After waiting just over six years for the release of a new album, Megadeth came through for fans by releasing their latest record, “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!” on Sept. 2, 2022.

Megadeth went through a tumultuous 2021 with the departure of their long-time bassist, Dave Ellefson, due to legal concerns and his poor behavior. This caused a great deal of stress and media attention to the band, as well as a major setback in their recording process.

The band hit the studio in 2021 for the first time since frontman Dave Mustaine recovered from throat cancer, and began recording their new album. The band began teasing and leaking snippets and riffs from the songs on their social media accounts and issued three singles (“Soldier On!”, “Night Stalkers”, and “We’ll Be Back”) before the initial release of the album.

Overall, the 14-track LP encapsulates Megadeth’s classic thrash-metal style, but also incorporates newer modes and methods that they picked up along their near 40-year journey.

For each track, I picked apart the details and structure of the songs, and put my own ranking out of ten. Enjoy!

“The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!” The first song of the album happens to be the title track, and begins with ominous Plague-era church bells and hushed chants of “Bring out your dead!”. The number begins in a slow and orderly fashion that gradually stops, then comes back in a more uptempo manner to start the main riff and verse. The verses are filled with Dave Mustaine’s thrashy chugs and signature snarled vocals, as well as Kiko Loureiro’s background guitar licks. The bridge brings back the theme of the Black Death and sickness as the composition decelerates to acoustics and Mustaine sings the opening lines of “Ring Around the Rosie” (a nursery rhyme that originated in the times of the bubonic plague). Following the bridge, the band breaks into the third verse which carries into Loureiro’s epic and dynamic guitar solo. The outro is filled with Dirk Verbeuren’s orchestrated and powerful drums and the electric symphony of Mustaine and Loureiro’s guitars that comes to a halting stop after Mustaine slowly rasps, “the sick, the dying, and the dead” in a spoken manner. The track starts the album off with a bang and sets the overall tone for the record.

Rating: 8/10

“Life In Hell” As the second song on the album, “Life In Hell” incorporates Megadeth’s harder, earlier styles that can be heard on albums like “Peace Sells… But Who’s Buying?” and “Rust In Peace”. Verbeuren truly shines throughout the track with his heavy drumming that perfectly bridges together different sections of the composition. Loureiro breaks into a grinding solo after the first verse that carries on the overall themes of heaviness and governmental corruption that this tune holds. The guitars play dominating thrash chokes in quick succession that harmoniously coincide with the pulsating drums. Following the second chorus, Mustaine growls and holds out the last line of this reprise, and then the band transitions into the slower, spoken bridge. This mid-section of the tune starts out quieter, but increasingly gains more speed and force until it leads to the chaotic and drum-heavy outro. The adoption of Megadeth’s original fashions shows that they never will forget their roots and the musical places they came from.

Rating: 7.5/10

“Night Stalkers” One of the singles put out before the initial release of the album, “Night Stalkers” is a unique track that features hip hop and metal icon, ICE-T. The power-metal tune is one of the hardest on the albums with the constant double bass of the drums, the electrifyingly fast guitar solos and riffs, and the lyrics that regard the secrecy of black-ops. The lyrics are riddled with metaphors and imagery that heighten the chilling tone of the ditty, as well as vividly depict the actions of a society or group (like the black-ops) that are typically shrouded in mystery. After the second chorus, ICE-T breaks into his stanzas of rap that surprisingly appropriately fit the song, as ICE-T explains a situation involving black-ops and their eerily silent helicopters. Following this bridge, Loureiro breaks away into a drilling and complex solo that drives the tune into the third chorus and an acoustic reprise. James LoMenzo’s bass takes precedence after this acoustic section that helps the track return to its original speed and verse structure. Once again, Loureiro begins playing a heavy guitar solo that becomes the driving force, all the way to the very end of the dynamic number. Overall, the track expresses the versatility of the band, as well as showcases the interesting collaborative blend other inputs could contribute to a song.

Rating: 9/10

“Dogs Of Chernobyl” With one of the longest intros of the album, “Dogs Of Chernobyl” begins with the dissonant sound of wind chimes and childrens’ laughter that is soon taken over by a folk-sounding acoustic guitar and indistinct Russian chatter. Although the Chernobyl disaster is extremely different from the subject matter of the composition, Mustaine wrote the song about the emotions of abandonment that are experienced after a relationship ends. He used this extended metaphor because he believed after a significant other leaves, one feels like they were left “like the dogs of Chernobyl” were. The number shares a similar structure to other songs on the album with the hard-hitting verses, the sprawling bridge, and fast-paced riffing and drumming. Loureiro truly carries and delivers on this track with his frequent and spontaneous solos that charge the song with an immense amount of energy. The outro is definitely the climax of the song, as each instrument accompanies Mustaine’s graphic descriptions of the effects of radiation, all while Loureiro continues to play some of his greatest guitar work on the record. 

