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I've been seeing comments that this is Megadeth's best album since Countdown to Extinction, and I think that's pretty accurate. What caught my attention on the first listen was how much of the guitar work goes way back to the band's '80s and early '90s output. It's not all like that, as overall the album is a mix of both old and "new" (past 20 years or so) Megadeth, but every so often and practically in every song I found myself cracking a smile when hearing some passages that would have fit on one of the band's albums 30+ years ago. Couple that with the artwork, and they really seem to be going after old-school fans here.

The vocals are decent, but I always found Mustaine's vocal style to be a detriment rather than an asset—hell, I know people who stay away from the band just because of the vocals. If you like those, he's still got it. Some of the lyrics, however, I found to be rather cringe-worthy, sometimes I was like "dude, WTF?" I'd rather not name any song as this is highly subjective, so this is better left to personal interpretation.

I've been listening to the digital edition of the album which includes two bonus tracks (there are several editions, with or without bonus tracks that seem to all differ—good luck with that). It's a little weird that I found their covers of the Dead Kennedys' "Police Truck" and Sammy Hagar's "The Planet's on Fire (Burn in Hell)" to be among my favourites on the album, these versions being some catchy and fun thrash 'n' roll.

Overall, a pretty strong album for Megadeth. Quite frankly, there are many thrash bands doing thrash better these days that merit more attention than this, but if you're into Megadeth, it's nice to see the band going back closer to its roots.