How does a man cope with the inevitability of aging? Especially a man whose whole life has been marked by his giant ego, and his unapologetic approach has morphed into a strange kind of charisma, fueling the legendary status of one of the greatest metal bands in history? Having passed the 50 year mark recently, Dave Mustaine is now neck deep into his midlife crisis – and no one really expected that he'll go through that quietly, right? There was no way Megadeth – the band he fully personifies – would get out of it unscratched.

'Th1rt3en' that came out in late 2011 seemed like a hastily assembled album the band used to get out of a record deal. Now we understand it was something else – picking the last pieces left from Megadeth's second creative peak, reached with 'United Abominations' (2007) and 'Endgame' (2009). In 'Super Collider' there's none of that left. Instead, Mustaine has taken a course, devoid of all logic, back to the band's darkest days with an album that suffers from the same original defect 1999's 'Risk' had – the assumption that dumbing down Megadeth's music would make the band radio-friendly.

Take 'Burn!' fro example – a pile of shockingly unoriginal riffs, predictable song structure and a chorus that goes 'burn, baby, burn...' That's the rock equivalent of the pre-recorded laughter in the dumbest sitcom imaginable. 'Off the Edge' continues the thread of self-repetition, drowning in an irksome lack of dynamics. Compared to this, the universally condemned title track wins some points by at least being something new and different. So does 'The Blackest Crow' – a hybrid between Southern rock and a 90s Megadeth song. There are also attempts to remind us this was once a thrash/speed metal band ('Built for War' and 'Don't Turn Your Back') that seem strangely forced. If there are any rays of light, it's dramatic songs like 'Dance in the Rain' and 'Beginning of Sorrow' that bring this album to life, partially.

'Super Collider' is a mess that is held together solely by the musicians' songwriting instincts that prevent them from jumping into the abyss of mediocrity, and also Johnny K's production that makes everything sound polished and huge. Other than that, unless you're unnecessarily tolerant, or you live in a parallel universe where 'Risk' is a good album, this is a total disaster. What's worse, unlike 1999 there's no time left for a new revival now.