Megadeth: Capital Punishment

Metallica and Megadeth have a lot in common: both have moved in a more "mainstream" direction after starting out as thrash metal purists, and both have to suffer under the weight of loyal but often intolerant fans who just won’t allow their heroes any changes in artistic style. This Greatest Hits collection is perfect for those who want to hear a range of Megadeth songs throughout their career, but it will certainly not please the hardcore thrash fans who want Dave Mustaine to recreate the sound of his early releases over and over again. But if you can stay open-minded about the band's creative evolution, there's some great stuff on here. Now, back to my tirade against Megadeth’s more intolerant fans: On Cryptic Writings, Dave Mustaine wrote a couple of great, bitter love songs, "Trust" and "Almost Honest," both of which are included on this CD, that sound a lot different than the thrash metal of "Holy Wars" and "Hangar 18” (also on this compilation). Never mind that these songs are two of the most honest and original relationship songs ever written by a male metal performer, Megadeth must have "sold out."

Friends, Dave Mustaine has recorded some bad songs in recent years, but he has NEVER SOLD OUT! He certainly cheezed out on "Crush 'Em," which was a song that probably should have been thrown on the studio scrap heap (unfortunately it’s found its way onto this compilation), but accusing Dave Mustaine of selling out is a pretty cheap shot at someone who stuck to his guns throughout the grunge era, when there was very little unapologetic metal and long hair to be had. “Use the Man,” another gem from Cryptic Writings that is also included here, proves that up until quite recently Dave was able to write a passionate song with really smart, original lyrics. The problem is one of context: if a band with no thrash roots and no real integrity, such as, say, Stone Temple Pilots, had released Cryptic Writings instead, people would be talking about how ballsy they were and how great “Trust” and “Use the Man” were.

There are a ton of great songs on this album, and a handful of all time metal classics (“Symphony,” “Peace Sells,” etc.) are amongst them. Megadeth’s biggest problem is there are too many essential songs for one CD. Notable omissions include “99 Ways to Die,” “Angry Again,” and “Go To Hell.” A particularly surprising omission is “Wake Up Dead,” not one of my favorites, but the song that first broke Megadeth through to a larger audience belongs on this CD.

I am disturbed by one thing, however, and I must take Megadeth to task on this directly. For Megadeth to release a greatest hits without “Take No Prisoners,” which is not only their best song but arguably the greatest metal song ever recorded, is unforgivable. I don’t know how long it’s going to take for people to appreciate this song, with its breakneck pace, devastating, brilliant lyrics, constant tempo changes, and all-time-classic “ask not what you can do for your country” climax, but I guess it won’t be anytime soon, since Megadeth won’t even play this song in concert anymore from what I can tell. If you like “Peace Sells, “Holy Wars,” and “Hangar 18” from this CD, definitely track down “Take No Prisoners” from Rust in Peace - the best Megadeth song that even the band doesn’t seem to know about.