recording, as you would perhaps expect, is the lead playing – Mustaine and Drover turn out some brilliant solos that liven up plenty of the songs and lift a few from mediocrity to something a little more impressive. The closest comparison that could be made to a previous Megadeth CD is probably 'Youthanasia', with most of the songs staying in midtempo and keeping to the same traditional metal sound.

Unfortunately, those infernal spoken vocals that plagued the 2 previous CDs are still hanging around like a bad smell. While thankfully not reaching the cringeworthy levels of the soundbites on the 2 preceding CDs, Mustaine's insistence of shoehorning in the things he wanted to say in the song but couldn't force into the lyrics, particularly at the start of the title track come across as needless and pretty self-serving.

This brings us to the lyrics themselves. Mustaine has never been a stranger to political content in his songs, but for the most part he has never come across as being too overbearing and indeed confused sounding as he does here. With the title track decrying the United Nations and backing the foreign policy of the U.S. administration to the hilt, its then baffling to hear his government being described in the same terms as the Roman Empire in "Washington is next!". Lyrical content is rarely a big distraction for me when it comes to metal, but when they are this muddled and, in the case of "Sleepwalker" and a few others, just plain stupid, it grates severely. Not only this, but it seems as though a great deal of the lyrics were written with little thought to how they would fit into the songs – often they don't rhyme, or simply don't flow well with the music at all. Often it just sounds like Mustaine is just muttering a speech he has written over the riffs.

In simplest terms, 'United abominations' is merely a solid heavy metal record that excels in as many places as it drags. Based on the overall improvement over the last 2 Megadeth records (in my opinion, this is in fact their best in 13 years, but that's hardly saying much) and an apparent steadiness in the line-up that has been missing for some time now, it depends on your level of optimism as to what the future holds for the new-look version of the band. Will they continue to build on the progress shown here and perhaps deliver that final classic CD? Or will they continue coasting along turning out slightly above average efforts? I'd bet on the latter, but at least with CDs like this one, no further harm is being done to the band's legacy.

(Originally written for http://www.metalcdratings.com/)

If only this were the last nail in the coffin... - 5%

Wraith, June 14th, 2007

I’ve never felt like such a sucker as I did when I finished my first listen to this record. Can I get my $9.99 back? In my youthful naivete, I would never have imagined that a decade later my favorite band (a word I use loosely at this point) would sink so low. Put simply, this would be awful even by the low standards of a second tier thrash act. The only reason I haven’t given it a 0% is the fact that many would regard that as mere hyperbole, when in truth I don’t believe it deserves anything more.

I’ll get the few positives out of the way before I go into what will likely be a poorly organized (due to my extreme irritation) rant on how much everything else sucks:
- There are a few (and I stress "few") noteworthy riffs that remind one of what Mustaine was once capable of.
- When he isn't ripping off his own pull-off patterns from 1986, Mustaine's lead phrasing is, as always, interesting.
- Glen Drover, while not a tenth as intriguing as Poland/Friedman, can play.

Nothing else is positive: you know your record is a piece of shit when a song from a prior record is rerecorded in inferior form and is still by far the best track. 80-90% of the riffs here are, even when pleasing to the ear of a non-discerning fan, not remotely inventive (and in some cases totally inappropriate: see Burnt Ice), and there's nothing to listen to drum-wise. The real issue, though, is Mustaine. At this point, there are three possibilities:
1) The first four records were happy accidents and everything from Countdown to Extinction through Risk involved substantial help from bandmates/producers with the lyrics, vocal melodies, and arrangements;
2) the lyrics, etc. have simply fallen off due to the man's disinterest in the subject matter he's now forcing (as proven by the fact that Never Walk Alone, while not a good song, is probably the least offensive track here lyrically, and is not coincidentally the only one to touch on post-CTE subject matter);
3) he can only write when high on something.

I suspect we're dealing with a combination of all three, and fuck is it depressing. Post CTE/Youthania, I'd have called (and did call) Mustaine one of metal's top five or so lyricists. He doesn't even register now, clocking in even lower than the most derivative death metal acts, who at least know their limitations. The second reason above is the one that most grates on me: I believe Mustaine loves the fan adoration he gets when playing metal, but I do not believe for a moment that he personally enjoys most of the shit he's produced since Risk. Face it people: the man wants to write pop/rock songs, and if his fans would let him get away with it, he’d be doing just that.

Anyway, the vocal melodies are even worse than the lyrics themselves, and are awkward beyond belief. The number one culprit here is the title track, over which I nearly retched. Where were the producers here? Everything about this is amateurish. It's amazing how A Tout le Monde, a song I don't even particularly care for, stands out so much due to the sole fact that the vocal lines actually fit the meter, etc. Vocally his voice is strong, but there's nary a hint of the promise he showed on Risk as far as his range (in all senses).

Finally, the arrangements are, to repeat this term, amateurish, with inappropriate solos laid down constantly in places they have no business being, like an afterthought. There is barely anything approaching an attempt at actual songwriting, and unlike the enjoyable riff-salads we get in some of the more extreme genres, in this case there isn’t even any passion to carry the day.

I'm done. Worst record I've heard, in any genre of music, in at least three years. As the title suggests, I imagine things will only get worse, as a fifty-year old Mustaine continues pumping out recycled garbage based on the encouragement of listeners who seek nothing beyond the mere genre classification of “metal.”

