MEGADETH — The World Needs a Hero (review)

MEGADETH — The World Needs a Hero album cover Album · 2001 · Thrash Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
3/5 ·
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 There has been one lineup change since the predecessor as guitarist Marty Friedman has left and has been replaced by Al Pitrelli (fresh out of a stint with Savatage).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.
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