UMUR "The World Needs a Hero" is the 9th full-length studio album by US thrash/heavy metal act Megadeth. The album was released through Sanctuary Records in May 2001. It´s the successor to "Risk" from 1999, which was an album dividing the fanbase with its more accessible hard/heavy rock/metal sound. There has been one lineup change since the predecessor as guitarist Marty Friedman has left and has been replaced by Al Pitrelli (fresh out of a stint with Savatage).

Stylistically it´s pretty obvious already from album opener "Disconnect", that Megadeth have opted to pursue/return to a more hard edged thrash/heavy metal sound, after the more hard rock/heavy rock direction of "Risk (1999)", which generally didn´t bring them many new fans. When that is said, there are still quite a few melodic and accessible tracks on "The World Needs a Hero", and ultimately it´s more a heavy metal album than a thrash metal ditto. Sure "Disconnect", "Recipe for Hate...Warhorse", and especially "Return to Hangar" (and a few others) feature thrashy riffs and rhythms, but there are just as many melodic heavy rockers featured on the album, and even a couple of ballad/power ballad type tracks. So "The World Needs a Hero" is a pretty varied album. If you put on the negative attitude, you could also call it stylistically inconsistent and an album with a tracklist which doesn´t flow well, and I think I´ll have to go with the latter opinion.

"The World Needs a Hero" features a less polished and more raw sounding production job, than heard on a Megadeth album for years. It´s not raw in the sense that it sounds like the 80s releases, but it´s slightly less polished than the last couple of albums. It´s not a particularly well sounding production though, and it could have done with some bottom end heaviness and a better sounding guitar tone.

Upon conclusion "The World Needs a Hero" is not the most interesting Megadeth album in their sizable discography. It features a couple of good songs and a lot of filler material, which when it´s written by Megadeth is still of a decent quality, but there´s seldom a moment on "The World Needs a Hero" when it feels like the band shine. So it´s a very average quality release and a 3 star (60%) rating isn´t all wrong.

martindavey87 Megadeth took a huge risk (no pun intended) with 1999's 'Risk' album. In a bid to gain more mainstream success, the band shunned the thrash metal genre they'd popularized in the 80's and turned to a radio-friendly rock sound. It didn't pay off. Big time. Dave Mustaine and his crew had egg well and firmly on their faces, and nobody likes egg on their faces.

So by the time 2001 rolled around, the band had used up their one and only "gone back to their roots" cliché (every band that's been around long enough gets to do this at least once). The problem was, with 'Risks' massive failure behind them, and with rising tensions between artist and record label, this truly feels like a band, and in particular, a man (Mustaine), who is lacking enthusiasm and who's heart isn't in it.

For the record, I loved 'Risk'. Just saying.

With 'The World Needs a Hero', there's definitely a metal vibe again. But the music just seems pretty lifeless and rigid. The crunchy riffs are back, but everything seems so stoic. The spite and hatred of Megadeth's earlier days is long gone, having been replaced by some of the most mundane lyrics imaginable. While some of the songs are pretty decent, everything just seems so uninspired.

Guitar legend Marty Friedman, who left the band after the 'Risk' tour, has been replaced by Al Pitrelli of Savatage and Trans-Siberian Orchestra fame. This is actually really cool, because I love those bands, but unfortunately Pitrelli doesn't really have his own unique voice like his predecessor. And the interplay between Mustaine and Pitrelli doesn't produce anything noteworthy.

Still, this album does have its merits. '1000 Times Goodbye', 'Moto Psycho', 'Promises', 'Dread and the Fugitive Mind' and 'Disconnect' are all decent enough songs, but not really much to shout about if I'm honest. 'Return to Hanger', a sequel to one of their biggest hits, 'Hanger 18', serves as a weak attempt at capturing some of their thrash era glory, and things are capped off with 'When', a diabolical rip-off of the Diamond Head classic 'Am I Evil' (which is only a classic due to Mustaine's former band Metallica... the irony of it all).

Overall, this isn't a bad album, but it really sounds like a group that are burned out and in need of some new inspiration. While the world needs a hero, it feels like this band needs a break. And on that note...

Kingcrimsonprog Megadeth’s The World Needs A Hero was the band’s ninth studio album and was released back in 2001, it was the last album the band did with original bassist Dave Ellefson until 2011′s Th1rt3en album, and holds an interesting place within the Megadeth catalogue; as it can either be viewed as the final album in a series of disappointing non-thrash albums which the band started making in the nineties, or as the first album in the series of increasingly impressive return to form records that the band started releasing in the noughties.

At the time, many fans were delighted with how aggressive and heavy this album is compared to its almost universally panned predecessor Risk and pleased to hear tracks from the album live. Fans who got into the band later, such as off the back of 2009′s phenomenal Endgame record may not understand what all the fuss is about however, as the songwriting is much slower, the production is cleaner and lighter, the guitar tones are less crunchy and whilst the direction of the album is certainly metal, it arguably isn’t all that thrash. It is not unrealistic to imagine that this album will become more and more overlooked as time passes.

If anyone can overcome this, they well find a superb and well written Megadeth album, largely devoid of filler and full of superb guitar work, vocal melodies and intelligent song structuring. The level of musicianship is very high, drummer Jimmy DeGrasso puts down a magical performance and Dave’s vocals are fairly impressive throughout.

Highlights include ‘Dread And The Fugitive Mind,’ ‘Return To Hanger,’ and ‘Burning Bridges,’ all of which are impressive and memorable songs and definitely worth any Megadeth fan’s time.

There are some overproduced moments and questionable spoken word additions that won’t be to everyone’s taste but the good far outweighs the bad on The World Needs A Hero, and I would urge new fans not to overlook this record, perhaps less and less of it is finding its way onto Megadeth live setlists and compilation albums these days but that will just help you not to get sick of it.

Overall, this is a very good album that ought not be forgotten, just because the band’s earlier and later work was so good.