Super Collider is the fourteenth studio album by American heavy metal band Megadeth. It was released on June 4, 2013, and is Megadeth's first album to be released on Tradecraft, a Universal label created for frontman Dave Mustaine.[1] In the U.S., a special edition of the album was made available exclusively through Best Buy retailers. The album features a guest appearance from Disturbed vocalist David Draiman. On April 23, 2013, the title track was released on iTunes as the album's lead single.
Super Collider | ||||
---|---|---|---|---|
Studio album by | ||||
Released | June 4, 2013 | |||
Recorded | December 18, 2012–March 13, 2013 | |||
Studio | Vic's Garage (San Marcos, California) | |||
Genre | ||||
Length | 45:14 | |||
Label |
| |||
Producer | ||||
Megadeth chronology | ||||
| ||||
Singles from Super Collider | ||||
|
At the time of its release, it marked the first time the band had released an album with the same lineup as its predecessor since 1997's Cryptic Writings; however it is the band's final album to feature drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick, due to their departures from Megadeth in November 2014. The album debuted at number six on the Billboard 200 and has sold over 86,000 copies in the United States as of December 2015. The album received mixed reviews from critics and, as of August 2014, has a Metacritic rating of 41/100.
Background, writing and recording
editOn July 17, 2012, a tweet from the Twitter account for Megadeth's mascot Vic Rattlehead implied that frontman Dave Mustaine had begun writing lyrics for a follow-up album to 2011's Th1rt3en.[2] In an interview with NME, Mustaine confirmed that the band had been working on new material, commenting: "Some of it's a little darker, some of it's a little faster."[3]
Later Mustaine announced that the band was preparing to start work on the album, and suggested early 2013 as a tentative release, on a new label, as the band had split from their previous label, Roadrunner Records.[citation needed] The band's previous contract with that label was only for three albums, expiring after the release of Th1rt3en.[4]
On October 27, Mustaine revealed that the band was planning to enter the studio to begin tracking the album in the first week of November 2012,[5] before leaving the studio for the American leg of the Countdown to Extinction 20th anniversary tour. However, drummer Shawn Drover later suggested that recording for the album wouldn't begin until early 2013, and also suggested that the album would possibly be released in the summer of that year, rather than Mustaine's initial projection of a late-spring release. Drover said the band was in the process of composing material and determining what riffs to use on the record.[6] On December 24, 2012, Mustaine announced that three new songs were "tracked and almost done".[7] Mustaine later announced via the Vic Rattlehead Twitter page that he had chosen a title and cover art for the new album,[8] though neither was revealed at that time. As with Thirteen, work on the album was done at "Vic's Garage", the band's own studio in San Marcos, California.[9]
From January 2013 onwards, several short video clips were uploaded to the band's official YouTube channel, showing the band members working on new material in the studio.[10][11][12][13][14] Later that month, Mustaine announced that the band had finished recording 11 of 13 songs that the band planned to give to the label. Additionally, he confirmed that the band had decided on a new label and was signed.[15] The label was later revealed to be to Tradecraft, a Universal label created for Mustaine.[16] Several days later, on February 1, Mustaine announced that mixing had begun.
On February 12, 2013, the album's title was revealed as Super Collider. About two weeks later, Mustaine announced several song titles in an interview, discussing some of those songs in the process. Mustaine also revealed that fourteen songs were being worked on in total.[17] Recording for the album was completed in mid-March.[18]
On April 10, 2013, a snippet of a new song titled "Don't Turn Your Back" was posted to the band's website for streaming, and the cover artwork for the album was revealed.[19] Later that month, it was announced that David Draiman (of Disturbed and Device) would be featured as a guest vocalist on "Dance in the Rain". The title track was released as the album's lead single, and "Kingmaker" was released for streaming in May.[20]
Super Collider was released in several versions domestically. There are two versions of the CD: a standard edition and a Best Buy-exclusive edition which features three bonus tracks along with 3D cover art. Additionally, standard and limited vinyl editions were made available, as well.[20]
Album cover
editThe cover artwork is modified from an existing photograph of the Inner Barrel of the Compact Muon Solenoid's Silicon Tracker, a particle physics experiment built on the Large Hadron Collider at CERN.[19][21] A very faint reflection of Vic Rattlehead can be seen in the object's center. A 3D cover is featured on the special edition.[20]
Songs
editOn April 23, 2013, "Super Collider" was released as the album's lead single through iTunes.[22][23] Several days earlier, the track debuted on an edition of the Full Metal Jackie radio show.[24] A video was also produced for the song.[25] The track deviates from a more traditional metal style in favor of a more radio-oriented rock sound,[24] which Mustaine claims was done to show the record label that the band could write and play more commercially accessible material.[26] Mustaine also stated that while the track drew some inspiration from particle colliders and the search for the "God particle", the lyrical meaning was less scientific.[17] The original title of "The Disintegrators" from Cryptic Writings was also "Super Collider".[22]
On May 18, 2013 "Kingmaker" was announced and released for streaming via YouTube.[20] Mustaine has revealed that "Kingmaker" was written about painkiller abuse and dependency.[17] He also said that he had altered the lyrics many times to "fit the intention" of the song.[26] Additionally, "Built for War" was featured on an episode of NCIS: Los Angeles on October 8, 2013.[27]
Mustaine has elaborated on the subject matter of several of the album's other songs as well. He has noted that "Forget to Remember" was intentionally written in an ambiguous way so that it could interpreted as being about either a person trying to forget about a relationship or someone who suffers from Alzheimer's disease and has memory problems. He also compared the concept behind the song to the film The Notebook. "The Blackest Crow" has a Southern influence and features a slide guitar,[17] while the lyrics are about loss and subsequent depression. Mustaine initially hoped to have a guest feature on the song, and reached out to country musicians Willie Nelson and Miranda Lambert; however, neither appeared on the song.[28] "Don't Turn Your Back..." was inspired by a friend of Mustaine, who described him as "the kind of guy that will steal your dope and then help you look for it."[29]
"Cold Sweat" is a Thin Lizzy cover, originally appearing on Thunder and Lightning (1983). Excluding bonus tracks, it is the first cover song to appear on a Megadeth album since "Anarchy in the U.K.", a Sex Pistols cover, was included on So Far, So Good... So What! in 1988. Mustaine said he had been wanting to cover the song since the early 1990s.[26]
Reception
editCritical response
editAggregate scores | |
---|---|
Source | Rating |
Metacritic | 41/100[30] |
Review scores | |
Source | Rating |
AllMusic | [31] |
Blabbermouth.net | 7.5/10[32] |
Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles | 7.0/10[33] |
Classic Rock | 8/10[34] |
Exclaim! | 4/10[35] |
Loudwire | [36] |
Metal Storm | 5.5/10[37] |
PopMatters | 2/10[38] |
Q | [39] |
Spin | 5/10[40] |
The album received mixed to negative reviews from music critics. At Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 to reviews from mainstream critics, the album received an average score of 41, based on 8 reviews, making it the worst-reviewed album of 2013.[30] Much of the criticism of the album centers around Mustaine's lyrics and/or vocals[35] and the return to more commercial-sounding material,[35] from the heavier approach that the band had taken on the last several releases. Some reviewers compared Super Collider to Risk,[36][37] the band's much-critiqued 1999 studio effort which saw Mustaine attempting to take a more commercial stand with the band's music. Many critics and fans named "Kingmaker" as a highlight, even those who took a generally dismissive view of the rest of the album.[41]
Positive comments did come from AllMusic reviewer James Christopher Monger and Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles reviewer Mark Gromen. Monger commented that the album had a few good songs ("Kingmaker", "Built for War" and "The Blackest Crow"), but commented that the remainder of the album "is so mired in midtempo drudgery and familiar hard rock (not thrash) tropes that it never really connects", giving the album a 2.5/5 star rating.[31] Gromen showed more sympathy towards the album, and commented that although it is more of a rock record than recent albums such as United Abominations or Endgame, he felt that one song, "Built for War", had a "Rust in Peace feel." Gromen did criticize "Burn!" for having mundane lyrics.[33]
Another generally positive review came from Blabbermouth.net reviewer Ray Van Horn Jr., who gave the album a 7.5/10 score despite noting that he felt the album had numerous flaws. Specific praise was directed at many of Ellefson's bass parts, as well as much of the guitar solo work on the album. Van Horn declared that the album is no Risk despite the insistence of other critics and fans, but expressed uncertainty as to which sonic direction the band might take in the future.[32] Chad Bowar of Loudwire had a mixed overall opinion on the album and mainly criticized the album for being more akin to Risk and The World Needs a Hero than other recent albums. Bowar gave reserved praise for the tracks "Kingmaker" and the band's cover of "Cold Sweat".[36]
