Reviews (page 2 of 7)
Solid album by legends of thrash. As can be expected from Mustaine, starts hard and doesn't let up. Wake Up Dead is epic. Peace Sells... superlative. Devil's Island...Bad Omen. Even the lesser known tracks are classic--a new one grows on me whenever I listen to this album, which isn't as much as I did when young, unfortunately. 5/5 metal album.
Of the two big ones back in my day, I was definitely in the Megadeth camp. Faster, heavier, grittier, and more intelligent lyrically than Metallica. This album was so good, they used the beginning of Peace Sells… as the intro bass line as the MTV News theme. And while Mustaine may not have the greatest singing voice, it’s perfect for this.
Awesome trash metal
An all time classic!
I lived it
They weren't on RIP level yet but... The bass on this one is immaculate.
One of my all time favorite Thrash Metal albums. Essential album to any heavy metal collection.
Megadeth are on the heavier side of heavy metal to a complete newcomer (although actually fairly tame when looking at the genre as a whole) so to read reviews saying it's dumb, cheesy or "just noise" I think is quite unfair although it's a pretty standard thing to hear. This particular collection of tracks is definitely not dumb or cheesy - it's quite serious sounding, almost evil in places, and certainly not the power metal vibe. In terms of technical prowess, it's brilliant. Everyone is on top form. The guitar work is blistering, that bass intro to the title track is so killer, and the vocals are as snarling as ever from Dave Mustaine. It perhaps lacks the finesse of a Metallica album, but Mustaine was still on a mission to be faster, angrier, louder and ruder than his former band and he succeeds. There are riffs and solos galore to be heard here. I personally prefer to their debut to this second offering purely because of how raw sounding and over the top it is, but in this humble metalhead's opinion, this is an easy five star album.
Good to listen to this one again. Angry and aggressive but was always more polished - as they called themselves state of the art thrash metal. His voice is awful. I listened to the wxtended version, well I tried to but the live stuff just sounded so freaking awful. Never liked them live. I’ll goven5 stars because of its innovation.
heard this on my own already but i'll rate it Wake Up Dead - 4/5 The Conjuring - 5/5 Peace Sells - 5/5 Devils Island - 3/5 Good Mourning / Black Friday - 5/5 Bad Omen - 5/5 I Ain't Superstitious - 5/5 My Last Words - 5/5 Average rating: 4.6/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ "uhhh the lyrics are stupid" say what you will about the lyrics being stupid or unremarkable, it's an opinion i can respect. personally, groups like Megadeth are a reminder that sometimes music doesn't have to be taken so seriously, and i think the same can be said about lyrics Peace Sells cracks me the fuck up everytime i listen for that very reason, and i think that's part of the charm. "whad'ya mean i can't pay my billlllz?whad'ya think i'm brrrrrOKE??" in summary, just sit back and appreciate the shreds 🤘
Awesome
253/1089 - I re-listened to this and really enjoyed it. I read that there's a bit of jazz-fusion influence in the drumming and guitar and I think I can hear it a bit more on the re-listen. Super dynamic and technical playing and I dig Mustaine's voice way more than Hetfield's. It's on the cleaner side and generally more in tune which I like. All the songs are super cool in their own way.
I’m too busy listenin’ to Mmmmegadeth to pick up the phone! Dyon’t Cyall Byaaaackk! \m/ I have a lot to say about this album. Firstly, I want to highlight the mystifying guitar work from Chris Poland. Absolute guitar mastery, and it actually serves the thrash metal genre so well that he only most famously featured on these first few early Megadeth albums, as it sets it apart and gives it its own distinct character among a fairly oversaturated genre even in its time. While the production isn’t great by today’s standard, it’s fairly strong compared to its contemporaries within the metal genre, and its slightly muddier, compressed sound probably serves the album well by masking the shortcomings of Dave as a vocalist (which is probably where Megadeth as a band suffer the most). The drums and bass are top notch, several catchy basslines that stand out which again only furthers this album’s relative uniqueness particularly within thrash metal where the focal point is usually always speed and aggression. And the songwriting is close to as good as it gets for thrash metal for the most part. So many catchy riffs and hooks, with an energetic and bouncy sounds that’s heavy while still finding time for slower, melodic moments like the intro to Good Mourning/Black Friday. This album is a testament to Mustaine’s perseverance, and I only wish he’d have the clarity and self-respect to see that. While Metallica may have found the ultimate height of the genre at the same time, Mustaine’s playing and songwriting came on leaps and bounds from his credits on Kill ‘em All and Megadeth’s first album - and yet he still chooses to petulantly put Metallica down and act both high and mighty and yet somehow hard done by with an ‘it should’ve been me’ attitude. So as much as I think Mustaine’s a self-entitled, childish prick, I can’t deny he put together something special here, and not for the last time. Oh and the cover art is up there with the best of all time. Wake Up Dead (10/10) The Conjuring (9/10) Peace Sells (10/10) Devils Island (8/10) Good Mourning / Black Friday (10/10) Bad Omen (8/10) I Ain’t Superstitious (7/10) My Last Words (9/10) 8.9/10
(9/10) This is a good record for people who want to get into metal.
Nothing but love for this album. What more can be said.
Hell yeah! Reliving my youth. I saw Megadeth live on this tour (with Overkill), the first real metal concert I ever attended. I was 14. I was a thrash metal kid the rest of the 80s before burning out in it by 1990. But I do love to revisit these old albums from time to time. This one is certainly a classic from the original wave of thrash. 4.5/5 #95
Poor Dave Mustaine, always the bridesmaid and never the bride. Riffs galore, not the biggest fan of him vocally but this is pure metal straight from the heart and I can't ever disagree with that.
Those time signature changes 🤌🤌
Megadeth are one of those bands where the more I listen to them, they better they get. Whilst this album is no Rust In Piece, it's still incredibly good in its own right. It takes the pace and rawness of their debut and adds a bit more structure and cohesion whilst still being fun and very thrashy. The guitarwork is fucking insane with the countless incredible riffs and solos, even a couple of breakdowns, such as in Wake Up Dead. Drumming is great, basslines too, like the start of Peace Sells and that small bass bit at the start of Devil's Island. Yeah, the vocals are shit. Everyone admits that they are hilariously bad. I think they add to the music. As bad as they are I don't think you could replace them with, say, a James Hetfield or a Joey Belladonna, because they wouldn't suit the music. Maybe that's just me getting used to the vocals though. Nobody listens to metal for the vocals anyway Easiest 5 yet, gets a 5 automatically for the Peace Sells - Bad Omen run.
Favourite Tracks: Wake Up Dead, Peace Sells Honourable Mentions: Good Mourning/Black Friday, I Ain't Superstitious Wake Up Dead is an insane album opener, that immediate intensity and the multiple tempo changes showcase Megadeth's technical skills right from the start. The iconic bass intro in Peace Sells makes it instantly a classic. There's a heavy jazz influence thanks to Chris Poland (2nd Guitar), Gar Samuelson (Drums, and David Ellefson (Bass); which sets Megadeth apart from so many other metal bands. I'm not here for the lyricism, I'm here for the thrash >:)
Bangers throughout. This is going on my regular rotation, I had to stop myself adding every song to the albumfest pot. I liked when Devil's Island started sounding more like Neville's Island lol, but just as metal nonetheless. Anyway, they walked into the studio and fired on all cylinders start to end, this is glorious
Very underrated band. Arguably better than Metallica at this point.
It's been a few years since I listened to this album in full, so it was an interesting experience going back to it. The music is phenomenal - untouchable outside of the realms of metal, prog, jazz, or classical. While Dave's vocals really are atrocious, even for a subgenre not particularly noted for great vocal performances, it doesn't particularly matter when you have such a heavy, on-the-nose album with mostly concise songwriting. 5.0/5.0: Iconic
classic album, five stars if only for bass line on peace sells
One of my all time favorite 80s metal albums.
Classic thrash. One of Megadeth’s best. Dave Ellefson’s bass is fantastic throughout, Chris Poland’s guitar work is the best he ever did and Gar Samuelson’s drumming is hard hitting and perfect for the tone of this album. Dave Mustaine sounds great, generally less whiny than he does on later albums. Really nothing negative to say about this album.
