Review by Mandeep Arora on April 1, 2025.

'Youthanasia' is Megadeth's proper foray into the mainstream. We all saw the seeds being sowed on 'Countdown to Extinction', another good album, but it still had some angry moments. This one doesn't; Megadeth’s eccentric, unique, and aggressive sound now refined and much more accessible to the general audience, served as you are a deluge of catchy choruses, simple and clean melodies, and less shrill vocals - Dave does not scream a lot anymore, and ain’t that a good thing in itself? This is certainly a very commercial album in how it’s composed, but that’s not to say you cannot enjoy and like it. I’m quite a fan. If anything, it's actually better than its predecessor, which has a tendency to get boring at times. What mostly sets it apart, more so than anything, and rather unusual on a supposed thrash metal record, are the defined song structures and their super-catchy choruses. On paper, this is a recipe bound to fail in the metal legions, but in execution, it works rather well for Dave and his stalwart workmates. The riffs are chunky and kind of enormous if not always unforgettable. They serve their purpose all right but don't seem to go over and above that, which is both a good and bad thing; good because it eases the chaos and allows for a supplier flow; bad because it's a Megadeth album for god's sake and there aren't enough memorable riffs.

It's a modern, hard rock-oriented sound with similar production values. The guitars and vocals remain at the epicentre of the mix and sound the loudest while the bass has a quite nasty tone too. The drums, however, take a bit of a backseat. While very good and driving the rhythm of the album, they don't exhibit the kind of frenzy we have come to expect from Nick Menza. But given the album's clement demeanour and its emphasis on accessibility, I think it makes perfect sense for him to keep the drums a bit meek and docile. The generalised album sound is not very aggressive, but there sure are some thumping, mildly thrashy tunes like 'The Killing Road' and 'Black Curtains'. Aside from these, everything seems dialled down a notch or two, with palatable vocals and unfussy instrumentation. Sure, the raw, aggressive edge of yesteryears is missing but the dozen or so songs that forge this album are all very solid individual numbers. It's a grown-up, no-nonsense approach that's trying hard not to ruffle any feathers as far as the compositional aspects are concerned. Tracks like 'Reckoning Day', 'Addicted to Chaos', 'A tout le Monde', and 'Elysian Fields' are some of the catchiest, and consequently the best. But honestly, it’s kind of difficult to single them out from other equally solid and catchy ones. Special props to Mustaine too for bringing unbridled energy and passion to the songs with his vocals and showboating his storytelling and lyrical depth. His vocal delivery conveys raw emotion while addressing personal struggles as well as during his social and political commentary.

Ironically, the things that work in its favour are also what bring about its undoing. The solid and foolproof songs, for one, become too recurrent, thus curbing any genuinely surprising moments. Save for, perhaps, the Rainbow-esque guitar solo on the delectable 'Addicted to Chaos', or the conspicuous grittiness of 'The Killing Road' that satiates a bit of that thrash metal hunger with a generous dollop of nasty bass, nothing catches you off-guard. My biggest bugbear of all, though, is the album's length - a problem that I think has plagued almost all of Megadeth's later albums. As such, 'Youthanasia' mostly does not lose momentum and remains consistent, but it does start feeling a little dragged by the ninth track, with the aforementioned choruses and simpler compositions once enchanting and easier on the ears now coming off as slightly insipid, a wee bit of an overkill... There aren't any real dull moments, truth be told, but there also aren't any defining moments. Sparingly, the thought that this album may be a bit too refined for its own good does cross your mind. I think it'd work wonderfully well if we slash a good twelve or so minutes from its gargantuan fifty-minute length; a thrash metal album, or even a more hard rock-oriented such as this one, has no business being this long. Uncannily or deliberately, the similarities between Megadeth and Metallica's career trajectory are far too many to ignore - both adopted a more commercial, uncomplicated approach at around the same time and churned out a string of tediously long and bloated albums, much to the dismay of the fans, flirting slyly with their roots hither and thither but never wholly embracing that side.

But then, Megadeth has had such a lengthy career that there's usually something for nearly everyone in their vast discography - from stone-cold thrash metal classics to hard rock-oriented bangers such as this one and even a good number of stinkers in what I think is a quite eclectic mix of albums compared to the likes of Metallica or Slayer. In some ways, 'Youthanasia' showcases the band's growth and maturity, with a stronger emphasis on melodicism and hooks that grant it a more universal sound. These lofty ambitions may have been a detriment from a creative standpoint, but they sure aren't from a commercial one. Yes, I concede it's a little too refined, a bit too safe, but it's also ample fun; almost every succeeding song leaves a good impression and entertains you thoroughly, and isn't that what we all hope to derive from our music? It's really solid stuff. Much to my surprise, it actually finds a lot of favour with even the staunchest of Megadeth fans, more so than 'Countdown to Extinction', which is a shade more divisive. It was also their last good album until 'Endgame' and 'Dystopia' came out many years later. Odd as it may seem, I'd rather suggest this to a newer listener over the revered classics mostly because of its pared-back nature, less punishing compositions, and the more commercial generalised sound. It's the perfect recipe for someone to be hooked to the sound and thus, the band.

Rating: 7.5 out of 10

Review by Luka on February 22, 2002.

The quote from the title-track best summarizes the band’s situation at the time. It’s 1994 and metal is officially dead to MTV and the media as a commercial power. The Big Four among others are scrambling to keep the sales steady but it’s getting harder every day. Slayer and Testament stayed heavy and suffered. Pantera and Sepultura built upon the simple and stripped down, groove-oriented style that would influence much of nu-metal and succeeded. Metallica and Megadeth slowed down and softened, and I have to admit, while not many would agree, that this is Megadeth’s most mature and powerful album to date!

The first two tracks open the album with the complete "Countdown to Extinction" hard-edged style but the true, mellow character of the album quickly shines through. 'Addicted to Chaos' is a very powerful song with strong melody lines that conveys Dave Mustaine’s near-fatal heart attack and miraculous recovery much better than the melodramatic 'A Tout Le Monde'. The riffs in the somewhat heavier 'Killing Road' still have that bite of technicality that Mustaine is famous for, and Friedman’s lead (especially on that song) is stronger than ever! Every time I hear this guy play it’s unbelievable, Dave really hit the jackpot when he hired him.

There are some faults in the songwriting as some of the ballads still sound very amateurish, but that’s only to be expected from the newly reincarnated Dave Mustaine. Near the end of the album we’re treated again with two very uncharacteristic songs: the heavy-as-hell 'Black Curtains', which is basically a faster, darker version of 'Symphony of Destruction', and the fast and thrashy 'Victory'-definitely one of my favorites. Composing the lyrics almost entirely out of previous album and song titles was definitely a fun treat to a long time Megadeth fan like myself, 'Victory' is like a final farewell to the entire Megadeth career and I was not the only one who got the impression that this was going to be Megadeth’s very last album, as most of the members started doing side projects shortly after this. Luckily... I was wrong!

Bottom Line: Euthanasia would have been a bad move, Megadeth are still as strong as ever, though not the way many have grown to like them.

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 7
Musicianship: 9
Atmosphere: 8
Production: 9
Overall: 8

Rating: 8.2 out of 10