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9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Better Than Metallica's Black Album, August 13, 2001
Dave Mustaine once admitted he wanted Countdown To Extinction to be Megadeth's "Metallica-Killer." And quite frankly, I think he succeeded. Countdown to Extinction is an excellent Megadeth album and stands as my second favorite by the band. Only Youthanasia is better IMO (though not by much). Some people felt Youthanasia was Megadeth's "sell out album." Well, what they don't seem to realize is that Megadeth's slight change in sound really began with this album. Its songs are a bit slower than in earlier Megadeth releases, and they have a slightly more mainstream sound to them. And yet, some waited until the later Youth came out to say the band sold out. I guess Youthanasia suffered from what I like to call the "Eb syndrom." It seems that whenever a band tunes their guitars down to that key (also Ab in some songs), people claim their music got "a complete make-over" and the band sold out. As funny as it may seem, this has happened to a lot of bands: Metallica with their Load album, Ozzy Osbourne with The Ultimate Sin, and Megadeth with Youthanasia. Of course, Youthanasia still sounded like a Megadeth album regardless. Just a more atmospheric and melodic Megadeth album, which is what makes it the band's best IMO. Countdown To Extinction's strongest point is its immense personality. The songs here are very catchy and (as with Youthanasia), are really something you can play in your mind during daily life. This, again, is mostly due to the fact that they're a bit slower than in earlier Megadethers, making them quite a bit easier to remember. The album also has something many other metal albums don't have: A sense of humor. Mustaine constantly makes humorous references to real life situations and even expresses a lot of his thoughts in a humorous fashion. This is most evident in the song Sweating Bullets, where the verses are spoken in a manner that is likely to make even the most grumpy metal head crack a smile. Other great songs include Skin O' My Teeth (which has a very catchy chorus and a good solo), Symphony of Destruction (with its neat riff and also catchy chorus), Architecture of Aggression (just an all around great song), Captive Honor (the funny court scene in this song is bound to make you laugh), and the title track (which seems to borrow its riff from a small portion of the Metallica song Ride The Lightning). Ashes in your Mouth is also a plus. So overall, Countdown To Extinction is a great Megadeth album. If you're at the record store and confused as to whether you should buy Metallica's Black Album or this album, I strongly suggest you choose this one. Once you give it a listen you will see why.
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