Super Collider [LP]

Megadeth's 14th studio outing finds the venerable metal outfit parting ways with Roadrunner Records, but not with producer Johnny K (Disturbed, Staind), who brought some much needed sonic heft to 2011's Th1rt3en. Standout cuts include the blistering "Kingmaker," a thrashy, cautionary tale about oxycontin which evokes classic Megadeth; the banjo-led Rob Zombie-meets-Mark Lanegan lament "Blackest Crow," and the outstanding "Built for War," a surprisingly agile, apocalyptic anti-anthem which was co-written with drummer Shawn Drover and guitarist Chris Broderick, the latter of whom supplies the track with some truly impressive riffage. ~ James Christopher Monger