Mark’s Review:

The Dave Mustaine / Joe Layden book, Mustaine: A Heavy Metal Memoir is a fantastic glimpse in to the complex and often sad life of one of the most polarizing figures in heavy metal. It’s a very quick read for any metal fan, and when you finish it, you realize many things:

1) Dave has a severe problem with illegal and legal substances:
We always hear stories of heavy drinking and drug abuse from bands on the Sunset Strip in the 80’s, but Mustaine’s nasty habits are only compounded by a circle of friends constantly filled with drug dealers and helpless junkies. This combined with his intense need for acceptance and an addictive (at times destructive) personality leads to a lifetime of abuse we follow along as he hits rock bottom multiple times. He admits that his abuse was a search for happiness, and that in the meantime many relationships were destroyed along the way because of it. Standard stuff for a rock memoir, but this type of transparency and contrition from the famous mouth of Mustaine is enlightening.

2) Dave has never lost a fight:
Mustaine has often stated that he has trained as a martial arts kick-boxer during his life, but the stories in the book portray him as a cross between Chuck Norris and Batman. He wrote the book, so I guess it’s to be expected, but it’s one of the few moments we see his boastful side win out.

3) A young Lars Ulrich was as sneaky and manipulative as the present day version:
The last decade have done a lot to destroy the once-powerful public image of Metallica. After the bouts with Napster and the “white whine” of Some Kind of Monster, we can see our once mighty metal heroes as they truly are: businessmen. Now, since the victors write the history books, we’ve always heard Metallica’s side of the most infamous split in the history of heavy metal, so it’s interesting to hear Mustaine’s side of things in such a therapeutic and honest tone. Mustaine describes a young Lars as a kid hell-bent on setting up a band with a business-minded outlook that rivaled Gene Simmons, and James as an introvert that needed to be pushed into the frontman role. While in 1988 we would’ve cried “bullshit”, both of these character portraits are very believable now. He admits often throughout the book that his ouster from the band has lead to many personal demons and feelings of inadequacy that will probably never go away. Unfortunately, his “invitation” to Metallica’s induction into the Rock ‘n Roll Hall of Fame as well as the ambush for the Some Kind of Monster documentary give you the feeling like they’re still fucking with him and playing with his emotions.

4) Dave admits that he truly is the arrogant prick he is portrayed as, but is quick to admit fault for causing pain to others:
This could be part of his new faith in Christianity, but Mustaine definitely comes across very candidly and legitimately apologetic for causing grief, running his mouth, and casting others aside. Those that expected the book to be filled with potshots at former band members (which there are a ton, even he admits it) will be disappointed. Mustaine takes time with almost every member of Megadeth and details why they left or were replaced. Often he blames himself for their departure, even if unreasonable circumstances lead him to no other choice.

5) Dave Mustaine is a true metal icon:
When you get down to it, Mustaine’s contribution to metal is pretty amazing. After 30 years and constant ups and downs, he’s still breaking new ground and coming out with some of the best music of his career. While many members of the “Big Four” have slowed or become shells of their former selves, he continues to deliver in his performance and attitude. The final paragraphs describe a man finding true happiness as he finally has begun to accept life’s challenges and balance his family, his music, and his legacy. Even the biggest Mustaine-hater would have to respect that.

Mark’s Rating:

King says: “This is the best book I’ve read since I cried at the end of Eat, Pray, Love!”

Chris’ Review:

If you were worried (like me) about the world’s supply of cover albums running low, give thanks to Six Feet Under and Metal Blade for issuing their third (third!!) edition of death metal versions of “Graveyard Classics.” I know I’ve been railing for years to anyone that would listen, “There is so much great metal and punk from the 1980’s, and nobody knows about it! Nobody’s marketing it! There’s a gold mine waiting to be discovered and respectfully elevated to its honorable status, and you’re all walking around like zombies controlled by the “new music” piping through you ear buds. Wake up!” Finally we have friends at Metal Blade that ‘get it’ and assigned a talented, young group of death metal musicians to show today’s metal fans what they’re missing.

Ok, I just listened to Graveyard Classics III, and I need retract everything written above. As a collection, the album is a sack of crap. A couple tracks are interesting, but have no chance at redeeming the rotting, audio turds that should have never been unearthed from the cesspit in which they festered. (Hey, writing death metal is fun!)

