The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | September 2, 2022 | |||
Recorded | May 2019 [1] – 2021 | |||
Genre | Thrash metal [2] | |||
Length | 55:10 | |||
Label |
| |||
Producer |
| |||
Megadeth chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! | ||||
|
The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! is the sixteenth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on September 2, 2022, on frontman Dave Mustaine's Tradecraft label via Universal. [2] It is the first Megadeth album to feature drummer Dirk Verbeuren, their last album with guitarist Kiko Loureiro, and their first studio album in six years since Dystopia (2016), marking the longest gap between two studio albums in the band's career. The album was produced by Mustaine and Chris Rakestraw. [1]
Work on The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! began in 2019, but faced a number of delays due to Mustaine being diagnosed with throat cancer the same year along with the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020. In 2021, longtime bassist David Ellefson was dismissed from Megadeth following allegations of sexual misconduct. His bass parts were removed from the album and were re-recorded by Testament bassist Steve Di Giorgio, while former bassist James LoMenzo rejoined the band following the album's completion.
The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! received generally positive reviews, with critics saying the album continued the trajectory set by Dystopia. It debuted at No. 3 on the US Billboard 200 with 48,000 units and is Megadeth's highest-charting album around the rest of the world, reaching No. 1 in Finland, No. 2 in Australia, Poland, Switzerland and Scotland, and No. 3 in the UK, among others. [3] It was ranked as the 4th best guitar album of 2022 by Guitar World readers. [4] The lead single "We'll Be Back" was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.
The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! took more than two years to materialize, with the recording sessions taking place between May 2019 [1] and towards the end of 2021, the longest time Megadeth has taken to record an album up to this point. The album's release had been delayed several times. It was originally intended to be released in 2019, before its ultimate release in September 2022.
On May 10, 2019, Megadeth entered the studio in Franklin, Tennessee with co-producer Chris Rakestraw to begin pre-production of the album. [5] In June, the band announced the cancellation of then-upcoming shows, as Mustaine had been diagnosed with throat cancer; [6] Despite Mustaine's illness, the band vowed to continue working on the album. [7] On November 6, 2018, Mustaine shared a video on Twitter teasing a track from the album, [8] which at the time, was originally set for release in the next year. [9]
The band re-entered the studio in Nashville in mid-2020 to resume recording their new album, by now tentatively planned for release in 2021. [10] [11] [12] While hosting a Masterclass "Front Row Live" for fans via Zoom on January 9, 2021, Mustaine announced the album's title as The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!, but indicated that the title might be subject to change. [13]
Originally scheduled for release in early 2022, the album's release was delayed for several months due to issues with vinyl printing and distribution. [14] [15] It was eventually released in September 2022. [16] [17]
On May 10, 2021, sexually explicit videos of bassist David Ellefson masturbating were posted on Twitter. The videos were reportedly recorded by a fan with whom Ellefson was in correspondence. Accusations of child grooming were initially raised against Ellefson, although both parties denied this. The fan publicly claimed she was a consenting adult. Ellefson subsequently contacted the authorities to seek charges for revenge porn against the party responsible for leaking the videos and presented the police with evidence related to the allegations. [18] An official statement released the next day from Megadeth stated that the situation was being "watched closely". [19] On May 24, Megadeth released a statement announcing Ellefson was out of the band, saying the scandal had strained their relationship and made "working together impossible moving forward." [20] His already-recorded bass parts were subsequently removed from the album and rerecorded by Steve Di Giorgio of Testament. Former bassist James LoMenzo, who Ellefson replaced in 2010, rejoined Megadeth on a touring capacity in August before becoming an official member in May 2022.
"Night Stalkers" features rapper Ice-T on vocals, and "is about the 160th Battalion with the U.S. Army, and it's all the black-ops helicopters that go in at night." [21] "Killing Time" focuses on a former girlfriend of Mustaine's. [16] The first clip released from the album (which was released on Cameo) was titled "Life in Hell". [22]
According to Mustaine, "Dogs of Chernobyl" is not about the Russian invasion of Ukraine, but "is a love song". Prior to the album's production, Mustaine had been diagnosed with throat cancer. He revealed that his treating radiologist contributed "a couple of phrases and some information about the radiation poisoning when everyone got sick at Chernobyl" to the song's lyrics. [23]
Two cover songs are featured on various editions of the album. Sammy Hagar features on a cover of his solo song, "This Planet's on Fire". "Police Truck" is a heavier cover of the Dead Kennedys song. [15]
The website sickdyingdead.com was launched on June 20, 2022, to promote the album. [24]
As of December 2022, six singles have been released from the album. The first, "We'll Be Back", was released via streaming services on June 23, [25] with "Night Stalkers" following on July 22. [26]
The third single to be released was "Soldier On!" on August 12. [27] The title track was released as a single on September 2, the same day as the album.
Aggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 78/100 [28] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [29] |
Blabbermouth.net | [30] |
BraveWords | [31] |
Kerrang! | [32] |
Metal Hammer | [33] |
PopMatters | 7/10 [34] |
Record Collector | [35] |
Sonic Perspectives | 9.1/10 [36] |
Sputnikmusic | [37] |
Wall of Sound | 8.5/10 [38] |
The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! has received favorable reviews and holds a Metacritic rating of 78/100. Dom Lawson of Blabbermouth.net rated the album 9 out of 10 and wrote, "That means that Dave Mustaine is well aware of how lethal Megadeth are, circa 2022. This is easily the band's best album since Endgame ... possibly even Countdown To Extinction . The cantankerous old devil is back in blistering top form and making music that will remind you exactly why we love the cantankerous old devil in the first place." [30]
All lyrics are written by Dave Mustaine, except "Dogs of Chernobyl" by Mustaine and Tony Cmelak.
All music written by Mustaine and Kiko Loureiro, except where noted.
No. | Title | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!" | Mustaine | 5:04 |
2. | "Life in Hell" |
| 4:12 |
3. | "Night Stalkers" (featuring Ice-T) |
| 6:38 |
4. | "Dogs of Chernobyl" | 6:14 | |
5. | "Sacrifice" | 4:08 | |
6. | "Junkie" | Mustaine | 3:39 |
7. | "Psychopathy" | 1:20 | |
8. | "Killing Time" | 5:13 | |
9. | "Soldier On!" | Mustaine | 4:54 |
10. | "Célebutante" | 3:51 | |
11. | "Mission to Mars" | 5:24 | |
12. | "We'll Be Back" | 4:29 | |
Total length: | 55:10 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
13. | "Police Truck" (Dead Kennedys cover) (Japan exclusive bonus track) | 2:29 | |
14. | "This Planet's on Fire (Burn in Hell)" (Sammy Hagar cover, featuring Sammy Hagar) | Sammy Hagar | 5:04 |
Total length: | 62:39 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
13. | "This Planet's on Fire" (studio recording; Sammy Hagar cover, featuring Sammy Hagar) | Hagar | 5:04 |
14. | "The Conjuring" (live; mislabeled as "Dystopia" on the album track listing) | Mustaine | 5:49 |
Total length: | 66:02 |
Megadeth
Additional musicians
| Technical personnel
|
Weekly charts
| Year-end charts
|
Megadeth is an American thrash metal band formed in Los Angeles in 1983 by vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine. Known for their technically complex guitar work and musicianship, Megadeth is one of the "big four" of American thrash metal along with Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer, responsible for the genre's development and popularization. Their music features complex arrangements and fast rhythm sections, dual lead guitars, and lyrical themes of war, politics, religion, death, and personal relationships.
Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! is the debut studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on June 12, 1985, by Combat Records. At the beginning of 1985, the band was given $8,000 by Combat to record and produce its debut album. The band was forced to fire their original producer and produce the album by themselves, after spending half of the album's budget on drugs, alcohol, and food. Despite the poor production, the album was a well-received effort that obtained strong reviews in various music publications. Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! played an essential role in establishing thrash metal as an authentic subgenre of heavy metal music. It explores themes of death, occultism, and violence.
So Far, So Good... So What! is the third studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on January 19, 1988, by Capitol Records. It was the band's only album recorded with drummer Chuck Behler and guitarist Jeff Young, both of whom were fired from the band in early 1989, several months after the completion of the album's world tour. So Far, So Good... So What! features music performed at fast tempos with technical ability; lyrically, frontman and guitarist Dave Mustaine addresses a variety of topics, including nuclear holocaust and freedom of speech.
Rust in Peace is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on September 24, 1990, by Capitol Records. It was the first Megadeth album to feature guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza. The songs "Hangar 18" and "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" were released as singles. A remixed and remastered version of the album featuring four bonus tracks was released in 2004.
Countdown to Extinction is the fifth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on July 14, 1992, through Capitol Records. It was the group's second studio release to feature the "classic" lineup of Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, David Ellefson and Nick Menza, with all of them contributing to songwriting on the album. The album features some of the band's best known songs such as "Symphony of Destruction", "Sweating Bullets", and "Skin o' My Teeth", which enjoyed significant chart success and made a great musical impact.
Youthanasia is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Megadeth, released on November 1, 1994, through Capitol Records. It is stylistically similar to their previous album, Countdown to Extinction (1992). The title is a play on words, implying that society is euthanizing its youth. The cover art features an elderly woman hanging babies by their feet on a seemingly endless clothes line, a direct reference to a line in the title track.
Cryptic Writings is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Megadeth. Released on June 17, 1997, through Capitol Records, it was the band's last studio album to feature drummer Nick Menza. His departure would mark the end of the band's longest lasting lineup to date, having recorded four studio albums. Megadeth decided to produce the record with Dann Huff in Nashville, Tennessee, because they were not satisfied with their previous producer Max Norman. The album features twelve tracks with accessible song structures, specifically aimed for radio airplay. The lyrics were also altered, in order to make the music more inclusive for wider audience. These changes were met with mixed opinions from music critics, who noted the band moving away from their thrash metal roots.
