Megadeth, 'The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!' Review - Track-by-Track

Megadeth, ‘The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!’ Review – Track-by-Track

2022-08-31

Megadeth – Story by Anne Erickson, photo by Travis Shinn

Megadeth present an imaginative, action-packed set of songs on their 16th studio album, “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!”

When Dave Mustaine speaks, both musically and literally, the metal world listens. On Megadeth’s new album, “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!” (out Sept. 2), Mustaine and company don’t just speak- they roar.

“The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!” marks Megadeth’s 16th studio album, but the passion and musical tightness is as prominent as it was in their early days. The 12-track set takes the listener on a musical journey through heavy metal riffing, sky-high solos and Mustaine’s crunchy vocals. Read on for Audio Ink Radio’s track-by-track review of Megadeth, “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!”

Megadeth, “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!” – Track-by-Track Review

“The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!” kicks off with the album’s 5-minute long title track, a thrashy, in-your-face banger that gets the listener’s attention from the start. Lyrically, Mustaine holds nothing back, singing, “The sweet smell of rosies, a pocketful of posies / You can’t mask the fragrance of death in their beds / There’s typhus in the air, and ashes everywhere / Amongst the sick, the dying, and the dead.”

From there, the album launches into “Life in Hell,” offering a cool spoken-word section and a punchy vibe that is very Megadeth. Next up is “Night Stalkers,” which is as menacing as it sounds, offering thick, thrash-y guitars and an appearance from rapper and Body Count notable Ice-T. “Dogs of Chernobyl” follows, one of the strongest songs on the album, if not the strongest. The track is an epic, six-minute opus feature a Black Sabbath-style groove and apocalyptic tale of the hundreds of stray dogs living around the site of the 1986 nuclear disaster.

“Sacrifice” follows, launching wish spitfire guitars and drums. Of all the tracks on “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!,” “Sacrifice” sounds the most like it could fit on a classic Megadeth album alongside their greatest hits. “Junkie” is next, offering a tale of, of course, a junkie. Then, it’s “Psychopathy,” the second song to feature an emotive spoken-word section.

If you’re a fan of unique guitar solos, then “Killing Time” is for you. The track features a killer guitar solo that’s very vintage Megadeth. “Soldier On!” follows, offering a wall of crunch guitarist that sound very appropriate for a military anthem. The cutting “Célebutante” is another album highlight, starting out soft and then launching into a fiery, fast concoction of speedy guitars, pummeling rhythms and Mustaine’s monster vocals. Up next is “Mission to Mars,” which along with “Dogs of Chernobyl” is one of the strongest songs on the set. The track is narrative in nature, coming from the vantage point of an astronaut on his way to Mars. “We’ll Be Back” closes out the set, promising that this isn’t the last we’ll hear from Megadeth.

Megadeth may be 16 albums in, but they still have the drive, passion and energy that they did on day one. One might even argue that the band’s music is getting better as the years progress. “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!” proves that Mustaine and company are able to up the game, so to speak, in every album and experiment while maintaining that traditional Megadeth style and sound.

Ink rating: 9.5/10. Essential songs: “Dogs of Chernobyl,” “Mission to Mars,” “The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!” Online: Megadeth.com.

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Anne Erickson

Meet the expert - Author, writer and editor Anne Erickson is a Detroit-based reporter and radio host. She has written for the USA Today Network, Consequence.net, Blabbermouth.net, and many more. Anne holds a master's degree from Michigan State University. Contact Anne at anne@audioinkradio.com.