There’s almost no theme to the album, so I’m going to have to break it down for you track-by-track:

The opening cover of Mercyful Fate’s “A Dangerous Meeting” reminds you of how good Mercyful Fate’s songs are, but does not make you want to listen to Six Feet Under any more. Most decent 80’s metal songs sound tougher when recorded in a modern production style, but that’s a tribute to affordable studio electronics, not the band. The same could be said about most the tracks on here.

The first Canadian import comes from the re-discovered Anvil. “Metal on Metal” sucked then, sucks now.

The next two tracks are from Slayer and Metallica. These tracks are decent, but how could a death metal band of any skill screw up a classic thrash track? It’s like congratulating an asshole on being an asshole. It should just come natural.

Our next Canadian clunker comes via Bachman Turner Overdrive. Seriously? See “Metal on Metal,” above.

Now honestly, without sarcasm, I did kind of dig this version of Van Halen’s “On Fire.” VH albums are barely listenable to me, but a competent, metallic version of one of their faster songs will make you nod your head. Barnes’ ‘grandma’ vocals ruin it, though.

This Exciter song sure sucks. Something about it sucks extra hard, but I can’t put my finger on it. What could it be? Oh, here it is! Exciter is Canadian. See above. If they move the Buffalo Bills to Toronto, one of the conditions should be that Toronto also has to take Chris Barnes.

Nothing says ‘eighties’ like Twisted Sister. And nothing says “Six Feet Under is fucking with us,” like Chris Barnes growling, “He’s gonna kick your ass!” at the end of this track.

This cover of the Ramones’ “Psychotherapy” makes it really hard to convince non-metal fans that death metal is not a joke.

Finally we have the album closer, a closet classic from the 90’s, actually, Prong’s “Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck.” Any fan of Headbanger’s Ball of a certain era remembers this song (I’m one of them.) Checking back to Prong’s Cleansing album, these guys sound like nu metal before it was nu. I’m not sure Prong ever received the respect that a band on the bleeding edge of a new style deserves, and I’m not sure this shitty cover is going to help with that.

In summary, this cover album goes as most cover albums go. It feels more like an attempt to milk some extra dollars from the fans, and doesn’t do the covered or the coverers much justice. I have an album of Black Sabbath songs played on sitars that’s just about the same thing; I’ve listened to it once.

Chris’ Rating:

King says: “I’ve got to start being more careful about who I give my publishing rights to. And what the hell is wrong with Canada?”

Matt’s Review:

I remember it well – about 16 years ago – when I first heard Cannibal Corpse’s cover of Black Sabbath’s “Zero The Hero.”  Even though I had been a Sabbath fan for quite some time (yes, even Ian Gillian-era), I had just started venturing into death and grindcore territory, as far as expanding my metal horizons was concerned. Regardless, I was still a green teenage musical whore and it didn’t take much for something to seduce my inner ear canals at that point, as long as it was heavy.  Needless to say, what can potentially be a very good thing can also be a very baaaaaad thing.  How else would you explain my brief love for Nuclear Assault?  Anyways, back to the point… I loved the first minute of the song.  It was heavier and doomier than the original.  Then the vocals came in.  That’s it.  That’s the end of my story.

Oh, I’ll just cut the crap already – I’ve never cared much for Chris Barnes as a vocalist (or as a musician for that matter).  Don’t get me wrong.  I know that his vocal style inspired a lot of other tone-deaf dude-bros with no sense of melody to start gutter-growling into a microphone, and for that I have to at least give him SOME form of props.  But like I said earlier, what can potentially be a good thing can actually be a giant shit sandwich exploding like an atomic bomb on a small country, radiating all sorts of shit-like deformities on everything and everyone it touches along the way.  Oh wait, that was the long version.  Sorry dude-bros, my bad…

After hearing the first two Graveyard Classics albums, I had a pretty good idea of what to expect on this one – heavier, down-tuned, unimaginative, pointlessly inferior versions of the originals with the same damn gutter-growling from start to finish.  Regardless, I was determined to keep an open mind and give the ole’ Six Feet boys a completely unbiased critique… assuming that I would be able to make it through the entire album without pulling all of my pubes out one-by-one, that is… turns out my will was strong, so my pubes stayed intact.

The first track, Mercyful Fate’s “A Dangerous Meeting,” brought back the same memories of when I first heard “Zero The Hero.”  I mean, what did I actually expect?  Chris Barnes to start singing falsetto?  Well maybe, but is it really that wrong for me to ask him to at least try not to sound like a total dipshit while singing someone else’s songs?  Weh-hell-hell, apparently it is…

I got much of the same vibe on the second track, which is Anvil’s “Metal On Metal.”  You know, there’s a reason why Anvil never ‘made it.’  They are simply a terrible band… and this is a terrible cover.

Now that brings us to track 3, Metallica’s “The Frayed Ends Of Sanity,” which also happens to be one of my favorite Met songs ever.  I must say, the rhythm tracks are pretty solid, but the solo is pretty damn sloppy and ruins it all for me.  This doesn’t make much sense since, well, the solo IS overdubbed and it IS possible to re-record it if it’s played shitty.  On the brighter side, Gall is a better drummer than Lars.

Slayer’s “At Dawn They Sleep” is actually one of the better covers on the album, in my opinion.  Sure, it’s nowhere near as good as the original, but it somehow suits them well.  Don’t ask me why.  Oh, and Gall’s fill at the end isn’t bad either.

BTO’s “Not Fragile” just plain sucks.  Bad choice.  Very bad choice.

Oh yeah, the same goes for Van Halen’s “On Fire” and Exciter’s “Pounding Metal.“  On a roll, boys.  On a roll.

Until now… they actually redeem themselves with Twisted Sister’s “Destroyer.“  It might be the only song on the album that actually sounds like it could be an original.  For me, it translates pretty well… although I’m not totally convinced that J.J. French (or even Dee for that matter) would be proud to hear this.

“Psychotherapy” by the Ramones is pretty hard to butcher completely since, well, it is punk after all.  As someone I played it for told me, it “sounds like Cookie Monster does the Ramones.”  I can just picture that Sesame Street episode right now -  a bunch of little kids are dancing around like idiots while the Cookie Monster hardcore dances and growls into a microphone… where were these episodes when I was a kid???

I can’t really say that they end with a bang, but “Snap Your Fingers, Snap Your Neck” isn’t too bad.  They do a decent job with the music, I think.  However, it’s another one of those songs where it doesn’t really matter how the vocals sound because the original ones weren’t that great to begin with (sorry Tommy, I didn’t mean to bring you into this).

All in all, that makes about 3 somewhat listenable covers on this entire album, which isn’t exactly good since that also means they’ve managed to successfully botch the other 7 songs, in my opinion. At this rate, there’s no reason to believe that this shit storm will stop, especially since this is already their third installment.  Hmmm… something tells me that they enjoy pissing on amputated legs.

Matt’s Rating:

King says: “Fuck these guys… they broke the oath.”

Have A Listen:

Six Feet Under – A Dangerous Meeting:

Download audio file (SFU_A_Dangerous_Meeting.mp3)

The last two Megadeth albums have shown that Mustaine does his best work when there’s a Bush in the White House. While “The System Has Failed” and “United Abominations” weren’t on the same level with “Rust in Peace” and “Countdown to Extinction“, they certainly were a step in the right direction, and were light-years ahead of the radio-rock oriented “Risk” and “Youthanasia“. Mustaine has resurrected the mad riffing of the early days, and realized that he’s at his best when the speed is turned up and his nasal whine is high-pitched. Now we have the third offering from Dave and Co. since he took time off due to that nerve condition in his wrist, and although there are flashes that make it feel like 1990 again, “Endgame” features a bit too many mediocre moments to be considered a new classic.

Will you enjoy “Endgame“? Well, that depends on what type of Megadeth fan you are. Picture the album as a revised version of “So Far, So Good, So What” with way better production. It has lots of great moments, plus its fair share of clunky ones, but the detailed comparisons between the two albums is pretty shocking. For instance, like “So Far, So Good…“, “Endgame” starts with an instrumental (one that actually sounds a little bit like “Into the Lungs of Hell“). Not a big deal, since they’re both good tunes that both bleed into a classic Megadeth thrash song. On “Endgame“, that second song is the awesome “This Day We Fight!“, which I’m sure will become a live staple on par with “Wake Up Dead” and “Hangar 18“. “1,320” is pretty much a new version of “502“, as both songs lyrically revolve around driving fast cars and feature great riffs and sound bites of squealing tires. After that, there’s highlights in the form of “Endgame” and “Head Crusher” and low-lights with “How the Story Ends” and “44 Minutes“. I’m not even going to discuss the cringe-worthy ballad, “The Hardest Part of Letting Go…” because every Megadeth album can’t seem to avoid that one shitstorm of a song that forces you to make a face like you just inadvertently discovered the fart in the room.

