I'll start off by saying in my last post for some reason I wrote Risk was their Black Album but I meant to say I've heard it's their Load, and since I'm here to talk about
Countdown to Extinction (1992) I feel like this album in many ways is their Black Album. We slow it down a bit, less thrash metal and it feels like more of a heavy metal album. Definitely feels like some focus has shifted towards writing some 'hits' even if the music itself still has that heavy edge to it. The early 90's really seemed to push these bands in this direction whether it was all intentional or if others saw the success Metallica had with Black Album and felt they had to adapt or die. I mean Slayer kinda stood by their sound and their 90s definitely had a decline to it. I should mention Anthrax briefly because Persistence of Time is an album I like so much that it kinda rivals Among the Living as their best IMO and that's where they went a bit more heavy metal as well. I've actually noticed whether it's intentional or not with these bands but I feel like Alice in Chains and their first two albums (maybe Facelift more because of dropping in 1990) played a part in this transformation of the sound as well. Whether it's Metallica, Anthrax or Megadeth here, I feel like the rise of grunge (and especially the AiC sound) had some impact into the direction these bands went for a while. Just an observation and for all I know maybe there's none of that influence at all.
Countdown to Extinction doesn't entirely abandon the sound Megadeth had already established but I feel like right off the bat with Skin 'O My Teeth and especially Symphony of Destruction (one of their more recognizable hits?) I get strong Black Album vibes where you get a slightly more commercialized take on the band's sound and something that's meant to really click with the listener right away. I definitely respect the band for not digging down and doing the same thing and this album does offer some nice variety in between the songs and it's not as 'one dimensional' as some of their other ones. It's a band that's growing and while this album doesn't quite reach Rust in Peace / Peace Sells for me, it feels like a band that has still matured overall and are now very settled into who they are and what they do.
If I'm gonna find anything negative to say to justify only placing this as #3 so far - I would say for starters I just vibe with Rust in Peace and Peace Sells slightly more for the pure thrash metal aesthetic of those albums. But also, and this might be controversial, Mustaine on this album as a vocalist is starting to be a bit all over the place for me. I think his voice sounds good in the mix and possibly it's the best out of these first five, but as a side effect of the band now doing more different styles of songs with some slower tempo ones and some faster ones, this feels like a bit of an experiment where he's trying out to sing differently depending on the song. There's a few tracks like Captive Honour for example where I feel like he's maybe trying to reach too far and it doesn't quite get all the way there. His vocals on Rust in Peace and Peace Sells might be more limited but it suits the style of those albums. I can definitely respect him (and the band) stepping out and trying to cover more ground here and it mostly works, just a few moments for me where I think "Oh really, that's the vocals he went with there?".
As of right now, first listen through of the discography (4-5 spins of each album) I would put this as a very strong #3 behind RiP and PS...BWB? but still a comfortable little gap above SFSGSW and KIMB...ABIG. I do like this album a fair bit. I should also mentioned I listened to it with the bonus tracks (Breakpoint and Go to Hell) and I don't really have any complaints about either but it does make the album run time maybe 8 minutes longer and it just gives you guys some context for which version I listened to.
Youthanasia up next and I vaguely remember a few of the songs like A Tout le Monde which I think is one of their big hits and they also re-recorded later in their career with Cristina from Lacuna Coil (I remember this because Lacuna Coil is a band I like a lot). I think I've also heard Youthanasia is a bit controversial as it kinda takes them even further from their roots and more into MTV metal territory, but I guess we will find out!