Cryptic Writings

This was where Megadeth really went into decline. Although this process started with Coutndown To Extinction, it was not until this album before it really maifested itself. There are some good songs but an awful lot of crap too.

The most striking thing about this album are the inclusion of some of the fastest songs since the RIP days. The Disintegrators is an all-too brief blast of speed that was lacking on the past two releases by the band. She-Wolf is probably the best overall song with it's thrashy riff and excellent soloing. FFF sounds an awful lot like Metallica's Motorbreath but it remains an enjoyable listen regardless. Vortex has some good lyrics too.

As for the other songs, Trust is easily the best. It's very catchy (I always find myself tapping along with drum intro) and features a decent riff even though it is obviously very commercial. This became the band's biggest hit on rock radio and the only one from this album worth hearing live.

The remaining songs are nothing special. Almost Honest is tolerable I suppose and Mastermind is ok once it gets heavier. But the other songs are pretty much a waste of space. The likes of I'll Get Even and Have Cool, Will Travel are some of the worst stuff the band has ever written. Dave was really getting into "hit single" mode here. This would of course culminate with the following album.

If you can get this album very cheap, then it's worth having for the 5 good songs. A dissapointing effort and it only gets worse.....