Today the metal world was hit with the news that Dave Mustaine, aka Mega-Dave, has been diagnosed with throat cancer.  This is the same beast that came at Bruce, and I bet like Bruce, Dave will slay this dragon.  Dave's had a busy and hard life, and if you haven't read his auto-biography, I recommend it.  The A1 story alone is worth the price of admission.
I've had a love, not so love relationship with Megadeth.  Some of their songs are just amazing, reaching me at an emotional level, or making me think, and definitely making me headbang.  But so much of his stuff is pretty wash rinse repeat.  So many albums have what feels like filler, and his last couple of albums are very formulaic and lack that touch of magic that haunt so many of his jams.  I don't the man, he's just trying to get paid, but stuff like 1320 is just trying to get that stadium airplay royalty money.  But like I said, I can't fault him for trying.
So in tribute of his soon to be victory over cancer, here is my top five Megadeth albums. They won't match yours, and that's awesome because everyone loves something a little bit different.

1) Symphony of Destruction
Full disclosure:  My first Megadeth album I bought with my own money.  Skin o' My Teeth Kicks this into an amazing gear, and it keeps building.   Favorites are Sweating Bullets, Skin, and my hidden favorite, Captive Honor.  It gave me a story idea for a movie that I still haven't finished.  When you start other creative fires, you know it's a good song.  Sweating Bullets gets quoted in my life pretty often "Hindsight is always 20/20, but looking back, it's still a bit fuzzy".  That that has gotten a few people to give know nods.  The other? "How Soon is Now".  Go figure.

2) Youthenasia
The first side of this is all money.  Train of Consequences and Addicted to the Chaos are my favorites off this one, and while A Toute Le Monde is pretty good here, the later release version is WAY better.  I know it will be playing at my funeral.  Haunting lyrics to be sure.   Bad Jimmy gave me his CD since he wasn't really feeling them any more and just about wore the dang thing out.   Elysium Fields is another sneaky good tune, evoking images of heaven, hell and all the battles that we all face in our lives.   Yes a harmonica can be metal.  Dave makes it so.

3) Peace Sells
REALLY hitting their stride after Killing, this album fully announce Megadeth as a contender for the Thrash Metal throne. Peace Sells, Black Friday and Wake up Dead are all very different songs, but some how mesh together in this style defining album.  Dave tries more things when he gets into the mood, and the defining bass line of Peace Sells and the pacing of Friday and Dead show the creative moxie that will pay more fruit in other albums in the list.  While the band <cough> Metallica <cough> got kinda stuck in the post Cliff days, Megadeth sure took chances.

4) Cryptic Writings
Speaking of chances, this is all about that.  Not as crazy and pseudo Grunge as Risk, this is still a part of their early nineties peak.  The first two songs off this are the best, Trust and Almost Honest open wound songs about relationships.  I'd buy this album for these two songs alone.  In fact I did.  I don't know if I still have the rest of the album, but these two are a permanent part of my Mega-Dave and The Deth Boys collection.

5) The System Has Failed.
After his arm injury, Dave had a lot of time to think and get creative.  Basically a solo album in the Megadeth name, Die Dead Enough, Mice and Men, Something I'm Not and The Scorpion really sell this album.  Better stories, more texture that some of the other stuff, these four songs power through a bunch of a little bit standard thrash songs (but I secretly love I Know Jack).  Introspective, aggressive, emotionally raw at times, this is Dave at his best.  Admitting the world is flawed, and him with it.  The last of his "sane" albums, this the last one I laid out money for without regret (looks at Endgame, United Abominations and 13 and frowns).  His send up of Metallica with "Something I'm Not" is sublime, but the "yet" admits his own desires.  While Hetfield used his lyrics to figure out his fights with his parents, Dave seems to wrestle with his own place in the universe, admitting his sins while boasting about them, crying about open wounds of his life, while admitting his role in it. 

BONUS:
The Hidden Tracks EP is a great little addition to the family of must have Megadeth albums.

So that's my list.  What's in yours?  Put into the comments!!

​Proud to say I got to see One For The Wolves with our very own Sam J on bass (and singing!) perform live a prestigious dive bar near MBC HQ.  I have never been to a live performance at a dive bar, and it was GLORIOUS.
 
The set was a short but sweet:
 
Fuel – Metallica Cover
The Pretender  - Foo Fighter Cover
Breakdown – Tom Petty cover
Man in the Box – Alice in Chains cover, performed with special guest singer lady from another band
The Breakdown  - One for the Wolves original (available on iTunes)
<Forgot the name>  - One for the Wolves original (unreleased)
 
I did a shout out at the end of some training at the Salt Mine that Sam and I did on Thursday and actually talked two engineers from Taiwan to come listen too!! :D  So happy that worked!! 
 
