The System Has Failed

The System Has Failed is a restart on which Megadeth, around sharp riffs, intricately moving rhythm and Dave Mustaine’s distinctive delivery, again makes its strengths vivid. Overcoming a crisis where even a breakup was rumored, it is a powerful comeback on which Mustaine gathered again under the Megadeth name. The guitar is sharp and the songs aggressive, yet the melody has ample shading. From the aggression of the opener “Blackmail the Universe” and the catchiness of “Die Dead Enough” to the speed of “Kick the Chair” and the drama of “The Scorpion,” every song recovers a sharp, Megadeth-like feel, while a cut like “Back in the Day” evokes the band’s history. That former member Chris Poland features on guitar also drew attention. Its appeal is that an air suggesting politics and social unease further raises the tension of the playing. Rather than merely tracing the old style, it reconstructs its own music through a perspective gained from ample experience. Inscribing the powerful will of a band that overcame difficulty, it is a fulfilling comeback in Megadeth’s manner.