10/10. Yippee!!! Another metal album!!! :) No, that wasn't sarcasm. I'm a huge fan of metal music. I'm also a fan of Megadeth. Megadeth are total metal titans!!! They are among the big four thrash metal bands!!! :) There is crazy guitar work and drumming on this album. It's wickedly great!!! :) This album isn't as good as Rust in Peace, but it's still incredibly fantastic!!! :) The most disappointing thing about this album is its length; it's too short!!! The runtime of the non-deluxe version of this album is under 40 minutes. Albums this great should be much longer!!! :)
Great album start to finish. Guitar riffs that shred all through out.
I've been sleeping on Megadeth. Rock perfection.
One of my favs
My first thought when this one was album of the day is that I was going to give it a 4 out of 5 rating. This is solely based on the fact that I've listened to it before and that I think Rust in Peace is better. After listening to it again I still stick with that Rust in Peace is better but Peace Sells is also great. It might not be as polished as Metallica's Master of Puppets or as fast/brutal as Slayers's Reign in Blood but it sits somewhere in-between delivering awesome thrashing riffs (and the bass in the beginning of Peace Sells is mind-blowing). Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? gets a 5/5 as it is amongst the best thrash metal albums out there.
Straight up 10/10
Really good thrash album. Fantastic actually. This will be added to my rotation for sure.
Still a great thrash album.
One of my faves from back in the day.
My order for the big 4. Slayer, Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax. I like all 4 but only really love the top two. Having says that... This album is a banger. A little too great on the solos, but the songs are solid.
Amazing album. Too bad Dave had to go and "remaster" these albums
Classic
A generous 5 maybe but this album gives me so much pleasure. The riffs!
Banger alert
Fuckin awesome
loved it.
Listened to this album hundreds of times when I was in middle school. I prefer Rust in Peace but this one is straight bangers from beginning to end.
As I (probably) said for Rust in Peace: It's a thrash classic. Dave has an acquired taste vocal style and even then it's not very good but the songs are still great.
8 / 10 Heavy Methal clásico. Un Dave Mustain resentido por su despido de Metallica, hizo discos más rápidos para intentar ser mejor que ellos. No se quedó muy lejos, pero si por detrás.
Outstanding! One of the best of the genre, outside of Metallica.
Epic heavy metal!
Great compositionally inventive thrash.
There are definitely some faults in this album, some lyrics I find very uninspired (Wake up Dead), and I just don't like I Ain't Superstitious. Everything else though, is so good. Riffs, solos, bass, drums, all really good. A little sloppier than Rust in Peace is, but not in a way that brings it down. Will I listen to again: 100%
Very enjoyable and in many ways more accessible than the other progenitor of thrash, Metallica.
Metallica : "You'll never be better than us!" Mustaine : "Hold my beer"
almost perfection - grew up on this album. This and Rust in Peace were/are peak Megadeth.
... Peace sells...? OkAy
No bad moments but Devils Island and My Last Words stood out, plus the obvious hits. Incredible leads and energy throughout, bass prominent in the mix (2004 remasters).
- metal masterpiece - great lyrical content - love the mix of groove and speed
Love this album very much
So good
Alright! Some good ol fashioned thrash metal! These guys were the pioneers to thrash man! Good stuff. 80s was a good decade for hard-core metal. Fucking LOVE Megadeth!
Awesone
Pretty rad
Such thrash.. Much weedly-weedly-woo. Happiness.
YAY MEGADETH
meh
Mu gusto bastante
Megadeth is, if nothing else, just Dave Mustaine showing off his technical prowess. That’s plenty enough for me. Everyone’s playing as if their lives depended on it in this record; apparently letting two, though greatly heroin addicted, jazz fusion-musicians into your thrash band wasn’t that bad an idea. The only songs that disappoints and feels unnecessary is “I Ain’t Superstitious”. But when your album already contains songs such as “Peace Sells”, “My Last Words” and one of the greatest thrash songs of all time, “Good Mourning / Black Friday”, one miss is completely allowed.
Tune after tune, every song in this album has a charm to it, and the guitar in every song hits right.
Megadeth's #2 album and just quality from start to finish
Great
9/10
I found Rust In Peace energetic and quality but ultimately not for me. So I don't know why, if it was just my mood, but I'm finding so much more to enjoy here. Absolutely balls to the wall, don't give a fuck, and so good. Good Mourning/Black Friday is simply immense. Peace Sells, Wake Up Dead, obviously ace. There's only a couple of tracks here I don't completely love. Will have to revisit Rust in Peace. I remain unconverted to Metallica yet, but we'll see.
I guess I’m buying, because I thoroughly enjoyed the album! It feels like there are aspects to enjoy on a multitude of levels, between the ever-shifting rhythm patterns in the kit and the high-flying runs in the guitar. Tons of fun!
I'm Buying Hhhh
The peak plateau is reached! A pinnacle of thrash metal.
Great metal album right from the start. I stick to general opinion here and claim that this one and Rust in Piece are their two best albums, as confirmed by the fact that both are included in the 1001 list. I listened to the 2004 cd remasters - not sure if there is some discussion on these (probably there is) but both cds sound excellent.. (afterwards I listened to the original Countdown to Extinction, which sounded ok but not so good as these remasters).
This album shreds. Nuff said.
Almost technically perfect and one of the guiltiest pleasures so far. I try not to feel that way about music, so maybe it's subconscious recognition of some set of flaws. The sequencing leaves some gaps, but in sum I'm enchanted. Beautiful cover, too.
Found some new Megadeth faves. Live versions on the album were really good too
Really great thrash project and cementing Dave stepping out from Metallica. Devils Island is a jam
YES
2nd Megadeath's album, 1986. The first Megadeath album I've listened so far. Great riffs and lyrics! Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson stated that they wanted to change the public perception of heavy metal by writing songs that contained socially aware lyrics. "Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?" is often regarded as a thrash metal classic and as an album that gave prominence to extreme metal.
This album was slick as hell. Loved the heavy energy and the clean vocals. It really is an excellent example of what metal should be.
First album in the list so far where I've listened to the album several times before. Not the best Megadeth, but shows the trajectory. Great thrash metal.
hell yeah brother. 10.
doesn’t have the polished perfection of Rust in Peace, and album that was perhaps the epitome of thrash metal itself. But Peace Sells is a very different treat. A bit rough around the edges with some punk undertones but it’s technically complex and adventurous. Dave Mustaines snarling raspy vocals set against incredible musicianship and inventive songwriting and complex arrangements throughout. In Wake Up Dead and Peace Sells it also has two of Thrash Metals most icons tracks. As probably my favourite album by one of my favourite bands I’m probably a little bit biased with my scoring, but I still listen to this all the time and thinks it’s a genuinely special album.
Loved it. Will be listening to more Megadeth.
Nice good heavy beats
fav megadave album
The dawn of thrash as evidenced in Bad Omen and Black Friday. I remember those import bins during the 80's thinking the deliverance from hair metal was there, but they usually disappointed. But not this album. It was everything evil and harsh that I always imagined those others should have been. Where would music be today if we paid attention to this kind of music instead of that crappy hair metal?
If I've heard this before it was probably when it was new - had a friend who loved this stuff. I wasn't really looking forward to it but it's much better than I expected.
Great metal.Lyrics aren’t always top par but it rocks
Ich habe Megadeath mindestens einmal live gesehen und keine Erinnerung daran. Vor allem nicht an eine so tighte, Hardcore lastige Band wie hier. Es muckt, aber nicht zu sehr, die Riffs sitzen und sind fair auf Bass und Gitarre verteilt. Textlich ist das hier ganz die Iron Maiden Schule für Heavy Metal Klischees: Fatale Untreue (wake up dead), Totgeweihte (Devils Island), anti-Imperialism Hymne (Peace sells), Satanism (Conjuring). Erstaunlich solide.
As we say, not my cup of tea, but it's obvious this is a standout representation of its genre.
It has been a while since I had a metal album appear on here. This is a pretty good album even though thrash metal isn't my favourite genre. In fact I find megadeth to be weaker than slayer and metallica in terms of the big four of thrash metal. That's not to say that this isn't a good album though, quite the opposite. there are some damn good songs on here such as Peace sells and The Conjuring. And Dave Mustaine is a pretty damn good guitarist, although his vocal style is not as good as James Hetfield's. He kinda sounds like he is pretending to be frustrated while holding it back at the same time. It works sometimes but not all the time. Still though, I will listen to it on occasion but I still prefer metallica.
