 Following the negative response to "Risk", Mustaine fired Bud Prager and produced the album himself.The songs were written by Mustaine alone, except for "Promises", which had contributions from Pitrelli.Two days before the release of "The World Needs a Hero", Megadeth appeared in an episode of VH1's "Behind the Music" showcasing Mustaine, Ellefson, several past members, and Mustaine's old Metallica bandmates James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.