HOW DO Y’ALL FEEL ABOUT MEGADETH’S CRYPTIC WRITINGS?
Monday, July 13th, 2009 at 2:00pm by Axl RosenbergOne of the many, many topics we discussed on Friday night’s Metal Injection Livecast (which I fully intend to keep plugging until you’ve all downloaded it) is the new Megadeth album, Endgame. Decibel has already asserted that it’s Mustaine’s best work since Rust in Peace; I think that might be pushing it a little, but it’s most definitely his best since Countdown to Exctinction.
At some point during all the yelling, MI’s Noa Avior tried to bring up Cryptic Writings a bunch of times as a good ‘Deth record that has been released in the years since Countdown. But because I’m a self-involved prick, I never even heard her, and that’s one debate we didn’t get to have.
So let’s have it now. Honestly, Cryptic never made that big an impression on me, although I do recall enjoying the single, “Trust.” It’s not the speed metal kinda thing I think most of us expect from Mustaine and whatever three other dudes are in his employ at any given moment, but it is a pretty good song.
So now I leave it to you Megadexperts to argue about the ins and outs of the rest of Cryptic Writings. Weigh in with your thoughts below.
-AR
I absolutely love this album. It isn’t OMG METAL though. It does have great well thought out lyrics, that you can sing along with without thinking that Dave should just stick to the guitar. I mean for half of RIP, I feel like an mongloid could have written better lyrics. Loved both albums and bought them a couple times over to replace worn out copies back in the day before everything went MP3.
I still have a soft spot for Cryptic Writings. I was just discussing it the other day with a friend. This was the last Megadeth album I could handle and the last time I saw them tour.
I personally thought it was a pretty weak album. It seemed like he was trying to oneup metallica in the who sucks it harder category.
she-wolf and trust, the rest is decent but a bit, “meh”
wit ya man
she wolf and trust fuck the rest
but the last album foooooookin ruled
itll be cool to see him top it i doubt it somehow
headcrusher has some cool guitar but its not a really that great a song
I liked a LOT of the riffs on this album, but as a whole its kinda bad
Totally meh. Call me when Mustaine gets back on the horse.
same as i feel about the rest of their catalogue, which is not very positive…
seriously? im not having a go or anything, but some of the bands that people on this website say they don’t llike confuse me. It’s like a obese dude saying he’s not too into pizza.. (like i said im not being dick, i just don’t really get it)
I always get the feeling when I look at a picture of Mustain that he reeks of nacho cheese, so naturally i can’t enjoy any of his music because when ever I listen to it, all I can small is nacho cheese. It consumes me.
I like Cryptic Writings, but it isn’t all that ‘heavy.’ I think lyrically and such you can really feel some of the intents of the songs as opposed to the previous thrashiness of the music. It’s definitely not one of Dave’s best albums but I enjoy it from time to time. If I had to bring up a disc that was underated of his I’d nominate Youthanasia over Cryptic Writings.
Overall, the album is boring, bland radio rock. The only song I think is decent AND metal on there is “Vortex”.
I personally felt The World Needs a Hero was a good album that came out post Cryptic Writings.
The riffs were better, the lyrics were better, and it felt more like rust in peace. It didn’t have Marty, but you take what you can get.
Better than the black album.
Always thought, bar the lame song title, that Have Cool will Travel was the best song on that album, such a great chorus
Apart from Trust, She-Wolf, The Desintegrators, and Mastermind I really don’t like Cryptic Writings. Keep in mind Megadeth is my favorite band, too. Sure the lyrics are pretty good but there’s no interesting tune to keep me, well, interested. I honestly like Risk more than Cryptic Writings, I think it’s MegaDave’s worst album to date.
Wow, that is fairly harsh, putting Risk over it. It’s almost the ultimate album insult. You listed 4 songs that you liked, what songs on Risk are you putting ahead of them?
Crush ‘Em, Insomnia, I’ll Be There, Seven, The Doctor Is Calling, Prince of Darkness.
Nothing spectacular, and certainly not metal, but I find it more listenable than most of Cryptic Writings. I honestly like Risk more than The World Needs A Hero, too. Luckily System and Abominations made up for anything post 1994.
How can you even list crush em? Megadeth is my favorite band and I like most of both of these albums but CRUSH EM? Risk is only palatable if you skip Enter the Arena, Crush Em, and Breadline. Those who condemn this record should try it.
On another note Youthanasia is the worst Megadeth Record period. This is where Dave started to lose his audience and momentum. For good reason too. The only song I even try to listen to an that album is the opening riff machine that is Reckoning Day.
Album as a whole is meh… but Trust is a good tune
it aint bad
It’s not especially metal, but it’s a solid rock album. Better than Risk, anyway…
Solid album, and the last decent one Megadeth would release for almost a decade. Honestly, After Youthanasia I had pretty low hopes for their next one, and I guess I was a bit surprised. As a previous post said, it isn’t as much a metal album as it is a well constructed mainstream’ish metal album. If you are looking for the fastest Megadeth thrash, this isn’t the best place to look, but if you are looking for an accessible metal record that still retains some of Megadeth’s signature sound, give it a shot. 3/5
Other than Use the Man, I think ‘Cryptic Writings’ sucks. Actually, it’s the only CD I’ve ever sold to the used CD store. I don’t know why that is, b/c there are albums I hate more. But it’s a such a huge step down from ‘Youthanasia,’ and I’ve never bought a Megadeth CD since. The stuff I heard from ‘Risk’ didn’t surprise me…they had already begun they’re alterna-deth sound here. I actually caught the ‘Cryptic’ tour though a few weeks before Menza got shit-canned (and he was awesome that night). Great show…the only weak moments being songs from ‘Crappy Drippings.’