Rating: 8.5/1o

“Sacrifice” The fifth track on the LP, “Sacrifice” starts off in an abrupt manner with a rapid-fire series of riffs, then Mustaine comes in and begins telling the story of a cursed warlock. Some of the main riffs heard while Loureiro’s solos reflect earlier Megadeth songs like “Take No Prisoners” and “Hangar 18”. Compared to other songs on the album, “Sacrifice” is a bit midtempo, but still holds a hard metal drive that carries through. Verbeuren provides the basis of the rhythm, but is somewhat dominated by Mustaine and Loureiro’s guitars. The song tends to be overlooked the first time by many listeners, but still brings out an interesting side of the album through older themes, innovative percussive techniques, and the very fast ending riff.

Rating: 6/10

“Junkie” Beginning with an ‘80s-metal-esque vocal callout by Mustaine, “Junkie” tells the cautionary tale of a young man who experiences a substance addiction that eventually takes over his life. The blatant lyrics coincide with the rhythmic drums, heavy riffs, and energetic soloing to form a gut-wrenching ensemble of a song. After every three lines, Loureiro plays many different technical guitar licks that blissfully intertwine each verse and chorus together. The bridge is a spoken sample of a Southern man speaking in a slightly indecipherable drawl, and following his three lines of dialogue, Loureiro yet again breaks into a ravishing guitar solo that carries on all the way to the outro. Fusing sounds of both old and new, “Junkie” serves as a unique, yet evocative track on the album.

Rating 7.5/10 

“Psychopathy” Clocking in at only 1:20, “Psychopathy” serves as the shortest tune on the record. It begins with Verbeuren’s rolling drum lines that get louder as the track progresses, and are shortly accompanied by a hollow-sounding riff and many whammy trills, something uncommon on this album. After 50 seconds of pure instrumentals, the lyrics began to be read off in a declaratory voice. Since the number is so short, it fades almost directly into the next song, “Killing Time”, creating a smooth transition from track-to-track.

Rating: 8.5/10

“Killing Time” The song that kicks right off with Mustaine’s vocals and a carefully thought out riff. Both the verses and choruses are very hooky and include guitar riffs that greatly coincide with and reflect on Mustaine’s style of singing in these sectors. After the second chorus, a beautiful acoustic section takes precedence, but it’s slowly overtaken by the electric guitars and the heavier nature of the track. The greatly orchestrated guitar solo is a short snippet that truly shows Loureiro’s prowess as a musician. “Killing Time” is one of the most vocal-centric songs on the album, which shares traits with earlier Megadeth songs like “Sweating Bullets”. The outro is a repetition of the chorus and features the echoing of certain lines that eventually all blend and mix with the constantly churning guitars that soon dissipate into the final burnout of the track.

Rating: 8/10

“Soldier On!” The last single administered by the band before the release of the album, “Soldier On!” starts out with a sludgy riff that is reminiscent of Black Sabbath’s iconic “Children of the Grave”. Each verse features heavy riffage and drumming that is accompanied by Loureiro’s hauntingly splendid solos. The choruses include quieter declining guitar pieces and are shockingly very catchy and anthemic with lines like, “Of all the battles won and lost/The lives and treasures that it cost/I know I’ve got to soldier on.” The chorus and verses are brought together with an abrasive guitar solo that is reflective of Megadeth’s past and their older styles. Loureiro begins a solo following the second chorus that starts in a quiet manner, but gradually grows increasingly louder and independent. Before the band regains grounding after Loureiro’s epic solo, Mustaine and Loureiro’s guitars pan from side to side to create an audio sensation that sounds like two dueling axes. The outro brings back some of the more experimental tones of the album as it spotlights the sounds of marching and a chant said to the tune of a typical military sound-off. 

Rating: 8.5/10

“Célebutante” A portmanteau of the words celebrity and debutante, “Célebutante” is an enthralling track that details how some people starve for fame and will do anything to live in the limelight. The song begins with an extremely enthralling and quiet riff that eventually grows heavier and incorporates different time signatures, overall creating a mysterious energy. The chorus revolves around Mustaine’s vocals, as the disconnected riffs and quick drums use his lyrical placement as a focal point. Following the second chorus, the band breaks away into a louder sound as they carry on to the bridge that greatly challenges the lifestyle of those who crave stardom. After a few dissonant riffs, Loureiro begins an impressive guitar solo that lasts for the remainder of the song. This lengthy solo is simply riveting, and is probably one of Loureiro’s best on the record. The two sections of this solo are bridged together by a sequence of bends, where the guitar starts to rocket off the earth in a series of sweep-picking, rapid bends, and fierce handiwork that blast the track into the next song.

