First album for founder/guitarist/singer’s new label sees Dave Mustaine getting input from others, including DISTURBED/DEVICE frontman David Draiman, who guests on ‘Dance In The Rain’ and ‘Forget To Remember’, the closing THIN LIZZY ‘Cold Sweat’ cover and ‘Built For War’, which Mega Dave co-wrote with drummer Shawn Drover and (ex-JAG PANZER) guitarist Chris Broderick. Varied, it’s much more of a “rock” record than recent thrash efforts Endgame and United Abominations. A lively opener, ‘Kingmaker’, which regards the empowering aspects of narcotic pain killers (one of Dave’s previous addictions), leaps for the speakers with lots of whammy bar action, upbeat, but not full-on thrash. Title track/first single is sort of step back in time, like something off Youthanasia, as opposed to a speedy, ‘Built For War’, which apart from a “whoa, whoa” mid-section has a Rust In Peace feel. ‘Burn!’ begins with a run of the fretboard, but pretty mundane lyrics for Mustaine: “Burn baby burn, because it feels so good.” Have a feeling this one’s a veiled heroin reference (with allusions to slipping inside the noose: tightening band to expose veins)… maybe not. A distant, jangly guitar introduces Draiman’s first appearance, Mustaine narrating his philosophy of life (hand-to-mouth existence is your Hell, no way out): you have to learn how to “dance in the rain, instead of wait for the sun. The sun will never come.” Some spirited riffing until the end, when it briefly veers into more industrial tinged territory. ‘Beginning Of Sorrow’ starts like some psychedelic flashback, odd for a heavy topic: psychological consequences of growing up the result of an unwanted/unplanned pregnancy. Ye-Haw, a banjo and symphonic strings introduce ‘The Blackest Crow’, the countrified instrument remains throughout. A jazzy, warm-up exercise on the guitar gradually gets louder, until it bursts into ‘Don’t Turn Your Back…’ the heaviest number, driven by Drover’s syncopated drums. In some ways, it makes a tidy full circle journey, from the like-minded ‘Kingmaker’, which kicked things off, but the rousing Lizzy tune actually finishes off the album. Wouldn't mind hearing that one live, in place of 'God Save The Queen'. Best Buy version offers two additional tracks (‘All I Want’ & ‘A House Divided’), plus a live rendition of ‘Symphony Of Destruction’, while the Japanese get the newbies plus ‘Countdown To Extinction’ onstage.