The System Has Failed

I remember back in 2004 how excited I was to hear about this album. Like many, I was hoping this would be the return to form for the band we'd all been hoping for. While 2001's The World Needs A Hero was a big improvement on Risk, it was nothing special. Fortunately, The System Has Failed is a substantial improvement.

By far the album's best moment comes in the form of Kick The Chair. This song kicks your ass right from the moment it starts and does not let up once thorughout it's length. It has rightfully become a mainstay of the band's set list and I hope it stays there for years to come.

Other highlights include opener Blackmail The Universe, Back In The Day and Tears In A Vial. Back In The Day in paricular is a very good power metal song celebrating the glory of metal. Mercifully, the song is nowhere as cheesy as similar opuses by other bands I can think of (I'm looking at you, Manowar!) It comes off very well live with the whole crowd singing along.

Unfortunately, this album has quite a bit of filler. The worst examples are I Know Jack and Shadow Of Death. These can barely even be called songs. If sections of these were used as intros for a couple of the other tracks on the album, I perhaps wouldn't mind so much. But they do not warrant album space of their own!

Most of the other songs are pretty mediocre particularly Something I'm Not and Shadow Of Deth. Truth Be Told is quite decent once it speeds up but it does not mesh well with the song's first half. The Scorpion and Of Mice And Men have potential to be good but end being up plodding and lacking in speed.

I would also like to mention the return of Chris Poland on lead guitar. It's nice to have another previous member of the band on this record. Although Glen Drover has proven to be an excellent guitarist in his own right, it's a shame Poland was not on the accompanying tour for this album. At least there would have been some consistency between lineups since the tour lineup for The System Has Failed was completly different from the studio one!

Despite its flaws, this is a solid Megadeth album. Anyone who enjoys albums such as Countdown To Extinction, Youthanasia and Cryptic Writings will find much to enjoy here. Even those who crave for Rust In Peace 2 are likely to find at least a song or two they are fond of.