Megadeth released their farewell album this Friday, the 23rd . Simply titled Megadeth , the album features the highly anticipated new version of Metallica ." The result has generated a mix of admiration and criticism on social media.
Dave Mustaine, founder of Megadeth and former member of Metallica, co-wrote “Ride the Lightning” in the early 1980s, before leaving Metallica and pursuing his own path in thrash metal. In the new version, Mustaine explained that revisiting the song meant “coming full circle” in his musical career and paying homage to the band where it all began.
Mustaine also recently commented that he has always had great respect for the work of James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich , members of Metallica, a point that reinforces the tribute nature of Megadeth's version.
Fan opinion
According to the Loudwire , fans are sharing their honest opinions on sites like Reddit and the social network X.
On Megadeth's official Reddit , a fan commented: “I just heard this song. I really liked the cover version, it sounds like early Megadeth. If I didn't know the original song existed, I'd say, 'Wow, that was amazing!', but as much as I liked it, if I asked someone to play 'Ride the Lightning' and they played this version, I'd look at them like in the WTF meme.”
Another person said : “This seems like a sincere tribute. They kept the original harmonies, which were written by Cliff [ Burton ] and Lars , and the solos are very faithful to what Kirk [ Hammett ] did, not to mention that Mustaine let Teemu [ Mantysaari ] handle a good portion of the main solos. Mustaine said in an interview that everything was fine and that this was a moment of closure. Now that I've heard it, I believe it. This is metal history.”
Going against the grain of praise, one internet user decided to create a thread on the band's Reddit for negative opinions, saying: "The vocals don't work and it sounds like any band could have done a cover." Another user commented: "What bothers me most is that it's a note-for-note version. Why do a cover of a song at this point in your career if you're not going to put your own style into it?"
On X , there are dozens of comments as well. One user said: “WOW! I didn’t imagine I’d enjoy hearing Dave Mustaine re-recording 'Ride the Lightning' (a song he wrote), but the clarity and his voice are so crisp in the mix that it’s like hearing the song for the first time. It’s going straight to my playlist. Goodbye, Megadeth.”
Another fan didn't take this version well and criticized it: “The vocals are awful. The songwriting is terrible. The solos are awful (seriously, especially by Megadeth standards). The version of 'Ride the Lightning' sounds like a fan-made AI vocal. Megadeth is back, but we have a 3/10 on our hands.”.
Finally, there is also praise for the album as a whole. “30 years later, Megadeth still dominates the world. A rebellious message in the fiery “I don’t care”. “Let there be shred”, perhaps a reference to Pantera’s “The Art of Shredding” , also a member of the Big 4? Mustaine demonstrates his exceptional skill as a composer on the final track, 'Ride the Lightning'.”
READ ALSO: Dave Mustaine expresses desire for Metallica to tour with Megadeth