The World Needs a Hero is the ninth studio album by American heavy metal band Megadeth, released in 2001. It marks a stylistic transition back to the band's thrash metal roots after the commercial hard rock style of their previous four albums (Countdown to Extinction, Youthanasia, Cryptic Writings and Risk). The album still retains much of the commercial feel from previous albums as Mustaine claims the album was like "a ship lost at sea trying to return to its course". It is the last studio album to feature drummer Jimmy DeGrasso and original bassist David Ellefson, as well as the only one to feature Al Pitrelli on lead guitar.