Warheads on Foreheads

I've always wanted to write a review about the 2004 Megadeth remixes, but it would be a fool's errand to review each Megadeth album up to Risk in order to trash the 2004 remixes in every review. So, a compilation review would have to do, and it makes the most sense to review Warheads on Foreheads, which is the most recent one as of today. Everyone knows Still Alive and Back to the Start both suck, Warchest is worth it at least for the DVD, Set the World Afire is okay enough with its 4 or 5 special tracks, Capitol Punishment has the original mixes as well as two exclusive songs (Kill the King and the hidden ending medley), and Hidden Treasures is a great little bundle of b-sides and rarities. There is nothing special about Warheads on Foreheads, though. It is actually the most disjointed and baffling Megadeth compilation ever.

The selections are not the problem at all; in fact, mostly good choices were made in that department. The problem is that the versions of these tracks are all over the place. The KIMB tracks are from 2018's Final Kill remix, which I had been awaiting for years. The Peace Sells tracks are from the 2011 remaster, which is not better than the original, but is very close. So far, so good. (So what?) Speaking of, the next 2 tracks from their third album are from the 2004 remix. This trend continues for the next eight tracks, because for some reason, Mustaine still thinks the Rust in Peace remix is worth a damn. Then, curve balls galore for a sec. The Countdown era gets two from the 2012 remix, one from the 2004 remix, and one original mix. Onward from here, the tracklist takes from the most recent mix/master of each album.

The 2004 remixes suck. Sampled/replaced drums, an overblown master, poorly redone vocals, pitch shifted solos, the list goes on. But the previous compilations that featured them were almost entirely made up of the 2004 versions, which is at least a cohesive decision, despite all the drawbacks. WoF doesn't even try to sound similar the whole time, even for within the same damn album! Also, it seems as though there was gonna be a third So Far, So Good track, but it was axed for unknown reasons. Or, at least that's the best explanation I can come up with for why Holy Wars is awkwardly placed at the tail end of disc 1, separated from all the other Rust in Peace tracks (the vinyls are even worse, with multiple disjointed sets of songs instead of just one).

But aside from all of that, this album really only has one track fans might not already have heard, Angry Again. That's it! The previous Megadeth compilations (bad ones included) all feature something a little extra to incentivize purchasing the comp over one of their studio albums, like a few live tracks or b-sides. Even the 2004 remixes had bonuses tacked on at the end (demos and such), but WoF has pretty much nothing like that. It's hard to understand what this new compilation is for, other than generating money, of course. Perhaps the one use scenario I can think of is when fans of old material who ditched the band after Risk want a taste of what modern Megadeth sounds like. Disc 3 features one song from Risk onward up until Dystopia, which gets 4 spots, making this disc a pretty easy way to speedrun 2004-2013 if you missed out.

All that being said, Warheads does a few key things right. The selections themselves were good choices, and form a competent restrospective if looked at purely as a basic list. I actually think this could have been the best compilation the band ever put out, had they not severely botched the execution. Maybe I was too harsh about the no bonus tracks thing, but the diversity of mixes on here is so strange, I just don't know what they were thinking with that. It's already a dubious choice to buy a compilation in an age where one can stream a playlist of the exact same songs for free, but to opt for this one specifically is even more unwise. I've seen this listed for around 15-20 bucks but I wouldn't buy it for more than 5, honestly. Save your money for one of their actual albums.

Megadeth have a surprising number of compilations. From "Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years", to most recently, Warheads On Foreheads, the speedy thrash boys from Los Angeles do enjoy a compilation every now and then. I consider "Warheads On Foreheads" to be like a Megadeth retrospective, a look at their entire career. From the first song Rattlehead being off their first release, to the final song Dystopia, off their latest release. Personally, I believe this collection is the best Megadeth have ever put out. It's much better then Still Alive And Well and ESPECIALLY better then Greatest Hits: Back To The Start.

Song selection is okay, though the omission of tracks like "Peace Sells" and "502" are disappointing. I believe they could've fit one more KIMB or SFSGSW song instead of adding "Holy Wars" directly at the end of the first disc. It would've worked much better as the opening song of the second disc, which comprises Megadeth's 1990-1994 material. For most mainstream fans, disc 2 is the most worthwhile in the set, as it contains their biggests hits, like Hangar 18, Angry Again, and Symphony of Destruction.

For me, I enjoy the first disc of the set the most, I love 80's Megadeth more than any other era, and I enjoy they picked so many Peace Sells songs. However, the omission of SFSGSW songs deducts score from this album. C'mon Dave, In My Darkest Hour is a good song, but is that the only thing you're gonna play from SFSGSW? It makes little sense, as while it's not my absolute most favorite Megadeth album, it has many songs worthy of being put into a collection like this (i.e. 502, Into The Lungs Of Hell, Liar).

Of course, I must mention that this album uses the remastered versions of every pre-2002 song. As such, Hangar 18 sounds overproduced, Sweating Bullets uses the inferior 2004 remaster to the superior (though still disappointing) 2012 remaster, while Symphony uses the 2012 remaster...?

Confusing, to say the least. I'm not sure if it was a decision on capitol records part or Dave's part, but he includes the terrible remasters in EVERY release. Only recently has the incredible superior mix of Rust In Peace been made readily available. I understand, Dave is a businessman and whatever gets the money rolling he will do, but this is disappointing and is why this compilation is not getting above an 80% for me. Do better, Dave.

Last thing I should talk about is the final disc of the set, disc 3. Composed of material from Cryptic Writings onward, it's probably the least valuable disc in the 3 disc set, as I believe Megadeth's newer music has aged worse then their older material. This does not mean that the disc does not have good songs, however. "Public Enemy No. 1" and "Poisonous Shadows" are some of my favorite Megadeth songs, and the compilation ends on a rather fitting note, with the title track of their latest album, Dystopia.

I managed to pick this set up for about 15$, and it's about worth that, I'm a big Megadeth fan so it was worth it to me. I'd suggest listening to the albums these songs come off of first, but if you're looking for a fun way to kill a few hours while you're bored, this set will do it for you. Just don't expect album-level quality.

-Someone who's rather grateful, and somewhat dead inside.