Awesome openers with Trust and Almost Honest, then loads of crap, and then She-Wolf. The rest sucks donkey’s balls. (Un)fortunatelly Risk is even worse…
Megadeth has always been on heavy rotation in my media players since high school. So Far.. So good.. So what is by far my favorite Megadeth record hands down, it just feels more raw than anything they’ve ever done. Peace sells and Killing are equally as raw but so far just seems to take the cake in my book. As far as newer Megadeth is concerned, i’d have to say I appreciate Cryptic more than any others, it is such a nostalgic record for me, it again takes me back to the days of high school, getting drunk on the beach and jamming Cryptic, she-wolf, disintegrators, everything on this album is good.
I’ve always thought this album felt somehow “neutered”. It lacked that Mustaine “sneer” metal.
Vortex sounds like never walk alone of the new album soo much
I was a teenager when this album came up… I used to hear a lot of music genres: pop, rock, electro… and metal was just another one of them (just Iron Maiden and some other songs).
Then, one day waching MTV, I saw “Trust”… second to that, I bought CW…
For me, that was the point of no return as a metalhead… I love Dave Mustaine since that day. this album “convert” me into Metal
It may not be their thrashiest, but Trust rulez!
I always thought Cryptic Writing is an interesting, yet flawed record. To me it was one of those two steps forward, one step back kind of records. Just as you start to really get into the album (Trust, She Wolf etc) there is another song that distracts you due to it being crappy or average. I think back I look back on it more fondly now because compared to Risk, United Abomination, The World Needs a Hero and The System has Failed; it seems like a gem
It’s Alright but I Prefer Youthnasia alot more to this but the recent stuff has been pretty awesome in my book
Does anyone else think “The System Has Failed” is by far the best Megadeth record of the past 15 years? Never listened to all of “Cryptic Writings,” although I liked “Trust” and “Use the Man.”
Totally agree. Though United Abominations is a close second. Just hoping the new record shreds as much as they say and brings back the ferocity that was Rust in Peace.
Surprised to see so many people prefer Youthanasia over this….it was almost all overall downtempo (even slower than cryptic), and most of the material is just pretty dull. I love Addicted to Chaos, think Blood of Heroes is okay, and other than that, it just seems like a boring cash-in. Atleast Cryptic had a couple good singles and some good faster stuff.
Reckoning Day has always been one of my favorite ‘Deth tunes. Youthanasia is a solid album in my book, even if it’s not on heavy rotation.
Me too. Youthanasia is the only Megadeth album I don’t listen to. The only song worth anything is Reckoning Day.
Cryptic Writings is a really good album. It’s one of those albums I can continually listen to. And I agree with Ben there. The System Has Failed is effing badass. All tracks are great, except Truth Be Told, can’t really get into it.
I really like Trust but I can’t listen to the rest of the album. Mostly meh with a few clunkers
Weird. I was just thinking about this album a couple days ago… I used to like it quite a bit (way better than Youthanasia), but I haven’t listened to since like, 1999 or so. Certainly not the best Megadeth record but decent songs. I thought Risk was hilariously bad, and never listened to anything after that. I’ll be curious to pull Cryptic Writings out tomorrow and listen to it at work; see how (or if) it holds up.
Ha! I just pulled out the CD, and I’d totally forgotten about the Vic Rattlehead baseball card dealy in there. Some sort of promo thing for a Megadeth-themed Marvel comic or something.
Heh, the 90s were funny.
Cryptic Writings is not like megadeth in their earlier days
.However I like this album as it was the beginning of the new musical direction taken by megadeth.
As you can see they have become a little matured and gave us an awesome album “United abominations”
Well lets hope the next album is just as good!
Youthanasia I liked, but it was as far down that road as a Mustaine should go. He went further of course… and claimed he was pushed.
I think it’s funny how many people like Trust on this album.
It’s obvious you really haven’t given this album a proper listen.
I dismissed this album at the time when it came out. (I bought it and shelved it pretty much)
A few years later I picked it up.
-The Disintegrators
- Vortex
- Mastermind
- She Wolf (The harmonies at the end of the song are worth it, Lyrics are a little silly)
All those songs kill Trust and are metal. (More metal then Trust)
-A Secret Place
- I’ll get even
are cool songs not so metal but cool tunes.
Ok there are some song that are meh on it. But compare this to Risk (Which shouldn’t even be discussed)
Two words: Craptic writings.
I find it funny that people criticize musicians for always sounding the same, but when they mix it up people freak out and say it sucks. I thought Cryptic was good for what it was. Not my favorite, but it was a change that needed to be tried.
Its a good record whether it fits in anyone’s percertion of metal. Being “metal” is not a condition for being a record unless you are close minded. Are all good albums metal? If you think so that is your prerogative but in the eyes of rational beings that is a very silly condition. Yourpreconceptions only hinder your own growth/understanding.
fucking weak. countdown was the last good deth album for me. i still wish they had mixed the vocals lower though. sometimes it’s just too annoying to bear. though i never noticed that effect on ‘tornado of souls’.
and btw the black album’s way better than this crap.
There’s a handful of very catchy songs on this album, something Megadeth are really lacking these days, but it’s a total ‘play it safe and try and get some commercial success’ record. I always thought Trust was a bit of a rip off of Enter Sandman as well.
good album. is it speed megadeth? No. Is it good? yes. Use the man shreds