"Supercollider" is the first album on Dave Mustaine's own label Tradecraft and it represents an interesting point for the band. Musically, many of the songs are mid-paced and a return to the traditional "rock" structure of albums like Risk. Luckily, the sophisticated and technically sound playing of drummer Shawn Drover and lead guitarist Chris Broderick keep the songs' heads above water long enough to maintain some interest and draw attention away from Mustaine's rather weak and uninspired lyrics. Mustaine mentions the state of a world in distress but offers neither detail nor offers an interesting opinion on anything, something I find disappointing in a lyricist that I respect more than most in metal. "Supercollider" has some stand out tracks, particularly the rather ripping opener "Kingmaker" and the bombastic and aggressive "Dance in the Rain," but each track begs for a speed injection. In many ways, this album is like an itch that can't be scratched by itself. There's crisp production, slick playing, and plenty of talent to offer something more to each track. I'm not a purist demanding a return to genre standards, I'm simply asking Megadeth to do what they've done in the past which is re-define such standards. Unfortunately, this record fails to do that despite its few impressive high points.
6.5 / 10