10 Hard Rock Albums That Divided The Fanbase
3. Risk - Megadeth
Out of all the members of the Big 4 of thrash, Megadeth always seemed to be the angriest. Formed by former Metallica guitarist Dave Mustaine, the band's fury stems from a desire to outdo the Hetfield-fronted juggernaut at their own game. Even if the band had a competitive streak, it resulted in some of the most hardhitting records of the era like Rust in Peace and Countdown to Extinction.
With Metallica shifting their direction with the Black Album, Mustaine felt it was time to try to his hand at more accessible material, which resulted in the album Cryptic Writings. While the single "Trust" was initially a success, that first taste of pop started to give Mustaine more questionable ideas.
Working with country producer Dan Huff, the band's album Risk was the album that broke the camel's back in terms of pop material. Instead of fans getting a good helping of riffs, many started to complain that the album was too lethargic to be considered a true metal release.
At the same time, those who gravitated to Cryptic Writings ended up defending the band's more experimental directions like on "The Doctor is Calling" and "Wanderlust." With the album splitting the metalheads down the middle, never before had an album title been more apt.