Hear Megadeth Shred Guitar on ‘Dystopia’ Title Track
Dave Mustaine shares some of his worries about the decline of civilization in “Dystopia,” the title track of Megadeth‘s new album out January 22nd. “There’s panic and there’s chaos rampant in the streets, where useless thoughts of peace are met with rage,” he snarls on the song. Musically, the mid-tempo track allows two of the group’s new recruits to show off their capabilities: guest drummer Chris Adler, of Lamb of God, sneaks in a few rumbling tom fills toward the end, while new lead guitarist Kiko Loureiro closes the track with classically influenced shred licks.
Last year, Mustaine praised the guitarist in an interview with Rolling Stone. “He’s an amazing musician, very well-rounded,” he said. He also expressed an appreciation for Adler stepping in as a guest musician for the record. “One of the things that was great about having Chris come in was he’s been a fan for 30 years and he was able to say, ‘Well, this is the stuff I like about my Megadeth,'” he said. “And it was, ‘OK, cool.'”
The song is the most radio-friendly Dystopia single so far. Previously, they shared the thrashy, heavy number “Fatal Illusion” and put out a creepy (and dystopian-themed), animated video for the breakneck speed-metal cut “The Threat Is Real.” Those three tracks and two others from Dystopia, “Poisonous Shadows” and “Post American World,” will be available as virtual reality videos in a special edition of Dystopia, when it comes out.
Megadeth will be hitting the road in support of the record next month with a North American trek that kicks off in Dallas on February 20th and ends in Sioux Falls, South Dakota on May 26th. The group will subsequently head to Europe for additional dates.