I shouldn't like Megadeth... but I kind of like Megadeth
Dave Mustaine is one of the biggest dorks in music but he was very good at making thrash metal in 1986.
Yes.
Legendary album
Classic ! The riffs are cool and its what you expect from them ! The voice is a bit annoying and its a bit cheesy sometimes as we agreed with GJS ! 3.5
According to the laws of supply in demand, if no one is buying peace, then peace does not sell. Economic discrepancies aside, it’s a solid metal album
Absolutely brilliant musically. I'd never have claimed to be a metalhead, but this list is changing me
Not my favorite but still an excellent record but just don’t mention Metallica
Good fun. The first half is my favourite.
I’m grading it on a curve a little bit because I am really not a fan of metal music, but as far as the genre goes, I really like this. Not sure if that means that this is not all that popular with metal heads because normies like it but I do find this is some of the most accessible metal on this list so far. What really stands out to me is that they give everything the space to breathe. Yes, they are incredible at their instruments, but what sets this apart from other metal is that you have time to digest it, it’s not all head banging front to back. Incredible trite metal lyrics aside, this one is pretty good.
There are so many great tracks on this.
I'll search for detailed information about this classic Megadeth album to give you a comprehensive review. # In-Depth Review: *Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?* by Megadeth (1986) Released in September 1986 on Capitol Records, *Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?* represents Megadeth's pivotal leap from underground thrash upstarts to one of the "Big Four" of American thrash metal. Recorded with producer Randy Burns, this album refined the raw aggression of their debut while sharpening their technical precision and expanding their thematic scope. Here's a comprehensive breakdown. --- ## Lyrics & Themes **Political and Social Consciousness** The album marked a deliberate shift away from the generic fantasy tropes dominating metal at the time. Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson explicitly aimed to change public perception of heavy metal by injecting socially aware lyrics into their music. Mustaine stated that the band was "not unaware of the political situation at the time," and his political beliefs were directly reflected in the songs. Critic Steve Huey noted the album's unique combination of "punkish political awareness with a dark, threatening, typically heavy metal worldview." **"Peace Sells"** — The title track's lyrics are a biting disapproval of the American way, conveying Mustaine's wish for a new social structure. Mustaine wrote it because he was "tired of people mocking metal in general and mocking people who are metal fans," frustrated by the way metalheads were stereotyped as "dumbasses" on television. The iconic line *"Peace sells, but who's buying?"* was inspired by a Patti Smith interview in *Reader's Digest* where she said, "Peace sells, but nobody's buying it." Mustaine wrote the lyrics on the wall of their rehearsal building with a pen because he had no paper. **Occult and Horror Narratives** Several tracks explore darker, more sinister territory: - **"The Conjuring"** simulates a Satanic ceremony and contains instructions for hexes. Mustaine described it as being about black magic. Due to his later conversion to Christianity, the song wasn't played live from 2001 until 2018. - **"Good Mourning/Black Friday"** chronicles a homicidal madman on a killing spree, with graphic, violent imagery. It was inspired by former drummer Dijon Carruthers, who was hanging out with people practicing occultism. - **"Bad Omen"** explores occultism, which Mustaine described as being about "two happy campers who have stumbled onto a Satanic orgy in the middle of the woods." **Personal and Narrative Storytelling** - **"Wake Up Dead"** tells the story of a man cheating on his girlfriend and sneaking home, fearing she'll kill him if she finds out. Mustaine admitted it was autobiographical — he was cheating on a girl he was living with because he was homeless and needed a place to stay, but was in love with someone else. - **"Devil's Island"** details the thoughts of a condemned prisoner on the former French penal colony, spared by God but doomed to spend his life there. - **"My Last Words"** is about Russian roulette and the psychological terror of playing the game. Lars Ulrich of Metallica has called it his favorite Megadeth song. --- ## Music & Composition **Riff-Centric Songwriting** The album is built on a foundation of razor-sharp, memorable riffs. As one reviewer noted, "Many songs on this album contain at least one awesome riff that you can point to as the track's high point." The opening to **"Wake Up Dead"** is a prime example — menacing, pummeling, and immediately establishing the album's aggressive tone. **Technical Proficiency & Tempo Changes** Megadeth's signature style — complex arrangements with numerous tempo changes — was fully formed here. The album was briefly characterized as "techno-thrash" for its progressive approach to thrash metal. **"Good Mourning/Black Friday"** is the standout: a nearly seven-minute epic that begins with eerie acoustic atmosphere before exploding into some of the most brutal thrash riffing of the era. The transition from the melodic intro to the full-speed assault is a masterclass in dynamic songwriting. **The Title Track's Groove** "Peace Sells" was notably simpler and more groove-oriented than typical Megadeth material. The iconic bass intro (which became the MTV News jingle) came about when Mustaine picked up Ellefson's fretless BC Rich Eagle bass and started playing the rolling line. The song originally stretched to eight minutes before drummer Gar Samuelson — one of the few people Mustaine deferred to musically — insisted they cut it to four. Ellefson noted it was "an exercise in discipline" for the progressive fusion-influenced musicians to keep something that simple. **Guitar Work** The dual-guitar attack of Mustaine and Chris Poland shines throughout. Poland's leads are often underrated compared to later guitarist Marty Friedman, but the Poland/Mustaine pairing created a formidable shredding duo. The soloing is consistently top-tier, with tracks like "Good Mourning/Black Friday" and "My Last Words" featuring emotionally charged, technically brilliant leads. --- ## Production **The Capitol Budget Effect** Signing to Capitol Records provided a significantly larger budget than their debut, and the production reflects this improvement. The guitars are sharper, the sound is thicker, and Mustaine's vocals are more polished than on *Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!* **Original vs. Remastered** The original 1986 mix is drenched in reverb — typical of low-budget thrash releases of the era — but sounds "thicker" and more powerful. The 2004 remastered edition improved the drum sound for many tracks but clips frequently and is loud enough to diminish dynamics. Many fans prefer the original for its rawer, more natural feel, though the remaster brings out some percussion details more clearly. **Overall Sound** The production strikes a balance between the raw aggression of underground thrash and the clarity needed for broader appeal. It's still rougher and more visceral than the pristine sound of *Rust in Peace* (1990), but that's part of its charm — this is thrash metal with teeth, not a polished commercial product. --- ## Influence & Legacy **Pivotal Year for Thrash** 1986 was the definitive year for thrash metal, with Metallica's *Master of Puppets*, Slayer's *Reign in Blood*, Anthrax's *Spreading the Disease*, and Megadeth's *Peace Sells...* all released. Together, these albums "sprung thrash metal into the limelight" and established the genre as a dominant force in heavy metal. **Impact on Other Musicians** The album's influence extends far beyond its era. Dimebag Darrell (then known as Diamond Darrell) famously told David Ellefson that *Peace Sells* "changed my life," a moment Ellefson recalled as deeply sobering. The album influenced countless bands that followed, from Arch Enemy to DragonForce. **MTV and Mainstream Exposure** The "Peace Sells" music video was a rarity for a thrash band in 1986, and MTV's embrace of it — including using the bass intro for MTV News — significantly elevated Megadeth's profile. Though Mustaine complained that MTV altered the bassline by one note to avoid paying royalties, the exposure was invaluable. **Critical Standing** Retrospectively, the album is regarded as a milestone of American thrash. AllMusic's Steve Huey called it a "classic of early thrash." *Kerrang!* deemed it the album that saw the inception of Megadeth's "always-distinctive sound." Pitchfork noted it helped Megadeth develop a strong cult following by appealing to "dead-end kids" resistant to the glam metal of the day. --- ## Pros | Strength | Details | |----------|---------| | **Iconic Riffing** | Nearly every track contains at least one unforgettable riff that defines the song | | **Lyrical Maturity** | Moves beyond generic metal tropes into political, social, and narrative storytelling | | **Title Track Accessibility** | "Peace Sells" balances thrash credibility with genuine catchiness and MTV appeal | | **Technical Virtuosity** | Mustaine and Poland's guitar work is exceptional; tempo changes are handled with precision | | **Dynamic Range** | Songs like "Good Mourning/Black Friday" showcase impressive structural ambition | | **Historical Significance** | A cornerstone of 1986's thrash explosion and the Big Four legacy | | **Raw Energy** | Maintains the aggression of their debut while improving composition and production | --- ## Cons | Weakness | Details | |----------|---------| | **Inconsistent Moments** | Tracks like "Devil's Island" and "Bad Omen" have sections that feel underwhelming or less memorable compared to the highlights | | **Cheesy Elements** | The vocal filter on "The Conjuring" can come across as "cheesy and not-at-all menacing" | | **Occult Lyrics Dated** | The Satanic/occult themes on several tracks feel like a product of their era and can seem clichéd | | **Cover Choice** | "I Ain't Superstitious" (a Howlin' Wolf blues cover), while fun, feels slightly out of place on a thrash album | | **Production Limitations** | The reverb-drenched original mix sounds dated; the remaster sacrifices dynamics for loudness | | **Not Their Peak** | Most critics and fans agree *Rust in Peace* (1990) represents the band's ultimate technical and compositional achievement | --- ## Final Verdict *Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?* is a landmark thrash metal album that successfully bridged underground aggression with broader accessibility. It refined Megadeth's sound from their raw debut, established their lyrical identity beyond fantasy clichés, and cemented their place in the Big Four. While not their absolute technical peak (that would come with *Rust in Peace*), it remains one of their heaviest, most influential, and most essential records. **Essential Tracks:** "Wake Up Dead," "Peace Sells," "Good Mourning/Black Friday," "My Last Words"
--Wake Up Dead...Dave, you silly goose, if you died how did you wake up? drumming in second half is killer --The Conjuring...love that chug --Peace Sells...great bass intro. total head banger --Devils Island...the midpoint thrash is where it's at --Good Mourning/Black Friday...unfocused but it rips --Bad Omen…takes a minute to get going but when it does, oh my. --I Ain’t Superstitious…heavy metal dudes love them some Willie Dixon --My Last Words...some classical guitar riffage to open. then balls to the wall metal \m/
classic.............
