Megadeth-Cryptic Writings (1997)



 

Artist: Megadeth

Title:  Cryptic Writings

Label: Capitol

Format: CD

Cat #: CDP 358262

Year of Release: 1997

Country and Year of Edition Issue: US 1997

Listed Condition: vG+/VG+

Sell Date: 1/16/22

Sell Price: $4.99

Discogs Last Sold: 11/30/21 $6.76

Low: $1.74

Median: $4.00

Average: $4.69

High: $7.99

Current low price: $4.00

Current Number on Sale at Discogs: 4

Have/Want: 357/45

Where Sold: Conroe, TX

Time it took to sell: 10 years

Where and When Bought: internet mid aughts used

Gwiz-gau Letter Grade: C+

Sad To See It Go: No

I caught up with the Megadeth catalog on CD around 2007, having liked the United Abominations album and seeing the tour.  Half.com had most of it for seventy-five cents plus shipping so $20 got me up to date after blowing their discography off after getting a free promo of So Far So Good So What.

This sold with Risk, and that was always the album I thought was a little "naff."  This one from a couple years earlier had a late 90's production by Dann Huff, from the Christian Rock band Whiteheart as well as MOR celebrities of the day.  The record is mired in an Alice In Chain/alterna-rock sound with disembodied Ken Nordine style spoken vocals.  Crypic Writings was probably only given a single cursory listen, arriving a in stack of Megadeth product of years gone by.  I had my hands full with the classics Killing Is My Business and Peace Sells as well as Rust In Peace and Countdown To Extinction.  Come to think of it, I didn't put a hell alot of time into those either.  I think Rust In Peace came out the one that I wanted to hear again from the whole stack.  I'm a bit surprised this has the 4th most live plays track for track of their career, the biggest being the open "Trust."  That's right about 3 times Killing Is My Business and Business Is Good.  

"Use The Man" opens with a disembodied "Needles and Pins" and is probably the most convincing track of the record in this production style.   "She-Wolf" was more of a Megadeth standard, which was a relief from the rest of the record.  The addict is he, the addict is ME sort of fundamentalism.  It sounds like Christian Rock to me, but it's well done and leaves some breathing room.  "I'll Get Even" another Christian morality play, sneaking revenge, Alice In Change vocal stylings and more disembodied spoken vocals.

Often the guitars are the savior here.  "The Disintegrators" are a slight thrash return.  The closer "FFF" (not a PiL cover) rails Fight For Freedom.  Fight Authority. Fight For Anything.  Even False Metal.

The dawn of Rock’s flirt with American Populism?



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