Risk (Megadeth album)

Background and release

Risk followed the band's 1997 release Cryptic Writings, which according to Nielsen Soundscan, had sold 850,000 copies and won widespread praise from rock radio programmers. Referring to the upcoming record, Rob Gordon, a VP of marketing at Capitol Records, stated that "before the last record, we'd maybe had one track at rock radio, and it would be over. With this record, like the last one, I think we'll have four-plus again."

The title stems from a comment by Dave Mustaine's former Metallica bandmate Lars Ulrich, who suggested to Mustaine that he should take more "risks" with his music. According to Mustaine, he was also encouraged to experiment by Marty Friedman’s desire to indulge in his pop sensibilities. On the other hand, newcomer Jimmy DeGrasso wanted to do a "heavy record", unlike the rest of the band who wanted to try out something different. As bassist David Ellefson recalls, the band's manager Bud Prager had told them that they needed "to do something that will make all of their contemporaries knock themselves on the head and say, 'Why didn't we think of that'?". This decision resulted in mixed reviews for both the band and the album; a good portion did not favor the new sound and image, while others were more receptive to the band's attempts at experimenting with their sound and trying something different.

Megadeth chose to produce the album once again with Dann Huff in Nashville, satisfied with the success of their previous record. The band started writing the songs right after finishing the tour in support of Cryptic Writings. It took them five to six weeks to write the songs, and they went to Nashville in January 1999 to record the album. The recording process lasted four months, and according to Ellefson, it was a "long haul". The original American pressing of the album was released as an enhanced CD, and featured a brief documentary about the making of the album as bonus content. Several European editions of the album contained a "No Risk Disk" as a bonus item, featuring one song from each of Megadeth's previous six major label albums. Lastly, the Japanese version of the album includes a bonus track, which is the theme from Duke Nukem. In 2004, a remixed and remastered version of the album was released, featuring three bonus tracks, all different mixes of songs on the album. The cover for the remaster was noticeably different from the original, featuring a scene from the music video for "Insomnia". In addition, a couple of tracks have slightly different song durations—some shorter, some longer—with the most noticeable one being "I'll Be There," which features an additional 53 seconds.

Critical reception

The album received a mixed response from music critics. AllMusic's reviewer Steve Huey gave a sympathetic, if not exactly favorable review of the remixed and remastered 2004 pressing of Risk. Huey stated that the album had "aged gracefully," compared to Metallica's Load (1996) and ReLoad (1997). However, he did note that the band had lost their edge on the album. Entertainment Weekly reviewer Laura Morgan compared "Insomnia" to Broken-era Nine Inch Nails and gave the album a B-, though she criticized Mustaine's vocal performance on the album. The New Rolling Stone Album Guide gave the album three stars out of five and noted that the album "had its moments". Mike Stagno of Sputnikmusic, taking into account that the album has a different appeal, was somewhat positive in his review. Stagno cited the first few tracks as the album's "harder edge". However, he noted that some of the following softer tracks were "standout tracks" as well. Stagno did note, however, that some of the emotion on the album was "cheesy". Amy Sciarretto of CMJ New Music Report noted that Risk marked another significant change in Megadeth's sound and called it a "logical stylistic progression" from their previous album. According to her, Mustaine's "biting lyrics" and "power riffs" were toned down, finding Megadeth "traveling out of thrash metal territory".

In a retrospective review, Jeff Treppel from Decibel wrote that Risk was "definitely Megadeth’s most adventurous record" and characterized it as a "decent hard rock album that should have never been put out under the Megadeth name". Dave Mustaine has since expressed that, although he believes that Risk is a great record, it "should not have had the name Megadeth on it, because if anybody else's name was on 'Risk,' it would have sold". However, Mustaine has also stated that "Crush 'Em" was "probably the dumbest" song that the band has ever recorded and said that he was "not too fond of" it.

Songs

Three singles were released in support of the album: "Insomnia", "Crush 'Em", and "Breadline". All three received music videos. Additionally, "Crush 'Em" was featured in Jean-Claude Van Damme's 1999 movie Universal Soldier: The Return. Mustaine originally wrote the song hoping that it would be adopted at arenas nationwide as a new sports anthem. After its release as a single, the song has been broadcast during NHL games and pro wrestling events.

Jeff Treppel spoke positively about the album's opener "Insomnia", naming it "one of the best Megadeth songs of the past 15 years". The song features swirling Middle Eastern strings, crunching guitar line and, according to Treppel, some of Mustaine’s most demented lyrics. Treppel further described "Ecstasy" as "grunge ballad" and noted that it sounds like a "reject from Cryptic Writings". He had mixed feelings about "Seven", and observed "The Doctor Is Calling" like a tune that "aims for creepy, but hits cheesy instead". By contrast, DeGrasso felt that "The Doctor Is Calling" along with "Prince of Darkness" were "definitely heavy songs" with "really dark lyrics on them". Ellefson described the tracks "Breadline" and "Wanderlust" as "melodic" with "very modern-sounding" grooves. Neil Arnold from Metal Forces opined that "Breadline" is "as melodic and commercial as Megadeth gets", while noting that "Wanderlust" and "I'll Be There" are "probably two of the band's most underrated songs".

All of the released singles charted on the Billboard's Mainstream Rock Chart, with "Crush 'Em" and "Breadline" breaking into the Top 10. Aside from just being released as a conventional single, "Breadline" was also released as its own EP in Japan featuring several versions of the song, and remixes of other songs from Risk and Megadeth's back catalog. After leaving Megadeth, Friedman would later cover this song on his solo album Future Addict.

Track listing

All music composed by Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman except where noted.

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.