Dystopia is the fifteenth studio album by the thrash metal band Megadeth. It was released on frontman and guitarist Dave Mustaine‘s Tradecraft label via Universal on January 22, 2016. It is the first Megadeth album to feature guitarist Kiko Loureiro, the only album with drummer Chris Adler, and their last with bassist David Ellefson. The album was produced by Mustaine and Chris Rakestraw and features cover artwork by Brent Elliot White.
Prior to Dystopia‘s recording, longtime drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick announced their departure from the band. These roles on the album have been filled by Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler and Angra guitarist Kiko Loureiro, respectively.Adler returned to Lamb of God shortly after the album’s release, and was replaced by drummer Dirk Verbeuren.
Following the lukewarm response to Megadeth‘s previous album, 2013’s Super Collider, Dystopia received mostly favorable reaction from critics, being considered a return to form for the band. The album holds a Metacritic score of 69/100 as of November 2020. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart, making Dystopia the band’s second highest charting album in the U.S. after Countdown to Extinction, which peaked at number two in 1992. Additionally, the title track earned the band its first Grammy win (forBest Metal Performance) at the 59th Grammy Awards after eleven unsuccessful nominations.
The cover was done by New York artist Brent Elliott White, who was given the idea to go for a post-apocalyptic approach.Vic Rattlehead is depicted as a cyborg, with a virtual reality headset in place of the riveted visor, a headset instead of metal caps on the ears, and a mouthpiece resembling a mask. The pose, holding the head of a cyborg resembling the Statue of Liberty and a katana, is an homage to Seven Samurai. The setting homages 12 Monkeys by having a deserted and destroyed city, Mad Max by putting Vic under the Sydney Harbour Bridge, and The Walking Dead with the “drones meant to be like Michonne’s enslaved zombie buddies”.
Tracklist:
- The Threat Is Real
- Dystopia
- Fatal Illusion
- Death from Within
- Bullet to the Brain
- Post American World (Mustaine, Kiko Loureiro)
- Poisonous Shadows (Mustaine, Loureiro
- Conquer or Die! (instrumental)
- Lying in State
- The Emperor
- Foreign Policy (Fear cover)
- Me Hate You (Japanese edition bonus track)
Credits:
Megadeth
Dave Mustaine: vocals, guitars
David Ellefson: bass
Kiko Loureiro: guitars, piano on “Poisonous Shadows”
Chris Adler: drums
Additional musicians
Charlie Judge: orchestral arrangements on “Poisonous Shadows”
Farah Siraj: guest vocals on “The Threat Is Real” and “Poisonous Shadows”
Miles Doleac: voiceover in “Conquer or Die!”
Chris Rodriguez: backing vocals
Eric Darken: percussion
Blair Masters: keyboards & programming
Production and design
Produced by Dave Mustaine and Chris Rakestraw
Engineering by Chris Rakestraw
Mixed by Josh Wilbur
Pre-production by Cameron Webb
Additional production by Jeff Balding
Mastering by Ted Jensen
Brent Elliott White: cover artwork
