MEGADETH — Countdown to Extinction (review)

MEGADETH — Countdown to Extinction album cover Album · 1992 · Heavy Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
4/5 ·
Stephen
Looking at the cover of the album portraying an elevated old man inside a prison cell will probably left you wondering where's their Vic Rattlehead trademark mascot. I suspect its disappearance perhaps have something to do with the fact that Megadeth decided to move away from their thrash platform to incorporate a commercial plant of hard rock and heavy metal, therefore it acted like a silent scream to the fans that please beware of a change in sound. The intention of capturing a wider audience apparently fruitful, spawning four successful videos, nominated for Grammy Awards, and nailed 2 platinums of sales.

I can assure you that despite their departure of early roots, Megadeth still has some astonishing moments with their signature thrashy riffs and immortalized many tracks as classic that almost always included in their giglist such as the suicidal-attempt of "Skin o' My Teeth" that's simply became the best song of the entire album, the addictive chugging hooks of "Symphony of Destruction" that's later covered by Nightwish and Arch Enemy, the circuslike funny riffs with the typical grumpy granny's voice of Mustaine in schizophrenic-based "Sweating Bullets", or the simple but effective "High Speed Dirt". However, the inconsistency of the songwriting is dragging the points down, displayed in the bad hard rock single "Foreclosure of a Dream", or the weird roborock "Psychotron", and the worst-of-it-all-award bestowed on "Captive Honor".

To me, "Countdown to Extinction" is a pleasing album, one of a few that I always spin once in a while for the last 10 years, and I think that "Countdown" is incomparable to "Rust" as each of it has its own sparkling moment but one thing for sure is "Countdown" is a mighty heir to the throne of "Rust" and an obligatory record to buy for all metal fans.
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