Now where is my copy of Peace Sells?

Aggressive and Thought Provoking. - 87%

hells_unicorn, June 14th, 2007

One of the things that I’ve come to understand about my love for the musical genre of heavy metal is all the controversy surrounding it. Nowhere is this more present than in the case of MegaDeth’s latest compositional offering “United Abominations”, which is the closest thing to a return to form for Mustaine musically, although lyrically it may go down as the most misunderstood album by those who are otherwise fans of MegaDeth’s heavily present political ideology.

Musically this is the greatest thing I’ve heard out of the band since “Youthanasia”, and in certain areas surpasses both that release and its predecessor “Countdown to Extinction” in terms of sheer energy. The lead work put forth by Mustaine and Glenn Drover alone blows most of their 90s material clear out of the water, blending memorable melodic ideas with plenty of shred passages, and resurrecting the once thought dead dueling guitar dialogues that this band used to pump out with intrigue. There are also some signature riffs put forth on the first single “Gears of War” and “Never Walk Alone” that challenge some of the 80s material, to speak nothing for the sub-par work afterwards.

The pacing of the entire opus listens like a classic thrash album with a sizable slow spot in the middle, probably the only real flaw aside from a somewhat botched attempt at a remake in “A Toute Le Monde”. We start off with “Sleepwalker”, which sounds like “Blackmail the Universe” minus the repetitiveness and the spoken parts, definitely a keeper. “Washington is Next” ratchets up the tempo even more with a crushing galloping riff with a beat to match; some peg one of the guitar parts as a Maiden rip-off, but I don’t hear it anywhere. After “Never Walk Alone”, a song that reminds me somewhat of “Island of Tornados”, the tempo drops significantly and you’re left wondering where all the thrash went.

“Gears of War” the title track and “Play for Blood” are solid slower tracks that listen like something off of “Youthanasia”, and do occasionally pick up a bit after a while. The other 2 songs stuck in the middle of what would otherwise be a strict thrash album, however, don’t quite measure up. “A Tout Le Monde” puts together two elements that I would otherwise approve of, but fails to recapture the spirit of the original in any way, shape, or form. I can picture Cristina Scabbia’s eyes full of stars at the thought of doing a duet with Mustaine, since it’s more than likely that he was one of the ones that inspired her to join a metal band. Unfortunately the song is just too fast to fit the subject matter, and the ending lead section that gave me goose bumps in the original version has been drastically diminished.

The closing 3 songs on here take the album back to where it should be, speeding down the highway with the high beams blaring. “You’re Dead” easily beats the other two, combining together some heavy as hell grooves during the early sections with a blazing solo section that takes you back to the glory days of “So Far, So Good, So What?”. The other 2 songs that round out the mix are also solid thrashers employing plenty of masterful guitar ideas with Dave’s angry, singing through his teeth sounding voice. If these don’t make you shout out that MegaDeth is back, nothing will.

Many have noted the controversial political rhetoric found on some of the songs on here, particularly those containing spoken sections. Although to many the thought of attacking the UN seems a Neo-Con method of propagandizing the metal masses into the blind patriotism that the current American government seeks from its citizens, this conclusion fails to appreciate the complexity of America’s body politic and that of this entire album. It is somewhat odd that someone would glorify the foreign policy of George W. Bush in the title song and then criticize the proliferation of weapons technology in “Gears of War”. In fact, it seems more likely that Mustaine is attacking the UN because it has shared complicity in most of the atrocities visited upon Iraq and several other poorer nations.

The political message on here seems less in line with the Neo-Cons, who are mostly pro-UN, and more in line with Libertarian hardliners like Alex Jones who regularly tear apart the likes of former Presidents FDR and Harry Truman. The first spoken passage of the song “Amerikastan” sounds more like a warning to the American people about the potential for what the CIA refers to as “Blowback”, while the second suggests that America’s foreign policy has been hijacked by Halliburton. This is not the kind of viewpoint that I would associate with the Corporatist ideology of the Neo-Cons, but if not taken as a whole it is understandable that one would think this album is praising America’s disastrous foreign policy.

If you liked MegaDeth before the incident that is otherwise known as “Risk”, you will be greatly pleased with what has been recorded for your listening pleasure. Although not a full return to the glory days of “Rust in Peace” and “Peace Sells, But who’s buying”, there is far more good to be heard on here than bad. If you don’t like thrash metal for the politics, it’ll be a bit tough to tune out the narrations found on a couple of the songs. If you do follow the politics of the music you buy, try to take this album as a whole before jumping to conclusions about what it is saying. I for one have been waiting 13 years for an album that sounds like this from Mustaine, and I plan to give it plenty more attention before shelving it to devote time to newer purchases.

Mustaine should just write a novel - 66%

Empyreal, June 2nd, 2007

I'm kind of in the middle of the road on this one. It's clearly not an offensive album at all, nor is it Megadeth's best yet or any semblance of a thrash album (although I could care less if they made the second coming of Rust in Peace). None of the songs are outwardly terrible (perhaps save for the pitiful remake of "A Tout Le Monde"), and overall this album is fairly solid. I think that's the main problem with it though---this album doesn't really do much of anything, or try to go anywhere. It just starts somewhere and ends in the very same place, like a hamster in a spinning wheel. United Abominations is a passable, but thoroughly uncreative and uninteresting piece of work. Mustaine just isn't challenging himself like he used to, he's taking the easy way out and making 'easy listening' metal that virtually anyone can enjoy, blandly faceless and pedestrian. I suspect this is to prove that he can still do metal, but I'd rather him make another rock album like Youthanasia than hear this one.

