Dave Mustaine was an early member of the band Metallica, and helped pen tracks that wound up on their first two albums. In 1983, Mustaine was let go from the group by Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield due to personal conflicts and substance abuse. He would be replaced by Kirk Hammett, guitarist for the Bay Area thrash band Exodus, who remains with the band to this day. Dave felt slighted and vowed to make his own band, which would be even faster and heavier than Metallica. Mustaine picked the name "Megadeth" from a pamphlet by California senator Alan Cranston that read: "The arsenal of megadeath can't be rid no matter what the peace treaties come to."
In 1985, Megadeth released their debut album, Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!, on the independent record label Combat Records, to moderate success. It caught the attention of bigger labels, which led to Megadeth signing with Capitol Records. Their first major-label album, Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?, was released in 1986 and was a major hit with the underground metal scene. Band members' substance abuse issues and personal disputes had brought Megadeth negative publicity during the late 1980s. Nonetheless, the band went on to release a number of platinum-selling albums, including So Far, So Good... So What! (1988), Rust in Peace (1990), and Countdown to Extinction (1992). These albums, along with worldwide tours, brought them public recognition.
Megadeth has had numerous guitarists, drummers and bassists throughout its 39-year career, with Mustaine being the only remaining original member of the group. The band temporarily disbanded in 2002 when Mustaine suffered an arm injury and re-established in 2004 without longtime bassist David Ellefson, who had taken legal action against him. Ellefson settled out of court and rejoined the band in 2010, but was fired in 2021 amid allegations of sexual misconduct. Megadeth's current lineup includes Mustaine, bassist James LoMenzo, guitarist Kiko Loureiro and drummer Dirk Verbeuren.
Megadeth earned platinum certifications in the United States for six of its sixteen studio albums, and has received twelve Grammy nominations. Megadeth won its first Grammy Award in 2017 for the song "Dystopia" in the Best Metal Performance category. The band's mascot, Vic Rattlehead, regularly appears on album artwork and live shows. Megadeth has hosted its own music festival, Gigantour, several times since July 2005, and held its first MegaCruise in October 2019.
Full Wikipedia article: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megadeth
Studio albums
Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! (1985)
Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? (1986)
So Far, So Good... So What! (1988)
Rust in Peace (1990)
Countdown to Extinction (1992)
Youthanasia (1994)
Cryptic Writings (1997)
Risk (1999)
The World Needs a Hero (2001)
The System Has Failed (2004)
United Abominations (2007)
Endgame (2009)
Thirteen (2011)
Super Collider (2013)
Dystopia (2016)
The Sick, the Dying... and the Dead! (2022)
VORTEX
Megadeth Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Multiple personalities
Terror inside of me
A mask of silent agony
Curse the falling rain
The vortex of pain
As medieval as Merlin
A pact for power was made
It's time the price was paid
Scorching the domain
The vortex of pain
A telestic message
Written in torment
Howl out dirges
Like the horns of Jericho
Distorted faces
Writhing in rage
Walls of purgatory
Tumble down
Endless death
The jewels of a crown
The song "Vortex" by Megadeth is about the internal struggles of the human mind. The lyrics speak of internal combustion and multiple personalities, which symbolize the different thoughts and emotions that battle within oneself. The line "terror inside of me, a mask of silent agony" shows how these internal struggles can cause great distress but may not be visible to the outside world. The curse of falling rain and vortex of pain are metaphors for the chaos and confusion that arise from these internal conflicts.
The lyrics also mention a pact for power made with Lucifer in transition. This could represent the temptation to give in to negative thoughts and emotions, which can lead to a darker path. The line "it's time the price was paid" suggests that there are consequences to feeding into these negative feelings. The distorted faces and walls of purgatory illustrate the torment that comes with such internal struggles. The final line, "endless death, the jewels of a crown," suggests that these negative thoughts and emotions are a burden that can destroy a person from the inside out, even though they may seem desirable on the surface.
Line by Line Meaning
Internal combustion
A metaphorical description of the singer's emotional state, as if they are a machine that is overheating and at risk of exploding.
Multiple personalities
The singer feels like they have different versions of themselves inside, each competing for control.
Terror inside of me
The singer is consumed by fear and anxiety.
A mask of silent agony
The singer is hiding their pain and suffering behind a facade of calmness or indifference.
Curse the falling rain
The singer is angry at the world and everything in it, including the natural elements.
The vortex of pain
The singer is caught in a cyclone of agony, unable to escape.
As medieval as Merlin
The singer compares their current state of suffering to an earlier time period that was marked by magic, superstition, and barbarism.
A pact for power was made
The singer is implying that they made a deal with the devil, exchanging their soul for something they desired.
Lucifer in transition
The devil is changing forms or moving from one place to another; possibly a reference to the devil taking control of the singer's body or soul.
It's time the price was paid
The singer has come to realize that the cost of their deal with the devil was too high, and they must now pay the consequences.
Scorching the domain
The singer is destroying everything around them, possibly as a result of their deal with the devil.
The vortex of pain
The singer is still trapped in the same cyclone of agony, unable to escape or find relief.
A telestic message
A message that has some kind of mystical or supernatural meaning or origin.
Written in torment
The message was written by someone who was suffering greatly, or it contains words of pain and anguish.
Howl out dirges
The singer is screaming in pain, as if they are singing a funeral song.
Like the horns of Jericho
The singer's cries are so loud and powerful that they can bring down walls, like in the Bible story of Jericho.
Distorted faces
The singer sees the faces of those around them as twisted and distorted, possibly as a result of their own mental state.
Writhing in rage
The people around the singer are angry, and they are squirming, contorting, or twisting in response.
Walls of purgatory
The singer is trapped in a place or situation that feels like purgatory, where they are neither fully alive nor fully dead.
Tumble down
The walls of purgatory are collapsing, giving the singer a chance to escape.
Endless death
The singer feels like they are in a never-ending cycle of pain, and each moment feels like a small death.
The jewels of a crown
This line is ambiguous, but it may be referring to something (perhaps the singer's own life) that has been stripped of its value and beauty, leaving only worthless jewels behind.
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Written by: DAVE MUSTAINE
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind