Megadeth - Warchest (2007)^{Release ID: 139}

Released in 2007, Megadeth’s compilation boxset, ‘Warchest’, is an absolute tour-de-force of material. A great collectable for fans, you’ve got four discs of music and a DVD, which covers a huge variety of original songs, covers, demos, live recordings, and everything else in between.

The first three discs are compilations running in chronological order through the bands career. Interspersed with live tracks, demos, remixes, live recordings and short interludes of Dave Mustaine talking, they cover every aspect of the band, from 1985’s ‘Killing is My Business…’ all the way up to 2004’s ‘The System Has Failed’. This is a fantastic starting point for newcomers to the band, or a great retrospective for long-time fans.

My only real complaint here is that most of the songs are the 2004 remasters. Not that it’s that big of an issue, but personally, I think a lot of these tracks sounded better in their original versions.

Disc four is a live concert from Wembley Stadium in 1990. Shortly after the release of ‘Rust in Peace’, this is thrash-era Megadeth at their best, and the live recording proves that. And finally, disc five is a live DVD, shot in 1992. Admittedly, I love Megadeth, but live, I do find them a little boring. They kind of play the songs, and that’s it. Occasionally they headbang, but they don’t really seem overly animated. Still, the sound and picture are great, and at barely 50 minutes in duration, it’s a totally harmless watch, and more than worthy of belonging in this boxset.

Die-hard fans will want this for any unreleased tracks, in particular, discs four and five. Accompanied with a 36-page booklet, and beautiful 3D packaging, this is a fantastic set, and while it might seem a little dated by today, the absolute wealth of material makes it a must-have for fans.