Megadeth
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The World Needs a Hero
Released May 15, 2001
Recorded 2000 at Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood; additional overdubs at Saltmine Studios in Mesa, Arizona and Scream Studios in Studio City, California
Length 57:49
Number of tracks 12
Label Sanctuary
Chronology
Previous Album
Risk
Next Album
The System Has Failed

HThe World Needs a Hero is the ninth studio album by American heavy metal band Megadeth, released in 2001. It marks a stylistic transition back to the band's thrash metal roots after the commercial hard rock style of their previous four albums (Countdown to Extinction, Youthanasia, Cryptic Writings, and Risk). The album still retains much of the commercial feel from previous albums as Mustaine claims the album was like "a ship lost at sea trying to return to its course".[1] It is the last studio album to feature drummer Jimmy DeGrasso and original bassist David Ellefson, as well as the only one to feature Al Pitrelli on lead guitar.

"Return to Hangar" is a sequel to the song "Hangar 18", found on Rust in Peace.

Mustaine also dedicated the song "When" to all the nay-sayers on Megadeth's internet message board who spoke ill of him and the band after their recent attempts at commercial success (or, a "big fuck you to all the wishy-washy fans out there".) The main riff and structure of "When" is reminiscent of "Am I Evil?" by Diamond Head, which Mustaine has said was intentional, as a homage to Diamond Head and the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal movement[2].

The World Needs a Hero is the first Megadeth album since 1990's Rust in Peace to feature band mascot Vic Rattlehead on the front cover. Edited versions of the album put an adhesive bandage over the innards of Dave Mustaine from which Vic Rattlehead is seen emerging.

A single, as well as a video, was made out of the lead single, Moto Psycho. Dread and the Fugitive Mind was also released as a promo single as well as previous release Capitol Punishment and the following release Still Alive... and Well?. The track "1000 Times Goodbye" contains a similar but slightly different riff used in "Millennium of the Blind", a song found as a bonus track on the Youthanasia 2004 remaster.

Tracklisting[]

Regular version[]

No. Title Composer Length
1. Disconnect Dave Mustaine 5:20
2. The World Needs a Hero Mustaine 3:52
3. Moto Psycho Mustaine 3:06
4. 1000 Times Goodbye Mustaine 6:25
5. Burning Bridges Mustaine 5:20
6. Promises Mustaine, Al Pitrelli 4:28
7. Recipe for Hate... Warhorse Mustaine 5:18
8. Losing My Senses Mustaine 4:40
9. Dread and the Fugitive Mind Mustaine 4:25
10. Silent Scorn (Instrumental) Mustaine 1:40
11. Return to Hangar Mustaine 3:59
12. When Mustaine 9:14
Total length:
57:49

Japanese version[]

No. Title Composer Length
1. Disconnect Mustaine 5:20
2. The World Needs a Hero Mustaine 3:52
3. Coming Home Mustaine 2:35
4. Moto Psycho Mustaine 3:06
5. 1000 Times Goodbye Mustaine 6:25
6. Burning Bridges Mustaine 5:20
7. Promises Mustaine, Pitrelli 4:28
8. Recipe for Hate... Warhorse Mustaine 5:18
9. Losing My Senses Mustaine 4:40
10. Dread and the Fugitive Mind Mustaine 4:25
11. Silent Scorn (Instrumental) Mustaine 1:40
12. Return to Hangar Mustaine 3:59
13. When Mustaine 9:14
Total length:
01:00:24

2019 Reissue[]

No. Title Composer Length
13. Coming Home Mustaine 2:35

Personnel[]

Megadeth

Additional performances and arrangement

  • Heather Keckler: spoken words on "The World Needs a Hero" and "1000 Times Goodbye"
  • Bob Findley: trumpet on "Silent Scorn"
  • Suzie Katayama: string arrangement on "Promises" and "Losing My Senses"

Production

  • Produced by Dave Mustaine; Co-produced by Bill Kennedy
  • Mixed and engineered by Bill Kennedy
  • Assistant engineers: Mark Valentine, Lance Dean, Jay Goin, Greg Edenfield
  • Pro Tools: Chris Vrenna, Joe Bishara, James Murray, Sean Dever, Ken Mary, Lance Dean
  • Digital editing by Chris Vrenna on "Moto Psycho", "The World Needs a Hero", and "1000 Times Goodbye"
  • Mastered by Tom Jensen

In pop culture[]

The song "Moto Psycho" is used as the main theme song for the Dreamcast game Heavy Metal: Geomatrix.

Trivia[]

  • "The World Needs a Hero" and "1000 Times Goodbye" feature the voice of Heather Keckler (Miss Arizona 2000 and Megadeth.com's "She-Wolf")
  • "1000 Time Goodbye", "Burning Bridges", "Dread and the Fugitive Mind" and "Return To Hangar" are featured on the live album Rude Awakening.
  • "Dread and the Fugitive Mind" was previously featured on Capitol Punishment and later appeared on Still Alive... and Well?, Back to the Start, and Anthology: Set the World Afire, it was also featured on Warchest along with "Moto Psycho", "1000 Times Goodbye", and "Coming Home".
  • "Silent Scorn" was played at the end of both released live concerts Rude Awakening and That One Night: Live In Buenos Aires.
  • "Return to Hangar" was played with "Hangar 18" as used as a 2 in 1 song structure just like "Good Mourning/Black Friday" from Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? on That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires, it is listed in the song selection as "Hangar 18/Return to Hangar".
  • The CD jacket misspells Al Pitrelli's name as "Petrelli" for the solos to the song "Dread and the Fugitive Mind".
  • "Coming Home" was released on this album exclusively to Japan (but later appeared on the Warchest box set as a song previously unreleased in the US), was played on That One Night: Live In Buenos Aires with Dave Mustaine on vocals and Glen Drover on acoustic guitar, Dave changed the lyric "I'm coming home to Arizona" by replacing "Arizona" to "Argentina", the song is listed on the CD as "Coming Home to Argentina".

Charts[]

Album[]

Year Chart Position
2001 The Billboard 200 16

Singles[]

Year Single Chart Position
2001 "Moto Psycho" Mainstream Rock Tracks 22

References[]

  1. VH1:Megadeth-Behind the Music - DVD extras
  2. The Realms of Deth - Megadeth Lyrics - The World Needs a Hero

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