Youthanasia is the sixth studio album by the heavy metal band Megadeth, released on November 1, 1994, through Capitol Records. It is stylistically similar to their previous album, Countdown to Extinction (1992). The title is a play on words, implying that society is euthanizing its youth. The cover art features an elderly woman hanging babies by their feet on a seemingly endless clothes line, a direct reference to a line in the title track.
Youthanasia received positive reviews upon its release. It was commercially successful, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart, and in 1995 was certified platinum for shipping one million copies in the United States. A remixed and remastered edition featuring several bonus tracks and detailed liner notes was reissued on July 27, 2004.
Megadeth‘s previous studio release, Countdown to Extinction, became the band’s biggest commercial accomplishment, entering the Billboard 200 at number two and eventually becoming double platinum. As a result, they continually sold-out arenas across North America, in addition to developing a strong following overseas. With Youthanasia, the band moved to a more mainstream sound.
The cover art by Hugh Syme features an elderly woman hanging babies by their feet on a seemingly endless clothesline. According to bassist David Ellefson, the artwork concept was directly inspired from a line of the title track:
“We’ve been hung out to dry”. He explained that the title track “was probably the strongest representation of how we feel about the young people who listen to our music and what their future holds for them. It’s like you have a choice, you can become proactive or you can choose ‘Youthanasia’.”
The title is a combination of the words “youth” and “euthanasia”. Mustaine has stated that the idea for the title stems from hearing about Jack Kevorkian, as well as the declining state of well-being of young people, specifically referring to issues like drugs, crime and violence, and a lack of parenting. The live version of the artwork is also seen in “Train of Consequences” music video.
Like its previous album Countdown to Extinction, Youthanasia is the second album to not feature the band’s mascot Vic Rattlehead on the front cover but on the back instead.
Tracklist:
- Reckoning Day
- Train of Consequences
- Addicted to Chaos
- A Tout le Monde
- Elysian Fields
- The Killing Road
- Blood of Heroes
- Family Tree
- Youthanasia
- I Thought I Knew It All
- Black Curtains
- Victory
Megadeth
Dave Mustaine: guitars, vocals
David Ellefson: bass
Marty Friedman: lead guitar
Nick Menza: drums
Additional musicians
Jimmie Wood: harmonica on “Train of Consequences” and “Elysian Fields”
Production
Produced and mixed by Max Norman and Dave Mustaine
Assistant engineer: Mike Tacci
2nd assistant engineer and drum technician: Bruce Jacoby
Guitar/Bass/Amplifier Technician and effects programming, demo recording engineer: Michael Kaye
Mastered by Bob Ludwig
