Love every track on this CD with the exception of Psychotron. i'd give this a 9.4

What a way to follow up an album as awesome as rust in peace...every track here is filled with crunchy guitar riffs and mustaine's mad voice\m/

This is a great follow up to rust in peace. A couple songs that I sort of skip past but overall a great album. Definetely recommened it if you're into heavy or thrash metal

Written by masterofpeace95 on 03.11.2011 at 02:31
This is a great follow up to rust in peace. A couple songs that I sort of skip past but overall a great album. Definetely recommened it if you're into heavy or thrash metal

Thrash metal? No, no way. Songs 8 & 11 are the only truly interesting ones. Tracks 1 & 3 have a bit of energy, and there is some decent softer songwriting after that, but the others (6 especially) are just boring. In my view an inconsistent and average album

edit 1 year later - just nudged up from "average" to "good" on MS' rating scale. just. I still prefer Metallica and Load... not sure 'bout Reload. CtE's tracks 1 4 & 10 have grown on me, and 2 & 7 a little bit - they aren't as totally boring as I thought earlier, but 6 certainly is. residue of mediocrity can't be ignored on this release - much like 1990 Exodus which may well be next to get the same nudge

Written by Syk on 02.12.2011 at 16:36

Written by masterofpeace95 on 03.11.2011 at 02:31
This is a great follow up to rust in peace. A couple songs that I sort of skip past but overall a great album. Definetely recommened it if you're into heavy or thrash metal

Thrash metal? No, no way. Songs 8 & 11 are the only truly interesting ones. Tracks 1 & 3 have a bit of energy, and there is some decent softer songwriting after that, but the others (6 especially) are just boring. In my view an inconsistent and average album

Yeah I totally agree on this. Countdown To Extinction isn't much of a thrash record. Couple of good songs, but the album as a whole is average at best. I can't really understand all the exaggerative reviews.

This was as big a letdown as the black album.

One of the first metal albums I can recall hearing, still sounds like solid stuff to me. Can't really understand how some can dislike it so much, it may not be thrash but it's a really fun album nonetheless.

Written by BitterCOld on 03.12.2011 at 02:20

This was as big a letdown as the black album.

I disagree. Sure I wasn't there to experience it firsthand but this is nowhere near as bad as the black album.

Written by Mattybu on 23.09.2012 at 23:23


I disagree. Sure I wasn't there to experience it firsthand but this is nowhere near as bad as the black album.

it was worse. at least metallica's sell out had decent radio rock songs.

hell is Sweating Bullets on repeat.

but the young ones who view things from the filter of "now", temper their view of history with their opinion of the now. seeing as Megadave failed at their sell-out and moved back to mediocre thrash, noobie metalheads have all but forgiven them for doing the exact same thing Metallica did. only did a far worse job of it.

had Metallica moved back to mediocre thrash in 1999 and Megadave started cutting albums with Neil Young, everyone would be sucking Lars' balls instead of Dave's.

Very harsh. I was a fan of this album when it came out and still think it's good today. I never really bought into the whole "sell out" thing that people bang on about in relation to Metallica and Megadeth (and almost every other band you care to name). I do think that listening to "Sweating Bullets" on repeat would be hellish - it's not a great song. Still, even your favourite song in the world on repeat is going to eventually drive you mad. I really liked the song "Symphony of Destruction" at the time and I believe it got some decent commercial success or air play. On that, I noticed that the riff in the Ghost song "Ritual" sounds similar to the riff in "Symphony of Destruction".

Written by BitterCOld on 24.09.2012 at 04:10

Written by Mattybu on 23.09.2012 at 23:23


I disagree. Sure I wasn't there to experience it firsthand but this is nowhere near as bad as the black album.

it was worse. at least metallica's sell out had decent radio rock songs.

hell is Sweating Bullets on repeat.

but the young ones who view things from the filter of "now", temper their view of history with their opinion of the now. seeing as Megadave failed at their sell-out and moved back to mediocre thrash, noobie metalheads have all but forgiven them for doing the exact same thing Metallica did. only did a far worse job of it.

had Metallica moved back to mediocre thrash in 1999 and Megadave started cutting albums with Neil Young, everyone would be sucking Lars' balls instead of Dave's.

