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7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Classic album! - - - Warning >> Do not trade in your old CD for this one!, May 1, 2006
THE BAND: Dave Mustaine (lead vocals, lead & rhythm guitar), Marty Friedman (lead & rhythm guitar), David Ellefson (bass), Nick Menza (drums & percussion).
THE DISC: (2004) This remixed version contains 15 songs clocking in at approximately 67 minutes. Included with the disc is a 18-page booklet containing a brief intro, band photos, song credits, song lyrics, and thank you's. "Countdown To Extinction" was original released in 1992 with 11 total tracks. Recorded at The Enterprise, Burbank, CA. New producer - Max Norman. Label - Capital.
COMMENTS: Warning - do not trade in your original disc/album for this new remixed and remastered version of "Countdown To Extinction". You need them both! This new enhanced version contains slightly different takes on the songs. Mustaine's vocals appear (on some songs) like he's in a deep echo chamber. Song intro's, song ending's, and some guitar solo's sound completely different. In some songs, it even sounds like Nick Menza is using a different drum kit (from the orignal '92 release). In my opinion - these are classic NEW takes on classic songs (reminiscent of what Deep Purple just did with their classics "Machine Head" and "Burn"). On to the review of the disc... Like Metallica, Megadeth was originally known for lightning fast riffs and steady drums to hold the songs together. This kind of music played to a select group of listeners. Megadeth matured a little bit, got a new producer, slowed it down just a tad... and the result was "Countdown to Extinction". A solid effort from start to finish. The old school Megadeth fans will say the band sold out (like old school Metallica fans said the band did with their 1991 "Black" album as well as "Load" in 1996). I've always believed that you simply can't please everyone. With "Countdown To Extinction" though, I felt then as I do now - Megadeth reached so many more listeners with their new and improved sound. This isn't the band's best selling album for no reason. Mustaine and Friedman's guitars are hard, crunchy and tight. Ellefson's bass playing is thundering in the background. Menza's drumming has been equalled on other albums, but never better than here. The first 6 songs are back to back metal classics. My favorite songs (even years later) are "Foreclosure of a Dream", "This Was My Life", "Sweating Bullets", and "Symphany of Destruction". The bonus tracks are great too - "Crown Of Worms" fits right into the spirit of the album. The 3 'Demo' cuts sound stripped down and crisp - great takes! If you were not into Megadeth because of their trademark speed licks and thrash... I guarantee you will be pleasantly surprised by the results from "Countdown To Extinction". In 1992, this was vastly different than anything else they'd ever done. This is easily my favorite release in the entire Megadeth catelog. Classic disc.
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10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
This CD destroys the black album, July 30, 2006
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.
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7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth the change?, August 9, 2004
When I heard that Dave Mustaine wanted to remaster and re-record most of the parts on all the Megadeth Catalog, I always wondered if there was much to change in this album. As I heard I found out that there wasn't much to do.
While most of the other albums, specially the ones before this one, got the loads of reverb taken off, this album actually went almost the other way. The sound is almost slightly thicker. The guitars are slightly more "bass-y", the bass is very slighly more predominant than the original and the vocals sound more mature.
Still with great thrash moments (as in Ashes in Your Mouth), aggressive musical attacks (Symphony of Destruction), and driving songs (Skin Of My Teeth), the sound is very hardly different from the original. The album still features beautyfull guitar moments (Countdown to Extintion, Foreclousure of a Dream).
Since this album was digital to start with the changes are not as easy to notice as in "So Far, So good... So What" per say. Still the little changes make the record better sounding, now is it worth the money? if you have the original, I don't see why spending $15 on something so damn similar.
The extra tracks help, they are fine, the new sleves and notes are interesting, but I still don't think that they are worth $15, buy it used.
Highlights: Ashes in your Mouth, Countdown to Extintion
Lowlights: not worth it if you own the original.
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