martindavey87
Released in 1998, 'Cryptic Sounds' is a Japanese EP featuring instrumental versions of tracks from Megadeth's 1997 album, 'Cryptic Writings'. And what can I say about it? It's... okay?... I guess?
I mean, they're basically karaoke versions of Megadeth songs. Right?
The playing is tight and the sound is punchy ('Cryptic Writings' is probably one of my favourite Megadeth records), but this is definitely a novelty item for die-hard fans. One cool little addition is that all the vocal melodies from the original compositions are being played on guitar here, which is kind of cool, but not really. And the first half of 'She-Wolf' is played acoustically, given it a very lively and upbeat vibe.
For what it is, 'Cryptic Sounds' is a pretty cool CD to own, and there's no disputing the quality of the music, but I don't think I'll ever this over the original album with vocals. Definitely an item for collectors to track down and then probably never listen to.