Megadeth: Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying? on DVD Audio

Just once I’d like to hear a heavy metal band sing about frolicking in a field or cuddling puppies.

Okay, so maybe that’s not the true spirit of the music, but why does it always have to be so angry? Even if the band members seem like perfectly decent, happy human beings, they’re always screaming obscenities and hating everything.

Megadeth’s album, Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying, was one of the pioneering heavy metal albums, inspiring countless other bands in subsequent years. The question is: why?

Musically, the album isn’t bad, but overall most of the songs are average at best. Frontman Dave Mustaine is a talented guitar player, and he wrote some pretty cool riffs for Peace Sells, but the lyrics seem tacked on. As an instrumental heavy metal album (is there even such a thing?), Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying would have worked a lot better.

Why this particular album was chosen for a DVD Audio disc when there are so many classic albums out there is beyond me. To make matters worse, it’s not even an overly spectacular release. You can do a lot with 5.1 surround, but this seems like the original disc was taken and stretched into five speakers, not actually remastered for 5.1 with any thought. There doesn’t seem to be any separation between the various instruments and vocals; you get exactly the same thing from each speaker, but it’s a bit quieter in the rears. The vocals are very quiet, almost inaudible at times, but that could be how the band wanted it (maybe they realized they were the weakest part of the songs!). Guitars are the most dominant element, with the rhythm section more in the background.

The disc has a few extra features, including a fifteen-minute interview with Mustaine, guitarist Chris Poland, and bassist Dave Ellefson. The bits were recorded just prior to the DVD Audio release of the album, so it’s nice to hear the three reflect on how the record came to be and the success that followed. It’s also nice to see what these guys look like over 15 years later. With the exception of Mustaine, you wouldn’t even recognize them.

There are also two music videos, one for Wake Up Dead and the other for Peace Sells. They’re pretty much what you’d expect from mid-80s heavy metal videos.

The DVD Audio also includes on-screen lyrics and a photo gallery

Audio choices are 5.1 MLP for DVD-Audio Players; 5.1 dts for dts-capable systems; 2.0 PCM for all DVD-Video players

1. Wake Up Dead (Mustaine)
2. The Conjuring (Mustaine)
3. Peace Sells (Mustaine)
4. Devil's Island (Mustaine)
5. Good Mourning/Black Friday (Mustaine)
6. Bad Omen (Mustaine)
7.I Ain't Superstitious (Dixon)
8. My Last Words (Mustaine)

Genre: Heavy Metal, Label: DTS Entertainment, 5.1 Mixed by: Mack (Nightjar), UPC: 692860110694

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