Cryptic Writings

Cryptic Writings
Studio album by Megadeth
Released	June 17, 1997
Recorded	The Tracking Room, Nashville, Tennessee
Genre	Heavy metal, hard rock, thrash metal
Length	49:22 61:13 (Remaster)
Label	Capitol
Producer	Dann Huff, Dave Mustaine
Megadeth chronology
Youthanasia (1994) Cryptic Writings (1997) Risk (1999) Singles from Cryptic Writings "Trust" Released: 1997 "Almost Honest" Released: 1997 "Use the Man" Released: 1998 "A Secret Place" Released: 1998
Alternative cover
2004 remixed and remastered re-release

Cryptic Writings is the seventh studio album by heavy metal band Megadeth. The album was released on June 17, 1997 and debuted at #10 on Billboard Top 200. This is the last Megadeth studio album to feature drummer Nick Menza. His departure would mark the end of the band's longest lasting lineup to date, having recorded 4 studio albums (beginning with 1990's "Rust in Peace"). It is also the first and so far only album where Vic Rattlehead does not appear at all in any tangible form, save for a limited edition collectible card advertising the Megadeth comic distributed by Chaos! Comics, which shows Vic in Hell reading a scroll.

A remixed and remastered version, featuring four bonus tracks, was released in 2004.

Writing style

Cryptic Writings is a continuation of Megadeth's 1990s transition to a mid-tempo, melodic hard rock style. Some songs, however, recall the band's 1980s thrash metal era, such as "The Disintegrators", "She-Wolf", "Vortex", and "FFF". This album is similar in style to Countdown to Extinction and Youthanasia; it is at present the last Megadeth album to go platinum.

The band utilized a widening range of instrumentation compared to the previous albums. For example, "A Secret Place" features a sitar, while other songs are augmented by prominent acoustic guitar, strings ("Trust", "Use the Man") and harmonica ("Have Cool, Will Travel").

Megadeth changed to ESP Management after releasing Youthanasia. According to the liner notes of the remastered version of Cryptic Writings, Dave Mustaine had to alter many lyrics after A&R director Bud Prager, of ESP, objected. The liner notes suggest Mustaine was not a fan of the changes, but other interviews say the band actively sought and accepted Prager's advice for the album. "I figured maybe this guy (Prager) could help me get that intangible Number One record I so badly wanted," Mustaine wrote in Cryptic Writings' liner notes.

Album cover

The first 500,000 copies of Cryptic Writings in the U.S. were released with silver background album cover. These releases also included a Vic Rattlehead collectible card which promoted "The Cryptic Writings Of Megadeth" 4- issue run by CHAOS! comics. The latter U.S. pressings features the same artwork with black background album cover. The black background album cover is also featured in the remasters.

Songs

Mustaine's lyrics explore deceit in personal relationships ("Trust" and "Almost Honest"), drug use ("Use the Man") and school violence ("Have Cool, Will Travel"). "The Disintegrators" and "FFF (Fight for Freedom)" herald revolution and champion rebellion. "She-Wolf" and "Vortex" evoke the dark fantasy and occult themes of older songs such as "Five Magics", "Elysian Fields", and "Bad Omen".

"Use the Man" includes 30 second sample from the song "Needles and Pins" (which was the original name for the album) by The Searchers. 2004 remaster removes this sample.

Videos were made for the songs "Trust", "Almost Honest", and "A Secret Place".

Two bonus tracks from the remastered version, "Bullprick" and "Evil That's Within," were cut because Prager objected to their lyrics, according to the liner notes. The instrumentals of "Bullprick" formed the basis of "FFF," and "Evil That's Within" became "Sin".

Reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Allmusic	[1]
Allmusic	[2]
Rolling Stone	[3]
This table needs to be expanded using prose. See the guideline for more information.

