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List Price: $13.98 | | Label: Sanctuary Records
Salesrank: 415227
Released: December 28, 2004 |
| Our Price: $93.13 |
| Used Price: $5.93 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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The System Has Failed Track Listing:
1. Blackmail the Universe
2. Die Dead Enough
3. Kick the Chair
4. Scorpion
5. Tears in a Vial
6. I Know Jack
7. Back in the Day
8. Something That I'm Not
9. Truth Be Told
10. Of Mice and Men
11. Shadow of Deth
12. My Kingdom
The System Has Failed Reviews:
Megadeth return in true vintage style... 
2007-09-02 - The System Has Failed (2004.), Megadeth's tenth studio album
For two years, the heavy metal world was a strange place without the presence of Megadeth. Dave Mustaine's hand injury which he had sustained in rehab in 2002 forced him to have to disband his band after 18 years. However, two years later, Dave Mustaine was to re-emerge having regained his guitar playing skills and reformed Megadeth. The one problem though was that he needed a new band to do this in the absence of long standing members such as bass player David Ellefson. With a good new amount of material for a new album Mustaine got some session musicians together (including former guitarist Chris Poland) to help him record the new album. The result...a new blistering Megadeth album which burst into the stores at the end of 2004...
On `The System Has Failed', Dave and Co. dominate in impressive style. On this album, Mustaine is literally making sure the world know that him and Megadeth are well and truly back. I was quite stunned when I first heard this album as I was really amazed how well the band had been resurrected; hell this is a blistering return to the vintage Megadeth days with the speed, solos and finesse that the band originally became famous for. Granted, this album almost seems like a Dave Mustaine solo album as the musicians who play with him on the album are session musicians but we can never forget that Dave Mustaine is, to all intensive purposes, Megadeth. Like most of the previous Megadeth material, the songwriting on here is vintage Mustaine and is a collection of deftly crafted and impressive songs all of which sound great on the album and excellent live as soon as Dave got a permanent band to tour with. For me, `The System Has Failed' is Megadeth's best album since `Youthanasia' and is a welcome return to the stylings of the band during the `Rust In Peace' era, albeit not quite as technically complex in style. The album is for the most part quite pacy and energetic, flying along with plenty of catchy hooks, riffs and rhythms which keep the listener gripped to the music. Lyrically, Mustaine pens a strong performance on `TSHF'. Dave never shys away from his beliefs and serves up plenty of powerful commentaries on political, futuristic and apocalyptic themes. The album's great cover which makes a mockery of Bush and his political cabinet was actually censored on some releases of the disc. Dave is right, the system HAS failed! Album covers aside, the album also features plenty of vintage Megadeth solos including plenty of classic tradeoffs between Mustaine and Poland. Here we have an album which will keep metalheads the worldover with a grin on their faces! Who said the old-school big guns of metal had lost their bite! Metallica may wallow in self pity these days but Megadeth mean business...and business is good!
`Blackmail The Universe' kicks off the album in energetic style. Theres plenty of bone crunching riffs in that classic Megadeth style. Mustaine spits venom at certain governments with his vocals and in between some excellent racing guitar solos do the talking. The tracks outro is particularly impressive. A slow intro with a Poland solo opens a great follow-up in `Die Dead Enough'. Theres lots of excellent melodies on this one as well as a catchy chorus. `Kick The Chair' is perhaps the more well known cut off the album, and is one of the finest as well. A blistering, cascading opening sets up for a great song. Mustaine is on top form vocally here and the trade-off solos at the end are fantastic. `The Scorpion' is a slow and more epic song with some sound melodies and a focus on heaviness. Again there is a another stong chorus and set of Mustaine solos. `Tear In A Vial' is a more mellow outing with some great melodies and solos. `In Know Jack' is 40 seconds of filler featurung a rather celtic sounding riff, to break up the two halves of the album.
`Back In The Day' is a song full of twists and turns. The first half features some catchy yet urgent riffs which carry the song, then the song cleverly alters in theme following a brilliant battery of solos and the exits in a slower but intense fashion. `Something That I'm Not' keeps the style of the album going strong with a further lyrical battery from Mustaine and more crushing riffs. `Truth Be Told' is more ballad like, with a slower pace and `Of Mice And Men' is another stong track, with an interesting intro. `Shadows Of Deth' opens with Mustaine uttering Psalm 23 in a distorted voice before he plays out this short track with a good solo. `My Kingdom' opens more tense before slower, grinding riffs kick in and close out the album in powerful style coupled with a strong Mustaine vocal.
So, the thrash metal powerhouse of Megadeth were very much back on course with `The System Has Failed'. Dave Mustaine proves once again that his songwriting is second to none and serves up near 50 minutes of vintage speed metal with attitude and intensity. This album is yet another highlight in the band's great discography and marks the dawn of a new chapter in Megadeth's career. I'd really recommend getting this album if you are at all into Megadeth's music or thrash/speed metal in general. Also, if you like this one, which I'm sure you will, Megadeth's most recent offering `United Abominations' is another awesome album to buy. Megadeth are still putting out great music and I'm sure they will be for some time yet!
MY RATING: 8.5/10
Dave Mustaine and Chris Poland together again!!! 
2007-06-13 - Now I don't like when people slag one effort from a particular band than another...Megadeth Purists realize this effort was as close as anyone is going to get to a (Killing/Peace sells) reunion. If you have read any of my reviews, you know I'm a BIG Poland/Mustaine fan. Chris Poland in my opinion is one the greatest guitar players around today. Hands down. He and Dave forged a sound that NO ONE can match. If you haven't heard Polands solo effort ( Return to Metalopolis) or his new band (OHM) buy them! The only thing missing from "The system has failed" yet again was Dave Ellefson. Yup, this would been an amazing record had all the boys been involved. But, it was not meant to be. But, to have Mustaine AND Poland on the same record again was for me, what I had been waiting for!! This is classic MEGADETH, Chris' dream like solos mixed with Mustaines fast [...] fret work...make this an incredible effort. We all know the past between these two has been spotty at best, but they both grew up, buried the hatchet and moved on ( kinda wish Menza would do the same!!).
"Blackmail the universe" is a great track, While "Die dead enough" is krunchy enough not alienate older fans, but commercial enough to attract new fans. "Kick the chair" is a killer track, political revenge! While "The Scorpian" if anyone knows anything about Mustaine, IS about Mustaine..."Tears in a vial" good, but not great, "I know Jack" is fantastic, A big slap in the face to the BUSH legacy..."Something that I'm not!!" good track, "Truth be told" It's OK, kinda filler material to me, "Of mice and men" Anyone who can use a Steinbeck title in a heavy metal song is fine with me, "Shadow of Deth" is a stand out track, a mini instrumental that leads into "My Kingdom" the final track. Great record, like I said, I only wish Ellefson was on this recording.
The last great Megadeth
2006-12-13 - If you are a Megadeth fan who gave up somewhere around Youthanasia, and/or think the last few Megadeth albums have been spongy and weak, BUY THIS ALBUM, because this is the the best release since then. Better than Countdown, no way, on par with Youthanasia? Yeah, mostly. Like Cryptic Writings? You'll like this one too.
Returning to their roots !
2005-12-07 - On this latest release from Megadeth they have returned to a more Rust In Peace sound.
This CD will rock your world if you like Megadeth and Megadeth ALWAYS puts out quality music. This is a more thrash type record any Megadeth fan will ove.
Don't miss out ! Buy it !
