Youthanasia is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Megadeth, released on

November 1, 1994, through Capitol Records.[1] It is stylistically similar to their previous

album, Countdown to Extinction (1992). The title is a play on words, implying that society
is euthanizing its youth. The cover art features an elderly woman hanging babies by their feet
on a seemingly endless clothes line, a direct reference to a line in the title track.

Youthanasia received positive reviews upon its release. It was commercially successful,
peaking at number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart, and in 1995 was certified platinum for
shipping one million copies in the United States. A remixed and remastered edition featuring
several bonus tracks and detailed liner notes was reissued on July 27, 2004.

Background and recording

[edit]
Megadeth's previous studio release, Countdown to Extinction, became the band's biggest
commercial accomplishment, entering the Billboard 200 at number two and eventually
becoming double platinum. As a result, they continually sold-out arenas across North
America, in addition to developing a strong following overseas. With Youthanasia, the band
moved to a more mainstream sound.[2]

It was a time of problems and conflicts for Megadeth, that in every two weeks or so,
according to frontman Dave Mustaine, there were "outrageous emotional interventions" in
order to make the group a democracy. Many band meetings during this period concerned
Mustaine's creative control over a "successful formula", so that the rest of the band could
better exercise their creativity.[3] Another problem was the indecision on where the recording
would take place. Mustaine did not want to record in Los Angeles, so it was eventually
decided to record in Phoenix, since the majority of the band resided in Arizona.[4]

The sessions for the album initially began in Phase Four Studios (Tempe) in January 1994,
after a few weeks the sessions were moved to Vintage Recorders in Phoenix and continued
there into May. This studio is often the location for scenes in the Evolver video.
[3]
Producer Max Norman suggested that they build a new self-dedicated studio, in
cooperation with the band, Capitol and Norman's funding a modular studio was built in a
warehouse in South Phoenix. Talking about the recording process, Mustaine said
that Youthanasia was written solely in the studio. "We weren't playing any old, cataloged
material. None of the past really influenced the new record."[5] He mentioned that he gave
"more freedom" to the other members and called the album "very much a total band effort". [6]

Of interest is that this was hoped to be the first album recorded solely on hard drives, rather
than magnetic tape. Both Norman and Mustaine were believers in being on the cutting edge
of technology, Norman had long been using computers to sample, tune and comp
tracks. Digidesign was working on expanding Pro Tools from a single track to multitracking
and it was hoped that as many as 48 digital tracks could be synced and used to record. The
computers used were mostly Macintosh Quadra and with a great effort by all, it was soon
evident that magnetic tape would have to be used.

Artwork and title

[edit]
 Dave Mustaine later credited the entire line-up for
writing Youthanasia as a tribute to the band's success at the time.
The cover art by Hugh Syme features an elderly woman hanging babies by their feet on a
seemingly endless clothesline. According to bassist David Ellefson, the artwork concept was
directly inspired from a line of the title track, "We've been hung out to dry". He explained
that the title track "was probably the strongest representation of how we feel about the young
people who listen to our music and what their future holds for them. It's like you have a
choice, you can become proactive or you can choose 'Youthanasia'."[7] The title is a
combination of the words "youth" and "euthanasia". Mustaine has stated that the idea for the
title stems from hearing about Jack Kevorkian, as well as the declining state of well-being of
young people, specifically referring to issues like drugs, crime and violence, and a lack of
parenting.[4] The live version of the artwork is also seen in "Train of Consequences" music
video.[8]

Like its previous album Countdown to Extinction, Youthanasia is the second album to not
feature the band's mascot Vic Rattlehead on the front cover but on the back instead.

Musical style
[edit]
Youthanasia was not a large stylistic departure from the band's earlier recordings. According
to Billboard, from the drumbeat opening of "Addicted to Chaos" to the precise
instrumentation of "Train of Consequences", Megadeth delivered "trademark aggressive rage
'n' roll to powerful effect". Billboard noted that even the slower songs such as "A Tout le
Monde" were tending toward "lusty explosion".[9] Authors Pete Prown and HP Newquist
opined that lyrically, Youthanasia contained more thematic variations from Megadeth. They
wrote that the record was musically diverse, from the "slow-tempo acoustic lines" of "A Tout
le Monde" to the "breakneck riffing" of "Train of Consequences" and "Family Tree".
[10]
Q found that Megadeth's "trademark crunchy riffs, thundering drums and bitter vocals"
were still present on the album, with the lyrics being more introspective.[11]

Mike Stagno said that Youthanasia features "a more traditional type of metal". He explained
that even though the music on a number of tracks remains quite heavy, it was obvious that
the thrash metal is "very scarce" on this record.[12] Stephen Thomas Erlewine agreed that
Megadeth have abandoned some of the more experimental, progressive elements in their
music.[13] Similarly, Chris Ayers of Exclaim! felt that with Youthanasia, the band "eroded
their brilliant thrash to mid-paced chug".[14] According to the band's official website,
"Youthanasia marked the continuing evolution of Megadeth, following the footsteps of their
previous album."[15] Speaking about the stylistic direction of the album, then-guitarist Marty
Friedman stated: "We pretty much stick to our guns. It's not like we're gonna change our next
album to try and follow the trend. We don't really change with the times."[16] On the album's
genre, Mustaine said: "It's been called a thrash album, it's been called a rock album, and it's
even been called an alternative album. To me it can only be called a Megadeth album. That
should be enough."[6]

Release and reception

[edit]
The album was released on 1 November 1994 through Capitol Records.[13] Promotion
included the first official website for a band, "Megadeth, Arizona", described by its
conceiver, Robin Sloan Bechtel, as “a virtual cybertown in cyberspace" where fans gathered
in an online community that among other things offered news regarding Megadeth's new
album.[17] A special promotional copy of the album was issued with an essay by suspense
novelist Dean Koontz entitled "Godzilla vs. Megadeth".[18] A remixed and remastered edition
featuring several bonus tracks and detailed liner notes was reissued on July 27, 2004.[19]

Three singles were released from Youthanasia: "Reckoning Day", "Train of Consequences"
and "A Tout le Monde".[15] The latter would later be re-recorded with Lacuna
Coil vocalist Cristina Scabbia under the title "À Tout le Monde (Set Me Free)". This version
was also released as a single, and included on United Abominations (2007).[20]

Critical reception
[edit]

Professional ratings

Review scores

Source Rating

[13]
AllMusic

Collector's Guide to Heavy Metal 8/10[21]

Entertainment Weekly B−[22]

[23]
Los Angeles Times

Metal Forces 7.5/10[24]

[11]
Q

[25]
The Rolling Stone Album Guide

[12]
Sputnikmusic

The album received positive reviews upon its release. Stephen Thomas Erlewine, reviewing
the album for AllMusic, commented that, compared to Countdown to Extinction the album
lacks focus. However, Erlewine suggested that the album's production quality made up for
that. He also commented favorably on "Train of Consequences", calling out its "jackhammer
riffs".[13] Mike Stagno of Sputnikmusic reviewed the album positively. Though noting that the
album, like its predecessor, was a distinct move away from the sound heard on 1990s Rust in
Peace, Stagno suggested that the lack of a fast-tempo is made up for by the catchiness of the
tracks.[12]

In a contemporary review, Q magazine wrote that Youthanasia has "greater depth and breadth
than its predecessors".[11] Tom Sinclair of Entertainment Weekly gave a brief review of the
album saying that Youthanasia would "impress, but not impact".[22] Neil Arnold of Metal
Forces named the record "the last true Megadeth opus before the mid-to-late 90s slump". He
further said that the album "pales" in comparison to the previous records, but still keeps the
band in their element.[24] Paul Corio, in a retrospective review for Rolling Stone, wrote that the
album features "metal-machine music" that is "calibrated to kill". He highlighted "Elysian
Fields" and "Victory" as examples of Mustaine in his prime.[26] Despite the outcry of some
fans, Pete Prown called Youthanasia "more than worthy follow-up" to Countdown to
Extinction.[10] In 2014, Guitar World ranked Youthanasia at number 29 on their list of
"Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994".[27]

