It's been an impressive year for the thrash metal pioneers known as Megadeth. After releasing a successful, Gold-certified live DVD, That One Night - Live in Buenos Aires, this past Spring, it's just as awesome, if not even better than the companion CD last month, and a well-received studio album, United Abominations. The band is cashing in on their newfound success and releasing a mammoth 4-CD + DVD box set this week called Warchest.

Fellow BC writer, Chris Beaumont, provided the full track list, which all told is 78 tracks long. The 16-song sampler I received in advance provided a good taste of what's in store for Megadeth fans, but a closer look is needed, so here's a brief overview of this release.

The set has either live, album, or demo tracks from releases dating from 1985 through 2004. Like bandleader Dave Mustaine's former band, Metallica, Megadeth's music has aged rather well over time. His unique voice, full of grit and snarl, sounds youthful on the excellent "Tornado of Souls" demo found on Disc One, but not much older on the remastered versions of mid-1980s thrash classics like "Killing Is My Business..." and "Peace Sells." Yes, the latter two sound better with modern equipment, but some purists may miss and prefer the original versions no matter what.

Songs from compilations and soundtracks made the cut as well, such as "Angry Again" from the very good and rock-heavy Last Action Hero soundtrack (found on Disc Two). Disc Three has an interesting selection, "A Secret Place," which was taken from Megadeth's Woodstock 1999 performance. One has to wonder if the band plans on releasing the full show from their Woodstock set in the near future.

Normally, a DVD concert such as the one included in this set (Disc Five), from the band's 9/30/92 show in London, would be considered highly valuable, but the set is incomplete. Did Megadeth really only play 10 songs at this show? Where is their big hit from that period, "Symphony of Destruction"? How many other songs are missing? Inquiring Megadeth fans would definitely want to know.

If the band really played a show that short, it would be a rip-off for those in attendance and thus would not be anyone's choice for later release on a DVD. For my money, I want a full or close to a full show like the Buenos Aires live CD released in September. Perhaps I'm being too harsh here, but if you're going to charge $50 for a box set, you have to feel like you're getting your money's worth.