Countdown to Extinction is the fifth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on July 14, 1992,[2] through Capitol Records.

It was the group's second studio release to feature the "classic" lineup of Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, David Ellefson and Nick Menza, with all of them contributing to songwriting on the album.

The album features some of the band's best known songs such as "Symphony of Destruction", "Sweating Bullets", and "Skin o' My Teeth", which enjoyed significant chart success and made a great musical impact.

Countdown to Extinction received positive reviews from music critics, who noted its politically oriented lyrics and simplified sound in comparison to their previous record.

Countdown to Extinction is Megadeth's fifth studio album, and the second to feature the line-up of Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, David Ellefson and Nick Menza.

[3] In an interview for Billboard at the time, Mustaine admitted that he fired past members Chuck Behler and Jeff Young because they resisted his pleas to seek rehabilitative counseling.

[16] Bassist David Ellefson noted that the band's goal was to "create music that had more of a groove to it," capitalizing on the melodic playing style employed by Friedman, and further assisted by the input of producer Norman.

"Symphony of Destruction", with lyrics written by Dave Mustaine inspired in part by the movie The Manchurian Candidate,[20] details a story about a regular citizen as the head of a puppet regime, as the country is run by a phantom government.

[22] "Architecture of Aggression" explores the nature of global conflict;[23] Mustaine revealed that the song was about former Iraq president Saddam Hussein, who was engaged in the Gulf War at the time.

[22] The song sampled then-U.S. president George H. W. Bush's infamous "Read my lips" speech, making a statement about taxation endangering the "American Dream".

[35] Popmatters writer Craig Hayes opined that Countdown to Extinction was "either an exemplary illustration of nimble-fingered thrash metal that introduced Megadeth to a legion of new fans" or "an unimaginative, artistically cynical stab at arena-baiting commercial success".

[32] In an unfavorable review, Karen Csengeri of Rolling Stone wrote that "while Countdown echoes the band's earlier work thematically, it's stylistically disappointing".

[38] Reviewing the album's deluxe edition for Record Collector, journalist Joel McIver eulogized it as a "masterpiece of technical, melodic thrash" and a showcase of Megadeth "at their best and most coherent".

[42] The album was acknowledged as the band's commercial breakthrough, and according to authors Pete Prown and Harvey P. Newquist, Megadeth "reached the heights of popularity and critical acclaim" with this particular record.

[43] Two years after its original release, Countdown to Extinction was certified double platinum and became the band's most commercially successful album, confirming that they had retained their audience in the wake of grunge.

"[16] In the liner notes of the album's 20th anniversary edition, music journalist Kory Grow wrote that "thanks to a perfect balance of hard-rock song structures, epic choruses, and fleet-fingered guitar work, Countdown to Extinction became an instant classic, benefiting from copious MTV and radio play.

"[25] Artistdirect editor in chief Rick Florino called the album a "seminal" release and commented that it "changed the game by preserving the band's thrash intensity and impressive technical prowess, while dropping some of the biggest hooks the genre had ever seen".

In June 1993, Megadeth played at the Milton Keynes National Bowl with Diamond Head and later opened for Iron Maiden and Metallica on their European tour.

[54] During this tour, three songs from the record ("Architecture of Aggression", "Psychotron" and "Captive Honour") had their live premiere,[16] and a couple of others ("This Was My Life" and "High Speed Dirt") have been performed for the first time in many years.

[55] David Ellefson shared his impressions from playing the set live with newer members Shawn Drover and Chris Broderick by saying that they "executed [the songs] to 100% perfection".

[59] The liner notes have also been written by music journalist Kory Grow, and the reissue includes a poster and four postcards featuring head shots of each member from the album's lineup.