Endgame

Endgame is a powerful work on which Megadeth re-binds speed, complex riffs and highly technical ensemble at extremely high density. The guitar cuts sharp down to the details, the rhythm section accurately supports the songs’ sharp turns, and the whole keeps a taut tension while dashing to the end. The outstanding guitar technique of the newly joined Chris Broderick also shines. From the ferocious speed of “This Day We Fight!,” following the opening instrumental “Dialectic Chaos,” and the aggression of “Head Crusher” to the drama of “44 Minutes” and the grandeur of the title track “Endgame,” every song is full of technical appeal, while a cut like “The Right to Go Insane” gives the album breadth. Its great appeal is that, while aggressive, the deftness of its construction keeps the songs from ending as a mere competition of speed. You can fully savor the intelligence and sharp stimulation of thrash metal at once. On which post-revival Megadeth’s technical fullness reaches a peak, it is a tight, engaging thrash-metal masterpiece.