Customer Reviews

Anthology: Set the World AFire

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

This compilation covers the First album all the way to the first compilation (Capital Punishment: The Megadeth Years Dread and Fugitive Mind also made it to the ninth (The World Needs a Hero) album) This compilation is heavy on the first five capitol records (Peace Sells to Youthanasia) albums plus hidden treasures on top of 2 tracks from the first (Killing Is My Business), Seventh (Cryptic Writings), and Eighth (Risk) albums including some b-sides(demos, live tracks, and rarities). A majority of the tracks are the remixed versions from 2004. For some reason the original mix of Rattlehead was used instead of the 2002 remix (The 2002 Remix of Mechanix was used though). I recommend this album for first time megadeth buyers that don't want to buy all the albums and doesn't want to buy the more expensive Warchest that is mostly full of rarities,demos and live tracks than the hits and fan favorites.

P.S. Every track that was on the second compilation (Back To The Start: Greatest Hits) is on here except the studio version of Symphony of Destruction.

Seems Capitol is really into milking Megadeth as of late, and it also appears they are into duping us fans by releasing a "demo" of a track that is only a slowed down/pitch altered version of the regular, album release version of High Speed Dirt.

If you already own the albums (remastered or originals), or another better compilation (Capitol Punishment, Back To The Start, or even the Warchest), then just ignore this pathetic release.

be aware that the songs on this cd are the remastered songs. these are the "alternate versions" of the songs. they are not the original studio album versions. if you like the new versions of the songs buy it if not then dont waste your money. Sound quality is very distorted/staticky.

The song selection is pretty decent, but where's "Lucretia" ?

Two discs contain MEGADETH'S best material from all of their CD's, some songs have been remastered, if not all of them. Making for an excellent listening experience.

Being kicked out of Metallica was the best thing that ever happened to Dave Mustaine. It wasn't long before he had his own band up and running - and the red-haired guitarist proved he could thrash with the best of `em. From 1983-2002, the band gave audiences two decades of the finest heavy metal on the face of the planet. Needless to say, they're a group that has no shortage of hits compilations.

Set The World Afire is, to my knowledge, the third Megadeth hits compilation (the others were Capitol Punishment and Back to the Start.) This compilation covers material ranging from 1985-2000.

So how does Set The World Afire hold up in comparison to the earlier Megadeth compilations? Considerably better considering it's two discs. The compilation unites a ton of key album cuts with plenty of non-album ones (soundtrack songs, for example.) There are a few gaping omissions that drag it down, though, and keep it from getting a perfect score.

Killing is My Business... And Business is Good! (1985)
Tracks Featured: Rattlehead, Mechanix
Comments: I'm pleased to see this compilation didn't give the band's first album the shaft. We get two great tracks from this classic thrash debut, though The Skull Beneath The Skin and Last Rites/Loved To Death are disappointingly omitted. Still, I'm grateful anything from this album got included at all.

Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? (1986)
Tracks Featured: Wake Up Dead, Peace Sells, Devil's Island
Comments: Great sophomore album, three great tracks. Very pleased to see the underrated gem Devil's Island make the cut. My only complaint is the omission of Good Mourning/Black Friday.

So Far, So Good... So What! (1988)
Tracks Featured: Anarchy in the U.K., In My Darkest Hour, Set The World Afire, Into the Lungs of Hell
Comments: In My Darkest Hour and the band's cover of the Sex Pistols classic Anarchy in the UK are Megadeth classics that belong on any of the band's compilations. The other two entries are not the best from the album, though. Would much rather have seen Mary Jane and Hook in Mouth.

Rust in Peace (1990)
Tracks Featured: Hangar 18, Holy Wars... The Punishment Due, Tornado Of Souls, Take No Prisoners
Comments: Four AWESOME Megadeth songs, you can't have a "best of Megadeth" package without Hanger 18 and Holy Wars! No big complaints here, though I wish the title track had made the cut as well.

Countdown to Extinction (1992)
Tracks Featured: Sweating Bullets, Skin O' My Teeth, Ashes In Your Mouth, Foreclosure of a Dream
Comments: Great album, too many great songs missing. Where are This Was My Life and the title track? Symphony of Destruction, one of the band's biggest hits (if not THE biggest) is missing as well, though it IS represented in the form of an inferior live rendition (more on that later.)