Other reviewers generally took a more dismissive view of the album, and many of them gave the album a rating of around 5/10 or lower.[42][37][38][40] Greg Pratt of Exclaim! described much of the material on the album as being an attempt on Mustaine's part to both maintain credibility with his fanbase and score a radio hit at the same time, a result that Pratt concluded was impossible. Pratt took a negative view of several songs on the album, describing "Off the Edge" as "unlovable", "The Blackest Crow" as "an unfocused mess", and the title track as having a radio-oriented sound, much to his dislike. However, he did describe "Kingmaker" as "relentless", and commented that it sounded similar to material from Countdown to Extinction (1992).[35]
Dean Brown of PopMatters wrote a highly critical review of the album. He characterized the title track as a "ghastly attempt" at arena rock that "even Bon Jovi would have thought twice about releasing as a B-side." Brown reacted positively to "Kingmaker", though noted that the song seems to "pillage" Black Sabbath's "Children of the Grave". Many of the remaining songs on the album were criticized by Brown for being "cliché", "pathetic" and/or "awkward", among other things.[38]
Commercial performance
editIn spite of the lackluster reception by critics, Super Collider debuted at number six on the Billboard 200, selling 29,000 copies in the U.S. in its first week. Although it sold fewer copies than its predecessor Thirteen (42,000), it charted higher after the first week, as Thirteen debuted at number eleven.[43] This makes the album Megadeth's highest-charting album in the U.S. since Youthanasia, which peaked at number four in 1994.[44] The album dropped to number 39 on the Billboard 200 in its second week.[45] As of December 2015, the album has sold 86,000 copies in the United States.[46] The album had further top ten success in Canada and Finland, where it hit number four, and Norway, where it hit number seven.[47][48] Additionally, the album charted at number fifteen in Sweden, although elsewhere it did not manage to break into the top twenty.[48]
Track listing
editAll music and lyrics composed by Dave Mustaine, except where noted.
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Kingmaker" | Mustaine, David Ellefson | 4:16 | |
2. | "Super Collider" | 4:11 | ||
3. | "Burn!" | 4:11 | ||
4. | "Built for War" | Mustaine, Chris Broderick, Shawn Drover | 3:57 | |
5. | "Off the Edge" | 4:11 | ||
6. | "Dance in the Rain" (featuring David Draiman) | 4:45 | ||
7. | "Beginning of Sorrow" | Mustaine, Ellefson | Mustaine, Ellefson, Broderick | 3:51 |
8. | "The Blackest Crow" | 4:27 | ||
9. | "Forget to Remember" | 4:28 | ||
10. | "Don't Turn Your Back..." | 3:47 | ||
11. | "Cold Sweat" (Thin Lizzy cover) | Phil Lynott, John Sykes | Lynott, Sykes | 3:10 |
Total length: | 45:14 |
No. | Title | Writer(s) | Length |
---|---|---|---|
12. | "All I Want" (appears on all editions containing bonus tracks) | Mustaine | 2:53 |
13. | "A House Divided" (appears on all editions containing bonus tracks) | Mustaine, Johnny K | 4:04 |
14. | "Countdown to Extinction" (Live in Pomona, CA; only on Japanese and Best Buy-exclusive editions) | Mustaine, Ellefson, Marty Friedman, Nick Menza | 4:20 |
Total length: | 69:69 |
Personnel
editProduction and performance credits are adapted from the album liner notes.[49]
|
|
Charts
editChart (2013) | Peak position |
---|---|
Australian Albums (ARIA)[50] | 28 |
Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[51] | 26 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Flanders)[52] | 65 |
Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[53] | 58 |
Canadian Albums (Billboard)[54] | 4 |
Danish Albums (Hitlisten)[55] | 22 |
Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[56] | 36 |
Finnish Albums (Suomen virallinen lista)[57] | 4 |
French Albums (SNEP)[58] | 43 |
German Albums (Offizielle Top 100)[59] | 24 |
Hungarian Albums (MAHASZ)[60] | 13 |
Irish Albums (IRMA)[61] | 76 |
Italian Albums (FIMI)[62] | 60 |
Japanese Albums (Oricon)[63] | 14 |
New Zealand Albums (RMNZ)[64] | 28 |
Norwegian Albums (VG-lista)[65] | 7 |
Polish Albums (ZPAV)[66] | 29 |
Scottish Albums (OCC)[67] | 15 |
Spanish Albums (PROMUSICAE)[68] | 35 |
Swedish Albums (Sverigetopplistan)[69] | 15 |
Swiss Albums (Schweizer Hitparade)[70] | 21 |
UK Albums (OCC)[71] | 22 |
UK Rock & Metal Albums (OCC)[72] | 2 |
US Billboard 200[73] | 6 |
US Top Hard Rock Albums (Billboard)[74] | 3 |
US Top Rock Albums (Billboard)[75] | 3 |
US Top Tastemaker Albums (Billboard)[76] | 5 |
References
edit- ^ Megadeth - Super Collider Album Reviews, Songs & More | AllMusic, retrieved October 21, 2023
- ^ "Twitter - Vic4Prez (Official page of Megadeth's Vic Rattlehead)". Twitter.com. Twitter. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
- ^ "Megadeth's Dave Mustaine: 'I'm totally ready for our next record'". NME.com. NME. Retrieved August 23, 2012.
