The System Has Failed

Untitled

The System Has Failed is the tenth studio album released by American thrash metal band Megadeth, and the first album to be released after the break-up of the band in 2002. It was released on September 14, 2004.

The "system" referred to in the album's title is "the American system and western civilization" which in Mustaine's opinion dictates what the world follows. Mustaine cites examples of such failure in America's educational system, which underpays its teachers, and its court system, which allows criminals to escape punishment.

Production and marketing

Originally intended to be a solo album by its author Dave Mustaine, the record was re-branded with the Megadeth name as a result of contractual obligations owed to Mustaine's record company EMI (Mustaine also admitted that, after listening to and playing the songs multiple times, he claimed "they were Megadeth songs, not solo songs"). In an effort to avoid the financial cost and interpersonal conflicts associated with re-assembling the band's original line-up, Mustaine hired session musicians Vinnie Colaiuta (drums) and Jimmy Sloas (bass) to perform on the record. In a surprising move, Mustaine also hired former Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland to perform lead guitar on the album.

Mustaine co-produced the record with Jeff Balding, who had previously engineered Cryptic Writings and Risk.

Cover art

The cover art by Mike Learn features Vic Rattlehead at a podium in front of the United States Supreme Court building selling a not-guilty verdict to George W. Bush. Saluting is Hillary Clinton, next to Bill Clinton. Behind Bush in line is Dick Cheney holding a briefcase labeled "plan B". Behind him is Condoleezza Rice and others.

Track listing

All songs written by Dave Mustaine, except where is noted.

1. "Blackmail The Universe"  – 4:33
2. "Die Dead Enough" – 4:18 ()
3. "Kick The Chair" – 3:57
4. "The Scorpion" – 5:59
5. "Tears In A Vial" – 5:22
6. "I Know Jack" – 0:40
7. "Back In The Day" – 3:28
8. "Something That I'm Not" – 5:07
9. "Truth Be Told" – 5:40
10. "Of Mice And Men" – 4:05
11. "Shadow Of Deth" – 2:15
12. "My Kingdom" – 3:04

BestBuy bonus track

13. "Strange Ways" (Ace Frehley) – 2:47
    • Kiss cover

Personnel

• Dave Mustaine: guitar, vocals
• Chris Poland: guitar (Session Member)
• Jimmy Sloas: bass guitar (Session Member)
• Vinnie Colaiuta: drums (Session Member)
• Mike Learn: Cover art

Trivia

• This is the band's fourth studio album that is not named after a specific song on the album, following So Far, So Good... So What!, Cryptic Writings and Risk. However, the title is heard in a lyric for the song "Kick the Chair".

• On the original cover, the politicians depicted resemble George W. Bush, Donald Rumsfeld, John Ashcroft, Dick Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Bill Clinton and Hillary Clinton. It also shows a $100 bill with Vic Rattlehead's face in instead of Benjamin Franklin.

• "Of Mice and Men" was selected as the second video from the album. In this video the new Megadeth line up is performing - Dave Mustaine, Shawn Drover, Glen Drover and James MacDonough. The majority of the video was shot on January 20, 2005 in Los Angeles. Numbers of Megadeth fans turned up to be in the video through a "contest" held by Sanctuary Group who funded the video. The video follows the autobiographical lyric of the song which tells the life of Dave Mustaine between the age of 17 to 25 years old. The title of the song is taken from the famous novel of the same name.

• "Shadow of Deth" is a recitation of the King James version of Psalm 23, traditionally said to have been authored by David. The Latin phrase heard at the beginning of the track, "Auxilium meum a Domino," translates to "My help comes from the Lord."

• The track "I Know Jack" includes a sample of Texas Senator Lloyd Bentsen's famous response to Indiana Senator Dan Quayle during a 1988 vice-presidential debate.

• "Back in the Day" was featured in the Duck Dodgers episode "In Space, No One Can Hear You Rock".[1]

• "Blackmail the Universe" has numerous quotes from the movie "Thirteen Days", which was about the Cuban missile crisis.

• This was the first album in Megadeth's history on which David Ellefson did not appear.

Charts

Album

Year	Chart	Position
2004	The Billboard 200	18

Singles

Year	Single	Chart	Position
2004	"Die Dead Enough"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	21
2005	"Of Mice and Men"	Mainstream Rock Tracks	39

External links

• Rock Pages interview with Dave Mustaine
• UnderGroundOnline interview with Dave Mustaine by Craine C
• Megadeth official site