Megadeth – The World Needs a Hero (2001, Sanctuary Records)

1. “Disconnect” … 5:20
2. “The World Needs a Hero” … 3:52
3. “Moto Psycho” … 3:06
4. “1000 Times Goodbye” … 6:25
5. “Burning Bridges” … 5:20
6. “Promises” … 4:28
7. “Recipe for Hate…. Warhorse” … 5:18
8. “Losing My Senses” … 4:40
9. “Dread and the Fugitive Mind” … 4:25
10. “Silent Scorn” … 1:42
11. “Return to Hangar” … 3:59
12. “When” … 9:14

Band:
Dave Mustaine – Lead Vocals, Guitar
Al Pitrelli – Guitar, Backing Vocals
David Ellefson – Bass
Jimmy DeGrasso – Drums

Produced by: Bill Kennedy & Dave Mustaine

I became a Megadeth fan with the Capitol Punishment compilation from 2000, so I was really excited to hear about The World Needs a Hero, because it would be the first new release having been a fan. For whatever reason, I picked the album up at Target and I didn’t realize it until I bought and opened the packaging that I had bought the censored cover version! It’s an absolutely awful censor job, just looks like someone took an ugly brown paintbrush and slapped it across the cover. Why not just make up a whole new and “safe” cover as so many other bands and labels have done?

Censored!? BOO!

Anyway, this album marked Dave’s move BACK to his metal roots after Countdown to Extinction started the shift towards a more mainstream (and later, alternative) sound. It’s a good release that seems to encompass basically all of Megadeth’s ’90s albums except for Rust In Peace… the one album everybody was hoping Dave would be able to replicate. I liked the album, but at the same time, I was a bit disappointed by it. I think that’s the general consensus is regards to this release.

“Dread and the Fugitive Mind” originally appeared on Capitol Punishment. That compilation also featured another new song, “Kill the King”, which was really good. Too bad it didn’t appear here as well. I think I remember something about it pretty much being a casualty in Capitol Records’ bitter split with the band.

Al Pitrelli (Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra) took over lead guitar duties from Marty Friedman, who left after 10 years of service in Megadeth. Marty wanted to branch out beyond heavy metal.

Though Dave had pointed Megadeth in the right direction with this album, it was originally thought to go down as the “last” studio album from the band after Dave disbanded the group in 2002 thanks to his arm injury (the disbandment lasted all of 2 years).

Highlights: “Disconnect”, “Moto Psycho”, “1000 Times Goodbye”, “Promises”, “Dread and the Fugitive Mind”, “Return to Hangar”

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