Risk is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Megadeth, released on August 31, 1999, by Capitol Records, the band's last album to be released by the label. The first Megadeth album since 1990 to feature a lineup change, Risk marks the studio debut of drummer Jimmy DeGrasso with the band, as well as the final appearance of longtime guitarist Marty Friedman, who announced his departure a year later. Meant to be a breakthrough on alternative rock radio, Risk received a mixed response because of the great deviation from the band's traditional sound. The backlash ultimately resulted in the band returning to a heavier sound on their next album, The World Needs a Hero.
The World Needs a Hero is the ninth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on May 15, 2001, by Sanctuary Records. After the critical and commercial failure of the previous album Risk (1999), The World Needs a Hero represented a change back to a heavier musical direction. Subsequently, the album charted at number 16 on the Billboard 200 upon release.
David Warren Ellefson is an American musician, best known for his long tenure as the bassist and backing vocalist for thrash metal band Megadeth across two stints.
The System Has Failed is the tenth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on September 14, 2004. It was the band's second and final studio album to be distributed by Sanctuary Records. The System Has Failed was the first album to be released after Dave Mustaine recovered from his arm injury sustained in 2002. It is also the first of four Megadeth studio albums not to include original bassist and co-founder David Ellefson. The album features former Megadeth member Chris Poland (guitar), who previously performed on Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! (1985) and Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? (1986), and session musicians Vinnie Colaiuta (drums) and Jimmie Lee Sloas (bass).
American thrash metal band Megadeth has released sixteen studio albums, six live albums, seven compilation albums, one EP, fifty-nine singles, ten video albums, and fifty music videos. After he was fired from Metallica in 1983, guitarist and vocalist Dave Mustaine formed Megadeth along with bassist Dave Ellefson, guitarist Greg Handevidt, and drummer Richard Girod. After some initial lineup changes during 1984, Megadeth's lineup was cemented, consisting of guitarist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson, guitarist Chris Poland, and drummer Gar Samuelson. The band toured and gained a following, signing with the independent label Combat Records in late 1984. Megadeth's debut album Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! (1985), sold very well for an independent release, and the group attracted the attention of major record labels. By the end of the year, the group signed with Capitol Records. Megadeth's first major-label album, Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?, was released in 1986.
United Abominations is the eleventh studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth. Released on May 15, 2007, United Abominations is the first Megadeth release distributed through Roadrunner Records and, with the exception of the band's frontman Dave Mustaine, was recorded with an all-new line-up. It is the first album since The World Needs a Hero (2001) to be recorded by a full-time line-up as the previous studio album The System Has Failed (2004) was recorded by Mustaine alongside session musicians. While touring to promote the album, guitarist Glen Drover left the band for personal reasons and was replaced by Chris Broderick, leaving this as the only Megadeth studio album to which he contributed.
Endgame is the twelfth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth. It was produced by Dave Mustaine and Andy Sneap and released through Roadrunner Records on September 15, 2009. Endgame was the first album to feature guitarist Chris Broderick, following Glen Drover's departure in 2008, and was the band's last studio album with bassist James LoMenzo until he rejoined after 2022's The Sick, The Dying, and The Dead, as original bassist David Ellefson rejoined the band several months after Endgame was released.
Rust in Peace: Live is a live album by American heavy metal band Megadeth, released in 2010 through Shout! Factory in Blu-ray, DVD, and CD formats. The release was in celebration of the 20th anniversary of the original release of Rust in Peace and it is the first Megadeth release since 2002's Rude Awakening to feature bassist David Ellefson.
Thirteen is the thirteenth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth. It was first released in Japan on October 27, 2011, and worldwide on November 1, 2011. It is the first Megadeth studio album since The World Needs a Hero (2001) to feature bassist and founding member David Ellefson, who returned to the band in 2010. Thirteen debuted at number 11 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 42,000 copies in its first week. The album broke into the top 20 in several other markets as well. It has sold about 120,000 copies in the United States as of December 2012. The album has received positive reviews from critics.
Dystopia is the fifteenth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth. It was released on frontman and guitarist Dave Mustaine's Tradecraft label via Universal on January 22, 2016. It is the first Megadeth album to feature guitarist Kiko Loureiro, the only album with drummer Chris Adler, and their last with bassist David Ellefson. The album was produced by Mustaine and Chris Rakestraw and features cover artwork by Brent Elliot White.
"We'll Be Back" is a song by the American thrash metal band Megadeth. The song was released as the lead single from their sixteenth studio album, The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead!, on June 23, 2022. The song was the first single the band had released since 2016's "Post American World". On November 15, 2022, "We'll Be Back" was announced as a nominee for Best Metal Performance for the 65th Annual Grammy Awards.
"Soldier On!" is a song by American thrash metal band Megadeth. It was released as the third single from their sixteenth studio album, The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! on August 12, 2022. It is more mid-tempo and melodic than other songs on the album, and contains some elements of groove metal.