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List Price: $16.97 | | Label: Import [Generic]
Salesrank: 179846
Released: October 5, 1999 |
| Our Price: $8.94 |
| Used Price: $12.54 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Countdown to Extinction Track Listing:
1. Skin O' My Teeth
2. Symphony of Destruction
3. Architecture of Aggression
4. Foreclosure of a Dream
5. Sweating Bullets
6. This Was My Life
7. Countdown to Extinction
8. High Speed Dirt
9. Psychotron
10. Captive Honour
11. Ashes in Your Mouth
Editorial Review:
Megadeth is one of the few metal bands to have successfully handled the transition to the '90s, and Countdown to Extinction is proof positive; although considerably more streamlined and commercially oriented than their previous efforts, it's still a fine album, and arguably one of their best. Lead singer and guitarist Dave Mustaine's lyric-writing has improved, and the results can be heard on 'Countdown to Extinction', 'Symphony of Destruction', 'Architecture of Aggression' (it's a rare songwriter who can make a line like that fit in a chorus), and 'Foreclosure of a Dream'. This is arena metal at its best; Countdown to Extinction (a reference not to genocide, as one might assume, but to endangered species) manages the difficult trick of being commercially appealing and musically sound at the same time. Includes four bonus tracks 'Crown Of Worms', 'Countdown To Extinction' (Demo), 'Symphony Of Destruction' (Demo), and 'Psychotron' (Demo).
Description of Countdown to Extinction:
Megadeth is one of the few metal bands to have successfully handled the transition to the '90s, and Countdown to Extinction is proof positive; although considerably more streamlined and commercially oriented than their previous efforts, it's still a fine album, and arguably one of their best. Lead singer and guitarist Dave Mustaine's lyric-writing has improved, and the results can be heard on "Countdown to Extinction," "Symphony of Destruction," "Architecture of Aggression" (it's a rare songwriter who can make a line like that fit in a chorus), and "Foreclosure of a Dream". This is arena metal at its best; Countdown to Extinction (a reference not to genocide, as one might assume, but to endangered species) manages the difficult trick of being commercially appealing and musically sound at the same time. -- Genevieve Williams
Countdown to Extinction Reviews:
Megadeth's Best Has Just Gotten Even Better! 
2008-12-12 - I remember when I first heard this album I was simply blown away all those years ago. I didn't know until then just how intelligent and musically complex the Metal genre could be until I had heard this album and later the works of Metallica and Iron Maiden. I had heard of course the brilliant "Enter Sandman" by then but I never got the complete Metallica album until much later. In hindsight I'd say that it's a dead heat with regards which is the better album as they are both great in their own ways. Although a couple of tracks for me are forgettable on Metallica's Black album I just find every track on Countdown to be simply brilliant and certainly not a single filler track to be seen. Mustaine and Friedman are both brilliant kicking each other up the butt trying to upstage each other in solos (e.g. "High Speed Dirt") and pleasantly reminded me of how Duane and Dickey used to do the same way back when in the Allman Brothers Band to the delight of guitarists and fans alike.
This mlps (mini-lp replica sleeve) version though is a mixed bag. First the great news: this album has been very well remastered for an excellent sound and this is not surprising given Mustaine's personal involvement in the project. We get a very nice write-up my Mustaine himself in an insert which in addition to having all the lyrics in both English and Japanese has the essay by Dave called "Love And Bruises" where he talks about the remastered recording and his memories of the making of the album which he says: "Yeah, I knew that this was going to be the biggest record that I had ever made. And it has been a matter of trying to beat COUNTDOWN ever since. This remix may be the only way that I can beat this masterpiece; that is, by going in and making it sound a little bit better and including some of the history and outtakes from that period."