Трешачок.
Hard one for me to rate, this one. Great riffs, but not the most serious or best songwriting craft. Still, I liked it more than Rust In Peace [which I understand puts me in the minority], and Good Mourning/Black Friday in particular, to give it a 4.
Really enjoyed this, added to some high upbeat playlists for running
There is the unique Megadeth-sound and sometimes also already the more rhythm/bass-centered sound of the later albums that I love ... and I'm buying! favourite: "Wake Up Dead", "Peace Sells", "My Last Words" 3,5
Disc 1 - 4.5/5 Wake Up Dead - 4/5 The Conjuring - 4.5/5 Peace Sells - 4/5 Devils Island - 4.5/5 Good Morning / Black Friday - 5/5 Bad Omen - 4/5 I Ain’t Superstitious - 5/5 My Last Words - 5/5 Disc 2 - 3.5/5 Rattlehead - 4/5 Killing Is my Business… And Business Is Good! - 3/5 Looking Down The Cross - 4.5/5 These Boots Are Made For Walkin’ - 3/5 Last Rites / Loved To Deth - 3/5 Mechanix - 3/5
Have you ever asked yourself: “What if Metallica, but with a significantly better drummer, a dueling pair of lead guitars, and a frontman who is a witness of Jehova?” Look no further! This album kicked more ass than I anticipated, but I’m kinda a sucker for this sound and time period.
Favorite track(s): Wake Up Dead, The Conjuring, Peace Sells, Good Mourning / Black Friday, Heard before Previous rating: 8/10
Fun and interesting
Wake Up Dead
Every song seems like a response to Metallica, bigger, harder, faster. Many start with a little solo, and all of the solos are Dave sounding like he’s got something to prove. This is a hard one to rate. I think it’s still a little raw and unpolished compared to what comes later- but it exists as a gauntlet thrown down at Metallica for kicking Dave out. He had a bone to pick and something to prove, and largely does so. I want to give it a 5 because it’s music I know and love, but when I consider what’s to come later and that it’s kind of a one trick album, it’s hard to do so ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
So surprised by this. Musically diverse but still metal.
I liked this!!
A real appeal to myself when I was 14. It’s not a masterpiece or anything but it’s fun and stupid in equal measure.
(4.5) solid work, amazing, Metallica is jealous of its former member!
I only know one other Megadeth album, and I liked that one better than this one. Still solid though.
I have always hated Dave Mustaine's voice. The quality of the music almost overcomes his vocals. I know it's a classic, and I loved a great percentage of it... I just can't give it 5 stars.
I wasn't expecting to like this, generally true heavy metal loses me, but this pretty jammin' without being just noise.
Excelente disco de Thrash Metal. O ódio de Mustaine faz o álbum ter o peso e a força mas aqui já é melhor trabalhado que o primeiro álbum da banda. Excelente! Celest Pandamon.
Favorite Track: Peace Sells
Who's buying? Well... I probably would.
A great metal album overall. A couple of songs that for me keep it from being a 5. I’d give it a 4.5.
Great metal. 3.5/5
Man, what a crappy Metallica album... Oh wait, this is Megadeth! It's not bad. It shoves you through each track with the pacing. I wish they'd done a ballad with "Good Mourning", but it melds into "Black Friday", leaving the light guitar work behind. They can do delicate work, but Dave Mustaine must not be held back! He must outdo James Hetfield! For those on Spotify, Spotify does not have the original release. They have Deluxe and Deluxe Remastered. You only need the original album. MY rating: 4/5
it was pretty good, very clean and technicaly well performed album.
I don't listen to metal like I used to, but I kinda always like hearing Megadeth. It makes me want to put on a jean jacket with a giant back patch and make out with a guy who tastes like Marlboro reds.
Starts ok then just keeps getting better. With the too that I ain’t superstitious song you can keep that.
I’m more into Rust in Peace, but love the way Megadeth loves peace.
Some great songs and great guitar playing!
Wow, just wow. Absolute Banger. Never listened to an entire album of theirs, but wild energy.
79/100. A landmark release that successfully bridges the gap between the speed of early thrash and a more complex progressive style of metal. While it is undeniably heavy it also has a lot of groove and rhythmic depth. A great thrash record.
Personal enjoyment: 4/5 Relevance to this list: 4/5
this is peak drum- and guitar-mania. the structure of their songs remains consistent; a crazy first half and a crazier breakdown in the second half. although I am not a metal fan, I enjoyed listening to this. it was the perfect album to listen to on leg day at the gym.
Just Not Your Kind 1001 Albums Generator 256 (3/26/2026) Unlike their true masterpiece, Rust In Peace, Peace Sells sees Megadeth equal parts technical and silly. While Dave Mustaine's vocals/lyrics could be a turn off for some, I really like them. The title track, Wake Up Dead, and Good Mourning/Black Friday are all classics of thrash metal for a reason. The only weak track here is I Ain't Superstitious, which is much less technical and almost a blues rocker, which is not a sound that Megadeth needs to do. Peace Sells is a great album that points at the greatness that Megadeth would go on to do later in their career. 4/5. Favs: Wake Up Dead Peace Sells Good Mourning / Black Friday Least Fav: I Ain't Superstitious
I have a tenuous relationship with heavy metal. Sometimes I think it’s awesome, sometimes I think it’s turgid. Megadeth is straddling that line, but somehow they end up on the awesome side of it. Their music is dumb as hell, and on some level they seem to know it, but on a technical level they are masters of the craft. You’ve got to be in the right mood, but if you are, this kicks ass.
Classic.
I've nevwr been a huge fan of Megadeath, but listening to an album by them in it's entirety has made me realize perhaps I was wrong
Again...Fuck yes megadeth!
not what i expected from the album art
Heavy and unrelenting, great metal record
Dave Mustaine's voice is so fucking goofy. In the words of a friend, he "sounds like he somehow developed vocal hemorrhoids". But that doesn't actually detract from the enjoyment of the music for me - this is some pure thrash metal at its most thrashy!
“If there’s a new way Oh, I’ll be the first in line But it better work this time” One of Megadeth’s all time classics with the title lifted from a headline Dave Mustaine read around the time of writing the record. It isn’t my favourite of theirs but it is a must listen for any Metalhead and the highlights grace the playlists of even the most staunch Metallica supremacists. Fast and heavy from start to finish “Peace Sells” is still one of the great Thrash albums and an easy listen for those unfamiliar with the genre.
