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Based in Los Angeles, California USA, the Thrash Heavy-Metal band Megadeth
was founded in 1984 by singer+guitarist Dave Mustaine, who was one of
the original members from the first incarnation of Metallica,
but he was fired because his drug abuse; shortly afterwards Mustaine hooked
up with bassist Dave Ellefson and within a year the pair recruited guitarist
Chris Poland and drummer Gar Samuelson.
Megadeth's first album, "Killing Is My Business...", was released
in 1985 to little attention; highlights include a retooled version of
Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots " and "Mechanix", a Mustaine
composition written with James Hetfield.
One year later, the band's Capitol debut, "Peace Sells...But Who's
Buying?", cracked The Billboard Top 200 Albums chart and cemented
their reputation as one of the most innovative Thrash-Metal acts.
After a few changes in the line-up, Megadeth, recorded 1988's "So
Far, So Good...So What!" and 1990's "Rust In Peace" with
guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza; both of these records
climbed into the top 30 of the Official U.S. Albums chart.
In the summer of 1992, the group released "Countdown To Extinction"
which would prove to be their breakthrough commercial success peakeing
at #2 on The Billboard Top 200 Albums chart and selling over 2 million
copies in the U.S. alone; it included three Mainstream Rock top 30 hits:
"Symphony Of Destruction", "Sweating Bullets" and
"Foreclosure Of A Dream".
One year later, Megadeth with the single, "Angry Again", taken
from movie soundtrack "Last Action Hero", entered the top 20
of The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Mustaine sought treatment for his drug and alcohol problems before the
recording sessions of the band's sixth effort. "Youthanasia",
which arrived in 1994, crashed into the top 5 of The Billboard Top 200
chart spawning excellent Metal tunes and power ballads such as the Active
Rock top 40s "Train Of Consequences" and "A Tout Le Monde".
The following year was released the rarities collection "Hidden Treasures"
which scraped the bottom of the top 100 of the Official U.S. Albums chart.
1997's "Cryptic Writings" yielded four top 20 hits at active-Rock
radio, including the #5 "Trust", the #8 "Almost Honest",
"Use The Man" and "A Secret Place"; the album peaked
at #10 on Billboard's Top 200 list but missed the platinum certification.
Two years later Megadeth released "Risk" which featured a Pop-Metal
slant unheard on previous band's recordings and change in the line-up
occurred when Menza left, so Jimmy DeGrasso joined as the new drummer;
the record hit the top 20 of the North-American albums charts spawning
"Crush 'Em" and "Breadline", which both peaked at
#6 on The Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
After leaving Capitol and losing longtime guitarist Marty Friedman who
was replaced by Al Pitrelli, the group signed with the BMG subsidiary
Sanctuary Records who released in May 2001 "The World Needs A Hero",
it reached the #16 position on The Billboard 200 Albums chart, but its
main single, "Moto Psycho", missed the top 20 of the Active
Rock chart.
In January 2002 a freak injury, Mustaine fell asleep on his arm, causing
nerve damage, forced the frontman to put his career and Megadeth on hiatus,
while reassessing both.
Mustaine returned to action during 2004; his band, which now included
lead guitarist Glen Drover, bassist James MacDonough and drummer Shawn
Drover, delivered "The System Has Failed"; the CD debuted at
#18 in U.S. and at #10 in Canada upon its September release, while the
lead single, "Die Dead Enough", hit #21 on The Mainstream Rock
chart and "Of Mice And Men" reached the #39 slot.
In May 2007, Megadeth, which sees frontman Dave Mustaine joined by bassist
James LoMenzo and the sibling tandem of Glen Drover and Shawn Drover on
guitar and drums, will release "United Abominations", the band's
first LP for the Roadrunner label; it includes the album-opening "Sleepwalker"
and the first single, a duet between Mustaine and Lacuna
Coil's Cristina Scabbia, "A Tout Le Monde (Set Me Free)".
Megadeth biography is an exclusive of 100xr.com
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