Review by Rexorcist for Megadeth - Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? (1986)
Thrashing from second one to the final moment, Megadeth's Peace Sells but Who's Buying is one of the first true examples of how going as heavy as you can doesn't mean it's necessarily bad. Think about how many people must've thought it was just a bunch of noise back when it first came out. Megadeth is one of the bands that proved otherwise, because they could actually write good songs. These eight songs are all amazing compositions boasting some incredible instrumentation and a very dark presence. In stark contrast to the speed metal jamming of their debut and the technical sound of Rust in Peace, Peace Sells is focused on one thing: thrashing, as opposed to the diversity and shifting focus of Metallica's second and third albums. One of the most notable things about this album is that these songs feel a lot shorter than they really are. As "Good Mourning / Black Friday" finished its course, I felt like four minutes had passed and had no idea it was a six-and-a-half minute song! The only thing wrong with the album is something that can only be said in comparison to other more diverse thrash albums, especially Rust in Peace: the album doesn't have a strong technical side, and is technically a standard thrash album by genre. It even gets to the point where their version of "I Ain't Superstitious" feels a bit out of place because it's so bluesy. But this is some of the heaviest and most consitent thrash music I've ever heard. I can imagine the masses bickering over which Megadeth album is the best, becuase this album has the better vocals, a darker vibe and more consitensy. And I still do favor RiP for its technical side, but this makes a very close second to RiP.