Megadeth - Th1rt3en

With Th1rt3en, Megadeth continues to produce ready-made metal anthems and head-banging beats decades after entering the scene, Dave Mustaine and company prove that you don't need a haircut to eventually come back in style.

"Public Enemy No. 1" rips out of the gate in familiar fashion, with a locomotive buildup that morphs into metal riffs that will raise any listener's heart rate by a few beats. "Guns, Drugs, & Money" showcases these metal kings at their raging best, as the kick of the double bass drum interacts with up-and-down guitar play and brings the listener on a chase of sorts before crashing into a wall of Mexican horns and mariachi rhythm. The lull in auditory splendor just makes the next tune "Never Dead" blast off that much harder.

Mustaine has always had a unique voice, and decades in the business has only added layers of dimension to his angry growling. Not a dilettante when it comes to world affairs, the quirky creative force leading the way doesn't hesitate to inject his thoughts on social justice. Songs like "New World Order" and "Millennium Of The Blind" offer a critique of a world that resorts to thrash metal to take a break from the soul-crushing rigors of day-to-day life.

The album will be yet another credit for bragging rights for those fans who never lost faith in the metal maniacs from Southern California.

For those who were but a zygote when Metallica booted Mustaine from its ranks and forced Megadeth upon the world, Th1rt3en offers a fine entry point into the mind and talent that has been a surprisingly steady force in the world of heavy metal.