MEGADETH OPENS A NEW CHAPTER WITH 'RISK;' ALBUM IN-STORE TODAY, AUG 31, INCLUDES "CRUSH 'EM," FROM UNIVERSAL SOLDIER: THE RETURN SOUNDTRACK

Business Wire, August 31, 1999

NEW YORK--(ENTERTAINMENT WIRE)--August 31, 1999--

Movie's stars Jean-Claude Van Damme and Goldberg of WCW appear in video

9th album marks a bold step forward into the new sound of the millennium for Megadeth, following platinum success of 1997's 'Cryptic

Writings' with 4 top 20 Billboard Mainstream Rock Tracks

Capitol recording group Megadeth has built its reputation on bucking musical trends and pursuing the ultimate goal of "rolling up your sleeves and getting to work," as leader Dave Mustaine characterizes his band's mission in the cover-story of the current (November) issue of Metal Blade magazine. Never has Megadeth presented fans and critics with a more challenging program of strategies than on RISK, their 9th album.

While other bands struggle to march in-step to the latest thrash and metal party lines, Megadeth is plotting its own adventurous course into the next millennium. RISK comes from a place where speed and groove intersect - where feedback segues into emotive violin (on the opening "Insomnia"), and futuristic guitar raves are embellished with classical string lines, Middle Eastern melody, and throbbing electronic beats. The new album rips open a page from U.K. techno and rave machinery - even as it thrills the masses with Megadeth's trademark crunchy, distorted guitar riffwork and sneering vocals on a heap of new titles, "Prince Of Darkness," Seven," and "Doctor's Calling" among them.

RISK, Megadeth's second album with Nashville producer Dann Huff (co-produced by Dave Mustaine) got off to a fast head start with its first lead-track: the hard rock anthem "Crush 'Em," from the movie soundtrack of Universal Soldier: The Return, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme and WCW wrestling champion Bill Goldberg. Both men were on-board for the filming of the video in Los Angeles earlier this summer, which utilized a post-apocalyptic industrial wasteland setting reminiscent of Megadeth's "Hangar 18" clip of nearly a decade ago.

"Crush 'Em" netted over 130 adds when it was delivered to radio on July 5th - ironically, the same date as the match that sidelined Goldberg with an injury for several weeks. His return to the ring on WCW's highest-rated "Monday Night Nitro" in late-July was commemorated with the premiere of the "Crush 'Em" video; the clip was subsequently added to VH1's "Rock Show" playlist. Since then, Goldberg is said to be considering the track as his new entrance theme, according to Billboard magazine (August 7th).

The connection with the movie and its two stars is no coincidence for Mustaine, a long-time student of the martial arts. "Wrestling is aggressive," he says, "much like our music, especially in its presentation, and the fans are equally fanatical. " It was hockey, however, and not wrestling that provided the inspiration for Mustaine to write "Crush 'Em." A follower of his hometown Phoenix Coyotes (along with his son Justis, who plays hockey as well), Mustaine got fed up with hearing Gary Glitter's "Rock and Roll Part 2" over the p.a. every time the team scored a goal.

As Mustaine told one source, "I thought, 'maybe we can do something that is celebratory and inspiring'. So we did 'Crush 'Em,' which we also felt would be good for any sport."

RISK is the long-awaited follow-up to Cryptic Writings (released July 1997), produced by Dann Huff (co-produced by Dave Mustaine), which boasted no less than 4 consecutive top 20 radio hits spanning nearly 15 months on Billboard's highly-competitive Mainstream Rock Tracks chart: "Trust," "Almost Honest," "Use the Man," and "A Secret Place." Since that album's release, Megadeth has co-headlined OZZfest, been nominated for their seventh career Grammy, performed for Howard Stern's Birthday Bash, and been featured on a series of critically acclaimed soundtrack albums: Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, Strangeland, Songs Of the Witchblade, and ESPN X-Games, for which they recorded the theme song.

When asked by Metal Blade what they expected people to get out of Megadeth's new music, Dave Mustaine replied: "A better life_ A better understanding of what their purpose is here_ To be able to use our experiences to save them any hard luck lessons_ To apply the positivity of the music in their relationships, whether it's at work or with their significant other or with their families_ And just to overcome mediocrity."

After spending the late-summer on-tour in Europe with Iron Maiden, Megadeth will commence an extensive U.S. tour starting in October. Megadeth is: Dave Mustaine (lead vocals, guitar); Marty Friedman (lead guitar); David Ellefson (bass); and newest member Jimmy DeGrasso (drums). Megadeth is managed by Mike Renault and Bud Prager for E.S.P. Management.