I agree about Sweating Bullets, and there's definitely some bum tracks. But I will see you one Sweating Bullets and raise you one Enter Sandman. Typically a praised song but is just embarassing when I listen to it. The Snoop Dogg collaborating with Katy Perry level of embarrassment. I guess it comes down to opinion when you stack em next to each other song by song, but at the end of the day, the black album doesn't really excite me save literally about 1 or 2 moments the first times I heard "Wherever I May Roam". Dave and co. ride a few tasty jams on Countdown. Making it much more listenable and a better sellout.

I would argue viewing things from the filter of now allows for a fairly clear portrait when you stack album by album, its obvious in $$$$ induced competition Dave was following Metallica. But for one reason or another, I like the comparatively weak (considering their good releases pre-90s) Megadeth stuff more than the Metallica stuff. I guess it doesn't matter much cause both bands were Jesuses in the 80's and eventually the great shit they put out will get priority always when I'm listening, but for a youngster exploring Megadeth's history theirs has been less painful. Keep in mind I haven't gotten to Risk yet And I'm not quite optimistic about where they are now.

I'll try and gather my discombobulated ramblings with a passage from your favourite tune... "Hindsight is always 20/20.. But looking back it's still a little fuzzy"

Written by Mattybu on 25.09.2012 at 23:19

I'll try and gather my discombobulated ramblings with a passage from your favourite tune... "Hindsight is always 20/20.. But looking back it's still a little fuzzy"

honestly, it's useless arguing with megadeth honks who didn't discover either band until after both had released several woeful albums.

it is pointless. you/they will NEVER understand it from this end simply by chronology of experience.

i just argue with the megadave ballwashers because it amuses me... he tried to sell out just as hard as metallica did, and came up short. the fact so many are delusional as to this just deserves mockery.

Written by BitterCOld on 26.09.2012 at 00:32

i just argue with the megadave ballwashers because it amuses me... he tried to sell out just as hard as metallica did, and came up short. the fact so many are delusional as to this just deserves mockery.

That's true. In one of the reviews here the reviewer even opens up with Dave's woe about Countdown not beating out the black album.

The funniest is on youtube, where anyones opinion should be immediately considered at least 10x as worthless as usual. So many videos of Megadeth, Metallica, and plain up other band's songs will have endless flame wars and then of course the occasional person who is too cool for the big 4, and thinks exodus/testament/dark angel (extra cool points for being slightly less known) needs to be in it

The gap between and justice and the black album is really big. but the one between rust in peace and countdown is pretty slight in comparrison. If he was tring to sellout as much as metallica he failed big time... and im pretty thankful for that cause its a good heavy thrash album, whereas the black album is prolly as much rock as it is metal. maybe thats me sucking some megaballs... i dunno

Written by JÄY on 26.09.2012 at 23:32

The gap between and justice and the black album is really big. but the one between rust in peace and countdown is pretty slight in comparrison. If he was tring to sellout as much as metallica he failed big time... and im pretty thankful for that cause its a good heavy thrash album, whereas the black album is prolly as much rock as it is metal. maybe thats me sucking some megaballs... i dunno

I concur with your sentiments but I know there will be some bitter and twisted people that will say you are sucking some megaballs - haha, to hell with them, it's only music.

Man I don't get the hate some older metalhead have for this album. Oh yeah right considering when it was released, considering that its not thrash as it was anymore and all... sure I get that. But a bad album ? Nah, it is not bad, in fact its so good that you hate to love it because its not thrash as it should be. But hey ! It is catchy, it is awesome and easy to get into... I mean yeah sure there are a few fillers (This Was My Life *Cough*) for example. But man, you can't deny the talent in this. Anyways you can't stop the haters. But I liked this album and I still do. This was probably a transition album for alot of young metalheads... leading to discovery of less known bands and albums.

