My Problem With Metallica | Metal Appreciation

It's no secret there's an ongoing war raging between Megadeth and Metallica. Ever since Dave was kicked out of Metallica, the two groups have been fighting for thrash metal dominance. In this installment of metal appreciation class, we're going to analyze Mustaine's masterpiece, HANGER 18. Rumor has it this track is such a banger, Metallica stole it for their own!

🛑 Discord 👇

ABOUT THE SONG

Hanger 18 is on the Rust In Peace album, released in 1990. The lyrics reveal a fascinating story about alien technology being stored at the Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in Dayton Ohio. The song expresses skepticism of what the government may be hiding from us muhahaha. The track also features a virtuosic duel between Mustaine and lead lord Marty Friedman. Hanger 18 was nominated for a grammy in 1991 and has remained a staple of Megadeth's live performances to this day

EMOTIONAL THEMES

The music video for Hanger 18 depicts an alien experiment gone wrong. Set in a secretive military facility, advanced technology ends in an extraterrestrial take over, enslaving mankind. Passion radiates from every snarl escaping Dave's ginger mouth. Suspense and mystery set the stage as we become dragged into Megadeth's world. Paranoia and distrust of authority are a central message in this track. How can we believe in government officials who aren't transparent with us? Dave challenges the status quo, calling upon us to question what's hidden and end the secrecy of those in power.

FORM + ANALYSIS

The music of Hanger 18 has a fascinating story behind it. According to legend, Metallica used some of Mustaine's material on Ride The Lightning before kicking him out of the band. Dave's case becomes more compelling upon further examination below 👇

The chord progression in Hanger 18 👇 is what Rick Beato would call a "line cliche." Dm-Dmb6-Dm6-Dm7. It's common in spy movies like the James Bond franchise and can be found in a range of genres. The crazy thing is, Metallica's CALL OF KTULU uses the exact same progression. It's even in the same KEY! Is this just coincidence, or musical theft?

It's more likely these two songs are evidence of a shared creative past. It's possible Dave revisited riffs he wrote for Metallica when composing Rust In Peace. To be fair, Mustaine is given credit for his creative involvement in Ride The Lighting. He also receives royalty payments for his co-authorship. So maybe he wasn't ripped off after all muhahaha

What happens next in Hanger 18 is brilliant. Dave plays the same progression but using different chord voicings. In the image below, you can see the progression remains the same but the chords are played higher on the neck.

AMAZING! If there's one idea you get from this lesson, it's this. Composition is when you state the same idea in different ways. This prevents your music from turning into riff salad and losing touch with the listener. Another key compositional aspect at play in Hanger 18 is PEDAL TONES. A pedal tone is a repeated pitch. Both bass and guitar drill the D string relentlessly to establish context and provide a strong foundation for the mysterious harmony. You can experiment with the tremendous power of pedal tones yourself by improvising over the drone below. I must warn you, those who click on this link may open a portal to hell muhahaha!

🔑D DRONE

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-OQXffTDy68

LET'S PRACTICE

Hanger 18 teaches us 2 lessons we can use in our own practice sessions. First, the pedal tone. Hammering the same note over and over creates a breeding ground for creative ideas to emerge. Try beating your D string until you find a series of chords that suits your fancy. 2ndly, once you find a chord sequence, try playing it in inversions across the neck to produce a sense of rising tension. Try sticking to the notes in D minor to narrow down your choices.

HOMEWORK

For homework, post your own song idea in the discord chat. It could be a riff, lick, or solo. There are no wrong answers here. The most important thing is to have fun and explore your creative process muhahaha! Looking forward to hearing what you guys come up with! What did you think of this lesson? Post any questions and drop your feedback for me below!