Countdown to Extinction
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| Countdown to Extinction | ||
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| Studio album by Megadeth | ||
| Released | July 14, 1992 | |
| Recorded | Between January 6 and April 28, 1992 | |
| Genre | Heavy metal Thrash metal |
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| Length | 1:06:14 | |
| Label | Capitol Records Combat Records |
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| Producer(s) | Max Norman and Dave Mustaine | |
| Professional reviews | ||
|---|---|---|
| Megadeth chronology | ||
| Rust in Peace (1990) |
Countdown to Extinction (1992) |
Youthanasia (1994) |
Countdown to Extinction is the fifth studio album by Megadeth, released in 1992 (see 1992 in music).
According to the liner notes of the 2004 remastered version, Dave Mustaine considers this to be Megadeth's best work.
Contents |
[edit] Musical style
Following up the band's 1990 technical masterpiece Rust in Peace, and perhaps in response to the 1991 Metallica self-titled album, Megadeth decided to follow a more straight-forward heavy metal format with Countdown to Extinction. This style would continue throughout their later offerings.
[edit] Production and marketing
Countdown to Extinction was the second album featuring the Mustaine / Ellefson / Menza / Friedman line-up. It was produced by Mustaine and Max Norman at The Enterprise in Burbank, California. Pre-produced by Ryan Greene.
The band's change in musical style meant that many songs on the album follow a more traditional structure, with verses and choruses (unlike many of the band's previous albums). This format change was unpopular with some fans at the album's release, however the album turned out to be one of the band's most commercially successful.
Like its predecessor, many of the songs on the album have political and military undertones. For example, "Symphony of Destruction" is a song about military dictators, "Architecture of Aggression" focuses on the complexity of military operations, and "Ashes in Your Mouth" concentrates on the negative aftermaths of war ("sweet taste of vindication, it turns to ashes in your mouth"). In a similar vein, "Psychotron" details a merciless cyborg killing machine of the same name, and is based on the Marvel comic book character Deathlok. Other political songs include "Captive Honour", a song about prison and the consequences of crime, "Countdown to Extinction", a song about canned hunts (which many believed was a jab at Metallica frontman James Hetfield and his love for hunting), and "Foreclosure of a Dream", a song that looks at rise and fall of political and economic ideologies, which also includes the infamous 1988 "Read my lips" quote by George H. W. Bush (and on a more personal level, about Ellefson's parents who lost their jobs under the Reagan Administration). The title song "Countdown To Extinction" also won Megadeth the Humane Society of the United States "Genesis Award" for its dealings with issues of animal welfare.
The rest of the songs' undertones are more spread around. "Skin O' My Teeth" is about Mustaine's numerous attempts at suicide but "just couldn't get the job done" as Mustaine said during a 1992 concert. "Sweating Bullets" is about Schizophrenia. "This Was My Life" refers to a failing relationship where that despite wanting to kill your spouse, you'll be sent to the electric chair regardless for your actions. "High Speed Dirt" is about skydiving.
The song "Symphony of Destruction" was covered by the band Arch Enemy on the EP Dead Eyes See No Future, and by Nightwish on their single for the song The Siren. It is also featured in the Playstation 2 game Guitar Hero. A remix is also included on Smackdown vs Raw 2006 for Playstation 2. In 2005, the game FlatOut 2 included it as a soundtrack. The song "Skin O' My Teeth" was covered by the band Kalmah on the album They Will Return.
[edit] Track listing
- "Skin O' My Teeth" – (Dave Mustaine) 3:13
- "Symphony of Destruction" – (Mustaine) 4:02 sample
- "Architecture of Aggression" – (Mustaine/David Ellefson) 3:34
- "Foreclosure of a Dream" – (Mustaine/Ellefson) 4:17 sample
- "Sweating Bullets" – (Mustaine) 5:03 sample
- "This Was My Life" – (Mustaine) 3:42
- "Countdown to Extinction" – (Mustaine/Nick Menza/Ellefson/Marty Friedman) 4:16
- "High Speed Dirt" – (Mustaine/Ellefson) 4:12
- "Psychotron" – (Mustaine) 4:42
- "Captive Honour" – (Mustaine/Ellefson/Menza/Friedman) 4:14
- "Ashes in Your Mouth" – (Mustaine/Menza/Ellefson/Friedman) 6:10
[edit] 2004 bonus tracks
- "Crown of Worms" – 3:17
- "Countdown to Extinction" (demo) – 3:55
- "Symphony of Destruction" (demo) – 5:29
- "Psychotron" (demo) – 5:28
[edit] Credits
- Dave Mustaine - lead & rhythm guitar, lead vocals
- Marty Friedman - lead, rhythm & acoustic guitar, backing vocals
- Nick Menza - drums, backing vocals
- David Ellefson - bass guitars, backing vocals
[edit] Miscellaneous
- 1990s heavy metal band Pantera named a mixed drink from the song "Sweating Bullets" called The Blacktooth Grin.
- An infamous extract of George H.W. Bush's speech about taxes at the 1988 Republican National Convention can be heard in the song Foreclosure of a Dream (see Read my lips: no new taxes).
| Megadeth |
| Dave Mustaine | Glen Drover | James Lomenzo | Shawn Drover |
| David Ellefson | Chris Poland | Gar Samuelson | Jeff Young | Chuck Behler | Nick Menza | Marty Friedman | Jimmy DeGrasso | Al Pitrelli | James MacDonough |
| Discography |
|---|
| Studio albums: Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! | Peace Sells... But Who's Buying? | So Far, So Good... So What! | Rust in Peace | Countdown to Extinction | Youthanasia | Cryptic Writings | Risk | The World Needs a Hero | The System Has Failed | United Abominations |
| Live albums: Live Trax | Rude Awakening | That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires |
| Compilations: Capitol Punishment | Still Alive... And Well? | Back to the Start |
| Extended plays: Hidden Treasures | Cryptic Sounds |
| Videos and DVDs: Rusted Pieces | Exposure of a Dream | Evolver: The Making of Youthanasia | Rude Awakening | Video Hits | Arsenal of Megadeth | That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires |
