"...Megadeth's fifth and meatiest album...seethes with angry politics...The music has lost its hurricane verve but keeps its crunch, and feels more rooted, even more melodic..." Rating: A-, Ranked #20 in Spin's list of the `20 Best Albums Of The Year' - "...Not many metal bands can muster the formidable chops Megadeth exhibits on COUNTDOWN...", 4 Stars - Excellent - "...Megadeth play a multi-layered, highly-charged style of metal guitar music that's fast, flashy and infectious...Megadeth will take you one louder...", "...impressively clean, streamlined, and sharp...brimming with killing riffs...singer Mustaine's never sounded more confident, verbally and vocally..."