Cryptic Writings

Cryptic Writings
Studio album by Megadeth
Released	June 17, 1997 (1997-06-17)
Recorded	September 1996
Studio	The Tracking Room, Nashville The Castle, Franklin
Genre	Heavy metal alternative metal[1]
Length	46:44
Label	Capitol
Producer	Dann Huff Dave Mustaine
Megadeth chronology
Hidden Treasures (1995) Cryptic Writings (1997) Risk (1999)
Alternative cover
2004 remixed and remastered re-release
Singles from Cryptic Writings
"Trust" Released: May 8, 1997 "Almost Honest" Released: November 26, 1997 "Use the Man" Released: December 1997 "A Secret Place" Released: February 1998

Cryptic Writings is the seventh studio album by American heavy metal band Megadeth. Released on June 17, 1997, through Capitol Records,^[2] it was the band's last studio album to feature drummer Nick Menza. His departure would mark the end of the band's longest lasting lineup to date, having recorded four studio albums. Megadeth decided to produce the record with Dann Huff in Nashville, Tennessee, because they were not satisfied with their previous producer Max Norman. The album features twelve tracks with accessible song structures, specifically aimed for radio airplay. The lyrics were also altered, in order to make the music more inclusive for wider audience. These changes were met with mixed opinions from music critics, who noted the band moving away from their thrash metal roots.

The album debuted at number 10 on the Billboard 200 and was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in October 1997 for shipping 500,000 copies in the United States.^[3] The first 500,000 copies of Cryptic Writings in the U.S. were released with silver background album cover. A remixed and remastered version, featuring four bonus tracks, was released in 2004. Seven years after its original release, the album sold 850,000 copies in the United States and won widespread praise from rock radio programmers. The song "Trust" was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 1998 Grammy Awards and became the band's highest charting song on Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks.