United Abominations is the eleventh studio album by the American thrash/heavy metal band, Megadeth. The album lasts a duration of 47:56. It was released on May 15, 2007 by Roadrunner Records.
Lineup:
Dave Mustaine – vocals, lead, rhythm and acoustic guitars, production
Glen Drover – lead, rhythm, acoustic guitars and backing vocals
James LoMenzo – bass and backing vocals
Shawn Drover – drums, percussion and backing vocals
Additional Musicians:
Chris Rodriguez – backing vocals
Axel Mackenrott – keyboards
Cristina Scabbia – harmony vocals on "À Tout le Monde (Set Me Free)"
Production:
Jeff Balding – production, recording
Andy Sneap – production, mixing, mastering, recording
Background:
United Abominations features a thrash metal oriented sound that reminds me of Megadeth's work on the album Rust in Peace. The guitar work is among the finest in the band's entire catalog. According to Mustaine, the lyrics on the album criticize the choices that the American government was making at the time. The lyrics really make the listener think about our government's choices and what direction our country is heading toward.
United Abominations is a very consistent album that really gets better with each listen. The combination of thought provoking lyrics, excellent guitar work, and its hard hitting sound really reminds me of the band's best work in the early 90s. I like Mustaine's vocals as well as his excellent song writing on this record.
United Abominations debuted at number 8 on the Billboard 200. As of August 19, 2007, the album had managed to sell about 122,000 copies in the US. 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. "Sleepwalker" 5:53
This song is a thrash masterpiece. The guitar work on this track is phenomenal. I love Dave's vocal delivery because of his eerie sound that fits the song so well. The chorus is very memorable and easy to sing along to. The guitar soloing from Glen Drover and Dave Mustaine brings back fond memories of Dave and Marty. This is a perfect track to open an album with.
Grade: Superb
2. "Washington Is Next!" 5:19
The main guitar riff to start the song is phenomenal. I love the lyrical warning that is contained in this track's lyrics. The chorus is probably my favorite from the entire album and is very easy to sing along to. The guitar soloing is absolutely fantastic and rivals the guitar work on Rust in Peace. The combination of excellent musicianship and terrific lyrical content makes this the best song off of the entire record.
Grade: Superb
3. "Never Walk Alone... A Call to Arms" 3:54
Megadeth employs another fantastic guitar riff to begin this track. The best thing about this track though is definitely the chorus because of how memorable and easy to sing along to it is. Glen Drover is very impressive throughout this entire track thanks to his stellar guitar work. The guitar solos are absolutely fantastic because of how fast and melodic they are.
Grade: Great
4. "United Abominations" 5:35
I love the lyrics to this song. Dave Mustaine continues his attack of different political issues. This time he focuses his anger toward the failure of the United Nations. The riffs are really heavy and the guitar solos are terrific and continue to impress. The chorus is very strong as well.
Grade: Great
5. "Gears of War" 4:25
I love the subtle use of synths that complement the guitar to begin this track. It really sets the tone of the entire song. The guitar riffs are really heavy and Mustaine's vocals are very unsettling. I love the chorus because of its lyrical meaning. The guitar soloing is fantastic as well to finish the track.
Grade: Great
6. "Blessed Are the Dead" 4:02
I really enjoy the constant buildup in this track. The chorus is definitely another catchy one that I sing along to. The guitar work is really great for about the last minute of this track. The riffs and solos are incredible like the rest of the album.
Grade: Good
7. "Play for Blood" 3:49
I love the main guitar riff on this track. It is definitely one of the catchiest from the entire album. The guitar solos are killer as well on this track. I love this song, because the band really focuses its efforts on the terrific guitar work and thrash oriented moments throughout the track's entirety.
Grade: Great
8. "À Tout le Monde (Set Me Free)" 4:11
This is a pretty good song honestly. My problem with the song is the fact that Megadeth is simply redoing one of their best tracks from an earlier album with a guest female vocalist. It just feels like filler because I have heard the original version so many times so this version feels somewhat pointless.
Grade: Above Average
9. "Amerikhastan" 3:43
Dave brings out another very political track to the forefront. The guitar work is showed off right away with some guitar shredding right away. The chorus is probably the most memorable part of this track because of how easy it is to sing along to. Megadeth demonstrates their excellent guitar solo capabilities again with some fantastic shredding on this track.
Grade: Great
10. "You're Dead" 3:18
I love the guitar riffs that get this track started. The chorus is extremely catchy and the guitar soloing is fantastic. I love the fast paced drumming and shredding solos that occur near the end of the song. Megadeth really shows off some of their excellent musicianship throughout this track.
Grade: Great
11. "Burnt Ice" 3:47
This song gets off to a blistering start with some soloing and a fast paced riff. I really love the lyrical message of this song about the dangers of crystal meth. The chorus is very memorable and easy to sing along to. The shredding that occurs on this track is insane. The guitar prowess that is needed to execute the solos on this album is top notch. This is the best track on the album when it comes to shredding solos that are blistering fast.
Grade: Great
My Verdict:
United Abominations continues the upward trend for Megadeth that began with their previous album. The guitar work is phenomenal and rivals any record in the entire Megadeth discography. This is without a doubt Megadeth's most thrash metal oriented record since their 1990 album Rust in Peace. I enjoy listening to this record in its entirety because of how consistently strong it is throughout. United Abominations is definitely among the band's finest work.
