- Youthanasia
-
Youthanasia
Cover to the standard edition of the album (both original and remastered versions)Studio album by Megadeth Released November 1, 1994 Recorded 1994 Genre Heavy metal, hard rock Length 50:02
65:47 (Remaster)Label Capitol Producer Max Norman, Dave Mustaine Megadeth chronology Countdown to Extinction
(1992)Youthanasia
(1994)Cryptic Writings
(1997)Singles from Youthanasia - "Train of Consequences"
Released: 1994 - "A Tout le Monde"
Released: 1995
Limited Edition coverYouthanasia is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Megadeth, released on November 1, 1994 through Capitol Records. A remixed and remastered version, featuring several bonus tracks, was released in 2004.
It saw Megadeth continuing a trend toward slower, more melodic hard rock-styled songs which began with their commercial breakthrough album, Countdown to Extinction. Lyrically, the album displays a variety of influences: mythology ("Elysian Fields" and "Blood of Heroes"), rape and incest ("Family Tree"), nuclear war ("Black Curtains"), gambling ("Train of Consequences", which can also be seen on the video), and a hit about the last moments in life, "A Tout le Monde". The title is a pun on euthanasia, implying that society is euthanizing its youth, which would be consistent with bandleader and principal songwriter Dave Mustaine's views. The closing track, "Victory", refers to many of the band's previous songs throughout its lyrics.
Contents
Conception
Megadeth's previous album, Countdown to Extinction, was tremendously successful and the band was faced with the daunting task of making an album to follow it. It was a time of problems and conflicts for Megadeth, in that every two weeks or so according to Mustaine, there were "outrageous emotional interventions" in order to make the group a democracy. Many band meetings during this period concerned Mustaine's creative control over a "successful formula", so that the band could better exercise their creativity.
Another problem was the indecision on where the recording would take place. Mustaine did not want to record in Los Angeles, so the band eventually decided to record in Phoenix in the home state of the majority of the band, Arizona. They began recording in Phase Four Studios (the studio in which the 2004 remaster was remixed) in March 1994, but due to problems they left and decided to find another studio. There were no likely choices in Phoenix, so producer Max Norman suggested building a studio of their own. The construction process was recorded on Evolver - The Making of Youthanasia. As of 2011, this is the only Megadeth album recorded in E-flat guitar tuning (guitar strings tuned down half a step). All preceding and subsequent albums are in standard tuning, with the exceptions of a few songs on other albums. Live performances of the songs from the album are also played in standard tuning, except for "Train of Consequences".
Critical reception
Professional ratings Review scores Source Rating Allmusic link Allmusic (2004 Remaster) Rolling Stone (favorable) link Blender Sputnik Music link MetalStorm link This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information. In November 2011, Youthanasia was ranked number seven on Guitar World magazine's top ten list of guitar albums of 1994.[1]
Track listing
No. Title Lyrics Music Length 1. "Reckoning Day" Dave Mustaine, Dave Ellefson Mustaine, Marty Friedman 4:34 2. "Train of Consequences" Mustaine Mustaine 3:31 3. "Addicted to Chaos" Mustaine Mustaine 5:26 4. "A Tout le Monde" Mustaine Mustaine 4:28 5. "Elysian Fields" Mustaine, Ellefson Mustaine 4:03 6. "The Killing Road" Mustaine Mustaine 3:57 7. "Blood of Heroes" Mustaine Mustaine 3:57 8. "Family Tree" Mustaine Mustaine, Ellefson, Nick Menza 4:07 9. "Youthanasia" Mustaine Mustaine 4:09 10. "I Thought I Knew It All" Mustaine Mustaine, Friedman, Ellefson, Menza 3:44 11. "Black Curtains" Mustaine Mustaine, Friedman 3:39 12. "Victory" Mustaine Mustaine 4:27 Total length:50:02 2004 Remaster bonus tracks
No. Title Lyrics Music Length 13. "Millennium of the Blind" Mustaine Mustaine, Friedman 2:15 14. "New World Order" (demo) Mustaine, Menza Mustaine, Friedman, Ellefson 3:45 15. "Absolution" (instrumental) Mustaine, Friedman 3:27 16. "À Tout le Monde" (demo) Mustaine Mustaine 6:20 Personnel
- Megadeth
- Dave Mustaine – vocals, guitar
- Marty Friedman – guitar
- Dave Ellefson – bass
- Nick Menza – drums
- Additional musician
- Jimmie Wood – harmonica on "Train of Consequences" and "Elysian Fields"
- Production
- Produced and mixed by Max Norman and Dave Mustaine
- Assistant engineer – Mike Tacci
- 2nd assistant engineer and drum technician – Bruce Jacoby
- Guitar technician – Michael Kaye
- Mastered by Bob Ludwig
- Produced by Dave Mustaine
- Mixed by Ralph Patlan and Dave Mustaine
- Engineered by Ralph Patlan with Lance Dean
- Edited by Lance Dean and Scott "Sarge" Harrison with Bo Caldwell
- Mastered by Tom Baker
Charts
- Album
Year Chart Position 1994 US Billboard 200 4 UK Album Charts 6 Australian Album Charts 9 German Album Charts 13 Canadian Album Charts 11 - Singles
Year Single Chart Position 1994 "Train of Consequences" US Mainstream Rock Tracks 29 UK Singles Chart 22 1995 "A Tout le Monde" US Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks 31 Cover versions
In 2005, Finland-based melodic death metal band Mors Principium Est covered "Blood of Heroes" on their album "The Unborn".