- ^ "Megadeth's Dave Mustaine – full interview – Video". 3News. Archived from the original on November 19, 2012. Retrieved August 1, 2012.
- ^ "Megadeth To Start Recording New Album Next Week - Oct. 27, 2012". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
- ^ DiGiacomo, Robert. "Megadeth Revisits 'Extinction': Heavy metal legends offer classic album in entirety at House of Blues on Friday night". Atlantic City Insider. Retrieved November 16, 2012.
- ^ "Megadeth - "Three Songs Tracked"". Bravewords.com. Retrieved January 7, 2013.
- ^ "Twitter - Vic4Prez (Official page of Megadeth's Vic Rattlehead)". Twitter.com. Twitter. Retrieved October 28, 2012.
- ^ Childers, Chad (February 2, 2013). "Megadeth's Dave Mustaine 'Pumped' as Band Begins Mixing New Album". Loudwire.com. Retrieved February 6, 2013.
- ^ "Megadeth at Vic's Garage - Studio Update #2 December 2012". Official Megadeth Youtube channel. January 7, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
- ^ "Megadeth at Vic's Garage - Studio Update #3 January 2013". Official Megadeth Youtube channel. January 13, 2013. Retrieved January 14, 2013.
- ^ "Megadeth at Vic's Garage - Studio Update #4 January 2013". Official Megadeth Youtube channel. January 21, 2013. Retrieved January 22, 2013.
- ^ "Megadeth at Vic's Garage - Studio Update #5 January 2013". Official Megadeth Youtube channel. February 2, 2013. Retrieved February 3, 2013.
- ^ "Megadeth at Vic's Garage - Studio Update #10 January 2013". Official Megadeth Youtube channel. March 16, 2013. Retrieved May 27, 2013.
- ^ "Megadeth Working On 'Dark', 'Heavy' And 'Fast' New Album - Jan. 28, 2013". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. Retrieved January 29, 2013.
- ^ Hartmann, Graham (February 12, 2013). "Megadeth Announce June Release for Upcoming Album 'Super Collider'". Loudwire.com. Retrieved February 12, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Shockwaves podcast, episode 64 (featuring an interview with Dave Mustaine)". Hardradio.com. Retrieved February 27, 2013.
- ^ "Megadeth Completes Recording New Album - Mar. 13, 2013". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. March 13, 2013. Retrieved March 14, 2013.
- ^ a b Hartmann, Graham (April 11, 2013). "Megadeth Reveal 'Super Collider' Album Art + Preview of New Song 'Don't Turn Your Back'". Loudwire.com. Retrieved April 11, 2013.
- ^ a b c d "Megadeth: New Song 'Kingmaker' Available For Streaming - May 18, 2013". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. May 18, 2013. Retrieved May 18, 2013.
- ^ "CERN Document Server". CERN. Retrieved April 13, 2013.
- ^ a b The Scorpion (April 28, 2013). "SCORPION Q+A". Megadeth.com. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
- ^ "Megadeth: 'Super Collider' Title Track To Be Released This Week - Apr. 21, 2013". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. April 21, 2013. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
- ^ a b Hartmann, Graham (April 22, 2013). "Megadeth Unleash Title Track from Upcoming Album 'Super Collider'". Loudwire.com. Retrieved April 23, 2013.
- ^ "Megadeth Films 'Super Collider' Video - May 11, 2013". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. May 11, 2013. Retrieved May 13, 2013.
- ^ a b c Wright, J**. "Dave Mustaine of Megadeth: Stone Cold Sober & Sweating Bullets!". Classic Rock Revisited. Retrieved November 3, 2013.
- ^ "Megadeth's 'Built for War' Featured in 'NCIS: Los Angeles'". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. October 9, 2013. Retrieved October 10, 2013.
- ^ Childers, Chad (May 31, 2013). "Megadeth Unveil Bluegrass-Twinged 'The Blackest Crow' and Guitar-Heavy 'Built for War'". Loudwire.com. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
- ^ Roche, Jason. "Megadeth's Dave Mustaine: Believe It or Not, He's a Humanitarian". LAWeekly Blogs. LAWeekly. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
- ^ a b "Super Collider - Megadeth". Metacritic. CBS Interactive. Retrieved June 17, 2013.
