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Jan 28, 2016Dystopia is an absolutely blistering return to the state-of-the-art bombast and refined technicality of past glories like Rust in Peace and Endgame.
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Jan 27, 2016Newly installed guitarist Kiko Loureiro weaves blistering licks around Mustaine’s own, elevating the frontman’s sorta sardonic, sorta goofy politicized lyrics. Longtime bassist Dave Ellefson ramps up his low-end pyrotechnics, with Fatal Illusion boasting maybe the grooviest Megadeth bass line since Peace Sells.
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Jan 27, 2016The band is brawny yet nimble, wriggling and writhing in a groove one moment, pivoting into pummel mode the next.
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Jan 27, 2016It's easy to appreciate the music on Dystopia; it showcases Mustaine and a crack new version of Megadeth at a creative peak.
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Kerrang!Jan 20, 2016Dystopia does see Megadeth come within hailing distance of their dazzling best. [16 Jan 2016, p.50]
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Jan 28, 2016Interestingly, the tracks that fail to scale the same heights as those mentioned above don't take away from the general value of Dystopia, as there is enough underlying merit to be found.
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Jan 20, 2016With everything working in concert, Megadeth sound reborn on Dystopia. Gone are the surprisingly un-metal banjo interludes of their last record, 2013's Super Collider; in their place is some of the most vital and menacing thrash that Mustaine has concocted in years.
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Feb 26, 2016While it’s a decent comeback effort Dystopia is nothing close to recent comeback triumphs like last year’s Purple from Baroness, or 2013’s The Next Day from David Bowie, however that doesn’t mean it’s a flop.
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Jan 20, 2016The confident strut and orchestral accents of "Poisonous Shadows" are somewhat cheapened by ill-advised whispered backing vocals, and the songwriting bottoms out in a handful of places. Still, it's miles ahead of their rather forgettable last album, and there's still enough here for fans to celebrate Megadeth getting back on track and starting a new chapter in the band's storied career.
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Jan 25, 2016It’s political without being overt, the production is strikingly heavy, and the good tracks outweigh the bad. At this point in his career, it’s as strong an album as anyone can expect from Mustaine and his revolving door of performers and should pull Megadeth out of has-been status.
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Jan 22, 2016On the epic title track and vampy “Bullet to the Brain,” the approach yields sturdy tunes. Elsewhere, Dystopia is marred by repetitive phrasing and turgid hooks; the riffs here are high volume, low value.
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Jan 22, 2016The music is ferocious, catchy, and arguably the band’s best since the early ’90s; but many of Dystopia’s lyrics have nauseating connotations.
Awards & Rankings
User score distribution:
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Positive: 128 out of 153
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Mixed: 13 out of 153
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Negative: 12 out of 153
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Jan 25, 2016
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Jan 24, 2016
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Jan 24, 2016