Album
Cryptic Writings
Cryptic Writings is Megadeth's seventh studio album, released on 17 June 1997 through Capitol Records. It was the last record to feature drummer Nick Menza, closing the band's longest-running line-up, which had made four studio albums together. Unhappy with their previous producer, Max Norman, they went to Nashville to work with Dann Huff.
The twelve songs lean towards tighter, more accessible structures built for radio, with lyrics reworked to reach a wider audience. Critics were divided, noting a drift from the group's thrash roots, but rock radio programmers took to it. "Trust" earned a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance and became the band's biggest hit on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks. The album entered the Billboard 200 at number 10 and went gold within months. It's a fascinating look at Megadeth in a more melodic, commercial frame of mind.
Cryptic Writings on Riffology
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Cryptic Writings: tracklist, credits and charts
12 tracks · 46:50Tracklist
- 1TrustMarty Friedman and Dave Mustaine5:11
- 2Almost HonestMarty Friedman and Dave Mustaine4:03
- 3Use the ManMarty Friedman and Dave Mustaine4:36
- 4MastermindDave Mustaine3:49
- 5The DisintegratorsDave Mustaine2:50
- 6I’ll Get EvenEllefson, Friedman, Howe, Mustaine4:24
- 7SinEllefson, Menza, Mustaine3:06
- 8A Secret PlaceDave Mustaine5:29
- 9Have Cool, Will TravelDave Mustaine3:29
- 10She‐WolfDave Mustaine3:36
- 11VortexDave Mustaine3:38
- 12FFFEllefson, Friedman, Menza, Mustaine2:38
- Produced by
- Dann Huff, Dave Mustaine
- Recorded at
- The Tracking Room, Castle Recording Studios, The Tracking Room, Nashville, The Castle, Franklin
- Recorded
- September 1996
- Mixed by
- Jeff Balding
- Engineered by
- Jeff Balding
- Label
- Capitol Records
- Length
- 46:50
Line-up
- David Ellefson · bass guitar, background vocals
- Marty Friedman · electric guitar, background vocals, guitar family
- Nick Menza · drums (drum set), background vocals, membranophone
- Dave Mustaine · electric guitar, lead vocals, guitar family, sitar
Singles
- “Trust” · 8 May 1997
- “Almost Honest” · 26 November 1997
- “Use the Man” · December 1997
- “A Secret Place” · February 1998
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| US Billboard 200 · 1997 | 10 |
| UK Albums Chart · 1997 | 38 |
| Greek Albums (IFPI Greece) · 1997 | 1 |
| Finnish Albums · 1997 | 2 |
| UK Rock & Metal Albums · 1997 | 3 |
| Portuguese Albums (AFP) · 1997 | 5 |
| Japanese Albums (Oricon) · 1997 | 7 |
| French Albums · 1997 | 14 |
| Swedish Albums · 1997 | 15 |
| Italian Albums (Musica e Dischi) · 1997 | 16 |
All 21 charts
| Canadian Albums (RPM) · 1997 | 17 |
| European Albums (European Top 100 Albums) · 1997 | 19 |
| German Albums · 1997 | 22 |
| Austrian Albums · 1997 | 30 |
| Norwegian Albums · 1997 | 32 |
| New Zealand Albums · 1997 | 34 |
| Australian Albums (ARIA) · 1997 | 43 |
| Belgian Albums (Wallonia) · 1997 | 44 |
| Scottish Albums · 1997 | 44 |
| Swiss Albums · 1997 | 45 |
| Dutch Albums · 1997 | 48 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Argentina | Gold |
| Canada · 2001 | Gold |
| Japan · 1997 | Gold |
| South Korea | Gold |
| United States · 1997 | Gold |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
65.5
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
3.3k
ListenBrainz listeners
109k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
22k
Deezer fans (all editions)
Also released on 17 June
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Full discography →
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1990
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1994
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1998
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1999
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2001
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2002
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2002
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2004
Greatest Hits: Back to the Start
2005
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2007
That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires
2007
Warchest
2007
Anthology: Set the World Afire
2008
Endgame
2009
Rust in Peace: Live
2010
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2011
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2013
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2013
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2014
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2016
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2019
Unplugged in Boston
2021
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2022
Megadeth
2026
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More on Capitol Records
The label →
Kid A
Radiohead · 2000
The Colour and the Shape
Foo Fighters · 1997
Hail to the Thief
Radiohead · 2003
Rust in Peace
Megadeth · 1990
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden · 1980
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[Rammstein]
Rammstein · 2019
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Megadeth · 1994
No Prayer for the Dying
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Megadeth · 1988
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Audio Pieces
Iron Maiden · 1986
Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + wikidata; also seen: 1997-05-28 (musicbrainz)
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 28 May 1997 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 17 June 1997 | |
| Wikidata | 17 June 1997 | |
| US release | 30 May 1997 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 30 June 1997 | earliest UK or European date |
17 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1997 | US | Capitol Records | 724383826223 | other |
| 1997 | AU | Capitol Records | 724383826223 | other |
| 1997 | XE | Capitol Records | 724383826223 | other |
| 1997 | XE | Capitol Records | 724383826223 | other |
| 1997 | CA | Capitol Records | 724383826223 | other |
| 1997 | CA | Capitol Records | 77749944645802 | other |
| 28 May 1997 | JP | Capitol Records | 4988006729599 | original |
| 30 May 1997 | US | Capitol Records | 020831212823 | other |
| June 1997 | GB | Capitol Records | 724383826216 | other |
| 30 June 1997 | XE | Capitol Records | 724383826223 | other |
| 1998 | AR | Capitol Records | 724349445826 | other |
| 18 March 1998 | JP | Capitol Records | 4988006740402 | other |
| 15 July 2004 | XW | Capitol Records | 00724359862552 | remaster |
| 27 July 2004 | US | Capitol Records | 724359862521 | remaster |
| 9 August 2004 | XE | Capitol Records | 724357987622 | other |
| 25 August 2004 | JP | Capitol Records | 4988006822801 | other |
| 12 June 2013 | JP | Capitol Records | 4988006554986 | other |
Cover art sources
itunes · upscaled: minor: best source 1404x1404, upscaled to 1500 (x1.07)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| itunes ✓ | 1404×1404 | upscaled: minor: best source 1404x1404, upscaled to 1500 (x1.07) |
| coverartarchive | 1400×1400 | upscaled |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |