After almost nine full length studio albums, one ep and one best of collection, Megadeth has finally released a live cd and a double disc set at that titled "Rude Awakening".

"Rude Awakening " includes at least one or more tracks from every Megadeth album except the dreadful "Risk". Most of the songs concentrate on albums from "Rust In Peace" through "The World Needs A Hero". The line up on this cd is the same as the one that recorded the "last" studio album "The World Needs A Hero"; Jimmy DeGrasso (Y & T, Lita Ford, Suidcidal Tendencies), Al Pitrelli (Savatage, Widowmaker), Dave Ellefson and Dave Mustaine.

Overall, the production is satisfactory; a balanced mix where one instrument doesn't over power the others. Some of the songs sound just as good live as they did in the studio. The musicianship and addition of DeGrasso and Pitrelli provide an excellent reproduction and do justice to the songs originally played by the former musicians of Megadeth.

Dave Mustine sounds just as nasally live as he does in the studio. He barely reaches some of the high notes but pulls it of with his trademark snarlling. There's a drum solo during "She Wolf" and some crowd participation during "A Tout Le Monde".

I'm a little disappointed that there weren't more songs from the earlier albums like Killing Is My Business, "Countdown To Extinction", and "So Far, So Good". Also, I would have preferred other songs other than the ones they chose. A good example would be "Skin Of My Teeth", "Foreclosure Of A Dream", and "Sweating Bullets" from "Countdown To Extinction" and "Chosen Ones" and "Looking Down The Cross" from "Killing Is My Business".

"Rude Awakening" represents a final chapter that brings one era of Megadeth to a close. Megadeth announced earlier in the year that they were disbanding due to nerve damage in Dave Mustaine's hand that hindered his guitar playing. He recently posted on the Megadeth website that on September 10th a new Megadeth album will be out. It's yet another compilation containing studio and live recordings from their entire career. Tracks include: 'Time/Use The Man' (previously unreleased), 'Conjuring' (previously unreleased), 'In My Darkest Hour' (live), 'Sweating Bullets' (live), 'Symphony Of Destruction' (live)', 'Holy Wars' (live), 'Moto Psycho', 'Dread And Fugitive Mind', 'Promises', 'The World Needs A Hero', 'Burning Bridges' and 'Return To Hangar'. Dave even mentions that he's been picking up the guitar every now and then and is getting excited to start playing and writing again. So it sounds like Megadeth is planning to return and make a comeback of sorts. We shall see.

Overall, "Rude Awakening" does its best to try and cover every part of Megadeth's career. It gives any listener new to Megadeth's music a good retrospective of one of the many pioneers that helped lay the groundwork during the early movement of heavy metal and speed metal.