Excerpt from original review: "This is a good album, I like it, but as some others said it’s kinda hard to differentiate between each song. It sounds a little blended. I think some of their later albums are better. I’m not a fan of Dave’s vocals either, but no-one can fault his riffs and technical ability." I still like it, but I'm also still not a fan of Dave's vocals. MetallicA fan here, sorry.
Holy 32nd notes Batman!
80’s Metal ⭐️Peace Sells
Great album! Megadeath is not my favourite band of this genre but its very good!
love the boys
Wow I didn't realize this album was so highly regarded. I know and love a lot of other Megadeth stuff so this was a treat. I don't know any of these songs and would have to listen more to decide on highlights and where I would rank this but for now, it's a strong 4.
Enjoyed mor than expected
Megachad
Mustaine is a dickhead and the lyrics won't win any awards, but I frequently end up in Megadeth vs Metallica 'debates' with my son and I always win (IMO) because I point to Megadeth songs simply being more enjoyable.
I was surprised how much I liked this album. Having never listened to them seriously before, I kind of wrote them off as Beavis and Butthead music. But it’s actually some pretty righteous, well-crafted metal.
a (head) banger
A thrashing good time. Not quite at the level of Rust In Peace without Friedman’s leads.
Megadeth is metal’s sketchy uncle. Peace Sells is their peak, full of heart pumping, fist pounding rock with a capital R.
I always liked Megadeth, even though I never really thought Dave Mustaine has a good voice. The instrumentals never disappointed. This album is great. The lyrics are not the best, and the singing certainly isn't great, but the music is amazing. Nevertheless, I am keeping the 5 star rating for Rust In Peace.
Headbanging!
Not that into metal or guitar soloes, but their music grows on me as I get into the album. It’s a creeper!
Scheißtag gehabt. Kessel kurz vor der Explosion? Alle Emotionen müssen mal raus? Dann hilft: volle Pulle aufdrehen!
classic
It isn't that bad. You just listen to Metallica. 4/5
He'll yeah Surprisingly good bass and influences from example blues-rock. I did not expect to like this as much as I did. Definitely better and more unique than metallica if you ask me. The guitar riffs are freaking insane on this record and not in the over the top kinda way. They are catchy groovy and brutal in a balanced way. Did I listen to any of the lyrics? No but I don't care. I am here to headbang while vacuuming my house. 8/10
Metallica took the fame, but I still feel like Megadeth did more to thrash metal as a genre. This album really captures thrash metal and metal in the 80s and early 90s for me: fast, raw, and powerful. A great album, the only downside being that it means that I have to give credit to a Belgian. 8/10
I liked this more than Rust In Peace personally. Awesome bass and drum metal with some killer guitar solos.
One album product of resentment and hate. A true pillar of thrash metal. Timeless.
Great album. Having not listened to the band much before i It sounds great. Some sections are reminiscent of The Wildhearts.
> the Beatles
3.5
Probably some of the best bass riffs in an album. Everything else accompanying it works too, but that bass tho.... 8/10
Another Heavy Metal band I really knew nothing about and for 30 years refused to listen to. This was banging, loved the guitar and drum work. I preferred Iron Maiden which I listened to only a week or so again, but looking forward to listening to more Megadeath!
Maybe it’s just the day this album happened to fall on but I found this to be a very silly listen. The metal of the mid to late 80s was just very cartoonish and I have a hard time taking it seriously. However, I cannot deny the shredding. That’s really what it comes down to. These guys shred. And the shredding is righteous. Must-listen #269.
I'm not in love with the Dave Mustain's vocal range but the drum and guitar is nutty on this album. More than makes up for it. I like the lyrical themes as well.
speedy guitares great riffs... the album is everything you would expect from a trashmetal album at its best
Bought it when it came out and played it a lot! Still really love it, especially the first two tracks.
A little faster paced than what I normally like, but still shreds.
It's record would have been perfect had they not overshadowed it with their seminal album "Rust In Piece."
Kiffant en vrai super cool le métaaaaal
J'aime beaucoup, juste j'ai vraiment du mal à différencier hard rock et metal askip ici c'est metal mais de toute façon je m'en fous tout ce que je sais c'est que ça bouge et que j'ai envie de tirer sur des cadavres
THRASH METAL THRASH METAL YYEEAARRRGGHGHH This is their second installement and it's a great example of 80's thrash. Enjoy.
Yes yes f**king yes!! Thrash up yo ass!
What's a good way to say that this was a really good, fun album to listen to, all while saying that it really didn't do much for me?
Thought it would be much more of an assault on the senses than it actually was. I refuse to listen to the rest of the extended version- don’t try and make me listen to the same song again. Specific rating - 3.7 Fav song- bad omens Least fav- peace sells
Me considero una víctima del metal, y Mustaine entre los máximos. Este album se repite, por bueno
Prime optimal thrash but not their best
Music was a good example of speed metal. Lyrics were ok/
Megadeth rips. You literally cannot refute this
megadeth > metallica
going by the previously established metrics of which albums gave me a headache, i made sure i had bottle of tylenol on stand-by when i put this on. but dear listener, i must tell you: this album, miraculously, did not give me a headache. there's no fuzz here, no heavy layer of distortion to wade through - everything is here on the table: take it or leave it!! my only prior knowledge of megadeth was the inclusion of peace sells on rockband 2, of which i have no impression of since i usually avoided playing metal songs on that game. several years later here we are: my sincere apologies to megadeth for not being a more open-minded [REDACTED]-year old. i liked this album a lot more than i thought i would - great stuff!! highlights - wake up dead, peace sells, devils island, good mourning/black friday, my last words
I was dreading a metal album but this is actually pretty groovy. Great guitar licks, bass playing and drumming.
this is great background music if you're trying to get something done like chores, or cleaning, or maybe playing a hectic video game. maybe don't listen while driving.
A technical thrash masterpiece. A touch sterile compared to some later work. 4.5.
Thrash time! This stuff just doesn't really hit the way it used to as a young impressionable teenager. It's fun but honestly a little tiresome. I was a Metallica kid, but I dabbled in some Megadeth in my time so I'm excited to jump into Peace Sells.... This is classic Megadeth: Mustaine's snarling vocals, crazy guitar solos overtop palm-muted distortion, and rapidly chugging drums. It's technical and fast and occulty and very on brand. Damn, some of the solos are just so good even if the sound is a little dated and the themes are cheesy. Standouts are "Peace Sells" "Good Mourning / Black Friday" and "My Last Words" I do think later Megadeth albums are better than this one as they mature a little and find their groove, but this is still a really solid choice. I think it's a 4 but probably a weaker 4 than some others on this list.
"Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?" is the second studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth. Lead vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson wanted to change the perception of heavy metal by writing songs that contained socially aware lyrics. The album was produced by Mustaine and Randy Burns where during the recording there were drug abuse issues with guitarist Chris Poland and drummer Gar Samuelson which resulted in them being fired after the album's promotional tour. The album reached #76 on the US Billboard 200 charts. Critically, it was well-received and is regarded as a thrash metal classic and gave prominence to extreme metal. Drums and power chords begin "Wake Up Dead." The pace goes fast. Repetitive guitar riffs. Three guitar solos, one sounding every Eddie Van Halen-like. By the way, every song has roughly three guitar solos. This song is mostly instrumental with various time changes. Mustaine whispering in an evil voice as he sneaks into own house afraid to wake his wife since he's been cheating on her. Based on a true story. "Peace Sells" opens with the famous bass line. Guitar squeals. A very catchy guitar hook and riff. More creepy and evil vocals as Mustaine is not happy with the American way. Classic metal song. The band gets the speed really cranked up in "Good Mourning/Black Friday." A song that starts with dual epic heavy metal ballad guitars which then go into a more grinding Black Sabbath mode. Enough of that as Mustaine describes a homicidal man on on a killing spree and the band takes off. Shotgun vocals and a thundering bass. The band shows their technical prowess early on in the cover of Willie Dixon's "I Ain't Superstitious." They got a weird heavy metal/bluesy/funk thing going. A blistering guitar solo. And you guessed it; they needed to thrash it out for the ending. Most of these songs start slow and then the band kicks into high thrash-mode gear. Repetitive guitar riffs. Multiple guitar solos per song (some very impressive). Ellefson is a beast on bass. There's no doubting anyone's technical ability here. "Peace Sells" is really the only socially conscious song. Otherwise, it's standard heavy metal topics: satanic ceremonies and orgies, serial killers, Russian roulette and a prisoner execution. There's a driving rawness that I really like in this album which is similar to the Slayer and Metallica albums at that time. It's pretty clear, if you're a heavy metal or specifically a thrash metal fan, this is a metal classic and you already own it or at least have heard it. For all others, enjoy the cover art of Vic Rattlehead...or not.