They took the stage in front of a fairly full room and when the room exploded with the angry Metallica tune they announced the 70/80/90s soft rock wuss stuff was OVER.  Venue wasn’t sound oriented, but it was good enough and it was loud.  The next song I didn’t recognize (I hadn’t heard it before) but after watching the video for the original, I like their cover better than the original.  More raw emotion from the Wolves’; Dave and the Foo boys might have over produced that one.  Three Wolves took part as singers in their version, with Sam handling the end parts.  They had it going.  They slowed it down into a loving rendition into one of Petty’s best numbers, and the whole crowd (including one retired fried PEte) was singing “Breakdowwwwwwwnnnnnn”.  It was cool to see the crowd get into it.  Slight delay as the new singer joined the band.  Her whole band tried to join on stage but they figure it out quickly and took off into the AIC number.  Her voice just didn’t work for me with this song until one of the Wolves singers combo’ed with her to give it more depth like Lane’s voice gives this song.  She has talent, don’t get me wrong, she’s got LOADS of it, I just felt that song takes more gravel than her voice could give, but it was still a great job by the team.  During this song, the drum kit failed so there was a delay while a drum key was found (from old co-worker Randy in fact) and they got the kit straightened out.  They jammed into the whole reason I was there, The Breakdown.  I LOVE this song.  My wife asked me after the show what band did the original, and I laughed and told her it was THEIR original.  She thought it was a Foo Fighters or 3 Door Down cover!  If you don’t know the song, it starts with a dreamy guitar lick that evokes the image of an alarm clock.  The dreaminess cuts and the song jumps into gear.  I loved seeing it live, it’s a favorite song of mine, and I just love the imagery the dreamy alarm clock guitar gives.  It was the whole reason I was there, and they delivered.  Funny enough, part way through the song, one of the largest cymbals fell over and Sam had to help put it into a safe space. They were so in the zone (or drunk ;)) that nothing would throw off their fun.  And fun music is great music.   Another pause hit while AGAIN repairs are made to the drum kit, and everyone was now awaiting a full Spinal Tap moment, and we started to fear for the drummers life J.  They hit into the last number, another original, and this was one was new to me.  More complex, with more layered arrangement (and a bass solo!) it’s another solid outing from the Wolves.  If they had this 10 years ago, I could see them going full commercial, but at this age of the band, I’m not sure they would have the time and energy to really commit to the life.  Set over, it was special to meet and thank the band  members individually, and see the joy on their faces when I fanboy’ed on them :)  I hoped I didn’t embarrass Sam! Super nice guys, we hung out and chatted about the set while the next band started to set up. 
But it was almost 10:30pm and I had 4 hours of sleep in the last 36 hours (longer story but tl;dr overnight grad party chaperone) so we didn’t stay for the last band.  But since we just wanted a slice of the Wolves, it was a happy evening.  
 
Kudos to Sam, and the rest of the band, and if you get a chance, GO SEE ONE FOR THE WOLVES!!

Greetings Metalheads!
Yes, It has been a while.  Life gets a hold of you some times, and frankly, you just have to go back to what you love.  I've been meaning to get the club back together, but one of the fun people behind the club has been under the weather.  CP \m/ we love you brother, where ever you are.  
Things have been happening these two years.  That Metal Show finally died, and Eddie Trunk's attempts to get back onto TV have faltered.   Dave Holland, Fast Eddie Clark, Vinnie Paul, and many more in the touching tribute: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IIeGWpHwKw4  (warning may get very dusty at your pad, like it did in mine, so many so young, so talented, and sadly so dead :(  )
Rest in Power indeed.
But now we must look forwards.  You can't kill the Metal.  Metal will live on.
So I've gotten the Book Band back together.  C-Note, Scott2hotty, the Hawaiian Surprise, the Kid, Jef with one F, we've returned together to chat about things.  Yes, I've got to come up with new nicknames, we'll see what comes out of our new meeting.  Four new Metal masters, ready to join and discuss the thing that is Metal.  So we start again, like all those Metal musicians before.  Yes, we'll end up like Rainbow, or Deep Purple, eleventy billion line ups, but you know what, that's metal.  Metal will live on.  So the MBC lives on.

Check this space, I'll be making more postings.  You've been warned.