The other problem here is Mustaine's insane drive to include his political messages into his music. The music is practically a second-class citizen here, what with Mustaine's drawn out spoken word passages dominating songs like the title track and especially "Amerikhastan." There's really no need for that, since I know I don't listen to thrash metal to hear a political commentary, and I'm pretty sure most others don't, either. It would be fine if he worded these into a more lyrical form as he used to, but for some reason he's content with smothering the riffs with those obnoxious spoken word passages. Mustaine's singing has degraded here, too. It's more like talking than actual singing, a lot of the time, and it just doesn't flow well with the music. It doesn't help that the lyrics aren't really written with many catchy hooks most of the time (there are exceptions, like how the chorus of "Blessed are the Dead" never gets out of my head), like essays. If Mustaine has so much to say, he could just include it in the damn liner notes of the booklet, or better yet, write his own novel. Then we could enjoy some of the songs here that were butchered by his monologues.

The songs without spoken word passages are fine musically, such as "Gears of War", "Blessed are the Dead", "You're Dead" and "Burnt Ice", and the two opening tracks are very nice as well with some decent riffs and shredding solos. But not one ounce of emotion is invoked here, not in the least. It's passable and well played heavy metal, but it's just not very energized. Mustaine has always wanted to best Metallica, and perhaps he has done that musically, but at least Metallica invokes aggrivation or anger in their listeners these days, actual emotions, which is still more than can be said for Megadeth. For Megadeth fanboys, this is the shit, and you'll probably enjoy it more than I did. This isn't bad, and maybe I'll even play it sometimes, but Mustaine can do better. Recommended only to the Megadeth diehards.

This Is Totally Outstanding! - 90%

Human666, May 29th, 2007

I don't care how much platitudinous it will sound for you, but I'm highly amazed that after 24 years of activity, Megadeth released such astonishing album without sound recycled even a little bit. Get the fuck out from your 1990 hole, it isn't R.I.P 2, it won't be, and it's excellent like that. Why should you expect from them to release the same album again? What's the point with listenning to something you already know? Classic remains classic, and it can't be done again, deal with it. When you listening to "United Abominations", be sure you won't find any thrash moments here. This is a heavy metal album, with some power metal moments though, but it's mostly sounds like melodic heavy metal. It isn't fast as Megadeth's 80's albums, but this is still a pretty fast album here and there with a lot of technical riffs and solos.

The production here is flawless, honestly. The bass can be heard loud and clear, the guitars sounds pretty heavy and the drums aren't too much dominant and flows perfectly. Mustiane does a very good job with the vocals. He doesn't sounds worned out even a bit, he sounds fresh and piercing enough when he needs to. Maybe this is his best album in terms of vocals, it's amazing that after forty years he sounds more intensive and powerful than how he was in his 20's.

"Sleepwaker", while being the longest track here, sounds shorter than other tracks due to his big variation and interesting composition. It opens with clean guitar pluckings and then comes some choirs and pretty solid bass riffing, then the guitars becomes distorted and builds up intensively until the first verse beings. Daves sings with full heat together with the flowing riffing and gets warmer and warmer in a pretty solid bridge, and then comes another verse and bridge and immediately the chorus comes in and changes the mood. It's a pretty catchy chorus with awesome using of acoustic guitars among distorted guitars, and there is also pretty good using with dual vocals, one repeats the word Sleepwalker and the other one sings different melody, together it's just sounds extremely catchy. The break in the middle is pretty awesome too, piercing riffs and overwhelming leading guitar which brings you back to the technical ecstasy of well known classics such as "Hangar 18". What can I say, this is one of their most intensive opener tracks to date and it really makes you feel energetic, "Sleepwalker" can be easily one of Megadeth's best hymns at their live shows.

"Washington Is Next!" and "Never Walk Alone...A Call To Arms" are pretty good continuers to the awesome opener track, as they are pretty catchy and has some very good sweeping sections which makes you wondering how the hell Mustaine can put out so much excellent moments within several moments and sound so seething. The title track has a bunch of well written riffs and again, another overwhelming chorus. It talks pretty much about politics (as the rest of the album) and contains some french spoken parts in the middle which gives the song a bit more realistic sense and makes you think a bit about our world.

Another mentionable track is of course "A Tout Le Monde". It's a remake of their well known hit from 94's Youthanasia, with a slight difference within it's original composition. However, the individual aspect of it from the original track is the appearance of Cristina Scabbia (Lacuna Coil) with Mustaine in the vocals which adds a more feminine touch for the track. It begins with clean guitars and Mustiane sings calmly the first verse, then it gains distrotion and Scabbia comes in as a background vocalist. The chorus sounds pretty melodic with the soft touch of the clean guitars and Scabbia's vocals among Mustaine rougher approach and overdriven guitars, again pretty good variation using which makes this song sounds a bit livelier than it's original version. The second verse is a bit different with some changes with the vocals divisions of Mustaine and Scabbia and the chorus which comes after that sounds amazing again. Then comes an amazingly orgasmic solo and the verse later sounds more exalted and so it's just flows with the chorus and makes you feel an incredible excitement. Overall, it's pretty exciting to hear this old track in a different, more modern form with a bit cleaner production. I don't know which version I prefer, the one from Youthanasia or this one, but after all both of the versions are awesome, and the new one doesn't disappoints even a bit and changes pretty good the mood between the former and the follower track.

