Heavy Metal Politics
The thrash metal band Megadeth has never shied away from political controversy. Their breakout 1986 hit Peace Sells…But Who's Buying? offered a sardonic take on Reagan-era America. Their 1990 single "Hanger 18" traded in X-Files–style conspiracy theories about government cover-ups. More recently, frontman Dave Mustaine, who started the band after getting kicked out of Metallica, has emerged as an outspoken conservative who claims to own every book written by Fox News host Bill O'Reilly. "I hope to see a Republican in the White House," Mustaine has said.
Dystopia, the band's recently released 15th studio album, preaches a similarly right-wing message. "No controlling who comes through the door," Mustaine snarls on "The Threat Is Real," a hawkish ode to the War on Terror. "Why cower to all those who oppose the American world?" Mustaine demands on the track "Post American World." Thirty years after they first tried to sell peace, the metal vets have turned their talents to selling war.
This article originally appeared in print under the headline "Heavy Metal Politics."