Top 10 Greatest Songs Written by Dave Mustaine
Dave Mustaine is easily one of the most influential musicians in metal, and for me, he's practically the reason I play guitar the way I do. My style has been shaped by a handful of guitarists, but Mustaine stands out. He has a way of writing riffs that are sharp, aggressive, and instantly recognizable. His solos don't just shred. They have a sense of chaos and unpredictability that make them hit even harder. He's also a rare kind of songwriter. When he writes alone, you get some of the most intense thrash ever recorded. But when he collaborates, the music takes on a different feel; sometimes still heavy, but not necessarily thrash. That's what makes him such a unique musician. His influence extends beyond just one sound, even though he's the ultimate thrash guitarist.
All the complexity of this song makes it much better and more aggressive. The opening riff is very Iron Maiden sounding, but with a thrash twist. The next riff starts and is arguably the greatest thrash riff of all time.
When the first verse starts, the riffs get a lot more complicated and unique for a thrash song, not using a single regular, standard power chord. Then the acoustic, Spanish flamenco section begins, separating the two parts of the song. The second section is a lot faster and sounds a bit like groove metal.
The song then has a very different tone, feel, and vibe from the first half. The solo is what makes this number one, as it is just pure Dave Mustaine. If I had to choose one song to explain him, I would use this one.
Both versions of this song are almost equally good, but I slightly prefer The Four Horsemen. Both contain characteristics easily identified with Dave Mustaine, probably because he wrote them! Mechanix also has his distinctive growls that are his trademarks.
His solo on both versions is a pure Dave classic, as all his solos are. Shame Kirk had to play one... But I think this song is full of brilliant timing, rhythm, and energy. Truly a pair of masterpieces from the debut albums of both bands.
"The Call of Ktulu" was an instrumental on Metallica's second album, "Ride the Lightning." It is my personal favorite instrumental by any band. But what people seem to forget about this legendary thrash instrumental is the original demo, titled "When Hell Freezes Over."
It has some great tones, considering the poor recording quality you would expect from a demo recording. It starts with a classic Dave, dark riff without distortion. Then it builds up and erupts into darkness and pure shredding. They should have just put the demo on the album. It beats the Kirk version.
The "jazz" chords played lightning fast in the intro set the multi-genre influenced style for the rest of the song, as the solo is very neo-classically inspired. Despite being unique and different, the risk they took really worked in the end.
Then they start the next riff, which is practically "The Call of Ktulu" but played faster with more energy and enthusiasm. The verses are pretty simple, but the solo... Oh, sorry, the many solos are amazing. Truly the best non-instrumental neo-classical solo ever written.
The first Dave Mustaine song I ever heard. A track from their fifth album, "Countdown to Extinction," it brings back great memories for me of discovering Megadeth. The opening riff isn't very fast or complex - none of the song is - but it is powerful and heavy.
The part between the choruses is a great buildup, and the chorus is what got me hooked on Megadeth forever. The solo is very lightly neo-classical, but more just pure pentatonic shredding. This song is the best for any metalhead to start with, as it was one of the main songs that got me addicted to metal.
The opening track from the fifth album by Megadeth is really a piece of thrash brilliance. The opening riff is very fast and heavy, and the song only gets faster and heavier as it progresses.
The chorus is a little less heavy and fast, but still just as brilliant. It is 100% a Dave Mustaine classic and has, in my opinion, gone down in history as the ultimate Megadeth thrash metal song. Just pure thrash. And who said Rust in Peace was heavier than Countdown to Extinction?
The opening solo is a defining one for Dave Mustaine, showcasing all the techniques he is known for, and it is very fast. People did say Megadeth got bad from Youthanasia onwards, but come on! This was a very recent song and probably their heaviest.
It doesn't slow or soften down. It maintains its heaviness throughout the entire song. Just as a metal song should be: starts off very heavy, ends heavy, and doesn't slow down in the middle. Truly the best song of the century, of any genre.
Not their fastest song, but DAMN! It is a good one. It starts with a great bass solo, which people credit the other Dave (Ellefson) for, even though the entire song was written by Mustaine. Then he plays his second-best intro solo (behind Head Crusher) in classic Dave Mustaine style, descending by the semi-tone.
It then goes into an utterly mastered riff for the verse. Then there is another part with classic metal-style chords, followed by a swarm of insane guitar solos. The song then picks up speed with the bass solo, but played on guitar faster and more distorted. Finally, the chorus starts, followed by even more amazing solos.
If there is one thing Megadeth does better than other bands, it is having a catchy yet very heavy pure thrash metal chorus without being a poser thrash metal band. They definitely are not.
This song is very powerful, especially since it was written at the time of the death of the late Cliff Burton, who died WAY too young but still gave great solos. The chorus of this one has genuine power, unlike some very plain songs. It is an overwhelming masterpiece, as is the solo.
The Newcomers
Trust is the best song from Cryptic Writings. I guess that isn't much competition. This album and Risk together would make a real united abomination! I know, that was awful.
But the riff for this one is the most powerful and memorable one written by Dave Mustaine. The song builds up at the beginning, stops, and builds up again. It is like two songs in one. It is powerful and Dave Mustaine being amazing. Go Dave!
Awesome song, brutal lyrics.
Definitely the most melodic intro not only in metal but in all genres. Then comes a heavy, complex verse riff, which makes it awesome. Solos are also too good. Mustaine and Poland made it just great. Gar also made awesome drum lines for this. Just listen to this song and feel it. This is just great. So sad that it is the most ignored song.
