The World Needs a Hero is the ninth studio album by the American thrash/heavy metal band, Megadeth. The album lasts a duration of 57:49. It was released on May 15, 2001 by Sanctuary Records.

Lineup:

Dave Mustaine – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, lead vocals

David Ellefson – bass guitar. backing vocals

Jimmy DeGrasso – drums

Al Pitrelli – lead guitar, rhythm guitar, backing vocals

Additional Musicians:

Bob Findley – trumpet on "Silent Scorn"

Suzie Katayama – string arrangement on "Promises" and "Losing My Senses"

Production:

Produced by Dave Mustaine; Co-produced by Bill Kennedy

Mixed and engineered by Bill Kennedy

Assistant engineers – Mark Valentine, Lance Dean, Jay Goin, Greg Edenfield

Pro Tools – Chris Vrenna, Joe Bishara, James Murray, Sean Dever, Ken Mary, Lance Dean

Digital editing on "Moto Psycho", "The World Needs a Hero", and "1000 Times Goodbye" – Chris Vrenna

Mastered by Tom Jensen

Background:

Megadeth returns to their thrash metal roots on The World Needs a Hero after their huge stylistic change on the 1999 album Risk. Despite this change to a thrash metal driven sound, Megadeth really struggles to make noteworthy material on this record. This would be the last Megadeth album to feature drummer Jimmy DeGrasso and the only album to feature guitarist Al Pitrelli. Bassist Dave Ellefson would also leave the band and not return until 2010.

The World Needs a Hero was said to be the "antidote" to Risk by the band. The title of the album stems from the fact that Dave Mustaine thought the music industry needed a hero. The album feels a bit unoriginal and rehashed. Megadeth is definitely trying to bring their old sound back, but the band's material is a bit underwhelming on this record.

The World Needs a Hero debuted at number 16 on the Billboard 200. The album has since sold 250,000 copies in the United States. Each track will be rated as follows: Awful, Very Poor, Poor, Below Average, Average, Above Average, Good, Great, and Superb. Here are my thoughts on each track:

Track Listing:

1. "Disconnect" 5:20

The main guitar riff is killer on this track. After I listen to this song, I cannot help myself and I hum the riff all day. The pacing of the track is really nice as well because of its catchy and slow drum beat. The bass playing is great as well. The guitar solo is well timed and sounds fantastic. I really like Mustaine's vocals as well. This is far better than anything from Megadeth's last record.

Grade: Great

2. "The World Needs a Hero" 3:52

I really like the intro to this song, but the rest of the song is awkward and does not really flow very well. The chorus is a bit underwhelming and the verses are somewhat cheesy. The guitar work is very good though throughout the song's entirety though. I have mixed feelings about the title track.

Grade: Below Average

3. "Moto Psycho" 3:06

I love the guitar riffs at the beginning of this track. They are fast and they sound great. The chorus is really catchy and easy to sing along to as well. Al Pitrelli's guitar work is really stellar on this track. It is a simple song that is pretty effective.

Grade: Average

4. "1000 Times Goodbye" 6:25

The guitar riff that begins this track really has a heaviness to it that I really enjoy. The guitar riffs are really great and so is the soloing. My problem with this track is the cheesiness. The chorus is so cliche and the whole song is hard to take seriously. With all that being said it is still better than most of their last album.

Grade: Below Average

5. "Burning Bridges" 5:20

I really like the somewhat eerie intro to this track. It builds slowly and really sets the tone for the entire song. The guitar work is great again on this track. The chorus is not well sung at all, but it definitely has some of that Mustaine character. This song does drag quite a bit throughout the verses of this song though. I do love the guitar solo though.

Grade: Average

6. "Promises" 4:28

Here is the ballad from the album. It is a really slow builder and takes a while to actually get into the track. I do like the use of strings on the song because of how well fitting they are to this style of song. I love the chorus because of how emotional it is. The guitar solo is fantastic. The rest of the song pales in comparison though. It is still a solid song from the band though.

Grade: Average

7. "Recipe for Hate... Warhorse" 5:18

The bass line at the beginning of this track reminds me of "Dawn Patrol." I really like that Mustaine uses his great personality on this song. The guitar work is great as well. I really love the sudden tempo change to a far faster and heavier feel than the rest of the track. The guitar riffs are phenomenal and the soloing brings back that older faster Megadeth style. The song is a bit disjointed, but it is definitely one of the best from the album.

Grade: Above Average

8. "Losing My Senses" 4:40

I really love the guitar riffs at the beginning of this song. The chorus has terrific guitar work and an uplifting feel. The drum beat complements the guitars so well on this song. The song can be very repetitive and takes the enjoyment out of listening to it at times. I really enjoy the guitar solo though.

Grade: Average

9. "Dread and the Fugitive Mind" 4:25

I love the "Sweating Bullets" vibe I get at the beginning of this track. The guitar work is top notch again on this song. The chorus is fantastic and is definitely the best from the entire record. The guitar soloing is phenomenal on this track to make it even better. I love this song and it is definitely my favorite from this album.

Grade: Great

10. "Silent Scorn" (instrumental) 1:42

This is a really nice short instrumental piece from the album. I really love the drums and the guitar tone that the band uses. The trumpet is also a nice unique addition as well.

Grade: Good

11. "Return to Hangar" 3:59

I do not necessarily like the lyrical content of this track as it seems that Megadeth is using their former success to make some money. I cannot deny that this track is one of the best from the album though. The guitar work is stellar and is definitely the highlight of the track. I like how audible the bass is as well. Overall, this is definitely one of the best from the album.

Grade: Good

12. "When" 9:14

I must say this is such a doom and gloom track. Usually that is a good thing, but in this case I do not think it works very well. It is very atmospheric and eerie. Lyrically, I think this is one of those "cheesy" tracks where Dave is trying to be serious, but I simply cannot take him seriously. The song builds a bit too slowly and I think the minutes that are allotted for this track are not really justified. I like the guitar riffs, but this song does not have good pacing and becomes an absolute bore in certain parts. The guitar solo is really impressive as so many on this album are. Overall, this song is pretty mediocre.

Grade: Average

My Verdict:

The World Needs a Hero is the most mediocre of all the Megadeth albums. There are not any really poor songs on this album, but other than a few standout tracks, this album is very average. The production value is solid though, but lyrically this is one of the bands worst efforts. At least Megadeth began to sound like themselves again on this release, it is just a shame that the band was unable to put more quality material on this record.

Rating: 5.5 / 10