Megadeth
So Far, So Good... So What!

Megadeth – So Far, So Good… So what! (1988)

Third album, the moment of truth. Mascot well-positioned on the cover, a war-impact image, planet Earth in the background as if to say, “we'll deal with you later.” Many things happened just before this album: Chris Poland and Gar Samuelson, respectively guitar and drums, were fired. In their place, Jeff Young, a guitar instructor with a degree, and Chuck Behler, Samuelson's drum technician, were hired. Was this a wise choice? The question is poorly posed. Choice? We're not there yet. Let me explain. To replace the two original members properly, Mustaine and Ellefson (respectively vocals/guitar and bass/backing vocals) would probably have had to call Allan Holdsworth and Terry Bozzio, given the level of Poland and Samuelson.

The magic of the first two albums, among the finest examples of how metal can be original and diverse, has almost completely vanished. With this album, Megadeth realigned themselves but effectively became another band. Sure, Mustaine's compositional skills were becoming more and more confident, but it is evident that, even though we are facing another excellent chapter for a band that had only taken its first steps 4 years earlier, the result does not hold up well compared to its predecessor.

The sophistication of the first two albums does not find its proper continuation here, and if in the recent past the group had surprised us with elaborate, eclectic, and memorable tracks, here the music becomes more bare, almost punk rock. To understand what Mustaine and Ellefson had in mind when they fired Poland and Samuelson instead of continuing until today with the same lineup, we would need to ask them directly. The drop in the musical discourse’s tone is evident in the choice to record "Anarchy In The UK" by the Sex Pistols when not long before the band had amazed the music world with two beautiful reinterpretations of "These Boots" by Nancy Sinatra and "I Ain't Superstitious" by Willie Dixon. The production is muddled, although it holds up. The album, recorded at Music Grinder in Los Angeles, had Paul Lani, who had already worked with the group on “Peace Sells,” as producer. It's said that Mustaine fired Lani after seeing him at sunrise feeding a deer with an apple while still in his underwear. At this point, Michael Wagner was hired to finish the job, but the situation was at the height of madness. Personal issues, internal conflicts, and the manager who quit after the ousting of Poland and Samuelson. The band hit rock bottom. After the support tour for the album, Mustaine detoxified from various substances, and shortly before, so did Ellefson. Jeff Young was fired for allegedly making advances towards Mustaine’s partner, and Chuck Behler lost his place (apparently) due to an excessive passion for drugs. The group would take a very short break and then restart with drummer Nick Menza, who was, ironically, Chuck Behler's drum technician.