Megadeth releases sixteenth studio album
On Friday, Sept. 2, 2022, the famed metal band Megadeth released “The Sick, the Dying…and the Dead!” At the time of release, it had been six years since 2016’s “Dystopia,” making this the longest period Megadeth has gone without releasing any new music.
“The Sick, the Dying…and the Dead” was finally released on Sept. 2, 2022 by singer Dave Mustaine, guitarist Kiko Loureiro, bassist James LoMenzo and drummer Dirk Verbeuren. Overall, it honors the band’s legacy well despite being the band’s 16th album, and is on par with some of their classic releases. I enjoyed this album and would highly recommend listening to it, especially the song “Dogs of Chernobyl,” my personal favorite off of the album.
Megadeth released the album’s first single, “We’ll be Back,” in early July 2022. Later that month, they released “Night Stalkers,’’ which featured rapper Ice-T, followed by “Soldier On” in August. These gave fans high hopes for the new album, as one could hear the same energy Mustaine had on the band’s classic albums such as 1986’s “Peace Sells” and 1992’s “Countdown to Extinction.” The album shows how a band that has been around for nearly 40 years is still able to continue touring and releasing great music.
Fans were excited for this album after a prolonged absence. In June 2019, Megadeth’s frontman, Dave Mustaine, was diagnosed with cancer. He made an announcement later in the summer that he planned to start working on the band’s new album. According to Mustaine, his battle with cancer was aided by support from his loyal fans. “I want to thank all of you for the support and well wishes these last few months. I can’t express enough gratitude as it has made this hard road easier knowing you are in my corner fighting with me!” Mustaine said. By February 2020, Mustaine had beaten cancer and was free to continue working on the band’s new album.
Megadeth also parted ways with longtime bassist David Ellefson due to sexual misconduct after inappropriate messages between Ellefson and a young female fan surfaced, a move which Dave Mustaine described as difficult. “It was a hard decision that had to be made,” Mustaine said. With the firing of Ellefson, Dave Mustaine is now the only original member to remain in Megadeth.
“The Sick, the Dying…and the Dead!” has done exceptionally well with fans and critics alike. According to MetalInjection, a website that critiques metal bands, Megadeth’s new album maintains the reputation that the band acquired from their earlier works. Plenty varied and still full of trademark fire and swagger, “‘The Sick, the Dying… and the Dead!’ marks another solid addition to the Megadeth selection,” MetalInjection said.
