Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?

If a skeleton came to life and started singing, this is what it would sound like

Very energetic and didn't find myself hating this even though it was thrash. Songs were varied enough. Solid 4*
Highlights: peace sells

I had a few Metallica albums in my teens, a couple of slayer albums too but I never cared much about Megadeth. Since then I still listen to a few metal bands but it's not my favorite genre. There are a few moments that are good but I really mean moments. The only song that I enjoy in full was Bad Omen, other songs feel repetitive and long.

Bogstandard metal with a touch of goth.

I've always thought that the only band I cared about less than Metallica is Megadeth, but today I wonder if it's actually a tie. I'm not sure if that's downgrading Metallica or upgrading Megadeth - I won't overthink it. In truth, the real answer is that I'm just apathetic to Thrash as a genre.
If I could give half stars, I'd be tempted to give this a 3.5 but rules are rules.

Yes, I know. It's noisy. Mustaine can't do vocals for shit. And it's the same shredding over and over. But somehow, it pleases the tism greatly.

This is Megadeth's best album. Which isn't to say it's a very good album. Vocals can make or break a band and Mustaine's voice is like Lemmy's little brother without the character and even less range, spitting out lyrics with too many syllables and relying too heavily on metal tropes.

The music is pretty not bad on this one though. Nice dual guitar attack, rapid-fire blast beats and some impressive melodic arpeggiated runs on the bass by the perennially underrated Dave Ellefson.

And a nice change of pace in the eighties from the shitty hair metal that was dominating (not actual metal, but whatever).

No sir

Just not for me

Interesting how tame this actually sounds nowadays to my ears, whereas it would have had parents clutching their pearls back in the 80s when it was released. Plenty of speedy guitar work on show here, and Dave Mustaine benefits from not being as much of a prick as his former bandmates from Metallica, so you can actually hear the bass and the drums are superior to anything Lars ever put out. I don't mind a bit of metal, although it's not something I tend to put on of my own accord very often.

Dave Mustaine’s vocals do nothing for me but the energy on this is insane! Good variety too

It was not a bad album, but it was boring. Thrash, out of all types of metal, is definitely not the most interesting one.

Bad Omens was fun with the often prominent base, but the overall highly unimpressive vocals really didn't do it for me. Hoping for more fun metal in the future...

It's fine, I guess? I can probably understand its inclusion into the book since it seems fairly influential, but I can't really get into it. I've heard a lot more better metal music in my life.

It's fun, it's thrash!

Run of the mill thrash metal. It's not bad just not special.

I shouldn't like Megadeth... but I kind of like Megadeth

nothing stood out on this record but it was fun anyways

This is an insanely nostalgic listen to me, and my favorite Megadeth album (though their opus is usually considered to be Rust In Peace). I was raised into metal, and while my tastes are more varied now, this stuff still lives in my DNA. Before I get into the album itself, a quick metal history listen for the unengaged will be very helpful for this one. In short, Dave Mustaine was a member of an early (pre-Kill 'Em All) incarnation of Metallica, but he was unceremoniously kicked out of the band for being too difficult, drinking too much, and partying too hard for early '80s Metallica (no small feat). After this, he basically said "Fuck you guys, I'm starting my own thrash band, and we'll be faster, angrier, and kick more ass than you!", and thus, Megadeth was more or less born out of spite. Megadeth has since outlived this fraught introduction to the world and been immortalized as a member of the big 4 of thrash (with Metallica, Anthrax and Slayer, all of whom appear on the list). And also, it's worth noting that Megadeth's rivalry with Metallica is more playful than anything in the present year. But the attitude that formed Megadeth did power them almost immediately into some scene classics; enter Peace Sells... But Who's Buying. Megadeth's sound probably best represents the core sound of thrash out of all the big 4. Metallica's thrash stuff had a proggy slant due to Cliff Burton (RIP), Anthrax was closer to crossover thrash/hardcore punk stuff. And Slayer was damn near a grind band sometimes (Reign In Blood in particular can still peel paint). Megadeth kind of sits in the middle, but is generally most similar to Metallica, if you need a touchstone. Peace Sells is an insanely efficient record, the band is pretty much locked in from beginning to end. This thing is full of exhilarating triplets, wailing solos, and some really creative basslines. I'm also not gonna tell you that Mustaine is a *good* vocalist per se, but he is the only man for the job. He brings some punk snottiness here, and it really shines through the most on songs like the title track and Good Mourning, he almost brings a comical theatricality. The lyrics are the perfected mix of surprisingly in depth political observations, pop culture, and a little occultism thrown in for flavor, and are very enjoyable. I honestly think this album is pretty much a perfect 36 minutes of thrash, but to single out some favorites, the title track is *incredibly* catchy, and tons of fun, while also having something to say behind the sarcasm. And My Last Words (a deeper cut) is one of the band's best thrashers. But this album has an incredibly iconic sound, and is a scene classic. If you love metal, you'll be floored by this. If you don't, you should give it a shot, it doesn't quite have Metallica's crossover appeal, but the level of quality here is high enough that it's worth it for just about anyone.

Dave Mustaine really can't sing can he? But who cares, this absolutely slaps. Peace Sells is exactly what I want in my thrash metal – the raw, snarling aggression, breakneck tempos and anti-establishment sneer of hardcore punk entwined with relentlessly complex musicianship, where Mustaine and Chris Poland trade intense, intricate riffs.

You really can decipher Poland's background in jazz fusion through the way his solos bend around Mustaine's shredding, which really does elevate this all the more for me. The rhythm section is phenomenal as well, completely disregarding the typical thump of traditional metal drumming with frantic, shifting time signatures and creative cymbal work, whilst some truly filthy bass lines anchor the carnage.

This deserves more regular playtime on my deck, for sure.

Sounds like, and very much is, an album by a guitarist with an axe to grind. Super technical, constantly changing hyperactive songs full of high tempo.riffs and squealing shredding solos.