Classic Metal
Peace Sells is a great song. The others are a bit hard to distinguish, a problem with most metal music for me.
This was my first exposure to Megadeth. I always assumed I wouldn't like them. But honestly, I prefer this to Metallica. It's less...Metallica-y. Thrash metal will never be a favorite of mine, but I thought this was a lot of fun. The lead singer—is that Mustaine?—he's clearly not a great singer, but I also kind of liked how rough he was. He has a personality, which I think is lacking with Metallica. Anyway, this wasn't my thing, but I'm glad I heard it.
Great rifs!
Second album proposé après 'Rust in Peace' que j'ai découvert tardivement (2010) et que j'apprécie beaucoup (noté 4.5/5). A l'époque de ma découverte j'avais écouté les albums plus récents de Megadeth, mais j'avais été déçu (beaucoup plus mous, moins inspirés). Et comme je n'avais pas accroché à 'Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!' à l'époque de sa sortie , je n'ai pas cherché à découvrir les albums plus anciens. J'aurais dû : je trouve ce second album vraiment très bon, presque aussi bon que 'Rust in Peace', à part le début du morceau 'I Ain't Superstitious' que je trouve raté (bluesy déplacé). Dans les autres morceaux tout y est : riffs, chorus de guitare, changements de rythme, bonne basse/batterie. Il va donc rejoindre ma collection. =>4/5
This album ripped
Just a lot of fun. Megadeth is really rocking hard on here.
So much fun. Riffs are awesome. Megadeth’s 2nd finest output (Rust In Peace). Mustaine > Hammett. There. I said it.
Not quite their magnum opus but full of riffs & bloody good fun.
Great thrash album, just not as refined as their best work.
84/1001 Megadeth - Peace Sells...But Who's Buying Heard before? ❎ Revisit? ✅ More than anything, this is just fun. This went hard, but not too far for my own tastes and yes, at times the lyrics aren't the best, but frankly, who cares? The second half is definitely better than the first half for me.
What could I say about this album that hasn't already been said? Wonderful music, probably would have been better if I could have focused on the lyrics, but again I was listening in the car.
This may be an outstanding thrash album, but it's not exactly my thing, so I only thought it was "very good." :)
This is a fun album that has some incredible guitar licks. These don’t seem to be all garbage solos and metal riffs just to fill space - some actual talent here. And hey, there is the MTV News intro and outro music!
A lot better than I thought. I went in with low expectations, but I was pleasantly surprised to hear catchy rock anthems. These guys don’t take themselves too seriously, the album is only 36 minutes long and it’s catchy. Good job.
I might like Megadeath?
Fuck yeah \m/ A wild ride from start to end, one of the all-time thrash metal greats. Sure, Dave is a dick, but Megadeth will always be a legendary name in the thrash genre, and this album is a true testament to that. Metallica might have (wisely) seen the writing on the wall and 'updated' their playing style away from thrash in the 90s to cater to a more mainstream audience. Megadeth stayed true to their thrash roots, and paid the price by becoming largely forgotten outside of the metal music scene.. I'll leave it to the armchair critics to decide route was better.
Legend - kind of... Megadeth was always defined by the brilliant instrumental work by Dave Mustaine and his mates that was far superior to his former band (Metallica). However, his questionable decision to take over the vocals by himself limited the recognition by a broader audience. Peace Sells ... defined trash metal at its time but in my view, the best of Megadeth was yet to come - thus it is not a 5/5 for me. Did I mention the iconic cover art work?
Fave songs:peace sells, black Friday, wake up dead
Good discovery ! Very nice shredding
Better than i remember, tuneful in places
Pretty good, peace sells kinda funny, nothing else stood out
This is fucking fire holy shit, i'm not a rock guy but goddamn this is awesome, definitely added to the library, wdym i ain't kind, i'm just not your kind !
Really good
4.5 if possible, good getting shit done music
The thing about this album is that it’s really, really good, but even though I’m old enough to have listened to it new, I wasn’t into heavy music until much, much later. I think I said this on my review of the other Megadeth album, but I’ve always seen them as Metallica’s slightly cringy little brother, and I couldn’t have been more wrong. Metallica softened their sound and went supernova, but Megadeth were every bit their contemporaries in the heavy “thrash” genre. And they didn’t have a douchebag like Lars playing drums for them, so that counts for something.
Amazing album with great energy and sound I feel the only thing that let it down was listening to slightly better albums before making me compare to them might have given higher score if it was in a run of bad albums.
3.5
Very shredalicous. Essential 80s metal for sure. Amazing quickfire nuclear blast of an album with sterling guitars constantly and not too especially annoying vocals. About as shreddy as a serrated box of Shreddies being enjoyed by Shredder from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles.
Megadeth delivers razor-sharp thrash with gloriously unhinged lyrics about political paranoia and nuclear doom, embracing their own ridiculousness with such earnest intensity that the cheese becomes part of the charm.
Love this album. Dave Mustane still acts salty about getting kicked out of Metallica, but I think it’s the best thing that ever happened to him, and one of the best things to ever happen to Metal. We got 2 incredible but very different Metal bands out of his departure.
Rounding out the fourth pillar of Thrash is the deservedly included Peace Sells… But Who's Buying. This is/was such a monumental album that it helped to etch Metal's influence on music. 4/5
My face is sufficiently shredded.
Absolute classic, wonderful musicians and tracks 1-5 are killers.
Compared to Rust in Peace this one feels (in a sense) a bit more restrained and less cohesive. That said, there is plenty of face melting fretwork to go around and I enjoyed it in a general sense. Standouts for me were Peace Sells (obviously) and Good Mourning / Black Friday. I also thought My Last Words made for a solid, energetic closer. For me this is a soft 4.
Good thrash metal make me run fast.
Don't think I enjoyed this one as much as the last one we had about a month ago, but still shreds it up. Lower tier 4
Verry loud, verry heavy \m/
Megadeth around this time is where I wish Metallica had gone. Similar sound, but more fun, less serious, and with a lead singer I can stand.
Very fond memories of listening to this album with my college housemate.
Well, after a few years of loving Rust in Peace, it's finally time for me to listen to a second Megadeth album! Yeah, I'd never heard any of their other albums until today, which is kind of surprising given how much I love Rust in Peace. I must reiterate that that album is genuinely one of my favorite albums of all time. But how good was Megadeth's music 4 years prior with their second album, Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? Pretty good! Not as good, obviously. The number of albums I like more than Rust in Peace is small, but Peace Sells is a solid thrash metal album. It's not my favorite 1986 thrash metal album from 1986 with 8 songs and a red album cover from a band that starts with the letter "Me," but it's still a great album within the subgenre. Of course, it's not perfect. Dave Mustaine's vocals could be better. While I do actually really like his performance on Rust in Peace, I think the production makes the vocals here sound a bit off. Not horrible though. The riffs and solos are pretty great, though the solos especially don't reach the highs of something like "Tornado of Souls" from Rust in Peace. Can you tell I like Rust in Peace more than this album? Peace Sells doesn't really have any bad songs, which is good! "Peace Sells" the song is probably my favorite. That bass intro is spectacular, and the whole song is just a banger of the highest caliber. There's other cool songs like "The Conjuring" and "Good Mourning / Black Friday" that take a darker tone overall. I like that. Also, I didn't say this for Rust in Peace, but Megadeth's album covers around this time are super cool. Their mascot, Vic Rattlehead, is pretty sick. Overall, I do still enjoy Megadeth quite a bit. Peace Sells... but Who's Buying is warranted in being an iconic album within the thrash metal subgenre. There's a reason why Megadeth was able to succeed to become one of the biggest names in metal. Between the mystic songwriting, killer guitar work, and generally cool atmosphere, Megadeth manages to stick out as an all-time great metal band. While this may not be my favorite album of theirs, it's still a great listen that's worth any metalhead's time. High 4/5.
2nd best metal album ive ever heard
Thought I'd gonna hate it because I assumed this was full of noisy riffs, ended up liking it because it was full of noisy riffs.
