In 1996, Dave Mustaine's former band (Metallica) alienated their cult following by releasing "Load," an album which was very commercial, simplified, and alternative. And even though Dave Mustaine and Megadeth would eventually follow suit and release "Risk" in 1999, they first made an album (1997's "Cryptic Writings") which pleased all metal fans, and helped make the Metallica fans less angry. Megadeth's seventh studio album was, at the time, definitely their best effort since "Rust In Peace" came out in 1990. "Cryptic Writings," which is kind of like a combinations of Megadeth's last two albums (1992's "Countdown to Extinction" and 1994's "Youthanasia"), is full of crunchy riffs, memorable hooks, and famous, acrobatic guitar solos from axemen Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman. "Trust," "She-Wolf," and "Vortex" are all instant `Deth classics, and "Almost Honest" includes an incredible, long, wailing guitar solo. Elsewhere, "Use The Man" begins with acoustic strums and has a rhythm which subtly gains momentum and speed, "The Disintegrators" features fast, stutter-stepping riffs, "I'll Get Even" has a very infectious and memorable sing-along chorus, and "A Secret Place" has a catchy, "Rust In Peace"-esque vibe and rhythm. So, "Cryptic Writings" is definitely another great Megadeth album, it is a mostly successful attempt at returning to the thrash sound of the 1980's, and it is, in my opinion, better than both "Youthanasia" and "Countdown to Extinction." And if Dave Mustaine hadn't made "The System Has Failed" in 2004, this disc would still be Megadeth's best album this side of 1990. Plus, if you buy the remastered edition, you get an unreleased bonus track ("Bullprick") which is also essential for every diehard Megadeth collection.

When this album came out I despised it. Where was the whole scene going? Well, now it's gone and almost a decade later i've finally come to terms with it. Having discovered nothing new worth anything, I find myself discovering "over-looked" gems in the households of friends as we drink and build walls and try and forget the world of 2000 even exists. So we're playing cards and my buddy throws in Cryptic Writings. Jesus, at least I haven't heard it a thousand times. And man, by track five i'm like Holy S**t, this record is awesome. I can't believe I ever hated it. I mean, I know why hated it. I used to be King Metal. But the world killed that guy. Starved him to death. Or maybe just into a coma. But the song crafting and flow on this album really is incredible. It's actually pretty. This is music. Like Dream Theatre that doesn't suck, and nothing like that actually, but the same feeling. As it flows into the final tracks, it starts to sound more like filler and loses the cool groove, but if this was a record of old, it would be A sides and B sides. Two sides of a coin. You could get away with a lot more musical freedom and exploration like that. Like every record was two mini-albums. I miss that. It's so awesome that you can leave a band behind, leave em for dead, and years later discover this album they made. (...) My favorite band that no longer exists just put a out a new cd that rocks. I went back and listened to Youthanasia but it still sucks. Cryptic of course sounds nothing like early Megadeth, but it is really good music. If it had a different band name and a trend friendly image it would have been a monster success. Then again, maybe not. (...)

Megadeth continues to shine, releasing such great albums. I think Crytic Writings is a standout, not because Countdown and Youthanasia are worse, but because Cryptic writings in my opinion is quite different. In my opinion the only flaw that there is too much filler. Here are my opinions on the tracks on the album:
1.) Trust: A good tune; not one of Megadeth's more talented or skillful work, but a decent opening to the album. (7/10)
2.) Almost Honest: Following the same kind of rhythm as Trust, in my opinion it kind of draws out that somewhat droning intro. (7/10)
3.) Use the Man: I love this song. A welcome break from the first two songs, with an acoustic riff, it is catchy and fun to listen to. (9/10)
4.) Mastermind: This song reminds us of Countdown to Extinction. It's a good one but not THAT great. The riff is quite catchy. (7/10)
5.) The Disintegrators: A good somewhat thrashy song that shows some skill, and very catchy. (8/10)
6.) I'll Get Even: Out of all of the Megadeth songs without guitar solos I would have to say this is the best one. Anyone can like this song. (10/10)
7.) Sin: This one's okay. Still the catchy riffs but not as good as the earlier tracks. (6/10)
8.) A Secret Place: Good, but still a little ordinary compared to songs like Use The Man, I'll Get Even, and Disintegrators. (7/10)
9.) Have Cool, Will Travel: Once again trying to mimic their old style. Not bad I guess, but a little bit of a filler. (6/10)
10.) She-Wolf: Some may like it, but im not a fan of this song...it just didn't click. (6/10)
11.) Once again, back to their earlier stuff, but this time they do a great job. I love this song. (10/10)
12.) Fight For Freedom (FFF): Hmm, It's good, it's fast, but it's just not AS good...just not as catchy or good-sounding as much of the other stuff. (6/10)
13.) Trust (Spanish version): The lyrics don't rhyme or fit in with the rhythm of the song. (5/10)
14.) Evil That's Within: Pretty much the same song as Sin, but with different lyrics. I don't like it as much. (5/10)
15.) Vortex (Alternate version): Alternate lyrics of the song Vortex. Not as fast and not as great, but still good. (7/10)
16.) Bullprick: Alternate lyrics of the song FFF. I like this one better. (7/10)

I agree with Mr. Costa. This is an exceptionally good album. So it's catchy? Why is that a bad thing? If you want to listen to music with no recognizable melody, go buy some jazz. Just for the record, I have nothing against jazz. I'm just so sick of people complaining about how their favorite bands become too "commercial". I just want to hear great music played by talented musicians. If it's radio friendly, so be it. Just listen to all the Nu Metal crap out there. Those bands don't even compare to Megadeth. Someone said this album is light on solos compared to other Megadeth albums. Well, most guitarists in these newer bands can't even play a decent solo. People in this country have become lazier and lazier and this is reflected in modern metal as well. Dave Mustaine is twice the age of these modern "musicians" and he still rocks twice as hard to this day!!! He's the hardest working metal musician of all time! How many other people could recover from a devastating injury and play guitar with the same intensity that they did 20 years ago? Cryptic Writings is a great album. It is one of the best albums from the nineties.

After the perfection of 1992's Extinction & 1994's Youthanasia, Megadeth come out with Cryptic Writings in 1997, a year after Metallica released Load and shocked half of their fans into fits with changes in both appearance and musical direction. Well...not Megadeth. Sure, they were becoming more and more popular and more and more mainstream metal, but they were still Megadeth and as long as Dave Mustaine was in charge, very little was going to change. Not as brilliant as the two previous discs, Cryptic Writings still boasts some great tunes. Trust & Almost Honest start things rolling very solidly. Use The Man is one of my personal favorite songs. I'll Get Even is cool. She-Wolf absolutely f*cking rox! A Secret Place is middle of the road. All the rest is weak in some way or another and mostly filler. Still a very potent effort, things will start to come down around Megadeth's ears on the next outing. Beware...

Dig it!