Dystopia (Megadeth album)
Dystopia is the fifteenth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth. It was released on frontman and guitarist Dave Mustaine's Tradecraft label via Universal on January 22, 2016. It is the first Megadeth album to feature guitarist Kiko Loureiro, the only album with drummer Chris Adler, and their last with bassist David Ellefson. The album was produced by Mustaine and Chris Rakestraw and features cover artwork by Brent Elliot White.
| Dystopia | ||||
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| Studio album by Megadeth | ||||
| Released | January 22, 2016 | |||
| Recorded | April–July 2015 | |||
| Studio | Lattitude Studio South, Leiper's Fork, Tennessee | |||
| Genre | Thrash metal | |||
| Length | 46:51 | |||
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| Singles from Dystopia | ||||
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Prior to Dystopia's recording, longtime drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick announced their departure from the band. These roles on the album have been filled by Lamb of God drummer Chris Adler and Angra guitarist Kiko Loureiro, respectively. Adler returned to Lamb of God shortly after the album's release, and was replaced by drummer Dirk Verbeuren.
Following the lukewarm response to Megadeth's previous album, 2013's Super Collider, Dystopia received mostly favorable reaction from critics, being considered a return to form for the band. The album holds a Metacritic score of 69/100 as of November 2020. The album debuted at number three on the Billboard 200 chart, making Dystopia the band's second highest charting album in the U.S. after Countdown to Extinction, which peaked at number two in 1992. Additionally, the title track earned the band its first Grammy win (for Best Metal Performance) at the 59th Grammy Awards after eleven unsuccessful nominations.