Sales
[edit]
Youthanasia was commercially successful, debuting and peaking at number 4 on
the Billboard 200, with 143,000 units sold in its first week.[28] This marked the band's second
top five album, slightly below the number two peak of Countdown to Extinction in 1992, and
the band would only reach such a landmark again in 2016 with Dystopia.[29][30] Several weeks
after its release, the record was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of
America (RIAA) for shipping one million copies in the United States.[31] The album also
managed to enter into the top 10 in the United Kingdom[32] and some other European countries
as well.[33] It eventually received a platinum certification from Music Canada and a silver
award from the British Phonographic Industry (BPI) for shipments of 100,000 and 60,000
copies, respectively.[34][35] The singles "Train of Consequences" and "A Tout le Monde" both
charted on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.[29]

Touring and aftermath

[edit]
Megadeth toured heavily in support of Youthanasia. They started the tour in November 1994,
with live performances in South America.[36] The tour continued in 1995, with a number of
opening acts such as Korn, Flotsam and Jetsam and Fear Factory.[37] During this period
Megadeth also visited Europe, where they stayed for eight weeks. Ellefson shared his
impressions from performing in front of European fans: "So far, the audiences have been
really good and it seems to me that heavy metal and especially Megadeth are very much at
the forefront of music in Europe. It seems like the attendance is better than it has ever been".
[5]
The worldwide tour ended in September 1995, with the band performing at Monsters of
Rock in South America with Ozzy Osbourne and Alice Cooper as the headliners.[36]

In the middle of 1995, the band underwent changes on the business side. Manager Ron
Lafitte was hired by EMI Records and essentially disbanded his management company.
Megadeth later signed with ESP Management and hired Bud Prager, a previous manager
of Foreigner and Bad Company, to be the band's new creative manager. As with Max
Norman before him, Prager would go on to be highly influential in shaping the direction of
the band.[38] In an interview for Hard Rock Examiner, Mustaine revealed that there was a
possibility of Megadeth performing the album in its entirety in 2014, honoring the 20-year
anniversary of the record's release.[39]

Track listing
[edit]
All tracks are written by Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson, Marty Friedman and Nick Menza.

Side one
No. Title Length
1. "Reckoning Day" 4:34
2. "Train of Consequences" 3:26
3. "Addicted to Chaos" 5:26
4. "A Tout le Monde" 4:28
5. "Elysian Fields" 4:03
6. "The Killing Road" 3:57
Side two
No. Title Length
7. "Blood of Heroes" 3:57
8. "Family Tree" 4:07
9. "Youthanasia" 4:09
10. "I Thought I Knew It All" 3:44
11. "Black Curtains" 3:39
12. "Victory" 4:27
Total length: 49:57
Japanese edition bonus tracks
No. Title Length
13. "A Crown of Worms" (demo version with alternate vocal melody) 3:18
14. "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" (live) 6:57
15. "Symphony of Destruction" (live) 3:44
16. "Sweating Bullets" (live) 4:46
Total length: 68:42
2004 remastered edition bonus tracks
No. Title Lyrics Music Length
13. "Millennium of the Blind" Mustaine  Mustaine 2:15
 Friedman
14. "New World Order" (demo) 3:45
15. "Absolution" (demo) 3:27
16. "A Tout le Monde" (demo) 6:20
Total length: 65:44
Personnel
[edit]
Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.[3][40]

Megadeth
 Dave Mustaine – vocals, guitars
David Ellefson – bass
Marty Friedman – guitars
Nick Menza – drums
Additional musician

Jimmie Wood – harmonica on "Train of Consequences" and "Elysian Fields"

Production

Produced and mixed by Max Norman and Dave Mustaine

Assistant engineer – Mike Tacci
2nd assistant engineer and drum technician – Bruce Jacoby
Guitar/Bass/Amplifier Technician and effects programming, demo recording
engineer – Michael Kaye
 Mastered by Bob Ludwig
2004 remix and remaster

 Produced by Dave Mustaine

 Mixed by Ralph Patlan and Dave Mustaine
 Engineered by Ralph Patlan with Lance Dean
 Edited by Lance Dean and Scott "Sarge" Harrison with Bo Caldwell
 Mastered by Tom Baker
Charts
[edit]
Weekly charts
[edit]

Peak
Chart (1994–1995)
position

Australian Albums (ARIA)[41] 9

Austrian Albums (Ö3 Austria)[42] 26

Belgian Albums (Ultratop Wallonia)[43] 30

Canada Top Albums/CDs (RPM)[44] 11

Dutch Albums (Album Top 100)[45]