Megadeth

Countdown To Extinction

Give me a break

Review Score:

(4/10)
After having grown up listening to the cream of the crop as far as early metal is concerned - Metallica (nothing after "Justice" though), Maiden, Slayer, Anthrax, etc. - I decided to check out your Essentials list to see where this musical genre stood among today's Amazon pundits and patrons. Most of your selections are solid - can't argue with Puppets, Reign in Blood or Back in Black. But this one has to be a joke. First off, Countdown is maybe Megadeth's fourth or fifth best album, if that, with silly, trite, uninspired vocals and lame, pop, bubble-gum rhythms. In fact, this disc, along with Metallica's "black album," were the catalysts behind my decision to stop listening to metal around the early 90s. Where was the clever incisiveness of Peace Sells... or the driving power of Rust in Peace? All this album proves is that sooner or later everyone sells out in an effort to make their tunes more palatable to the masses. If this is what passes for "essential listening," then I must say that the music industry is in worse shape than I had originally feared. If you're looking for some direction in what to buy, stick with the early stuff, and leave this garbage on the shelf- or in the can where it belongs.

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