Rating: 8.5/10

“Mission To Mars”  A distinct and evocative track, “Mission To Mars” begins with a measured bassline and muffled guitar harmonics that fades into a slow guitar solo and an intriguing riff. Following the succession of the riff and short guitar lead, the song breaks into a series of mechanical sounds and the return of a faster riff. The lyrics literally address a hypothetical trip to Mars, and the various precautions and preparations that would surround such an ambitious journey. The bridge includes fuzzy chatter between an astronaut and their commanding officer about discoveries made on Mars that even reference one of their best-selling albums, “Rust In Peace” (“‘Why don’t we just return to Earth and let it rust in peace out here?’”). The background bridge solos and instrumentals start out serene, but as the astronaut begins to panic, the music grows increasingly heavier until the astronaut declares starting crash landing procedures and mission failure, marking the end of the song. One of the most experimental ditties on the track, “Mission To Mars” opens up listeners to a different, newer side 0f Megadeth that goes typically unseen in previous works.

Rating: 7.5/10

“We’ll Be Back” The first single put out pre-album release, “We’ll Be Back” serves as the true closing track on physical copies of the record. The song begins with a repeated rapid guitar solo lick that is accompanied with a diminishing riff and thumping drums. The face-melting verses incorporate Megadeth’s classic thrash style and are bridged together with a charged and swift guitar solo. Multiple times throughout the song, Loureiro expresses his guitar expertise through his amazing and harrowing solos from various lengths and locations across the fretboard. Mustaine increases the chilling tones with his choruses that are riddled with lyrics relating to paranoia and always being alert or on guard. One of the hardest numbers of the album, “We’ll Be Back” promises just what the title states, as Megadeth leaves fans wanting more after such a great showcase of metal musicianship and awe-striking instrumentation. 

Rating: 10/10

“Police Truck” The first digital exclusive track, “Police Truck” is a cover of the Dead Kennedys’ classic. Megadeth pays homage to their punk influences by keeping the same structure, riffs, and lyrics as the original, but also puts their own metal twist on it. The song begins with a few delayed guitar bits, then becomes a full-fledged metal symphony with some pounding drum beats and a fierce guitar glissando. Mustaine’s sludgy verse vocals are fittingly accompanied by a repetitive, yet methodical riff. There is no formal chorus, besides the reprise of the line, “Let’s ride, low ride” followed by a staccato guitar lick. The short number consists of two different verse sections that are bridged together by a dynamic guitar solo that begins as an extension of the verse riff, but continues to climb up new octaves as the notes grow increasingly higher. With the heavier riffs, quick pace, and prominent drums, the song truly shows how influential the genre of punk rock was to early thrash metal bands.

Rating: 9/10

“This Planet’s On Fire (Burn In Hell)” The second digital exclusive on the album that also happens to be a cover, this number is originally a Sammy Hagar song that still features him as a guest vocalist on the track. The driving number begins with a soloing guitar riff and short riff bursts from Mustaine’s guitar. Contrasting to the harder-set and sporadic verses, the choruses bring the song together with Mustaine and Hagar’s harmonized vocals and riffs that ring throughout. In the second verse, Hagar alone sings every line beside the humorous last line (“Ha, you sucker”) that carries the tune right into the chorus. Loureiro breaks into one of his best-delivered solos of the album following the second chorus that is filled with speed-picking and multiple bends. Mustaine and Hagar alternate lines throughout the third verse, and Hagar shows his vocal prowess with a lively scream. The nearly two-minute outro is a great showing of Loureiro and Verbeuren’s musical talents as they both play in a loud and wired fashion that fades away into a faint mechanical noise, truly ending the album in a mysterious tone.

Rating: 9.5/10

Overall, it was very refreshing hearing a new album from one of the first thrash metal bands that still kept some of their originality and distinctness, but also chose to experiment and venture out into previously uncharted audio territory. 

My personal favorites were “We’ll Be Back”, “This Planet’s On Fire (Burn In Hell)”, and “Psychopathy”. Although there wasn’t really a “bad” song on the album, I would probably consider “Sacrifice” and “Junkie” my least favorites.

My overall rating of the album would have to be an 8/10, just because all of the songs were through-and-through great compositions, but there were a few things that just didn’t strike out at me. However, it’s awesome that Megadeth is back with new music, and I look forward to future albums and tours.