Out of 11 songs on “Endgame“, I’d say half of them are very good and the rest aren’t really terrible (besides the aforementioned ballad), they’re just kinda bland. These are the songs that although they feature some buzzsaw riffs, screaming solos and Dave growling… remain aimless. Overall, “Endgame” will add some killer songs to Megadeth’s live setlist, but I’d avoid putting it into their Pantheon.

Mark’s Rating:

King says: “A valid attempt from Dave, but if you’re going “old-school”, I could have used more songs about witches and demons.”

Justin’s Review:

I’m going to generalize a little here, but up until now, you could get a pretty good read as to the quality of any given Megadeth album by simply taking a quick glance at the cover. Rust in Peace… fucking awesome. Peace Sells… pretty damn cool. Youthanasia… uh… yeah. So anyways, it comes as a bit of surprise that “Endgame“, which gets my vote for most boring album cover in the history of metal, actually isn’t half bad. Wait… I take that back.  It IS half bad.  But it’s also half bad-ass.

As Mark mentions, Dave and Co. (really… does anyone even know who plays in Megadeth these days?) are making a valiant attempt to recapture what made them a great band 19+ years ago… and man… when they are on, they are on. “Endgame” features plenty of pummeling riffs and classic Mustaine solos scattered throughout (Dialectic Chaos, Head Crusher, and Endgame to name a few), as well as the standout track “This Day We Fight!” which could possibly be the best ‘deth song since Rust in Peace… Polaris (although Mark did recently play Sleepwalker from 2007’s “United Abominations” for me, and that song is certainly in the running).

On the flipside, “Endgame” is also rife with classic Mustaine cheese-dick lyrics (“When it’s dog eat dog, you are what you eat; just like the mad dog… that bites the had that feeds.“), half-assed filler tracks (44 Minutes, Bite the Hand, How the Story Ends) and a laughably bad modern-metal ballad (The Hardest Part of Letting Go… Sealed With a Kiss). Like I said… when they are on, they are on. When they aren’t… well… (and is it me, or does the chorus to Bodies sounds an awful lot like the chorus to a certain other Megadeth hit circa 1992?)

As I sit here and try to hash out a few more things to say about “Endgame“, the thought crosses my mind… (and this is certainly something I now plan to discuss in a future podcast) who’s the shittier lyricist… post-1990 Hetfield or post-1990 Mustaine? (eg: “I’ve got nothing left to lose… but my mind. I’ve got nothing left to choose… so I think I’ll go insane.“) Eesh.

Anyways… considering my feelings towards Megadeth’s output near the past two decades, I see “Endgame” as a welcome improvement, and a definite step in the right direction. With a little less cheese and a little more Ed Repka, Megadeth just might earn themselves a solid 4 next time around.

Justin’s Rating:

King says: “I checked the Megadeth e-store for a Vic Rattlehead NASCAR Shirt and couldn’t find one… I know it’s gotta be there somewhere… oh wait.”

Have A Listen:

Megadeth – Head Crusher:

Download audio file (Head_Crusher.mp3)

Sigh.

I’d like to know who the asshole is that’s going around lending some of my favorite bands a copy of “Surviving the Rock ‘N’ Roll Industry The Metallica Way: How to Transform Your Awesome Underground Band into a Boring, Half-Assed, Mainstream Version of Your Former Selves… and Get Away With It.”

Someone needs to find this fucker and give him an elbow to the face. Seriously, what the hell is going on out there? Sepultura, Earth Crisis, Killswitch Engage, Poison the Well, Obituary (yeah… I said it) have all seriously dropped the ball this year. Well go ahead and add Death By Stereo to the growing list of disappointments.

About a week ago, I stumbled upon the video for “Welcome to the Party“… the first single off the Death Is My Only Friend. Damn, was I impressed. Considering that their previous effort (Death For Life) was a garishly overproduced take on modern metalcore, I considered this new single to be a welcome return to form. The video is pretty awesome, the song kicks total ass, and shit… it even has a (ST-inspired) bass solo!

