The World Needs a Hero

The World Needs a Hero is the ninth album on which Megadeth, after a late-1990s that spread greatly toward a melodic direction, again pushes hard riffs and a tense style to the front. Taking in the mixed views of the experimental Risk, the band clearly steers back toward heavy thrash metal, its own origin. Dave Mustaine’s dry singing and guitar lead the whole into unease. From the drive of the opener “Disconnect” and the catchy aggression of “Moto Psycho” to the drama of “Return to Hangar,” a sequel to the Rust in Peace classic “Hangar 18,” the songs clearly show a back-to-origin stance, while the tension of “Dread and the Fugitive Mind” is also striking. Its distinction is aiming for a blend of heavy drive and singable melody rather than merely reproducing past glory. Around sharp guitar work, the tension just before the band moves to its next phase is inscribed. After the experimental period, a record on which Megadeth sought to reaffirm its own core, it is powerful and solid.