So well, "United Abominations" is definitely the best album of Megadeth since 1990. Yes, it's better than "Countdown to Extinction", and this is one of the best heavy metal albums I've heard from our currently decade. A must have for each Megadeh fan or heavy metal fonder, just buy it and I'll sure you won't regret. I've listened to it countless times and I'm enjoyes it each time and feels grateful to Mustaine that still remains one of the best song writers in the heavy metal music today. I can't believe that I gonna see them live on July, performing some material from this amazing album...oh yeah.

Just a great metal album. - 92%

7stringV, May 23rd, 2007

Megadeth’s United Abominations, while not a return to their trash roots is still a very good album. Most songs on this disk are mid tempo, with some a little quicker then others. The only real all out thrasher is the lead track Sleepwalker. That is not however to say that album lags in any way. Megadeth have pulled off great albums without breakneck tempos before, and this release is on par with Countdown to Extinction or anything after. Making up for the slower tempos are fantastic lead work from Dave Mustaine and Glen Drover that bring back thoughts of Dave and Marty back in early 90’s.

This album like The System Has Failed is a return to Megadeth playing just metal songs, no pop songs that were made just for radio like on Cryptic Writings or Risk. Dave returns to form bringing back what he has made his career out of, political songs. For the most part everything after Countdown, with a few exceptions was not political. United Abominations goes back to Megadeth’s early days containing many politically driven songs.

The best of the best on this album are the first three tracks, and the closer. Sleepwalker is very thrashy with some nice solo work, Washington is Next! is a driving song that paints a picture of America falling out as a super power, and Never Walk Alone…A Call To Arms is very catchy song that is centered around the catchiest chorus on the album. The album finishes with a bang with Burnt Ice. Burnt Ice starts off with coughing reminiscent of Sweet Leaf by Black Sabbath, and for the most part is built around the guitar solos that contain some top notch lead work reminiscent of the Rust in Peace days.

The rest of the album is also very good but nothing stands out as much as the tracks above. United Abominations, Gears of War, Blessed are the Dead, Amerikastan, and Your Dead are all very good tracks that fit the album very well and give the disk a nice flow. The only problems I had with United Abominations are the remake of A Tout Le Monde, and Play for Blood. First off Play for Blood has some good riff work, but just seems to much in the vein of Crush ‘Em for my liking. It seems Dave just wrote that one to try to get Megadeth back in sport arenas and I didn’t much care for it. A Tout Le Monde (Set Me Free) has caught a lot of heat from die hard fans as this version just is unable to keep pace with the original. This song just lacks what the original had. The faster tempo takes the melancholy ambiance out of the song and that is what made the original so good.

United Abominations is not the masterwork Rust In Peace was, though it is another great album from Megadeth. While I would not say this is better then Countdown, it is on par with it and perhaps their best release since then.

A flying start, followed by a decent album - 80%

Agonymph, May 19th, 2007

A new Megadeth-album is always a guarantee for a lot of debate among fans and critics. There will always be people who will only be satisfied with another ‘Rust In Peace’ and as a result were disappointed by any album that came out since. For me personally, only ‘Risk’ and ‘World Needs A Hero’ were shit products, but even those albums had their moments. Megadeth’s latest effort ‘The System Has Failed’ was to me a great album. Maybe not the Megadeth we could hear on ‘Rust In Peace’, but – although I wouldn’t complain if we got another ‘Rust In Peace’ – that’s not really necessary either. The newest effort, ‘United Abominations’, more or less falls into the same category as its predecessor: it’s a very decent Heavy Metal album with Dave Mustaine in top form again. Nothing earth shattering, but nothing to be ashamed of either.

With that in mind, the beginning of the album comes as a very pleasant surprise. ‘Sleepwalker’ and ‘Washington Is Next’ are simply the best two tracks Megadeth has started an album with since ‘Holy Wars’ and ‘Hangar 18’ on ‘Rust In Peace’. ‘Sleepwalker’ even contains the so desired Thrash riffing that old school Megadeth-fans have yearned for for so long. The great guitar solos (Glen Drover is every bit as good as Marty Friedman) and an extremely pissed off Dave Mustaine just give the song the finishing touch it needs. ‘Washington Is Next’ is more melodic and packed with irresistable, infectious melodies. Those verses just gave me goosebumps. And as the title suggests, religious or not, Dave Mustaine will always be pissed off at governments in general.

That’s where the problem starts. And the problem I want to point out is two sided. First of all, it might not have been a very good idea to start the album off with its two best tracks. It’s like wasting the vast majority of your ammunition on your first two enemies, only to find out that there’s a lot more waiting after that. There’s still a lot to enjoy after that, but the high level of the first two tracks is never reached again.

