The World Needs a Hero

The World Needs a Hero
Studio album by Megadeth
Publication (s)	May 15, 2001
admission	2000-2001
Label (s)	Sanctuary Records
Format (s)	CD
Genre (s)	Heavy metal , thrash metal
Title (number)	12 (13)
running time	57:49 (60:24 Japan version)
occupation	Vocals , guitar : Dave Mustaine Guitar : Al Pitrelli Bass , backing vocals: David Ellefson Drums : Jimmy DeGrasso
production	Bill Kennedy, Dave Mustaine
Studio (s)	Henson Recording Studios, Hollywood , California (USA) Salt Mine Studios, Mesa , Arizona (USA) Scream Studios, Studio City , California (USA) The Enterprise II Studios, North Hollywood, California (USA)
chronology Risk (1999) The World Needs a Hero The System Has Failed (2004)

The World Needs a Hero (English for: "The world needs a hero") is the ninth studio album by the American metal band Megadeth . It was the first with new guitarist Al Pitrelli and was the band's first on Sanctuary Records in May 2001 . The record was marketed as a "back-to-basics" album, but critics have divided over whether the band managed to do that.

Emergence

The starting point for the development of The World Needs a Hero was the departure of guitarist Marty Friedman , with whom there were also creative differences. First it was about replacing him for the tour activities, to which Al Pitrelli was signed by Savatage . When it came to recording the next record, a situation arose with the label, management and merchandising company that Dave Mustaine described as "total chaos".

“When we recorded the album, I had in mind that it could be our last. Our future at Capitol Records was very uncertain. Sales fell because heavy metal was generally bad. If it had continued like this, I would have stopped. "

- Dave Mustaine

Megadeth delivered the record to Capitol Records , a week later they demanded it back and asked for the contract to be terminated. Capitol agreed, but the company kept two of the new songs ( Dread and the Fugitive Mind , Kill the King ) for the best-of record Capitol Punishment , after which the band went back into the studio to replace these songs. Dread and the Fugitive Mind ended up being on both records because, according to Mustaine, it was "too good" to appear on the compilation only.

“We pushed everything we'd learned about traditional songwriting , arrangements, radio hits, and so on, aside. Instead, we took on the speed metal elements and my infamous fucked up progressive riffs . We started again from scratch and saw what happened. We didn't let anyone or anything influence us. "

- Dave Mustaine

Megadeth signed for five albums with Sanctuary, but only two studio albums were released on the label. The new management also reintroduced the Vic Rattlehead mascot and classic logo, elements that had disappeared on Risk . The piece Return to Hangar is a continuation of Hangar 18 at Rust in Peace is, the secret of alleged military bases in the United States. When , according to Mustaine, is on Diamond Heads Am I Evil on purpose? ajar , which was best known in the Metallica cover version.

Track list

1. Disconnect - 5:20
2. The World Needs a Hero - 3:52
3. Moto Psycho - 3:06
4. 1000 Times Goodbye - 6:25
5. Burning Bridges - 5:20
6. Promises - 4:28
7. Recipe for Hate… Warhorse - 5:18
8. Losing My Senses - 4:40
9. Dread and the Fugitive Mind - 4:25
10. Silent Scorn (Instrumental) - 1:42
11. Return to Hangar - 3:59
12. When - 9:14

All the pieces were written by Dave Mustaine , Al Pitrelli was only involved in Promises . On the Japan version, Coming Home has been added to the third position. The track Moto Psycho was used as the title track of the Dreamcast video game Heavy Metal: Geomatrix .

reception

In German rock hard , "Buffo" Schnädelbach was of the opinion that The World Needs a Hero was "mixed" and could "only partially build on milestones like Rust in Peace or Countdown to Extinction ." He awarded seven out of ten points. Steve Huey of allmusic .com criticized the album seemed to many of the songs like "Megadeth Lite". Although some tracks are harder than before, the album doesn't really sparkle overall. It was rated two and a half stars out of five. Yahoo Music's Simon P. Ward described the return to the earlier style as a success and compared it to the band's classic albums. The record shows that Megadeth could keep up with the young newcomers in the metal area.

Chart placements

Charts	Top ranking	Weeks
Chart placements
Germany (GfK)	36 (2 weeks)	2
Austria (Ö3)	59 (2 weeks)	2
Switzerland (IFPI)	94 (2 weeks)	2
United Kingdom (OCC)	45 (2 weeks)	2
United States (Billboard)	16 (6 weeks)	6th

Web links

• The World Needs a Hero at Allmusic (English)
• The World Needs a Hero on MusicBrainz

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Steve Huey: Review The World Needs a Hero .
2. ↑ ^{a b} Simon P. Ward: The World Needs a Hero . yahoo.com, review
3. ↑ ^{a b c} Jan Jaedike: Deceptive packaging or recollection? In: Rock Hard , no.168
4. ↑ Uwe "Buffo" Schnädelbach: Review The World Needs a Hero . rockhard.de
5. ↑ ^{a b c d e} chart sources: DE chart discography AT CH UK US