In 2008, UK-based power metal band Power Quest covered "Reckoning Day" as a Japanese bonus track for their album, "Master of Illusion".
References
- ^ Grassi, Tony. "Photo Gallery: The Top 10 Guitar Albums of 1994". GuitarWorld.com. http://www.guitarworld.com/readers-poll-results-top-10-guitar-albums-1994. Retrieved 2011-11-08.
Megadeth Dave Mustaine · Dave Ellefson · Shawn Drover · Chris Broderick
Greg Handevidt · Chris Poland · Mike Albert · Gar Samuelson · Jeff Young · Chuck Behler · Nick Menza · Marty Friedman · Jimmy DeGrasso · Al Pitrelli · James MacDonough · Glen Drover · James LoMenzoStudio albums Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! · Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? · So Far, So Good... So What! · Rust in Peace · Countdown to Extinction · Youthanasia · Cryptic Writings · Risk · The World Needs a Hero · The System Has Failed · United Abominations · Endgame · Thirteen
Live albums Rude Awakening · Gigantour · That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires · Rust in Peace Live · The Big 4 Live from Sofia, Bulgaria (with Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax)
Compilation albums Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years · Still Alive... and Well? · Back to the Start · Anthology: Set the World Afire
Extended plays Maximum Megadeth · Hidden Treasures
Songs "The Mechanix" · "These Boots" · "Wake Up Dead" · "Peace Sells" · "I Ain't Superstitious" · "Anarchy in the U.K." · "Mary Jane " · "In My Darkest Hour" · "Liar" · "Hook in Mouth" · "No More Mr. Nice Guy" · "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" · "Hangar 18" · "Go to Hell" · "Symphony of Destruction" · "Foreclosure of a Dream" · "Sweating Bullets" · "Skin o' My Teeth" · "Angry Again" · "99 Ways to Die" · "Paranoid" · "New World Order" · "Train of Consequences" · "À Tout le Monde" · "A Secret Place" · "Trust" · "Almost Honest" · "Use the Man" · "Crush 'Em" · "Insomnia" · "Breadline" · "Moto Psycho" · "Dread and the Fugitive Mind" · "Die Dead Enough" · "Of Mice and Men" · "The Scorpion" · "Gears of War" · "À Tout le Monde (Set Me Free)" · "Never Walk Alone... A Call to Arms" · "Dialectic Chaos" · "This Day We Fight!" · "44 Minutes" · "The Hardest Part of Letting Go... Sealed With a Kiss" · "Head Crusher" · "The Right to Go Insane" · "Sudden Death" · "Public Enemy No. 1 " · "Never Dead"
Video albums Rusted Pieces · Exposure of a Dream · Evolver: The Making of Youthanasia · Rude Awakening · Video Hits · Arsenal of Megadeth · That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires · Blood in the Water: Live in San Diego · Rust in Peace Live · The Big 4 Live from Sofia, Bulgaria (with Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax)
Box sets Tours Clash of the Titans · Gigantour · American Carnage Tour · European Carnage Tour
Related articles Discography · Members · Vic Rattlehead · Metallica · MD.45 · Slayer · Plays Megadeth for Cello ·
Book:Megadeth · Category:Megadeth · Category:Megadeth audio samples · Portal:Heavy metal · Commons:MegadethCategories:- 1994 albums
- Albums produced by Max Norman
- Capitol Records albums
- Megadeth albums
- "Train of Consequences"
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