A Brief Look Back at Megadeth’s “So Far, So Good… So, What!” Almost 40 Years Later

This album was an important step in Megadeth’s evolution as a band

Photo by Steve Harvey on Unsplash

Introducing a Transitional Album for Megadeth

American heavy metal band Megadeth in 1988 was coming off the success of their second studio album Peace Sells But Who’s Buying? They released their third studio album called So Far, So Good… So, What! This album may have been the weakest album for Megadeth in the 1980s but it was a key step in their evolution. The vocals of Dave Mustaine sound muffled indicative of the tough times that he was going through. It was only 5 years after he had been kicked out of Metallica, and he was clearly angry, frustrated, and willing to express these emotions through music.

Track Notes: Into the Lungs of Hell and Set the World Afire

The album begins with the instrumental song called Into the Lungs of Hell. The song has some amplifier feedback in it. That is followed by very repetitive interludes being played. The next song Set the World Afire starts with some oldies style music in the background followed by the sound effects of wartime. The fast guitar picking is dirty and muted, and this is one of the weak points in the album. Then we have a cover of the Sex Pistols song called Anarchy in the UK.

Standout Tracks

The album’s two most standout tracks are Mary Jane and In My Darkest Hour. This sixth song is an exceptionally good song, and it is about someone that is going through depression, and he is in his darkest hour. He is searching for a better place to escape from the pain that he is going through.

Just like the song Devils Island on the band’s previous album, Mary Jane stands out to me as one of the finest songs the band has written. The song is about someone that is asking God for forgiveness because they have sinned. Even more important than the lyrical themes of the song, the guitar work is exceptionally good! The lead guitar work near the end of the song is fast and impressive.

Track Notes: 502 and Liar

The song called 502 is about someone that enjoys breaking the law by being reckless and driving fast. He is then pulled over by the police.

The song Liar sounds like a punk style thrash metal tune. The song describes what a con artist will do to get wealthy at the expense of others.

Final Thoughts

The best songs in the album are Mary Jane, In My Darkest Hour, and Hook in Mouth, which “addresses censorship, and more specifically the PMRC (Parents Music Resource Center), a US organization who campaigned heavily against metal bands’ lyrics.” (Unknown n.d.). This album could be considered a sort of musical warm-up for what was to come next.

Final score: seventy out of one hundred points ©

References

Unknown. n.d. Encyclopaedia Metallum The Metal Archives. (Accessed March 23, 2026.) https://www.metal-archives.com/albums/Megadeth/So_Far%2C_So_Good..._So_What%21/664.