COMBAT, 1985 Still bitter about being fired from Metallica, Dave Mustaine returned with a band fashion from his own imagination. The songs were sharp and socially aware, while the music was surprisingly mature. Mustaine had immediately made his intentions clear — namely to take the thrash beast he'd helped create and give it a rounded metal education. It didn't chart on the Billboard 200, but is was loved from the start. GUITARIST: CHRIS POLAND
CAPITOL, 1986 Originally recorded for Combat Records, this was switched to the much bigger Capitol label, with the band given the budget to completely re-mix. The result is a true landmark album. Forget about thrash; here was Mustaine leading a charge through the whole spectrum of musical emotions. The title track itself is something of an epic, showcasing Megadeth's startlingly creative process. Meanwhile, Chris Poland's playing is nothing short of brilliant. GUITARIST: CHRIS POLAND
CAPITOL, 1988 Two years after Peace Sells..., a new Megadeth lineup landed on their feet with a record that refused to conform to expectations. While the cover of Sex Pistols' "Anarchy in the U.K." seemed somewhat superfluous, Mustaine was at his finest on the emotional "In My Darkest Hour" — a tribute to the late Cliff Burton of Metallica — and the haunting "Mary Jane." We also don't mind "Hook in Mouth" and "Set the World Afire." GUITARIST: JEFF YOUNG
CAPITOL, 1990 The debut album from arguably Megadeth's finest lineup, with Mustaine and long-time bassist Dave Ellefson being joined by guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza. Trying to come to terms with his substance dependence. Mustaine became much more politically charged in his lyrical themes, exploring the implications and ramifications of war. The music is, at times, breathtaking with Friedman proving he could cope with the considerable demands put on the guitarist in this most exhaustive of metal bands. "Hanger 18" is a striking moment of genius. GUITARIST: MARTY FRIEDMAN
CAPITOL, 1992 Max Norman, the man behind Ozzy Osbourne's solo success, was brought in to co-produce with Mustaine, and his obvious commercial leanings can be heard in the way many of the songs here are structured. Gone were the sprawling epics, only two tracks — "Sweating Bullets" and "Ashes in Your Mouth" — were over five minutes in length, and many had an almost traditional arrangement. However, "Symphony of Destruction" was a triump and remains a Mega classic. Was this an attempt to challenge Metallica's success with the Black Album? If so, it worked to some extent, as Countdown to Extinction came up just shy of the mark, making it to Number 2 on the U.S. charts. GUITARIST: MARTY FRIEDMAN
CAPITOL, 1994 Now the band were really starting to alienate some of their diehard fans. Almost divorced from the qualities that had made their early albums so successful. Megadeth were moving inexorably towards melodic hard rock. Norman's guidance saw them become virtually one-paced, which meant that songs like "Train of Consequences" weren't given the credit they deserved. While "A Tout Le Monde" provided a moving interlude, nevertheless it appeared that Mustaine had lost touch with his roots. GUITARIST: MARTY FRIEDMAN
CAPITOL, 1997 Often dismissed as the worst album of the band's career, Cryptic Writings actually saw Megadeth get back in touch with their thrash roots, on songs like "FFF," "She-Wolf" and "Vortex." And "Ill Get Even" saw them re-igniting a creative spark. The problem was in the production. Mustaine has in recent times expressed his regret at the decision to bring in Dann Huff, known for his work in melodic rock circles - far removed from where Megadeth should have been. And it cannot be denied that this record suffers from a somewhat tame timbre. GUITARIST: MARTY FRIEDMAN
CAPITOL, 1999 The last Megadeth album of the 20th century and Friedman's farewell performance. Part of the problem here is that tracks like the single "Crush 'Em" are so smooth that they positively glide, rather than truly bombing along in Mega style. Mustaine has claimed that the decision to take Megadeth even further into the jungle of melodically-driven music was suggested by Lars Ulrich and, as the album title suggested, it was a real risk. Again, the production from Huff was a problem, and the album suffers for it. However, it couldn't be denied that Mustaine was still a formidable songwriter, as he proved on "Prince of Darkness" and "Breadline." GUITARIST: MARTY FRIEDMAN
SANCTUARY, 2001 A new label, a fresh guitarist (Al Pitrelli) and a return to the hard stuff. After the hard-rock dabbling of the Nineties, the band got suited up in body armor and plunged back into the metal melee. While this was not a complete return to the band'soriginal principles, the album had just enough rough and tumble to keep diehard fans satisfied. GUITARIST: AL PITRELLI