Dave needn't worry because this album sounds a whole lot better than the first cd I got all those years ago and it was like listening to a new modern day recording, what sound! The inner sleeve design is also nice faithfully replicating the original lp. The only beef I have with this and is why I only gave it 4 stars is the actual assembly of the mlps itself which is so disappointingly poor given the brilliance of the rest of the package. The cardboard is of thin poor quality and looks as if it will fall apart once the glue gets old and in fact mine's already starting to come apart. For examples of very well assembled mlps designs go see the ones done for the entire Hall & Oates reissue as well as those done for Queen and The Band which are simply works of art which showed those concerned had great pride in their work. Of course Mustaine cannot be blamed for this as he did his part in selecting great bonus tracks and remastering the content so well but whoever did the mlps design and assembly should be kicked in the nuts. The bonus tracks by the way are: "Crown of Worms" (an excellent track that should have been included in the original album to begin with), "Countdown To Extinction (Demo)", "Symphony of Destruction (Demo)" and "Psychotron (Demo)" all excellent tracks by the way.
I know many "fans" will hate any Metal that even remotely sounds melodious or commercial but if you are able to judge good music for what it is irrespective of the genre, you'll agree that this is excellent music and for me among the top 5 ever Metal albums ever made and is certainly overall given great songwriting, musicianship etc is Megadeth's best album. Listening to it again while writing this I still can't get over the excellent sound quality and remastering they did on this baby. Coldplay and today's "Metal" bands aren't worthy to tie Mustaine's shoes when you hear just how much better this album alone is to what's currently out there. Has anyone even come close to anything Megadeth, Metallica and Iron Maiden have ever done? I mean seriously!
In conclusion, this mlps version of an excellent album is a mixed bag because it costs a great deal and yet the cardboard sleeve is poorly designed and assembled but the great liner notes by Dave and the excellent sound quality somewhat makes up for this. You decide if this is still a value proposition enough for you to part with the serious mullah this retails at.
Peace!
Just as good/bad as Metallica's Black Album 
2008-07-26 - This a good album, no doubt. But it's not Megadeth. This is good music. But it's not amazing music. Megadeth was a band where unconventional song structures and 5+ riffs per song were the norm, not the exception. The complexity of the songs, combined with breakneck speeds and a keen sense of melody, is what got me into Megadeth. The melody is still there, but the speed and complexity are gone (other than in the song Ashes in Your Mouth). Riffs have been reduced to cliches, and Dave Mustaine is a cartoonish, radio-friendly version of his former self.
That being said, for what it is (a commercial album), it's a good album. If you're not into extreme metal(i.e. thrash metal, death metal, and black metal), then you'll dig Countdown to Extinction. But Megadeth's best? That's going too far. If you've never heard the albums Rust in Peace and Peace Sells, you don't know Megadeth. Because the music is less accessible, it'll take a couple listens to "get" it, but that's how all great music works. Every album that I consider "classic" today, bored me the first time I heard it.
Top Ten All-Time Bangers 
2008-05-22 - This album deserves nothing less than 5 stars. It is right up there with another genre classic, "Rust In...", also by Megadeth.
There has never been another example of pure, uncompromising, metal that remains such a mainstream success. These guys had to compromise nothing, and because of that, this album is well-deserving of its acclaim. It wasn't simply the singles that were great, it was the album - in its entirety! There is not a bad track on here.
Very "techy" thrash/speed metal with some of the greatest thrash solos of all time.
Essential if you love metal.
MEGADETH at their best!!
2007-12-10 - This album shows that MEGADETH could make a album that musically is as good if not better than Metallica's Black album, or any other metal album that came out at that time.
This is DAVE's best of technical metal and didn't sellout to make it.
Even though this is a very good album I still say "Rust in Peace" is the best MEGADETH album!!
I rate this CD a 9 from 1to10!!
not the best they could have done!
2007-11-08 - this is dave mustine #2 on charts cd more main stream like metallica did but with more bit in some songs.truely a solid cd but this lost momentium from rust in piece this is a very good cd butthey last I could tolerate high points skin o'my teeth, sweating bullets,this was my life,high speed dirt these sounded like the old megadeth the most but the other were less heavy and experimential some good some well not so good.dave quest for the gold was showing and his mental state was to.worth buying but not great. the remaster has a real good bonus track crown of worms on it.