First time listened to this particular Megadeath album. I always listened to heavier, Slayer and Sepultura. Pleasantly surprised. Enjoyed it. 6/10
[Partridge voice] Can I just shock you? I like Megadeth [/Partridge Voice]
Suena mucho mejor de lo que esperaba. No los había escuchado nunca antes más allá de una canción.
Great. I am not a fan of the big hair, but this rocks.
Megadeth rules. The underlying punk influences on this record are prominent. Good stuff.
4 - Like classical music for metal heads (maybe) - I enjoyed, was quite easy listening for metal
4/5
Ударно, драйвово, понравилось
They’re so much better than Metallica
To be honest I've listened much more to Metallica than to Megadeth. But this is a good and solid album if you like this kind of things; apart from his attitude of Mustaine, he is actually a really skilled guitarist and the album is the right length; too long and it could have been boring.
8/10
I have 2 copies of this, the original released in 1986, and the 2004 remaster with the Randy Burns mix versions in there. I actually like the original better than the Randy Burns mixes, so while I like what was done with them, the originals are what I'm rating. This album has some killer tracks and some real duds on it. Kind of like Dave Mustaine himself. Hell of a guitar player, kind of a whiny asshole otherwise. 3.56/5 stars = 4 Killer tracks: Wake Up Dead The Conjuring Peace Sells My Last Words
I have learned to be more appreciative of metal but I still think this one is actually pretty accessible.
Maybe not as good as Metallica or Slayer, but a fun listen nonetheless. Dave Mustaine's vocals work really well on here and all the musicians here are apt at their instruments. There's the typical shredding and solo'ing you'd expect on a Trash album. The songs are all great and the I Ain't Superstitious cover was a welcome surprise, but they don't really stick out like they do on the first 3 Metallica albums. It's a good album still, but there are better Trash albums out there.
Face melters abound! Sneering vocals, pounding drums, break neck speed and guitar acrobatics. There's a reason this is a thrash metal classic. It fucking rips! Best Tracks: The Conjuring; Peace Sells; Good Mourning/Black Friday
I've always been a fan of metal. This album is as good as it comes. 'Peace sells', 'I ain't superstitious'. The guitar is amazing. Damn!
So very silly. So very good
I am a pretty big metal guy, but I have never actually listened to a Megadeth album in full, mostly because I am not a big fan of Dave Mustaine's voice. I like some of the hits, but every time I try to dive a little deeper I don't find much of it very enjoyable. Maybe this time will be different ("It better work this time"). My opinion hasn't really changed, Peace Sells is an all time great, and Wake Up Dead was pretty good, everything else is a little forgettable and generic. Nothing was bad, but nothing really stood out to me. They are great musicians and his voice didn't bother me as much as I thought it would, but a lot of the songs just have a lot of chugging and then go up and down a scale really fast. It sounds good I guess, but I don't know I just want a little more. I think that the openings of both Good Mourning and Bad Omen sound really good and interesting, but then they just turn into every other Megadeth song. This is probably closer to a high 3, but I will give it a bump to counteract people who give all metal a 1 without listening (You guys can handle this one, it's not that heavy). Low 4.
Not usually my type of music but the guitar was sick on this
well well well. we got a huge thrash metal classic today. I wasn't a big fã of Megadeath until I listen to the track "Peace Sells" on the GTA Vice City Soundtrack (once again, GTA rulling my musical taste). Still not my taste, but this album is awesome. 4 stars is fair enough.
Fun album
Wake up Dead and Peace Sells are classic Megadeth, but the rest of the album isn’t quite as strong. An extra star for being still very listenable, but it’s no Rust In Peace.
What does cheese, lettuce, old legal documents, Helmut Strebl, and this album have in common? Some serious shreds!
7.5/10
I love this album. Absolute keystone metal album. The crazy shreds are one thing, but what's behind them is also solid catchy backing guitar and bass. Hope it's one of the few albums of this particular era of classic metal to show up on this list, because there are entire libraries of better metal made since. This decade of music sounds corny as hell today regardless of the genre. ~ if there's ever a new way / I'll be first in line / but it better work this time ~
OK, the lyrics are hilariously bad. But sit back and listen to those fucking shredding guitar riffs. Also, I appreciate that you can actually hear the bass.
I wasn’t particularly looking forward to listening to this when I saw the album art but fuck me this fucking shreds!
Ons Dave heeft een kwade dronk. Hij is kwaad op de politiek, op de wereld, op Metallica omdat ze hem wegstuurden omdat hij onhandelbaar werd als hij onder invloed was. Maar als Dave kwaad is, maakt hij wel de beste thrashmetal die er is. Je proeft de frustratie in de riffs. En je hoort het in zijn slechte stem, de alcohol zal hem geen goed gedaan hebben, maar er zat vermoedelijk nooit een goede zanger in hem verscholen. Ik dacht vooraf, is dat nu nodig, 2x megadeth? Maar dit is wel een knap staaltje 80s thrash. Zal vast niks zijn voor de zure broeders, dan geef ik het maar alvast 4 sterren.
Never really been a fan of this band, and enjoyed this more than I thought I would.
Sorry, but I’m in the MetallicA camp. This is a good album, I like it, but as some others said it’s kinda hard to differentiate between each song. It sounds a little blended. I think some of their later albums are better. I’m not a fan of Dave’s vocals either, but no-one can fault his riffs and technical ability. It always makes me wonder what MetallicA would have been if he remained a member, especially if it was Kirk AND Dave. But I love Kirk, so… It must have been hard having to live with the events of April 11th 1983 and I can understand why he’s so bitter about it. It must have sucked having to be in their shadow all the time, but I think he did remarkably well with Megadeth. I’m not saying MetallicA are better than Megadeth or vice-versa, they’re both great in their own right. It’s great to have them both. I just happen to prefer MetallicA.
Unexpected delight.
This was kinda cool, politically charged, a bit heavy for my taste but I can dig it
Nicely done.
I like the guitar a lot. It wasn’t as bad as I thought. Some songs were silly.
There's a lot to love here. There is such a wide variety of sounds, and these songs take you on a wonderful musical and emotional journey. The technical skills are of course incredible. And the songs are so well written and arranged. Yes some of these sound a bit samey. And I do really think you have to be in the right mood for thrash metal. But overall this album (which is only four months younger than I am!) is superb. (I am a little wary of giving this album a high score though, for the following reason: I have a view that at the end of this process I should be able to take all the 4* and 5* rated albums and make a playlist from all their tracks to give a mega playlist of brilliant non-skip songs. But Megadeth... well Megadeth needs to be listened to in its entirety, alone. You can't have "Peace Sells" popping up in the middle of a playlist. (Or can you?) But I have to overlook this small issue to give this album the rating it deserves.)
Okay that was a lot of fun! Much better than the other Megadeth album on the list. It would probably be a five if it didn’t repeat itself for no reason
Good album. So much better that the Slayer album I had last week - more melodic, rhythm section kept in time together more accomplished playing. But just another (good) thrash metal album, nothing "special" so I wonder why it's on the list. Was it groundbreaking? I'd rather see some of the NWOBHM albums on here (Diamond Head/Lightening to the Nations or Girl/Sheer Greed) that really WERE groundbreaking.
Classic album. Excellent performance. I had forgotten for a while just how good Megadeth is.
I enjoyed this album but I feel like their album Rust In Peace was a much better album
Maybe I'm just in the mood for this right now, but I jive with this more than I do with most metal. I think the lean length of the album helps -- the songs don't have the bloat that say, a Metallica album does. Granted, the solos have the same problem most metal solos have, where in general they feel more concerned with being fast than with being musically or melodically interesting, but the songwriting covers for those deficits well here.
Una de las cimas del metal y un terremoto en los 80. Ese año fue especial porque también publicaron discos esenciales Metallica y Slayer. Este segundo de Megadeth contiene dos pepinazos como Wake up dead y Peace sells, tambíne una versión del It ain´t superstitious. El resto mantiene el nivel en medio de letras satánicas, y demás lugares comunes del heavy.
Dudes rock. Megadeth's best still goes to Rust in Peace, but you still get some excellent thrash riffs from Dave Mustain. Not much else needs to be said.
Awesome metal album with face melting riffs. Not my favourite Megadeth album but I still love it.
