Why is megadeth called megadeth

Like its predecessor, Peace Sells was greeted by strong reviews and sales; it eventually went platinum. Although the band's fortunes were on the upswing, Mustaine was beginning to sink deeper into drug abuse, specifically heroin. Soon, his addictions began to affect his work. Many stories concerning his erratic behavior were circulating within the metal community, and they seemed to be proven correct when he fired both Poland and Samuelson before the recording of the band's third album; they were replaced by Jeff Young and Chuck Behler, respectively.

The new lineup debuted on So Far, So Good So What! So Far, So Good peaked at number 28 on the charts and also eventually went platinum despite less enthusiastic reviews ; it also featured a notorious cover of the Sex Pistols ' "Anarchy in the UK" with incorrect lyrics.

In the years immediately following the release of So Far, So Good In early , he was arrested for driving under the influence and entered a rehabilitation program. By the end of the year, he was not only sober, but he had reconvened the band, firing Young and Behler and replacing them with guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza.

This lineup recorded Megadeth's fourth and most progressive album, Rust in Peace. The record peaked at number 23 on the American charts and went platinum. Metallica broke through to the mainstream in , and sensing the possibility for similar success, Mustaine followed suit in stripping down Megadeth's sound, though it remained as technically perfectionist as Rust in Peace. The result, Countdown to Extinction, was released in , entering the charts at number two; the record went double platinum and became the band's biggest hit, confirming that they had retained their audience in the wake of grunge.

Now one of the most popular metal bands in the world, Megadeth moved further toward the mainstream with Youthanasia in , which entered the charts at number four and, like its predecessor, went platinum. The following year, the group released Hidden Treasures, a rarities collection that featured some of the soundtrack tunes that had helped expand the group's MTV audience in the early '90s.

Released in , Cryptic Writings found Megadeth fully embraced by album rock radio, which formerly would never have touched the band. While on break from touring, Mustaine suffered a serious injury in January while staying in Texas.

He was diagnosed with having radial neuropathy shortly thereafter, a condition that prevented him from playing guitar. In the Book of Genesis, Cain, the first man and first murderer, is given a mark called, you guessed it, the Mark of Cain. God proclaims that if Cain is harmed, he shall be avenged seven times over.

Nothing sounds quite as metal as the Old Testament…. The story the band told in their early days is that Alice Cooper was a spirit they contacted via a Ouija board. We prefer the first story, but hey — with the show he puts on , Alice can give any explanation he likes. In it, the main character allows a series of planes to take off even though he knows they contain faulty parts, costing 21 pilots their lives. Swedish Viking metallers Amon Amarth are indicative of an entire subsection of etymologies: those based on the works of J.

The legend of Molly Hatchet dates back to the American Civil War, when a missing Confederate soldier was found in bed sans head. In the years after that, a beautiful woman named Molly was seen in various towns throughout the South, peddling carnal pleasures and leaving a collection of headless corpses in her wake.

Whether Molly was a real prostitute or just an urban legend is unclear — but as with their Frank Frazetta covers, the band named after her are way too friendly and good-timey to be tied to such a kickass old story. It read: "The arsenal of megadeath can't be rid no matter what the peace treaties come to.

Despite his enthusiasm, Mustaine had trouble finding other members to fill out the lineup. He and Ellefson examined about 15 drummers, hoping to find one who understood meter changes in music.

In the meantime, Kerry King from Slayer filled in on lead guitar. They eventually selected Lee Rausch as drummer, and settled on Mustaine as lead vocalist after six months of searching. Mustaine was also the band's primary songwriter, lead, and rhythm guitarist. In , Megadeth recorded a three-song demo tape featuring Mustaine, Ellefson, and Rausch. Guitarist Chris Poland joined the group that December.

After considering several labels, Mustaine signed the band to Combat Records, a New York-based independent label that offered Megadeth the highest budget to record and tour.

After spending half of the budget on drugs, alcohol, and food, the band fired the original producer and finished the recording themselves. Despite its low fidelity sound,Killing Is My Business Music writer Joel McIver praised its "blistering technicality" and stated that the album "raised the bar for the whole thrash metal scene, with guitarists forced to perform even more accurately and powerfully".

The front cover marked the debut of band mascot Vic Rattlehead, who regularly appeared on subsequent album artwork. Killing Is My Business Though Mustaine told the band after his dismissal not to use the music he had written, Metallica recorded a different version of the song entitled "The Four Horsemen", with a slower tempo and a melodic middle section.

Megadeth's version generated controversy during the s, when its writer, Lee Hazlewood, called Mustaine's changes "vile and offensive". Under threat of legal action, the song was removed from pressings released from to Poland was in the band as the tour began, but abruptly left and was replaced by touring guitarist Mike Albert.

Poland rejoined Megadeth in October, shortly before the group began its second album for Combat. According to Mustaine, the band was under pressure to deliver another successful album: "That sophomore offering is the 'be-all or end-all' of any band. You either go to the next level, or it's the beginning of the nadir. Mustaine composed the music, with the other members adding arrangement ideas. Dissatisfied with its financial limitations, the band left Combat and signed with Capitol Records.