Second part of the problem is that Dave Mustaine sometimes seems to put his political views higher on the ladder of importance than the music itself. ‘United Abominations’ has some killer riffing, but Mustaine just doesn’t seem to know when to stop his rants. Way too many spoken words. The same goes more or less for ‘Amerikhastan’ (notice the pattern in wordplaying in the titles?). It’s annoying. And that’s not necessarily because I disagree with Mustaine – although I definitely think he exaggerates in the album’s title track – but I’m interested in what Mustaine’s guitar has to say and what he has to sing, not in his speeches.

The lyrics to ‘Blessed Are The Dead’ are extremely cheesy as well. Seriously, the whole four horsemen theme is a tap from which all of the good water is already taken. Especially when it’s done as uninventive as in this song. Musically, the song isn’t all that interesting either. And ‘Never Walk Alone...A Call To Arms’ is a complete ripoff of ‘Vortex’ from ‘Cryptic Writings’. The slower tempo and the song’s good chorus don’t really mask that.the main riffs of both of the songs are quite similar. Not a bad song at all, but let’s just say I prefer the original.

Speaking of prefering the original...the absolute low point of the album is the remake of ‘A Tout Le Monde’ from ‘Youthanasia’. Contrary to a popular opinion (although the ones bashing the song are usually the same people that sing the song along the loudest), I really like the original. And nothing can outdo the original, right? Definitely right in this case. The higher tempo doesn’t suit the song at all and the addition of Lacuna Coil-singer Cristina Scabbia adds absolutely nothing to this version. Maybe some abominable vocal harmonies that are slightly off-key. Mustaine never should have raped this otherwise fine ballad this way. I suspect that letting Scabbia guest is purely based on commercial motives.

However, there is still quite a lot to enjoy on ‘United Abominations’. ‘Gears Of War’ is a very powerful track and its solo section is probably the finest on the album. Not the solo itself, but the riff underneath the solo is especially something to my delight. It really has this mighty eighties feel and it gave me goosebumps. Totally killer riff fest as well by the way. Another great solo section can be found in the song ‘You’re Dead’. The ending of the song is pure speed Metal. That solo section may be a little short, but definitely very fine! The song itself is a bit more progressive, but that suits this lineup of Megadeth fine. And ‘Burnt Ice’ is a nice closer. It slightly reminds me of ‘Ashes In Your Mouth’ from ‘Countdown To Extinction’, although the latter is definitely better.

So now for the hardest part of this review...where to place this album in Megadeth’s curriculum? I think it fits best somewhere between ‘Countdown To Extinction’ and ‘Youthanasia’. Stylistically, the balanced mix between Hard Rock, traditional Heavy Metal and Thrash / Speed Metal would fit well on ‘Countdown To Extinction’. But quality-wise, this album is closer to ‘Youthanasia’. I think ‘United Abominations’ is slightly more consistent than ‘Youthanasia’, but ‘Youthanasia’ fits certain moods better than ‘United Abominations’.

Fans of Megadeth’s post-1990 work can blindly buy this album. ‘Sleepwalker’, ‘Washington Is Next’ and to a lesser extent ‘Gears Of War’ alone are already worth every penny you pay for this album. It may be a bit of a letdown after ‘The System Has Failed’ though. ‘The System Has Failed’ started out with seven stellar tracks. There aren’t even seven steller tracks on ‘United Abominations’ as a whole. What you get in the form of ‘United Abominations’ is a decent Heavy Metal album that proofs Megadeth isn’t dead yet. Not even close.

Shoot Dave again - he ain't dead yet, goddammit. - 13%

Vlachos, May 19th, 2007

This album, along with its apologists, is full of misleading tripe. Anyone with half a brain predicted that this album would be full of references to current world events, the United Nations and whatnot, but this? This is nothing but a tool for Mustaine to vent his frustrations with the world. It would be a different story if he channeled his rage and disgust and used it to fashion music based on that, but alas it is not so, as he is a snob. Worse yet, the political ideals represented by the lyrics and spoken passages are so overt that it practically renders all musical qualities as immediately forgettable.

There are two outstanding tracks: ‘Sleepwalker’ has a half-decent riff and a recall to ‘Take No Prisoners’ at the 3:20 mark at the break, and ‘Gears of War’ has both a catchy opening (“gears of war… gears of war…”) and chorus. The reason these are outstanding? No, not because they’re great songs bunched in with a bunch of shitty ones, but because neither of these feature the overbearing lyrical themes which overshadow all the others (the second coming of ‘A Tout le Monde’ is an exception, but that one’s awful anyway). Unless I bothered to carefully dissect it, the former could be about an actual sleepwalker, so it doesn’t outright force-feed the listener with political garbage. The latter sounds as if Dave, completely by accident, stumbled upon the genius found on such tracks as ‘Polaris’ from Rust in Peace by targeting warfare lyrically, but remaining somewhat indirect and accentuating the melody and catchiness. There’s no wonder as to why ‘Gears of War’ was released as a single and ‘Sleepwalker’ was a playable track on their MySpace. Despite being decent, these songs have practically nothing in common with the classic ‘Deth albums and even less to do with a high quality of musicianship, especially considering the man penning these songs.

The other single which isn’t painful to listen to is ‘Washington is Next’, but as you would have guessed by the title it’s driven by its lyrical themes, discussing direct issues without creatively turning them into actual songs. This is especially true of the title track; it begins with a spoken passage addressing some bullshit I don’t care about, and the rest of it plods along, complimenting the droning lyrics. Listening to this album is like listening to a lecture you’re not particularly interested in: after it’s done, you can’t really recall anything specific despite it having been about a specific subject.