Ik heb hier grofweg hetzelfde oordeel over als bij een ander album dat ik al van ze heb gehad, maar na even inkomen is het dan toch eigenlijk ook wel een keer leuk. Echt van die klassieke, in mijn ogen tikkie kitscherige, thrash. Een wedstrijdje wie kan het snelst. Gezwam over de duivel, een middelvinger naar de strenge ouders. Wapperende lange haren en hele dunne benen in hele strakke broeken met hele grote kisten eronder. En natuurlijk een battlevestje waarvoor menig moeder de vrouw achter het naaimachien is gezet om er de meest stoere patches op te zetten. "Lieverd, kun je alsjeblieft nog gauw even deze anarchie-patch op m'n vest naaien? Ik ga vanavond nog op pad met de jongens. Ja tuurlijk ben ik voor 0:00 thuis en ik zal heel stil doen!". Het is niet helemaal mijn genre, maar toch is het altijd wel leuk om als toerist even rond te blieken. Ik ga deze keer een 4 uitdelen en dat is enerzijds omdat ik vorige keer ook twijfelde over de afronding en anderzijds omdat ik recht hiervoor Motörhead 3 sterren gaf en dan heeft dit album toch wel wat meer te bieden, wat mij betreft.
Peace Sells 🔥 Really enjoyed this! I know very little about Megadath but their influence on sum41 is really evident
Unverkännbar Megadeth mit de quälte Stimm vom Megadave. Irgendwie ä schrägi Type mit Hang zu Verschwörigstheorie. Villicht isch de Droge abuse doch nüd spurlos a ihm verbii? Text sind doch gsellschaftskritisch. Im Gegesatz zu Metallica isch Megadeth nüd in Kommärz abdrifftet. Peace sells und Good morning sind Hammer. Gid aber na besseri Platte als die.
ich find wake up dead slappt no??? und sind nöd 18 gitarresoli bis etz. aber de gsang isch seltsam liislig. the conjuring meeega geili riffs? PISS SELLS. ich find de titel so unglaublich geil edgy mit de 3 pünkt und so. devils island chli glich wie die andere aber sie rüefed de refrain imne chörli jöö. es tönt mega so wie wenn sie versuecht hetted jedi sekunde "awesome" und "killer" und "amazeballs" mache. es macht immer alles wo möglich isch zum no meh mache, halt afoch im thrash kontext. ok jetz chunt good mourning wo sochli d ballade isch glaub mit no hübsche gitarre am ahfang. syke etz wirds mega schnell und mega gitarresolo. schono cool hends de song nochem böack friday benannt wo bi galaxus mengmol en chinderwage halbe priis isch. i aint superstitious (although i am a little sticious) sehr cooli gitarresolos da isch afoch en blues song aso en rock n roll song so oldschool. my last words isch wieder komplett unverständlich waner seit wemmers nöd kennt. heee ähm ich ha extrem spass gha es isch sicher kei füfi well es isch nöd genial aber es isch es konstant guets album mit coole solos und seehr geile riffs. herts vieri, bin überrascht.
hahaha de dave singt scho sehr..........speziell aber gitarre staht für mich eh amigs im bordergrund bi megadeth hahah (und ich binmer d stimm blöd gseit eh scho gwöhnt) taktwechsel und denn das solo bi wake up dead isch eifach HOT JA JA JA DAVE HATES THE GOVERNMENT PEACE SELLS BUT WHO'S BUYINGGG ich mag mich bis jz lustigerwiis ah nümme würkli vill vom album erinnere...ussert peace sells black friday findi na cool weiss nöd, es isch halt huere vertrauti musig aber chönnd jz bi nöd würkli sege "ah ja voll, DAS lied" ahh bad omen isch huere geil, ihri drums enttüschet ebe eig au nie sie liebet halt taktwechsel hahahah ich frög mich, wie das album mit hütiger produktion würd töne, will d double bass würdi so vill meh hitte hanis gfühl ja bad omen hani jz richtig geil gfunde superstitious het so öppis wie en groove und nöd nur dururururudururuurru joo also es isch scho au us nostalgische gründ aber für mich es 4i, au wenn neueri albe mier meh entsprechet (wo sie auchli "catchier" sind) muss gad nomal lose
It’s always nice to get a metal album from a list which has far fewer than it probably should. If we are talking about essential listening, there are some damn good records out there that should have a spot, whether they appeal to everyone or not. Especially considering a lot of the forgettable and mediocre albums which take their places. Either way, I’m glad to see Megadeth has a spot. Which means I’ve now covered at least one record from all four of the big thrash bands. And if I were to rank them in terms of how often I listen to their music, Anthrax would most definitely take the bottom spot. Slayer would follow in third, with Metallica in second. And, believe it or not, this band is first. But I’ll get into exactly why that is in a future review. The battle between Megadeth and Metallica has been long standing though, even within the bands themselves. But I won’t give a concrete opinion on that argument, because I don’t know if either band excels at enough for me to say one is definitively better than the other. Each have their own positives. I’ve always felt Dave’s band had more character and personality to it. Even down to their mascot Vic Rattlehead, and the album covers featuring different variations of him. I think they also have a little more political fuel in them, which isn’t something Metallica would really embrace until 1988 with …And Justice for All. It’s relatively minimal in comparison to other metal bands though. I enjoy this band, but I also understand where people’s distaste comes from. And it likely all stems from Dave himself. Not only has he had a bit of an ego for the better part of four decades. But he’s also not the best vocalist by any means. In fact, he’s easily the worst singer out of the big four. He’s especially not comparable to Hetfield. I don’t think most people would disagree with that sentiment either. He sounds young here, and even if this isn’t his best work vocally, everything else about this record kicks ass hard. This isn’t the band at their peak lineup but it’s still very solid. And even if you don’t like his personality or voice, you can’t deny that Dave is a fantastic guitar player and riff writer. I love when the vocals get taken away and they just blast your face off with double bass and guitar. Plus this contains some of their best bass parts. Every metal fan knows the iconic intro to the title track, but there are some gems in the deeper cuts. David Ellefson is just an all around great bassist. I’m actually glad I got to talk about this before Rust in Peace. Because this album rocks, and it really sets up everything that makes their fourth album such a banger. But I’ll get there eventually. Rating: 8/10
Quality
Thoughts before listening: Is this the 2nd Megadeth album on here? That’s surprising to me. I mean Megadeth is certainly one of the best thrash metal bands, but usually Metallica is the only band in that subgenre who’s albums get a lot of of focus from music journalists. Review: Yep....this sounds like Megadeth. Its overall pretty good, and I think I probably prefer this to the other album on this list. Definitely some great guitar work on this album, and I enjoy Megadeth's sound even if Dave Mustaine's voice isn't my favorite. Since I gave the first album 3-stars, I'll give this one 4 as it is probably a little better overall.
got this on Christmas day . . . lol everybody's buying
I was a bit concerned about the album length, having just finished listening to one huge album. But was relieved to see the second disc is a live album, which I did not feel the need to listen to. Although These Boots Are Made For Walkin' was a fun cover. I was also a bit fed up that we've been given yet another thrash album to listen to. For a genre that sounds mostly the same, do we really need that many? However, I actually quite enjoyed this, probably more than the Metallica albums we've had. The music was more fun, with some great guitar work.
I had heard of Megadeath but never really listened to anything they have done until today. I really enjoyed this; it was a good way to get pumped for the day ahead.
Entertaining, phun, and hard a phuck. So many unique and individual riffs that it surprises me that they don’t stand out more. Maybe I need to listen to the album more, but perhaps the songs really do just sound quite similar. It isn’t enough for the tracks to all have a different key, tempo, and guitar lick. They also need to slow down once in a while or pick a different emotion for the songs. No one song is bad and a sub forty minute album isn’t going to get old unless you listen on repeat, but the album could have been much better. Still enjoyed it. Great album. 4/5
Always enjoyed the music and crazy riffs but Dave mustains voice always grated on me. Still good dumb thrash fun though
If you had me listen to Megadeath and Metallica back to back and mixed the songs all up I don’t know if I could tell which is which. Great album. Short sweet and heavy as fuck. Comparing them Metallica isn’t a bad thing as they are know as possibly the greatest heavy metal band of all time. Just enters into the “can I copy your homework” territory a bit. 7/10
4,5