Megadeth
Countdown to Extinction

THE REVIEW

The early '90s marked a sudden halt in the popularity of numerous thrash metal acts, especially in the United States, where the grunge phenomenon managed to capture the attention of a large portion of the public, thanks to a proposal antithetical to the canons of the "me decade."

Initially affected by this shift is precisely that melodic and irresistible sound that had characterized the entire '80s, thanks to names like Motley Crue, Whitesnake, Dokken, and Poison. Soon, however, even the major thrash metal bands faced oblivion. Glorified on the altars of critics in the previous decade, all the big names in hard and heavy were literally erased from the charts and encountered heavy criticism from the specialized press. In a desperate attempt to take remedial action, individual groups adopted different strategies: Metallica softened their sound by producing a self-titled album that was less complex and articulated but with a significant impact (selling a whopping 12 million copies in the USA alone); Slayer continued undaunted down already trodden paths; Anthrax radically revolutionized their roots by releasing lesser but still respectable works, while all the bands of the second thrash wave (Annihilator, Forbidden, Vio-Lence, Death Angel...) continued their careers amidst many difficulties.

The Megadeth (who, along with Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax, have always formed the elite of this musical genre) responded to the market crisis with a compact and powerful album, characterized by great compositional solidity and possessing high-caliber elements, capable of capturing a wider and more diverse audience without making excessive compromises like Metallica did. On the very day of its release, the album debuted at #2 on the American charts and quickly achieved double platinum status, becoming the absolute bestseller for the Los Angeles band.
Enhanced by the presence of the majestic single "Symphony Of Destruction," supported by a truly remarkable video, the album literally took off, reinforcing Megadeth's position among the big names in contemporary rock. With the line-up that had made the previous "Rust In Peace" an absolute masterpiece in the techno-thrash realm, Dave Mustaine's band managed to adapt to the standards of the period, intelligently grasping the audience's changes: speed no longer represents the primary goal of the Megadeth sound; now the drums have a heavier sound, and the six strings, masterfully used by the Friedman-Mustaine duo, open up to new and exciting solutions. Melodies emerge forcefully amidst the band's tight rhythms: pieces like the stunning title track, an authentic sound monument, and the sumptuous "Foreclosure Of A Dream," with a very interesting text, manage to unite more reflective moments with impressive electric bursts. The heterogeneity of the tracks, whose matrix remains always recognizable, further enhances this excellent work: the classic all-out attacks remain present in tracks like "High Speed Dirt" and "Sweating Bullets," but Megadeth provide more innovative cues in "Architecture Of Aggression" or in the beautiful "Captive Honour."

Produced by Max Norman and the omnipresent Dave Mustaine, "Countdown To Extinction" represents the ability of this great band to intelligently renew itself while preserving its identity without stifling its desire for artistic growth. The sonic revolution and the orgiastic triumph of "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying" (1986) are distant, as are the technical explosions of the titanic "Rust In Peace," but this album is a clear demonstration of how the Mustaine - Friedman - Ellefson - Menza quartet was capable of creating songs with an elaborate structure, yet endowed with a unique impactful force. "Countdown To Extinction" is the most obvious proof of this. (Enrico Rosticci)

TITLETRACK:

01) SKIN O’ MY TEETH
02) SYMPHONY OF DESTRUCTION
03) ARCHITECTURE OF AGGRESSION
04) FORECLOSURE OF A DREAM
05) SWEATING BULLETS
06) THIS WAS MY LIFE
07) COUNTDOWN TO EXTINCTION
08) HIGH SPEED DIRT
09) PSYCHOTRON
10) CAPTIVE HONOUR
11) ASHES IN YOUR MOUTH