“Cryptic Writings” continued the band’s progression away for their thrash metal lineage. After 1990’s “Rust In Peace,” Megadeth slowly but surely slowed down the tempo and became more melodic after every release. 1992’s “Countdown to Extinction,” the band’s biggest commerical peak was still extremely heavy but thrash tracks were few far and between. 1994’s “Youthanasia” was still heavy nonetheless, more melodic, but even less thrashier than CTE. Then three years later, in the decade where metal was basically on its deathbed and where thrash metal bands were either disbanded or not sticking to their roots, Megadeth released “Cryptic Writings,” an album that perfectly blends radio friendly material along with hard rock and slamming heavy metal.
This would be the last album to feature the “Rust In Peace” lineup of Dave Mustaine, bassist David Ellefson, guitarist Marty Friedman, and drummer Nick Menza as Menza would be relieved of his duties shortly after the release of the album and be replaced by Jimmy DeGrasso.
The album starts off with the Grammy nominated “Trust,” Megadeth’s most successful single to date. The track and album starts off with Nick Menza banging away on the drums, followed by a thumping bass line by David Ellefson before the whole band kicks into high gear. The song is coloured with dark tones through out as the band hits you with a radio friendly, yet crushingly heavy and catchy track. The orchestral section around the three minute mark is a piece that was released on the remixed and remastered version of “Youthanasia” entitled “Absolution”. The live staple is a great track with good riffing and vocals and an excellent way to begin the album.
“Almost Honest” is another track that received some airtime on the radio. The track begins with an eerie crackling sound followed by the track’s simplistic yet cool main riff. Then the verse kicks in with Mustaine providing some pretty damn good vocals over a pummeling bass line by David Ellefson for a few bars before the guitars kick back in. The verses are killer, the combination of Mustaine’s grim-esque vocals and the sweet main riff just smashes. If the verses aren’t considered “commerical” or “radio oriented” well the choruses definitely are, not that it’s a bad thing. The track is a very good combination of heavy metal and radio friendly hard rock. Love Mustaine’s voice on this track and Marty Friedman unleashes a mighty fine guitar solo.
At this point if you didn’t think or believe Megadeth were trying to be more commercial then “Use the Man” all but proves it. Now this song probably didn’t go over well with fans of old school Megadeth. If you put on “Killing is My Business… And Business is Good!” album then listened to this track, it’s quite an evolution to say the least. I don’t dislike this track, far from it actually. This is one of my favourite songs off this album actually. It’s an amazing track. The song begins with Mustaine singing his heart out over acoustic guitar. The guitars are distorted during the choruses, and the chorus is one of my all time favourites. Mustaine is a master at building up a song to an head smashing climax and he does it again with this track. It really kicks into overdrive near the end, upping the tempo and aggression. Also, some excellent lyrics on this burner of a track.
It is followed by “Mastermind,” a head pounding, heavy as hell attack of aggression. The bass line at the beginning is monstrous and its tone is god-like. The rhythm section crushes, Mustaine delivers the anger in his trademark snarl in the vocals, the song is all around aggressive as it is heavy. Some of my favourite lyrics off the album too. I’ve read others’ opinion on this song and how this song is one of the weaker on the album and personally I wholeheartedly disagree. This track is a smoker. Excellent vocals, buzz-saw riffs, cool lyrics, banging rhythm section, and it’s catchy in parts. What’s not to like? But of course, I am a biased.
Then comes my favourite track off of the album “The Disintegrators,” a blazing metal track. This song is one of the reasons why I love this album so much. It shows this album has some balls and some crunch, not just commercial tracks. It’s a pretty thrashy track with a real punk vibe to it. The attack on the fretboard and the picking is just incredible, an excellent rhythm section going to work on this track. The choruses might be my favourite moment on the album, it’s not only catchy but just so damn ruthless. Mustaine’s vocal oozes venom on the track. Mustaine lays down one of my favourite solos of his, a speed of light face melting solo as the song annihilates its way to a thunderous scorched earth conclusion. Just a real old school Megadeth tune.
Next is “I’ll Get Even,” a song that was far from one of my favourite Megadeth tracks in the beginning and has since become a song I like quite a bit. It’s a real poppy, commercial, radio friendy Megadeth song. The track has very ominous and sinister beginning, in fact, the whole song has that dark vibe to it. Some people, maybe a lot, aren’t too fond of this number, but it’s fun and the chorus is catchy and sing-a-long friendly. I love the bass in this song, David Ellefson’s thumping bass line adds a beautiful texture to this track. Around the 2:45 mark, the aggression and heaviness amps up as the song pounds its way to the finish. Another great vocal performance from Dave Mustaine. The most overlooked and under appreciated song on the album.
What follows is a track entitled “Sin,” a devilishly heavy, rocking tune. The three minute track is one of those songs that isn’t the best nor is it the worst song on the album, but lies somewhere in the middle. It kind of gets lost in the shuffle which is a shame because it’s a pretty killer song. It’s dark, a bit evil, a mid-paced slasher that has some good moments. It’s a great track throughout but the last fifty seconds is the best part of the song. A sledgehammer heavy, black mass evil riffing with trademark Mustaine vocals as the band slays its way to the conclusion. Catchy verses and overall it’s a damn good song.
Then comes the fan favourite “A Secret Place,” a beautifully written, dark, melodic banger. This track has great melody. The main riff, though it’s simplistic, is just phenomenal. Mustaine signs his heart out on this track, providing excellent vocals especially during the verses. This is another song that has a perfect balance of not being too “heavy” but not being too commercial, basically it’s a song that pleases everyone and doesn’t alienate their hardcore fans. Though the choruses are great, the verses are the best part of the song; it’s just the combination of Mustaine’s vocals and the beautifully dark crafted riff that is remarkably killer. Excellent track.