Translation: my expectations were high for the forthcoming album.

But are high expectations part of the problem? Sadly, I think not. To put things in perspective… 2 of the first 7 songs are ballads (one of which is a shitty reinterpretation of a shitty song off the last record). And both of them contain piano and orchestral arrangements. WHAT THE FUCK? Have I entered the Bizarro World here? DBS and orchestral arrangements? The last time I saw these guys live, Efrem Schulz was sporting an 8″ pink mohawk and screaming in people’s faces as he hurled his fat ass off the stage every 30 seconds. Now I have to sit and listen to him croon “I can’t face this world on my own… I keep on searching for your face. I promise that we’ll live forever… forever and a day” for a second straight album? Dude… where’s the spit? Where’s the fire? Even the band’s trademark “Woo-ooohh-ohhhs” seem lifeless this time around. Have DBS finally climbed aboard Desperation Train?

In all fairness, there are a few bright spots on the album… “We Sing Today For A Better Tomorrow” could easily be found on Into the Valley of Death, “The Ballad of Sid Dynamite” is a nice balance of old school DBS and modern hooks, and as previously mentioned, “Welcome to the Party” pretty much rules. But it’s simply not enough to overcome the rest of the lackluster (or downright shitty) songs here.

In conclusion… I’m considering Death is My Only Friend strike two. DBS had better stop pissing in my ear and telling me my brain is on fire.

*** Total side note: Is it me, or does the album cover (despite the fact the it does indeed have boobs on it) look awfully familiar? (Link NSFW) ***

Justin’s Rating:

King says: “The next album had better not be called “A Visit From the Dead” or you’ll be hearing from my lawyers!”

Mark’s Review:

“With each release, the goal of our label is to create an oasis of diversity and uniqueness within the industry where fans of all music can find sanctuary and solace from the drab, carbon-copy musical plagues that sweep through commercial culture.“

     - Serj Tankian, discussing his new label, Serjical Strike Records

I find this quote interesting because when prominent members of successful bands start their own labels, they’re never really their own. I’m sure when Universal heard that System of a Down was “taking a hiatus” after their massively successful Hypnotize / Mesmerize stretch, they realized that all those people that bought those records would be searching for a suitable alternative. What better alternative to System of a Down than the lead singer of System of a Down, who’s solo album sounds like System of a Down? And, oh yeah, we’ll give you your own label, so you can “promote it” and sign other bands you like… hopefully ones that also sound like System of a Down.

Which brings me to the new Death By Stereo, which is their first since being signed by Serjical Strike Records. I’ve been a casual fan of DBS since I saw them open for Mastodon and got into their anthem-style hardcore. One thing I liked about them, is that they’re a band that knows who they are, and what they want to present to the listener. Mash some hardcore riffs and punk drum beats with high-energy lyrics about teenage anger and rebellion against society, and everybody wins. So why does the band seem like its acting like a bad System of a Down cover band on Death is My Only Friend?

As Justin said, there’s quite a few ballads on the album, and that’s not the problem, it’s the sense that these songs don’t fit. Last Song and Forever and a Day are complete cheese-fests; so much so, that I had to hold back my snickering while listening. And while Opening Destruction, Welcome to the Party and The Ballad of Sid Dynamite remind me of the older stuff, overall, it seems like once again this is a sanitized version of DBS for the masses. I noticed the vocal lines and melodies for a majority of the songs sound eerily similar, which causes all the songs (and there are a lot of them) run together. Finally, the album ends with 2 of the laziest songs I’ve ever heard. It’s almost like DBS said, “Well, for maximum revenue with iTunes, Serj says we need to have 15 tracks“. Incredibly bad.

Overall, this is quite a disappointment. I’m sure the guys in DBS were flipping out at the chance to put out an album with the backing of Tankian’s label, but after toiling for years and building their underground fan base, it just sounds like they’re trying too hard to impress the cool kids. On Death is My Only Friend, DBS turns out to be what Tankian says he doesn’t want… a carbon-copy band looking to appeal to a commercial culture.

Mark’s Rating:

King says: “Hey Serj, King here… I need some cash and can sing falsetto… call me!”

Have A Listen:

Death By Stereo – Welcome to the Party:

Download audio file (Welcome_To_The_Party.mp3)