- ^ a b Monger, James Christopher. "Super Collider - Megadeth". Allmusic. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
- ^ a b Van Horn, Ray Jr. (June 21, 2013). "CD Reviews - Megadeth - Super Collider (Tradecraft/UMe)". Blabbermouth.net. Roadrunner Records. Retrieved June 30, 2013.
- ^ a b Gromen, Mark. "Hardwares: Megadeth - Super Collider Reviewed". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. Retrieved June 1, 2013.
- ^ Dome, Malcolm. "Listen: Megadeth - Super Collider". Classic Rock Magazine (8/10 given in magazine). Future. Archived from the original on June 13, 2013. Retrieved June 5, 2013.
- ^ a b c d Pratt, Greg (June 3, 2013). "Megadeth - Super Collider". Exclaim!. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
- ^ a b c Bowar, Chad (June 5, 2013). "Megadeth, 'Super Collider' - Album Review". Loudwire. Retrieved June 6, 2013.
- ^ a b c "Megadeth Super Collider Review". Metal Storm. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
- ^ a b c Brown, Dean (June 13, 2013). "Megadeth: Super Collider". PopMatters. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
- ^ It ditches classic thrash for bland classic rock. [Aug 2013, p.96]
- ^ a b Eddy, Chuck (June 7, 2013). "Megadeth, 'Super Collider'". Spin.com. Archived from the original on June 10, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
- ^ Janusz Bujnowski (May 27, 2013). "SCORPION Q+A". Megadeth.com. Retrieved December 9, 2022.
- ^ Bailey, Patrick. "Album review: 'Super Collider' causes Megadeth to become Megadead to fans". The Lantern. Archived from the original on June 12, 2013. Retrieved June 8, 2013.
- ^ "MEGADETH's 'Dystopia' Lands At No. 3 On U.S. Chart". Blabbermouth.net. February 1, 2016.
- ^ Caulfield, Keith. "Queens of the Stone Age Get First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart". Billboard. Retrieved June 13, 2013.
- ^ Grein, Paul (June 19, 2013). "Week Ending June 16, 2013. Albums: Black Sabbath's Long Wait Ends". Chart Watch. Yahoo! Music. Retrieved January 22, 2014.
- ^ "Upcoming Releases". Hits Daily Double. HITS Digital Ventures. Archived from the original on December 14, 2015.
- ^ "Megadeth - Super Collider Achieves Top 10 Chart Debuts In The US, Canada". Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles. Archived from the original on November 4, 2013. Retrieved June 12, 2013.
- ^ a b "Megadeth - Super Collider". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 29, 2013.
- ^ a b Super Collider liner notes (Best Buy ed.). Universal Music. 2013. pp. 12–13.
- ^ "Australiancharts.com – Megadeth – Super Collider". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Austriancharts.at – Megadeth – Super Collider" (in German). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Megadeth – Super Collider" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Ultratop.be – Megadeth – Super Collider" (in French). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Megadeth Chart History (Canadian Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Danishcharts.dk – Megadeth – Super Collider". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Dutchcharts.nl – Megadeth – Super Collider" (in Dutch). Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Megadeth: Super Collider" (in Finnish). Musiikkituottajat – IFPI Finland. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Lescharts.com – Megadeth – Super Collider". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Offiziellecharts.de – Megadeth – Super Collider" (in German). GfK Entertainment Charts. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Album Top 40 slágerlista – 2013. 23. hét" (in Hungarian). MAHASZ. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Irish-charts.com – Discography Megadeth". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Italiancharts.com – Megadeth – Super Collider". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "スーパー・コライダー【デラックス・エディション】". Oricon.co.jp. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Charts.nz – Megadeth – Super Collider". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Norwegiancharts.com – Megadeth – Super Collider". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Oficjalna lista sprzedaży :: OLiS - Official Retail Sales Chart". OLiS. Polish Society of the Phonographic Industry. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Official Scottish Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Spanishcharts.com – Megadeth – Super Collider". Hung Medien. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Swedishcharts.com – Megadeth – Super Collider". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
- ^ "Swisscharts.com – Megadeth – Super Collider". Hung Medien. Retrieved August 7, 2013.
- ^ "Official Albums Chart Top 100". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Official Rock & Metal Albums Chart Top 40". Official Charts Company. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Megadeth Chart History (Billboard 200)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Megadeth Chart History (Top Hard Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Megadeth Chart History (Top Rock Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
- ^ "Megadeth Chart History (Top Tastemaker Albums)". Billboard. Retrieved November 8, 2023.
External links
edit- Super Collider at Discogs (list of releases)