Next is “Have Cool, Will Travel,” a song that is rarely talked about and if it is talked about, it’s not normally met with warm reception… it’s a track that kind of gets left behind in the dirt. I, for one, think it’s a pretty cool, rocking tune. The track begins with Mustaine singing “Round and round, the wheels on the bus go round and round”. Then the band kicks in. It’s a decently heavy tune, it’s the product of mainstream metal and commercial hard rock thrown together in a blender. I like the verses a lot, the vocal melody Mustaine delivers is pretty great and the riffing and the rhythm section is kicking. Not exactly a memorable track, but it’s not a bad song in the slightest and overall it’s a good tune.
Then comes the fan favourite “She-Wolf,” a staple in Megadeth’s live performances. If Mustaine needed a song on this album to get out some of his pent up anger and frustration, this is probably the song he did it on. With the ultra-heavy, galloping, speed frenzy riffing and his trademark vocal snarl/growl, Mustaine and the boys deliver a single concussive blow with this aggressive, even melodic, bone breaking metal classic. The choruses are sing-a-long friendy and catchy as hell and the final minute is an epic showdown of melodic greatness with Mustaine and Friedman displaying their great chemistry. Just a great section where the band get to jam a bit and have a little fun. Awesome song.
The album’s penultimate track is “Vortex,” a song the band had demoed for 1994’s “Youthanasia”. I absolutely love this track. From start to finish, this song murders. The track has a dark vibe embroidered in its fabric ike impending doom. The track begins with a thrashy Armageddon guitar lick before the whole band kicks into overdrive. Though the verses’ tempo slows by just a tad, the verses just might be the best part of the song as the lyrics are phenomenal and the way Mustaine delivers those lyrics in an ominous way is killer. After the second verse and chorus, the song gets extremely heavy and it sounds like the apocalypse is near. Marty Friedman shows why he’s a guitar God with his face melting, bone shattering guitar solo. What a great track.
And the album’s final track “FFF” is just a great way to finish the album. It definitely sounds similar to the Metallica song “Motorbreath” off of their debut album “Kill ‘Em All,” specifically the verses. But this song is a destroyer. It’s heavy, very thrashy and gives off a punk rock vibe. “Fight For Freedom” was another song that was demoed for “Youthanasia” and overall it’s probably the most ‘Megadeth’ song on the album. Just another excellent vocal performance from Mustaine, he really delivered on this album as the song is catchy and headbangingly awesome. It’s another sing-a-long friendy chorus ’cause if you know the words to the chorus, you can’t help but sing along with Mustaine. Marty Friedman delivers a technically ferocious and precise earth shattering guitar solo, melting his strings in the process. Epic song.
On the remixed and remastered “Cryptic Writings” it features an alternate version “Trust” with the chorus being sung in Spanish. It also has an alternate version of “Vortex” with the tempo a tad bit slower and some altered lyrics. Also, it has a song entitled “Bullprick” which is an alternate version of “FFF” with different lyrics. I actually prefer “Bullprick” over “FFF”. And finally there’s a song entitled “Evil That’s Within” which is an alternate version of “Sin” with different lyrics. I also prefer the alternate version “Evil That’s Within” over “Sin”. Both of the lyrics to”Bullprick” and “Evil That’s Within” were deemed too offensive by their manager Bud Prager. Prager would play a huge part of their following album and debacle known as “Risk”.
Mustaine once said about “Cryptic Writings” that Megadeth took four songs from each of three eras prior and put it on CW: “FFF,” “The Disintegrators,” “She-Wolf,” and “Vortex” was the “Rust In Peace” era material, “Mastermind,” “Sin,” “A Secret Place,” and “Have Cool, Will Travel” was the “Countdown to Extinction” era material and “Trust,” “Almost Honest,” “Use the Man,” and “I’ll Get Even” was the “Youthanasia” era material. I don’t necessarily agree with Mr. Dave Mustaine here and the categories he put the songs into but what he is saying is essentially true. Put RIP, CTE, and Y into a blender and top it off with mainstream rock, the product you would get is “Cryptic Writings”.
I love this album to death or more appropriately, I love this album to ‘deth’. Yes, I agree that this album ain’t ‘Megadeth” in the sense that it ain’t thrash nor is it even heavy as albums that they did in the early 90’s but nonetheless the songs and the material are undeniably great. I remember there was a time, probably when I was 13 years old, not too long after became a Megadeth fanatic that I claimed this to be my favourite Megadeth album. Not that I denied the greatest of “Peace Sells” or “Rust In Peace” but I just couldn’t stop listening to this album. For a few months I couldn’t get this album out of my CD player, I was that hooked up. Obviously now I don’t consider this to be my favourite but I can’t overstate how much I love this album or the connection I have to it. You don’t like “Cryptic Writings,” or you choose not to give it a chance? Okay, suit yourself because all you’re doing is missing out on a lot of killer material and a criminally underrated album. Awesome record.
RYM Rating: 5/5 Retrospective Rating: 10/10 (A +)
Recommendation: Don’t just blow this album off because it’s late 90’s Megadeth or because it’s known to be a radio friendly album. This album is amazing and has a lot to offer.
3 Favourite Songs: The Disintegrators, Vortex, FFF.
J-Saus Blog 
Great review! Its my first Megadeth album and its still my fav till today. I got the cd signed by Marty few weeks ago. Then again, the only weak Megadeth album to me is Super collider. I dont rate album based on its heaviness but song quality.
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