SANCTUARY, 2024 After calling time on the band due to a career-threatening arm injury, Mustaine intended this as a solo return. This was subsequently changed, although it was very much a Mustaine-plus-hired-hands effort. A darker, more insidious record than The World Needs a Hero — it offered no solutions but highlighted current social and political problems and inconsistencies. However, what it did do was put Megadeth right back to the fore. They were once more metal heroes. GUITARIEST: CHRIS POLAND
ROADRUNNER, 2007 Although Megadeth were once more a true band, it was obvious that the songs were the product of Mustaine's mind. However, if The System Has Failed was a little inconsistent, this time it was clear Megadeth had found their range again. A cover of Zeppelin's "Out On the Times" and a re-visit of "A Tout Le Monde" (with a guest appearance from Lacuna Coil's Cristina Scabbia) apart, it was an album pulling no punches. In keeping with modern cynicism, Mustaine showed himself to be as angry and agitated as he was in 1985. UA topped the GW readers poll for 2007's best metal album. GUITARIST: GLEN DROVER
ROADRUNNER, 2000 Endgame features yet another new lead guitarist entering MegaDave's midst. This time around, it's Chris Broderick who came in hot, adding bouts of old-school thrash meets new-school endginess. The result is an album that felt like a true band effort that was still clearly spearheaded by Mustaine, who continued to run the gamut of lyrical topics, ranging from Lord of the Rings themes to the Great Recession. Songs like "Head Crusher" and "44 Minutes" showed that Mustaine wasn't just back at it, but aiming to properly reinstate the Megadeath machine atop the proverbial MegaMountain. And once again, this barn-burner topped Guitar World's end-of-year poll for the best metal album of 2009. GUITARIST: CHRIS BRODERICK
ROADRUNNER, 2011 For the first time since the halcyon days of Marty Friedman, Megadeth made an album with the same lead guitarist as the previous one. Also noteworthy is the return of founding bassist David Ellefson, whom James LoMenzo had previously replaced. The results were good, if not outstanding... in a way. The Al Capone-inspired "Public Enemy No. 1" was kind of weird, but also kinda awesome in that Mustaine continued to push his lyrical ideas past their limits. And then there's a cut like "Sudden Death," which found Mustaine and company pummeling away at full blast with intent to kill. GUITARIST: CHRIS BRODERICK
UNIVERSAL, 2013 Three albums in a row with a guitarist not named Marty Friedman? Madness! Sadly, this would be Broderick's Megadeth swan song. Thankfully, he went out with a bang, as Super Collider was handily the band's best since the vaunted Rust in Peace. This is not to say Super Collider is as good as Rust in Peace. This is not to say Super Collider is as good as Rust in Peace, but that Mustaine had harnessed some sort of latter-day resurgence, landing Megadeth back among the genre's best and most consistent bands. Evidence can be found in songs like "Kingmaker" and "Burn!" Though great things were to come, it's a shame Broderick didn't stick around to challenge the vaunted Friedman era for consistency and dominance. Thataside, he did find his way onto GW's cover (our June 2013 issue), becoming the first Megadeth guitarist to share the cover with Mustaine since Friedman back in 1991. GUITARIST: CHRIS BRODERICK
UNIVERSAL, 2018 It's not hyperbolic to say that Dystopia was the best Megadeth album since the band's first few beloved records. But this time, this isn't just because it's good, but because it's truly great. With former Angra guitarist Kiko Loureiro aboard, Mustaine found the best foid he'd had since the Eighties, leading to the creation of a modern metal monster. "Fatal Illusion," "The Threat Is Real" and "Post American World" are commentaries that pummel the listener into blissful submission. Dystopia is top-tier Mustaine, so it's no wonder that it nabbed him a Grammy for Best Metal Performance. GUITARIST: KIKO LOUREIRO
UNIVERSAL, 2022 Mustaine & Co. carried the momentum from Dystopia into the sessions for The Sick... leading to another late-career mental masterstroke. But there was more at play here, such as the Covid pandemic and Mustaine's throat cnacer diagnosis. These issues shrouded the album in the darkness, which is fitting for Mustaine's vibe anyway. "We'll Be Back" netted Megadeth another Grammy nod for Best Metal Performance, which was icing on the cake given all that Mustaine had been through. On the downside, this record put a period on Lourierio's tenure, ending his time in the band... and leaving fans wondering what could have been. GUITARIST: KIKO LOUREIRO
FRONTIERS, 2026 Given the fact that Mustaine and his band of merry men had nabbed two Grammys after the release of the band's previous two records, and that their live show is as hellacious as ever, it was a surprise to hear that Megadeth will be the band's final album. But it's not all bad, as newbie Teemu Mantysaari made like it was 1990, delivering a Friedman-ish performance across "Tipping Point," "I Don't Care" and "Let There Be Shred." Mustaine is going out like he came in: kicking, screaming and delivering blood-boiling rock just as he did in '85. GUITARIST: TEEMU MANTYSAARI