And it would seem that the countdown continues so in some sense I guess that there should be a sigh of relief that we are not yet extinct at all but moving steadily along. Yeah we have the occasional mishap out there but I digress. So can you believe that it has been twenty years since Megadeth first released their “Countdown To Extinction” album? I know that it amazes me, but I will say that I really enjoyed this particular album myself.

Back when this album came out I was finding myself getting more into Megadeth as a Metal fan than I ever had been before. Yeah there were some moments on the debut and I liked the same songs that everyone liked on “Peace Sells” but there was not much that thrilled me on “So Far So Good So What”. It happens. It was not until “Rust In Peace” (1990) that I found them to be a band of preference to me and this was largely based on a friend who ran a radio show in the region and played them all the time. I was also very involved in a Metal band of my own and I reckon that Megadeth was “speaking” to me as a player even though I was a drummer and not a guitar slinger like Mustaine. At the end of the day I guess I was also just leaning more into this brand of Metal based on how it was put together. Faster, more aggressive and making a larger point with its lyrical content. This appreciation really continued to brew when the band delivered “Countdown To Extinction”. I found “Skin O’ My Teeth” to be an energetic tune and “Symphony Of Destruction” would become a live staple that always set the audience off. The views in “Foreclosure Of A Dream” were slightly ahead of their time and when listened to today are speaking volumes about the way we live. This was a powerful album for sure and one who’s message was rather bleak about some societal ills that we find ourselves facing. The playing was also top drawer from Mustaine who had Marty Friedman, Dave Ellefson and Nick Menza as a part of the band at this time.

Congratulations Dave on a great milestone. Perhaps we shall find you touring for this album in full like you did with “Peace Sells” and “Rust In Peace” a few years ago. If so, I hope to be able to catch one of the shows……

Official Website: www.megadeth.com

Here is a link to the original remaster of the album. Whenever the decision is made to offer up some kind of special edition I will just add it to the links that you see below. It’s an easy fix for sure.