Disco de Megadeth: “Countdown to Extinction [Remaster]”

Countdown to Extinction was released 8 years ago and still sounds fresh even buy today's standards. By far, this is the best effort by Dave Mustaine and company. This CD was the first release in which Megadeth toned their sound down a little bit....(only slightly though), and the first release that hit the big time. There are so many great catchy songs on this CD that you will end up singing along with: Symphony of Destruction, This Was My Life, and Countdown to Extinction to name a few. Musically, the guitars of Mustaine and Freidman are incredible. The drum work of Nick Menza is fantastic as is the bass guitar of Danny Ellefson.

This is one CD that I never get tired of listening to. Its heavy guitars, crashing drums and excellent vocals combined with well composed songs makes this one Hard Rock / Heavy Metal release that should be in everyone's collection. It is upbeat, and it will get your adrenaline pumping.

This is an excellent CD! Well worth the money spent!

This is a great album. But when I read most of the reviews on here I'm blown away by some of the love dished out.

Best ever? Thrash? Heaviest Megadeth album ever?

My good friends, let's not get carried away. Gushing love is a good thing but let's not overlook something obvious about this album: COMMERCIAL.

Yes folks. The big 'C' word. Ever notice how all these songs (except Ashes) are neat and trimmed for radio length? Ever notice how furious time changes and 18 different guitar riffs have been slimmed down to a mild handful? Ever notice how bad Psychotron is?

Don't profane the past. Listen to Rust In Peace, listen to So Far, and listen to Peace Sells, and then listen to this. You'll notice a huge difference. Don't get me wrong, I love this disc. Best tracks include: This Was My Life, Countdown, Ashes, AofA.

But please don't call this thrash. Please don't call this Megadeth's best ever. And please don't say it's the heaviest 'Deth because that is simply untrue.

Beware! If you have the original recording of this album, do not --repeat--DO NOT get rid of it. While it's stated on the case that it was remixed and remastered, it's become obvious to me that certain parts have been re-recorded as well. I can't speak for the vocal or guitar parts but the drum tracks, I'm fairly certain, have all been re-recorded. I'm a drummer with incredibly sensitive ears. I'm also intimately familiar with Nick Menza's work on this album (great work, too) and I can say without hesitation that he's not the person who played on this remix. Whoever it was is pretty good at imitating him but not perfect. I'm not sure why Dave would do this--maybe he wasn't able to get the sound he wanted from the original tracks. Whatever. Nice try, Dave. Download the extra songs off of I-tunes or something but avoid the rest of this one and find the original.

Metallica and Megadeth both did something similar in the early 90's-they experimented with their sound. While Metallica truly sold out(I only like the hard songs on that album) and became mainstream rock, Megadeth experimented, but they were still metal. This CD sounds more like traditional heavy metal than thrash metal, but it's still brilliant. This may not be the insanely complex speed-fest that was Rust in Peace or Peace Sells, but they are still technical(i'm really wearing this word out, aren't I?), even if they reverted to a verse-chorus formula for some of the record. The band's musicianship is top quality as always. Like i've said a thousand times before, there are plenty of nice riffs and solos on here, as well as a little more acoustic work than their previous releases. Highlights on this record include "Sweating Bullets", "Skin O My Teeth", and "Architechture of Agression". While Metallica's only good releases were the first 4, Megadeth's whole catalog is worthy(though Risk may be an exception if you aren't a purist like me.) Get this instead of the overrated black album.

Countdown to Extinction, in my opinion, is Megadeth's best album. I know that many "old time" Megadeth fans look at this release as the beginning of the decline of Megadeth. But that is hogwash!

CTE is Megadeth's best! You know why? Because Dave Mustaine has finally matured as a songwriter. Rust in Peace is good, but it was still a bit rough around the edges. CTE is polished yet maintains the aggression Megadeth fans love. Sure, the speed metal of previous efforts is almost non-existent on CTE. But that's okay. The guitar riffs are still brutal and thrashy, the drumming is still heavy and the vocal attack of Dave Mustaine is still gruff and in-your-face.

The title track, "Countdown to Extiction", is a great mix of heavy metal and semi-mainstream, catchy vocal melodies. "Symphony of Destruction" is a bruising, dark tune that pummels the listener with every chord. "Psychotron" is Mustaine at his gruff and growly best and the chorus soars! "Sweating Bullets" is a nasty, ominous tune that makes one want to beat up the neighbor after listening to it (I'm kidding). Nearly all the songs here are good.

No, this isn't Rust in Peace. Megadeth need not repeat themselves. This is Countdown to Extiction, Megadeth's best.