Youthanasia (1994)
Tracks Featured: Train of Consequences, Reckoning Day, A Tout Le Monde, The Killing Road
Comments: Probably the one album where I have no complaints about the tracks selected. These are all Megadeth fan favorites, worthy of their reputation. I won't nitpick the selections here, because this whole album was good, and naturally, we can't put every cut from it on here.

Cryptic Writings (1997)
Tracks Featured: Trust, She-Wolf
Comments: How can you make a Megadeth compilation and not include Almost Honest, I'll Get Even, and Use The Man?

Risk (1999)
Tracks Featured: Insomnia, Prince of Darkness
Comments: A Megadeth compilation without Crush `Em and Breadline? You've got to be kidding. Would also have liked to see Ecstasy, my favorite cut on the album, and the "Time" tracks from its conclusion as well.

The World Needs a Hero (2001)
Tracks Featured: None
Comments: The lack of tracks from this album is probably a legal issue, due to its being released on a different label. A shame, as this album was the perfect coda to a long and excellent career by the band (note that Dread and the Fugitive Mind actually DOES appear here, but I'm not including it in this paragraph since it originated on the Capitol Punishment compilation.

Non-Album Tracks (Various Years)
Tracks Featured: Crown of Worms (Demo), High Speed Dirt (Demo), New World Order (Demo), Symphony of Destruction (Live 1992), Peace Sells (Live 1992), Kill the King (Bonus track on Capitol Punishment compilation), Dread and the Fugitive Mind (Bonus track on Capitol Punishment), Go to Hell (Bill and Ted's Bogus Journey soundtrack), Breakpoint (Super Mario Bros. Movie soundtrack), Angry Again (Last Action Hero soundtrack)
Comments: A nice assortment of non-album tracks, though I don't approve of demos and live versions of tracks being used in lieu of their actual studio album counterparts. As far as the non-album cuts go, some disappointing omissions include the band's cover of Alice Cooper's No More Mr. Nice Guy, the cover of the Sex Pistols' Problems, and the Black Sabbath covers Paranoid and Never Say Die. There are a lot of underrated non-album tracks but I'll keep it short.

Nothing is included from The System Has Failed or United Abominations. As those don't include David Ellefson, they're technically just Dave Mustaine solo albums released under the Megadeth name, and their tracks were rightfully excluded (though I won't deny that there are some great cuts on those releases.)

If you're getting into Megadeth and don't want to lay down the cash for all of their albums, Set The World Afire is the way to go. Despite its problems, the compilation does a good job representing the band. Strongly recommended for any new fan that wants to begin experiencing the musical genius of Dave Mustaine.

A must have for the Megadeth fan and/ or any Metal musician looking for clear cut versions of how Megadeth recorded their songs. The Set The World Afire anthology takes Megadeth ffans on a journey through their entire musical history up to the anthology release. A must buy!!!

If you're quite new to the band then this cd would be the right choice as it contain all megadeth songs from 85-02, minus the latest 2 albums which under sanctuary record. This cd include 3 live tracks and all songs are remastered version and there are new 2 remastered songs here "breakpoint" and "rattlehead", they sounds awesome here and its not remixed just remastered. Overall i think i still prefer the "back to the start" greatest hits cd, as the album cover is way better and its include up to the system has failed, but this is not bad compilation.

I collect CD.s....But I like to LISTEN to all of my favorite songs. My music time I would normally skip over songs that don't appeal to me as most people do. I would much like to liten to my music, what I'm getting at is that this is a great compolation of Megadeth for me. I only see two maybe three songs on two discs that i would skip over so to me it is an excellant greatist hits lp.

Dave, do you seriously have nothing better to do than butcher your best work which was Peace Sells, So Far, Rust, and Countdown?
And people, I have listened to this compilation and while it is a great selection of songs for such a compilation, the old recordings set against the much older voice of Mustaine is sorta comical and really out of place. Also, the sound quality is really bad. The production on the originals may not have been the best either but that's the way we remember and love them. Speaking the words of wisdom, let it be.

My recommendation is stick with the originals releases. And beware that all the new re-releases are also hacked with too, so look for the older releases.

You're not a real Megadeth fan Darth if you don't know about the Box Set....
Warchest.

This set includes everything you need by Megadeth up till their last album and a DVD. So all you real Megadeth fans start with Warchest, then go on with your lives. Peace Out.