That’s why tracks like ‘Gears of War’ work, while the other tracks just do not. The former sacrifices the details of current events and issues in the name of musical quality, whereas the latter are just commentaries without the application of artistic integrity. Songs aren’t supposed to just convey talking points outright without bothering to articulate them in at least somewhat poetically, otherwise it’s just garbage. And that’s the overbearing fault of United Abominations: It’s just a series of messages that aren’t even vague to the listener, and the music is little more than a background that isn’t one bit creative. In summary, this album is bereft of any discernable quality and creativity due to the glorification of what appears to be Dave Mustaine’s opinion on everything.

Due to the fact that the actual music is just there to compliment the ideals and values, the album becomes even worse because it just seems like an exercise of mental masturbation. Megadeth has made zero progress, musically, in the last decade, this outing included. Essentially, this album is a portrait of a bitter man venting his frustrations and blasting everything he hates about the world without even bothering to make music. The music’s presence merely serves as a platter to dish out the verbal excrement, really. Dave’s attempts at criticizing world powers through music are a bit too rich when one considers that he has barely taken the time to construct anything worthwhile himself and expects his fans to pay just to listen to his bullshit. Maybe it sounds like an unfair or invalid criticism because, hey, after all it is music… but that IS the music, as sad as that sounds. I can only implore you to never, ever bother with this. Ever.

Oh, and did I mention there’s another ‘A Tout le Monde’? It’s like the first one, except this time it’s about as enjoyable as a turd in a bathtub.

Keep 'em coming - 80%

Armchair_Philosophy, May 17th, 2007

There is such much gossip over this album that it’s exhausting. Half the reviews I read are not even about the music. Well, all I can say is that this one will be.

United Abominations takes off in a dark and thrashy direction. The riffs are techy and fast like on, although not to the level of, Rust in Peace. Many have the attitude and edginess of those on Peace Sells. There are lots of melodic and catchy choruses like on Countdown to Extinction. Dave’s lyrics are extremely political, although he sounds a tad less pissed off than he did in the early 90’s. The rest of the band follows along as one would expect with new recruits joining a legendary name: they follow. The rhythm guys are good but don’t stand out like Menza and Ellefson did back in the day. Glen Drover however holds his own and sometimes overshadows Mustaine himself in the lead department. That’s all I’ll say as far as comparing this to the “old” Megadeth.

Now to the important question: does United Abominations hold its own in a modern forum? My answer to this may seem strange: yes, but because it’s old school. Strait up metal riffs with good clean vocals and tons of lead guitar. That used to be the definition of metal, but nowadays is becoming rarer and rarer. Megadeth are heavy but not brutal, catchy but not radio-friendly. It may be that labels are seeking extremes for marketing purposes, but Megadeth have their legacy to ride on so they can afford to be sonically on the fence.

There are a few filler tracks on this record, one of which is, surprisingly, the title track. It comes across kind of like something Dave really wanted to say so he shoved it into a song. I might suggest he use his blog in the future for such rants instead of his albums. What totally makes up for this though is the solos. I haven’t heard an album with solos this good since Nevermore’s This God Less Endeavor (and had been waiting a long time before that). There was no fear of saturating the album with them either, wherever a solo can be played, it is, and it sounds awesome. I think this may have to do with their being no let-up in the rhythm section during the leads, keeping heavy even if the wankery draws on.

Highlights are the three first tracks, and the closer Burnt Ice. Since I don’t own Youthanasia, I’m happy they redid À Tout le Monde. That song has been pulling my heart strings ever since Dave dedicated it to the victims of the Dawson College shooting at the Montreal Gigantour stop.

In the end, if you liked The System Has Failed, you’ll probably like United Abominations. Dave is doing a respectable job at reviving the late-80s-early-90s Megadeth vibe while keeping it fresh with new ideas (and band members).

Excellent Album - 85%

Mikesn, May 15th, 2007

With Megadeth it is pretty much always the same every time they release a new album. The band will allegedly be returning to its thrash roots. Everybody will get hyped up about it. The record will be solid, but not the full on thrash metal that was "promised." People will be upset and bash Megadeth for not being tr00-metal4lyfe-thrashheads and releasing Rust in Peace II. And people will complain about the complaining. It's a never ending cycle. With the latest addition to Megadeth's discography, such a cycle will not really change all that much. Dave Mustaine has gone on record, saying that United Abominations will not be Rust in Peace 2, but it might make him forget everything that has happened in between. While I quite enjoy what the band has offered over the past fifteen years, such statements aren't so far from the truth. United Abominations is the best thing Megadeth has put together since Youthanasia.

