MEGADETH – The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!

Thrash Metal pioneer and Big Four Founding Member Megadeth is back with the sixteenth studio release, The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! on Universal Music Enterprise.

This is the first studio release since 2016’s Dystopia making this the most prolonged duration between studio albums. The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! is the first album to feature drummer Dirk Verbeuren (formerly Soilwork) and the second album to feature lead guitarist Kiko Loureiro. Steve Di Giorgio (Testament) recorded the bass tracks for the album. The recording of this album started in 2019 and faced challenges during the recording process. Mustaine was diagnosed with throat cancer in June of 2019. Founding bassist David Ellefson’ was dismissed from the band in 2021 due to a sex scandal.

The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! has a runtime of over an hour. There are twelve new tracks with two cover tracks on digital versions of the album. Vinyl and compact disc versions of the album will contain various bonus tracks. The album has elements of Speed Metal, Thrash Metal, and Heavy Metal that should satisfy Megadeth fans regardless if they are fans from the early years to younger fans alike.

 The Good

The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! is very tight and clean. There are multiple tempo changes throughout the album. The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! opens with the title track about the Black Plague in a Mustaine-like fashion twisting the children’s fable “Ring Around the Rosie” in a macabre fashion. “Life in Hell” and “Night Stalkers” kick up the tempo with pure thrashy goodness! Rapper and Metal legend Ice-T cameos in “Night Stalkers” as this song are about the 160th Battalion and the black-ops helicopters performing night missions. “Dogs of Chernobyl” is a reference to the feeling of abandonment after a breakup and not a reference to the war occurring in Ukraine. The album ends with a real banger, “We’ll Be Back.” With all of the adversity that Mustaine has dealt with leading up to the release of the album, “We’ll Be Back” is the perfect anthem of this album as it represents Mustaine’s triumph over throat cancer and other adversities.  Standout songs worth mentioning on this album include “Soldier On,” “Mission to Mars,” and the two bonus tracks on the digital version of the album. Megadeth covers Dead Kennedy’s song, “Police Truck” and teams up with Sammy Hagar to cover his song, “This Planet’s on Fire (Burn in Hell).”

Criticism’s

Megadeth does not push the boundaries of what they are capable of. That is not to say that there are any bad songs on this album as what you get is Megadeth’s traditional riffs, speed, and Dave being Dave (which is what we love about Megadeth in the first place). There are no surprises or wrinkles that you would not expect from Megadeth.

Overall, The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! is one of the best albums released in a long time that will keep the listener engaged throughout the entire album.

Tracklisting

1. The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!
2. Life In Hell
3. Night Stalkers
4. Dogs Of Chernobyl
5. Sacrifice
6. Junkie
7. Psychopathy
8. Killing Time
9. Soldier On!
10. Célebutante
11. Mission To Mars
12. We’ll Be Back
13. Police Truck (Dead Kennedy’s cover)
14. This Planet’s on Fire (Burn in Hell) (Sammy Hagar’s cover)

Album lineup

Dave Mustaine – Vocals and Guitars
Kiko Loureiro – Guitars, Backing Vocals, and Flute on “Night Stalkers.”
Steve Di Giorgio – Bass
Dirk Verbeuren – Drums