Capitol bought the rights to the upcoming album, and hired producer Paul Lani to remix the earlier recordings. Released in late , Peace Sells Mustaine wanted to write socially conscious lyrics, unlike mainstream heavy metal bands who sang about "hedonistic pleasures". The album was noted for its political commentary and helped Megadeth expand its fanbase. The title track was the album's lead single and was accompanied by a music video that received regular airplay on MTV. In February , Megadeth was the opening act on Alice Cooper's Constrictor tour, and the following month the band began its first headlining world tour in the United Kingdom.

The week tour was supported by Overkill and Necros, and continued in the United States. Mustaine and Ellefson make a guest appearance on Malice's License To Kill album and the entire band returns to the studio to re-record their previous cover of "These Boots" by Lee Hazelwood.

This version uses the complete song title: "These Boots Are Made For Walkin'" and was featured on the major motion picture soundtrack for the film, "Dudes". The production of this recording is a vast sonic improvement over their original cover version, "These Boots" which was featured on their debut album. The arrangement of the track is more reminicent of the arragement used in their live performances of the song at the time.

During the tour, Mustaine and Ellefson considered firing Samuelson for his drug abuse. According to Mustaine, Samuelson had become too much to handle when intoxicated.

Drummer Chuck Behler traveled with Megadeth for the last dates of the tour as the other band members feared Samuelson would not be able to continue touring. Poland occasionally quarreled with Mustaine, and was accused of selling band equipment to buy heroin. As a result, Samuelson and Poland were asked to leave Megadeth in That year, year-old guitarist Jeff Loomis of Sanctuary auditioned for the band.

Mustaine complimented Loomis's playing but considered him too young to join. Poland was initially replaced by Jay Reynolds of Malice, but as the band began working on its next record, Reynolds was replaced by his guitar teacher, Jeff Young, when Megadeth was six weeks into the recording of its third album.

So Far, So Good So What! It was released on January 19, through Capitol Records; a remixed and remastered edition including several bonus tracks was reissued in August It is the band's only album recorded with drummer Chuck Behler and guitarist Jeff Young, both of whom were fired immediately after the subsequent tour. The record was well received among contemporary music critics, although retrospective analysis has been less favorable. It managed to enter the top 30 on the Billboard with no commercial radio play; it charted in several other countries as well.

The album was eventually certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America RIAA and indicated Megadeth's forthcoming emergence from the underground scene. Rust in Peace is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth. Rust in Peace received universal acclaim by fans and critics, and was responsible for bringing Megadeth to the attention of a mainstream metal audience. It has been cited as one of the best thrash metal records of all time by publications such as Decibel and Kerrang!

Two singles were released from the album: "Hangar 18" and "Holy Wars The Punishment Due", which have become staples of the band's live performances. Rust in Peace features complex musical structures and lyrical themes such as nuclear war and UFOs.

The album's cover art references "Hangar 18". A remixed and remastered version featuring four bonus tracks was released in In , the band announced a North American tour to commemorate the album's 20th anniversary. Countdown to Extinction is the fifth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on July 6, through Capitol Records. It was the group's second studio release to feature the "classic" lineup of Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, David Ellefson and Nick Menza, with all of them contributing to songwriting on the album.

The album features some of the band's best known songs such as "Symphony of Destruction", "Sweating Bullets" and "Skin o' My Teeth", which enjoyed significant chart success and made great musical impact. Countdown to Extinction received positive reaction from music critics, who noted its politically oriented lyrics and simplified sound in comparison to their previous record. The album entered the Billboard at number two, the band's highest position ever. It eventually achieved double platinum status and became their most commercially successful album.

The record was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the Grammy Awards, while the album's title track won the Humane Society's Genesis Award for raising awareness for animal rights issues. In , in recognition of the album's 20th anniversary, Megadeth kicked off a 20th anniversary tour in South America, playing the album in its entirety. In addition, a 20th anniversary special edition of the album was released in November , and a live album featuring a performance of the full album was released in September Youthanasia is the sixth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on November 1, through Capitol Records.

The album is not a large stylistic departure from the band's earlier recordings; however it marked the continuing evolution of Megadeth, following the footsteps of the previous album Countdown to Extinction The album's title is a play on words, implying that society is euthanizing its youth.

The cover art features an elderly woman hanging babies by their feet on a seemingly endless clothesline; the artwork concept was directly inspired from a line of the title track. Youthanasia received positive reviews upon its release.

It was commercially successful, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard chart, and was certified platinum for shipping one million copies in the United States—a distinction achieved in A remixed and remastered edition featuring several bonus tracks and detailed liner notes was reissued on July 27, Cryptic Writings is the seventh studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth.

Released on June 17, through Capitol Records, it was the band's last studio album to feature drummer Nick Menza.

His departure would mark the end of the band's longest lasting lineup to date, having recorded four studio albums.