With United Abominations, Megadeth presents listeners a fair take on the band's career thus far. Megadeth fans should be pleased with the band's eleventh studio album, as it effortlessly makes the transition between thrash (Washington is Next!) to mainstream (A Toute le Monde (Set Me Free)), and does it quite well. However, the sound stressed the most throughout the 48 minute record is an agglomeration of the Peace Sells/Rust in Peace sound and that which is found on Cryptic Writings. The song which perhaps best suits this combination is the album opener, Sleepwalker. The song opens with a chilling acoustic guitar intro somewhat similar to Good Morning/Black Friday before descending into a riffy thrash assault. The chorus is quite catchy and simple, and while it doesn't exactly contribute to the intensity put forward by some of the verses, it makes for an interesting combination. With that in mind, United Abomination's best song would be Washington is Next which would definitely be far the band's strongest song in, say, seventeen years. With blistering riffs, sarcastic lyrics, a strong instrumental base, and powerful imagery it seems almost destined to become a classic Megadeth song. Particularly entertaining is the lengthy instrumental, led largely by guitarists Dave Mustaine and Glenn Drover. Glenn proves his worthiness, handling the melodic leads with skill and expertise throughout the track.

Yet with all this to consider, there are a couple of points which drag the album down. For one, not all of the material is quite strong or consistent enough. Tracks like, Gears of War, Amerikhastan, and Play for Blood are all decent songs. But they don't have the same killer instinct which songs like Never Walk Alone or Washington is Next contain. They're just there, really. Filler tracks if you will. Similarly, a song like You're Dead contains some cool harmonies and vocal lines, but again when compared to a stronger song such as Blessed Are the Dead, it's rather uninteresting. Another irritating part about United Abominations would be the lyrics. Now, Dave will never be among the greatest lyricists of our time, but aside from Washington is Next (which is rather interesting, I must admit) and perhaps Never Walk Alone, the lyrics penned for the album are downright awful. Need an example? Check out Sleepwalker. "Just taking a stroll / don't go to sleep / Here's some toothpicks for your eyes!" …Yeah. Amerikhastan also contains some rather cringe-worthy lines, most notably the spoken line "Hey Jihad Joe guess what / we're coming to get you!" While Dave won't exactly be remembered for his poetry skills, like I've already mentioned, I do feel that he can do a much better job. Fortunately, aside from the Jihad Joe thing, United Abominations does not really suffer at all from the quality of its lyrical work and generally makes for an appealing listen.

United Abominations isn't Rust in Peace 2. It won't end up being one of 2007's greatest albums. So don't get your hopes up too high. But with that in mind, Megadeth's eleventh album is perhaps the band's best in quite awhile. The band's popular thrash sound Musically, the song writing is fairly strong, especially in tracks such as United Abominations, Washington is Next and Blessed are the Dead, and Megadeth's performance is as strong as its ever been over the last few years. The lyrics can be a little dull at times, as can some of the closing tracks, but overall, Megadeth's United Abominations is a very worthwhile album. Pick it up right away.

(Originally written for Sputnikmusic)

United Melodic Thrash Once Again - 92%

darkreif, May 13th, 2007

The hype around the release of United Abominations has been quite astounding. There has been enough press about 'Megadeth's return to thrash' that it almost had me disenfranchised me towards this release. Megadeth are my favorite band and quite frankly I haven't really been disappointed with some of their releases - whether they are thrash metal or not is another case - but I have enjoyed their catalog nonetheless. I was cautious about United Abominations.

To say the least United Abominations is not all that I was hoping for. A modern Rust in Peace it is not. It is however a definite return to a thrashier form for Megadeth. I would argue that sound is a definite mix of Youthanasia and Rust in Peace. For those of you that are new to the Megadeth scene let me explain all the elements for you.

The guitar work on United Abominations definitely thrash. It also has retained much of the melody that later Megadeth albums attained. The riffs are complex as hell and the trade offs between Mustaine and Drover are quite flawless. The speed is quick through most of the album and the leads show that Dave Mustaine has not lost his place as one of the best guitar writers/players in the world. There is still quite a bit of groove element to it (hence the Youthanasia element). The solos are back with a vengeance with both Mustaine and Drover giving back to back amazing performances. The chemistry between the guitars is stunning on the album - I didn't realize that Drover would fit in so quickly. To top it all off - I think what makes this thrash album so damn good guitar wise is the clean sound of the guitars. Most modern thrash bands try to retain a good deal of technicality but a lot can be lost in the crunch. United Abominations is heavy but still clean and technical sounding.

The bass work is still lacking on United Abominations - even though Lomenzo does a fine job - the bass has lacked a good character since Dave Ellefson left. There is a good foundation that is established by the bass work and that seems to be enough for the guitars to flourish over. Really the bass is second string to the guitar work.

Shawn Drover is the best drummer to be in Megadeth since Nick Menza. (There hasn't been that many...) His style on United Abominations is quite reminiscent of old-school thrash. There is a good deal of variety in the drum work - Drover can easily move from groove to speed to complexity very quickly. The Drover brothers a very talented duo that are a great addition to the Megadeth line-up.

Dave's vocals are still the same. Basically. He doesn't do quite as much high pitched material anymore (age does do that). But his lower vocals were always a preference of mine anyway. He does do quite a bit of spoken parts on this album (United Abominations and Amerikhastan in particular). There is much debate whether or not his voice is even good - but as far as I'm concerned, he is the voice of Megadeth and had it changed much then I would have been upset.

Lyrically, United Abominations has been under some heavy fire. The lyrics (although politically and socially inspired once more) are not near as subtle in its application. The lyrics are pretty straight forward if one looks at them as such. One of the beautiful things about this album is the debates I have read online on whether the album is right or left winged propaganda. The fact that people have long debates over the meaning of the lyrics probably mean that the depth of them is more than just surface value. Topics including the UN, war, death, love, and drugs are all covered. Also, the lyrics at times don't fit quite with the rhythm of the music - like Dave's trying to fit in more words than the music allows. Its not often on the album but I caught it every once in a while.