Track listing

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Trust"	Dave Mustaine	Mustaine, Marty Friedman	5:12
2.	"Almost Honest"	Mustaine	Mustaine, Friedman	4:03
3.	"Use the Man" (4:04 on the 2004 release)	Mustaine	Mustaine, Friedman	4:36
4.	"Mastermind"	Mustaine	Mustaine	3:48
5.	"The Disintegrators" (3:05 on the 2004 release)	Mustaine	Mustaine	2:50
6.	"I'll Get Even"	Mustaine, Friedman, Dave Ellefson, Brian Howe	Mustaine, Friedman, Ellefson, Howe	4:19
7.	"Sin"	Mustaine, Ellefson, Nick Menza	Mustaine, Ellefson, Menza	3:06
8.	"A Secret Place"	Mustaine	Mustaine	5:25
9.	"Have Cool, Will Travel" (3:40 on the 2004 release)	Mustaine	Mustaine	3:29
10.	"She-Wolf"	Mustaine	Mustaine	3:38
11.	"Vortex" (3:23 on the 2004 release)	Mustaine	Mustaine	3:38
12.	"FFF" (2:47 on the 2004 release)	Mustaine	Mustaine, Friedman, Ellefson, Menza	2:39
Total length:				46:43

Japanese bonus track

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
13.	"One Thing"	Mustaine	Mustaine	4:38

Remaster bonus tracks

No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
13.	"Trust" (Spanish version)	Mustaine	Mustaine, Friedman	5:12
14.	"Evil That's Within" (Alternative version of "Sin")	Mustaine, Ellefson, Menza	Mustaine, Ellefson, Menza	3:22
15.	"Vortex" (Alternative version)	Mustaine	Mustaine	3:30
16.	"Bullprick" (Alternative version of "FFF")	Mustaine	Mustaine, Friedman, Menza, Ellefson	2:47

Extended plays

The cover of Live Trax.		The cover of Live Trax II.

Three extended plays released alongside Cryptic Writings. two of these featured live recordings from the ensuing tour while the other was a studio EP and featured instrumental versions of five of the albums tracks. The live releases were entitled Live Trax, (released on June 30, 1998,)^[4] and Live Trax II, (released in 1998 as a bonus disc to Cryptic Writings,)^[5] with all songs from a recording taken at the Mesa Amphitheatre, Mesa, Arizona on July 13, 1997 except the last two tracks of each with Live Trax featuring recordings from the Olympic Auditorium, Los Angeles, California, February 25, 1995 and Live Trax II featuring studio remixes of "Almost Honest". The instrumental EP was released under the title Cryptic Sounds: No Voices in Your Head in Japan, Argentina and as a bonus disc to the album in Korea with the vocals on most tracks being replaced with extra guitar melodies and with "She-Wolf" being performed in a Spanish acoustic style for the first half.

Track listings

The cover of Cryptic Sounds: No Voices in Your Head.

*Live Trax
No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Reckoning Day" "Peace Sells" (hidden track)	Dave Mustaine, Dave Ellefson Mustaine	Mustaine, Marty Friedman Mustaine	8:19
2.	"Angry Again"	Mustaine	Mustaine	3:26
3.	"Use the Man"	Mustaine	Mustaine, Friedman	4:24
4.	"Tornado of Souls"	Mustaine, Ellefson	Mustaine	5:52
5.	"A Tout le Monde"	Mustaine	Mustaine	4:53
6.	"She-Wolf"	Mustaine	Mustaine	3:42
Total length:				30:56

*Live Trax II
No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Almost Honest"	Dave Mustaine	Mustaine, Marty Friedman	4:15
2.	"A Tout le Monde"	Mustaine	Mustaine	4:50
3.	"Sweating Bullets"	Mustaine	Mustaine	5:04
4.	"Symphony of Destruction"	Mustaine	Mustaine	3:45
5.	"Anarchy in the U.K."	Johnny Rotten, Steve Jones, Glen Matlock, Paul Cook	Rotten, Jones, Matlock, Cook	3:54
6.	"Almost Honest" (environmental mix)	Mustaine	Mustaine, Friedman	5:33
7.	"Almost Honest" (supercharger mix)	Mustaine	Mustaine, Friedman	5:40