With this album, Megadeth decided to go the same way as Metallica did with their successful Black album, only that Countdown to extinction is superiour than Metallica. The songs are more commercial and catchy but are still as energetic as possible. The song compositions are just outstanding and who doesnt like songs like "Skin o my teeth", "Symphony of destruction" or "Foreclosure of a dream? Great album, i listen to it frequently.

My ratings

Musicianship:8.5
Songwriting: 8.5
Originality:8.5
Production:9

How the hell did they write this after RiP?

Written by deadone on 01.12.2014 at 03:40

Easily - the progression is obvious if you are referring to "less thrashy than RiP." RiP itself was getting away from Thrash but then so were Metallica and even Slayer and Kreator to a lesser degree.

I personally really like this album. Well crafted songs and great sound even if it's less thrashy.

I was referring to the deterioration of songwriting quality, rather than stylistic differences.

Written by deadone on 01.12.2014 at 03:46
I don't see a deterioration in song writing. I think the song writing is great - these are some of the most memorable and catchy songs Megadeth has ever written IMO. IMO song writing only started deteriorating on Youthanasia and then the deterioration increased dramatically on Cryptic Writings.

It's just the cheese...I can't handle it

Written by deadone on 01.12.2014 at 05:09

All metal is cheese and juvenile cheese at that. It's part of the appeal in my opinion.

All?

Maybe the kind he listens to.

So Rust In Peace then?

Written by deadone on 02.12.2014 at 01:54

Yup. Metal is the epitome of juvenile, macho posturing, nerd fest cheese. Tis why I love it - it makes me feel young when life generally makes me feel old.

A significant portion of bands/genres within metal fulfill that stereotype, but to paint the entire genre with the same brush? In any case, I don't want to get in trouble again, so...no more OT posts

Written by deadone on 02.12.2014 at 05:18

And the whole genre is basically the music of mainly teenage male misfits, some of whom never grow up.

That was true of rock before "metal" became a recognised sub-genre of rock, and I suppose it still applies to rock to this day. The music of the youth, who were rebelling against their parents and the establishment. I think that's why it looks ridiculous when you have old men in their 60s and 70s still playing this music, like The Rolling Stones.

Not aged well. Nearly all songs feels short on ideas and there's plenty of fillers. Sweating Bullets is probably the coolest song on the album, Countdown To Extinction got a incredible guitar sling in the chorus and the two opening songs are extremely catchy. The rest is kind of a miss for me sadly. I also think the production have something weird going on that don't feel well with me.

Had this album sitting on my hard drive for years, listened to it a few times just as background noise and didn't pay too much attention to it so I never fully appreciated it. After sitting down and giving this album my full attention I gotta say it's pretty good and has had me spinning it a few times. "Sweating Bullets" is a bit of a marmite song, personally I love the psychotic vocal delivery from Dave and think this album shows him at his most versatile so far (I'm still yet to check out much of Megadeths later work!) Wouldn't say it's a perfect album, it seems do dip with "This Was My Life" and "Countdown to Extinction" but redeems itself with the last four songs. Absolutely love "Captive Honour" and the duelling guitars on "Ashes in Your Mouth" is a great album closer. Overall a great album and doesn't drag on needlessly.

Phenomenal metal album. After Metallica ended the speed war with the excellent 'The Black Album', Megadeth followed with the equally terrific Countdown to Extinction, they traded some of the speed and technique of Rust in Peace for some tighter, more consistent song writing, and created an even better album in my opinion.
The album is packed with terrific and catchy songs, some are kind of goofy, but in a good way.
Thrash metal purists will never understand this album nor The Black Album, they will call them the meaningless word 'sell-out', that is their loss.

This was their fall from grace.