MEGATON — Megaton (review)

Album · 1988 · Heavy Metal

3.5/5 · 2021-02-14
siLLy puPPy

When it comes to classic 80s heavy metal it seems that Europe and the USA pretty much dominated the scene as the genre had only recently split off of the hard rock family tree and set out to energize a more restless youth who just wanted to bang their fucking heads! Despite the English language dominating this era of metal music, bands were still emerging all over the planet with Japan’s EZO, Brazil’s Sepultura and Russia’s Aria just to name a few!

Mexico had its share of local artists as well including Luzbel, Gehenna, Khafra and perhaps the best of all, this band MEGATON which emerged in the mid 80s in the northern city of Torreón and released this sole self-titled album two years later in 1988 and then quickly broke up. The band would reunite to drop a second album titled “Los Libros Sagrados” onto the world in 2016 and then go into hiding once again in its present location of Guadalajara.

Despite the cheesy dated cover art, MEGATON was the real deal for that classic heavy metal sound that was on the verge of entering speed metal territory. This five man band that featured Raúl Ochoa (guitar), Beto Nájera (guitar), Miguel Carrillo (bass), Salvador Aguilar H. (vocals) and Pedro Zavala (drums) was about as authentic as it gets for jumping on the heavy metal bandwagon and taking this popular style of music into the Spanish speaking world. This debut features nine tracks and just slinks past the 28 minute mark. Originally released only once on vinyl by the Gas label, this classic album has since been remastered and re-released in 2011 on Orfeón.

While it’s rather doubtful that MEGATON will ever go down in history as a major force on the world metal scene in the 80s, one thing is for sure and that is that this band really nailed the NWOBHM sound down perfectly with competent musicianship, excellent songwriting and topped off with the highly accomplished vocal style of Salvador Aguilar H. who had one of those cleaner operatic vocal styles in the vein of Bruce Dickinson or Helloween’s Michael Kiske but wasn’t quite as charismatic as those two classic singers. For comparisons, MEGATON sounded most like fellow Mexican band Luzbel or Spain’s Angeles del Infierno. The Spanish lyrics definitely give it a unique sound that English doesn’t provide.

Overall this is an excellent debut that despite not dethroning classic bands of the 80s as an undiscovered gem, nevertheless succeeded in capturing the spirit of the 80s heavy metal scene in full gusto. Without a gifted vocalist this style of metal falls apart but also impressive is the twin guitar works and the talented songwriting that alternative heavy metal thunder with softer clean guitar moments that almost dip into ballad territory but more in the vein of Crimson Glory and not the cheesy AOR of 80s glam rock.

I’m sure for the time and place this band must have been well received since the region of the state of Coahuila where MEGATON emerged wasn’t exactly teeming with competent metal bands. An excellent album for those looking beyond the Anglo-centric 80s metal scene. The only problem with this one is the shoddy production but perhaps the remastered 2011 version has taken care of that. Personally i’m not one to eschew any particular album due to an inferior production job especially coming from a region of the world where decent recording studios of the day must’ve been quite rare. All i can say is ¡Viva el heavy metal!