*Cryptic Sounds: No Voices in Your Head
No.	Title	Lyrics	Music	Length
1.	"Almost Honest"	Dave Mustaine	Mustaine, Marty Friedman	4:14
2.	"Vortex"	Mustaine	Mustaine	3:21
3.	"Trust"	Mustaine	Mustaine, Friedman	5:30
4.	"A Secret Place"	Mustaine	Mustaine	5:29
5.	"She-Wolf"	Mustaine	Mustaine	3:07
Total length:				21:27

Personnel

Megadeth Dave Mustaine – guitar, vocals, sitar on "A Secret Place", co-producer Marty Friedman – guitar, backing vocals Dave Ellefson – bass guitar. backing vocals Nick Menza – drums

Production Dann Huff – producer Jeff Balding – recording, mixing Mark Hagen – recording assistant, mixing assistant Bob Ludwig – mastering Hugh Syme – artwork Dimo Safari – photography Bud Prager – A & R direction, E.S.P. management Mike Renault – E.S.P. management Giles Martin - producer (remaster)

2004 Remix and Remaster Produced by Dave Mustaine Mixed by Ralph Patlan and Dave Mustaine Engineered by Ralph Patlan with Lance Dean Edited by Lance Dean, Scott "Sarge" Harrison, and Keith Schreiber with Bo Caldwell Mastered by Tom Baker

Chart performance

Album

Country	Provider(s)	Peak position
Australia[6]	ARIA	43
Austria[6]	Media Control Europe	30
Belgium (Wallonia)[6]	Ultratop	44
Canada[7]	Billboard	17
Finland[6]	GLF	2
France[6]	SNEP/IFOP	14
Germany[8]	IFPI	22
Netherlands[6]	GFK/Dutch Charts	48
New Zealand[6]	RIANZ	34
Norway[6]	VG Nett	32
Sweden[6]	Sverigetopplistan	15
Switzerland[6]	Media Control Europe	45
United Kingdom[9]	OCC	38
U.S. Billboard 200[10]	Billboard	10
U.S. Billboard 200 Year-End[11]	Billboard	177

Certifications

Country	Certification
United States	Platinum

Singles

Single	Chart	Peak position
"Almost Honest"	U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks[12]	8
"Trust"	U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks[12]	5
"Use the Man"	U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks[12]	15
"A Secret Place"	U.S. Billboard Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks[12]	19

Footnotes

1. ^ Allmusic Review
2. ^ Allmusic Review
3. ^ Rolling Stone Review
4. ^ "Live Trax - Overview". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r368504. Retrieved 2008-12-04. 
5. ^ "Cryptic Writings [Bonus Disc] - Overview". allmusic. http://www.allmusic.com/album/r403946. Retrieved 2008-12-04. 
6. ^ ^{a b c d e f g h i j} "Megadeth - Cryptic Writings". finnishcharts.com. http://finnishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Megadeth&titel=Cryptic+Writings&cat=a. Retrieved 2008-12-04. 
7. ^ "Top Canadian Albums - Cryptic Writings". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=309&cfgn=Albums&cfn=Top+Canadian+Albums&ci=3027386&cdi=7204399&cid=07%2F05%2F1997. Retrieved 2008-12-04. ^{[dead link]}
8. ^ "Chartverfolgung - Megadeth". Musicline.de. http://www.musicline.de/de/chartverfolgung_summary/artist/Megadeth/?type=longplay. Retrieved 2008-12-04. 
9. ^ "Megadeth - Cryptic Writings". Chart Stats. http://www.chartstats.com/albuminfo.php?id=12336. Retrieved 2008-12-04. 
10. ^ "Artist Chart History - Megadeth". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Albums&model.vnuArtistId=5179&model.vnuAlbumId=1078484. Retrieved 2008-12-04. 
11. ^ "The Billboard 200 - Cryptic Writings". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/esearch/chart_display.jsp?cfi=412&cfgn=Year-end+Albums&cfn=The+Billboard+200&ci=3068367&cdi=8701755&cid=12%2F31%2F1997. Retrieved 2008-12-04. ^{[dead link]}
12. ^ ^{a b c d} "Artist Chart History - Megadeth". Billboard. http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/retrieve_chart_history.do?model.chartFormatGroupName=Singles&model.vnuArtistId=5179&model.vnuAlbumId=1078484. Retrieved 2008-12-04.