The System Has Failed
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| The System Has Failed | ||
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| Studio album by Megadeth | ||
| Released | September 14, 2004 | |
| Recorded | 2004 | |
| Genre | Thrash metal | |
| Length | 51:31 | |
| Label | Sanctuary Records | |
| Producer(s) | Dave Mustaine & Jeff Balding | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Megadeth chronology | ||
| Still Alive... And Well? (2002) |
The System Has Failed (2004) |
Greatest Hits: Back to the Start (2005) |
The System Has Failed is the first Megadeth album to be released after the break-up of the band in 2002. It was released on September 14, 2004.
The "system" referred to in the album's title is "the American system and western civilization" which in Mustaine's opinion dictates what the world follows. Mustaine cites examples of such failure in America's educational system, which underpays its teachers, and its court system, which allows criminals to escape punishment.
Contents |
[edit] Musical style
The album's sound is characterised by fast, muscular, palm-muted riffs. The record was viewed by many as a return to the speed metal style exhibited on Rust in Peace, although it contains few traces of the technical complexity showcased on that record.
[edit] Production and marketing
Originally intended to be a solo album by its author Dave Mustaine, the record was re-branded with the Megadeth name as a result of contractual obligations owed to Mustaine's record company EMI (Mustaine also admitted that, after listening to and playing the songs multiple times, he claimed "they were Megadeth songs, not solo songs"). In an effort to avoid the financial cost and interpersonal conflicts associated with re-assembling the band's original line-up, Mustaine hired session musicians Vinnie Colaiuta (drums) and with Jimmy Sloas (bass) to perform on the record. In a surprising move, Mustaine also hired former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland to perform guitar solos on a number of tracks.
Mustaine co-produced the record with Jeff Balding, who had previously engineered Cryptic Writings and Risk.
[edit] Track listing
- "Blackmail The Universe" – 4:33
- "Die Dead Enough" – 4:18 (sample )
- "Kick The Chair" – 3:57
- "The Scorpion" – 5:59
- "Tears In A Vial" – 5:22
- "I Know Jack" – 0:40
- "Back In The Day" – 3:28
- "Something That I'm Not" – 5:07
- "Truth Be Told" – 5:40
- "Of Mice and Men" – 4:05
- "Shadow Of Deth" – 2:15
- "My Kingdom" – 3:04
- "Strange Ways" (BestBuy Bonus Track) - 3:13
[edit] Personnel
- Dave Mustaine: vocals and lead/rhythm guitar
- Chris Poland: lead/rhythm guitar
- Jimmy Sloas: bass guitars
- Vinnie Colaiuta: drums
[edit] Charts
Album
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 2004 | The Billboard 200 | 18 |
Singles
| Year | Single | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | "Die Dead Enough" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 21 |
| 2005 | "Of Mice and Men" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 39 |
[edit] Trivia
- This is the band's fourth studio album that is not named after a specific song on the album, following So Far, So Good... So What!, Cryptic Writings and Risk. However, the title is heard in a lyric for the song "Kick The Chair".
- "Of Mice and Men" was selected as the second video from the album. In this video the new Megadeth line up is performing - Dave Mustaine, Shawn Drover, Glen Drover and James MacDonough. The majority of the video was shot on January 20, 2005 in Los Angeles. Numbers of Megadeth fans turned up to be in the video through a "contest" held by Sanctuary Group who funded the video. The video follows the autobiographical lyric of the song which tells the life of Dave Mustaine between the age of 17 to 25 years old. The title of the song is taken from the famous novel of the same name.
- "Shadow of Deth" is Psalm 23 from the Bible, written by David. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death;I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me"
- The track "I Know Jack" includes a sample of Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen's famous response to Indiana Senator Dan Quayle during a 1988 vice-presidential debate.
- "Back In The Day" was featured in the Duck Dodgers episode "In Space, No One Can Hear You Rock".
- "Blackmail The Universe" has numerous quotes from the movie "Thirteen Days", which was about the Cuban missile crisis.
- At the time of release if you purchased the album from www.bestbuy.com you received an exclusive track, a cover of KISS's "Strange Ways".
- At the start of "Strange Ways" you can hear the band start to play Black Sabbath's "N.I.B."
[edit] References
- Rock Pages interview with Dave Mustaine Retrieved January 19, 2005.
- UnderGroundOnline interveiw with Dave Mustaine by Craine C Retrieved January 19, 2005.
- Megadeth official site
