The same cannot be said for MEGADETH. Long I have been a fan of Mustaine and whatever personnel he has backing him up. But it is sad to see a man with such awesome talent trying to claw back respect and fans with this uninspired live record. Those that remember the old 'DETH, "Peace Sells", "So Far…", "Rust In Peace" and "Countdown…" will know what I am talking about here and understand that a live 'DETH-album should have been released in 1992.

This is 10 years way to late.

Don't get me wrong though, the old school-tracks on this CD still stand the test of time - "Peace Sells", "Mechanix", "Wake Up Dead", "Tornado of Souls", "Hangar 18" - Mustaine is a one man human riff-making-machine, but what the fuck is the shit like "Dread And The Fugitive Mind", "Kill The King", "Almost Honest", "Burning Bridges" doing on this record? The last two 'DETH-albums have been woeful to the point of embarrassment. Only when they play the old stuff do they come into their own and remind us of just how excellent MEGADETH can be. And for fucks sake, there is a fuckin' drum solo on here!!!!! Perhaps I am being too harsh, but having the wonderful "Sweating Bullets" up along side "1000 Times Goodbye" is almost insulting. There is very little excitement here. Little feel. Man, MEGADETH live in the flesh is a great experience. This record is not!

People are rarely blessed with the talents that Mustaine has. He is consummate guitarist and satirist. He is intelligent to the point of arrogance, but the last few years have seen that arrogance peeled away to leave a different more benign character. He may be healthier and enjoying life but musically MEGADETH are not the same and the way things are going it doesn't look likely to a return to the Thrash-days of old.

Now where's that copy of "Countdown"…