Megadeth have been trying to recapture their 80s glory for so long that most people have forgotten what the fuss was about. Here’s how it went: a brace of killer albums off the bat in 1985 and ’86, a lesser one in ’88 and then the career-best Rust In Peace in 1990. ’Deth lost their way in the 90s, while mainman Dave Mustaine has spent the years since looking for Rust In Peace Part 2.
To many fans’ relief, Endgame provides that sound in abundance, specifically on Headcrusher and 1,320°, both based on incredibly complex riffs and fast beats that could have come straight from 1987. This Day We Fight!, the superb instrumental Dialectic Chaos and How The Story Ends amp up the ferocity.
That said, as with everything Mustaine has done since being booted out of Metallica in 1983, Endgame contains mid-tempo tedium that’s been sending fans to sleep for years. The big acoustic epic (there’s always one) is called The Hardest Part Of Letting Go… Sealed With A Kiss, and if you find Mustaine’s over-emoting snarl hard enough to accept in the metal songs, it’s even harder in a ballad. Still, Endgame is the best album Megadeth have done in years.