Megadeth are really upping the ante on United Abominations. Although I loved The System Has Failed - United Abominations tops it. The album is thrashier, angrier, and overall more complex musical writing. The lyrics leave a little to be worked on - but they do sound a bit more emotional. Best work Megadeth has done since Countdown to Extinction.

Songs to check out: Sleepwalker, Washington is Next!, Play for Blood.

A Satisfying Release - 80%

CannibalCorpse, May 4th, 2007

The new Megadeth. Will it live up to the expectations? Will it surprise the hell out of me? - A lot of questions turned up when I heard about "United Abominations".

I heard the "Gears of War" single a few months ago and thought it was acceptable, if quite unspectacular and generic. It was far away from thrash metal and I was already expecting another mediocre 'Deth album with a few good songs and a bunch of fillers. So I set my expectations rather low and downloaded this album to be sure it wouldn't be a bad bargain when I bought it.

Luckily, my expectations were surpassed.

Some vintage Thrash influence managed to creep back into Megadeth, more so than on this album's predecessor. Now, don't expect another "Rust in Peace" but a few moments of former glory finally got back into the sound. Some riffs do bear a strong resemblance to pre-1992 Megadeth, coming after you with an almost renewed intensity. Best examples of this are probably "Sleepwalker", "Never Walk Alone" and the second half of "Burnt Ice". The overall riffing could be comparable to a mix of a slight touch of "Rust in Peace"- era thrash riffage + "Countdown to Extinction" heavy metal.

Oh, and these solo sections! Definitely the most surprising highlight on this album. Some of Deth's better solos appear here, and again, the best ones can be found in the thrashier songs. They are usually accompanied by a strong thrash riff and therefore command you to bang your head as hard as physically possible.

Another plus is the improvement in Dave's voice. His old snarl does still appear here and there but his vocals as a whole improved a great lot (they are actually in tune now) and he certainly gained some strength in his voice.

The obligatory odd song on this album is the re-recorded version of "A Tout Le Monde". It was sped up considerably and features guest vocals by the Lacuna Coil singer Christina Scabbia. To be honest, her participation is simply useless. She sings/whispers a few lines on it and her voice was digitally distorted in most parts, which sounds completely ridiculous. The added solo sounds damn good though, but it is too short (longer solos wouldn't be acceptable for the crowd the song is clearly aimed at). The song isn't as bad as people say it is, but well, it still kind of sucks.

Other than this dud, there is no crappy song to be found here, which is a major improvement over the last couple of 'Deth albums.

Highlights are the aforementioned "Sleepwalker", "Washington is Next", "Never Walk Alone" and "Burnt Ice". If you enjoy any Megadeth album after "Rust in Peace", I'm sure you'll enjoy this.

Just one more thing Dave, drop the spoken-word passages. They are simply annoying and unnecessary; you surely got your point across.

Recommended.

Best in years - 85%

MurderNArson, May 3rd, 2007

Hell yes. This isn't old-school Megadeth nor is it even true thrash, but it still kicks ass all over the place. I have been thoroughly unimpressed with anything Megadeth has put out since Rust in Peace (I could never grasp why everyone loves Countdown and Youthanasia - both have their share of truly dull songs mixed in with the good ones), but now, for the first time since that masterpiece, we have a Megadeth album that is solid all the way through. That's not to say this even comes close to RiP, but I think its safe to say it's better than anything since.

This definitely isn't a return to Megadeth's old sound, though it does crop up here and there in songs like "Sleepwalker" and "Play For Blood" (and note that by "old sound" I mean what they did on their first four albums, the only sound worth returning to). In a lot of ways, however, it is a return to what made them kick so much ass to begin with: attitude. With the exception of the "A Tout Le Monde" remake, this album of political diatribes, snarled vocals and powerful guitar (even if good thrash riffs are in short supply) has a vitality and edge to it that has been noticably missing from this band for years,

As I mentioned before, it's very solid. There are few great songs, but no bad ones. Some particular standouts include the opener "Sleepwalker," which is an absolute beast, the shredfests of "Amerikhastan" and "Burnt Ice," and the guitar solos in, well, pretty much all the other songs. In the context of everything else, even the pointless "A Tout Le Monde" is tolerable.

Dave sounds as good (or bad, depending on what you think of his distinctive voice) as he ever has, and the lyrics are, for the most part, pretty good. "Sleepwalker" is a bit cheesy, and I could do without the almost constant references to the Book of Revelation (Dave must really think the world's about to end), but then again, Megadeth lyrics have always been rather hit or miss.

A word about the solos: they destroy worlds. Megadeth might not be churning out the killer riffs they used to, but the lead guitar work on this album almost makes up for that. The solos are plentiful and face-melting - what more could you ask for?

Bottom line: I still long for the Killing is My Business through Rust in Peace days, but I think it's pretty clear those days are over. I'm glad Megadeth has finally found a way to sound good doing something different. This is the album they've been trying to make since Risk fell flat, and while it's not the old Megadeth, it sure as hell is the best the new Megadeth has ever done.