Rịba ama amaokwu a dị n'okpuru ma zaa ajụjụ ahụ mgbe e mesịrị n'otu asụsụ ahụ dị ka amaokwu ahụ:  Passage: Mgbe njem zuru ụwa ọnụ na-akwado Youthanasia, Megadeth wepụtara oge na ngwụsị afọ 1995. Mustaine malitere ịrụ ọrụ na MD.45, ọrụ akụkụ ya na onye na-abụ abụ Lee Ving nke Egwu. Duo ahụ goro onye na-eti egwu Jimmy DeGrasso, onye soro Alice Cooper kụọ egwu na South American Monsters of Rock tour na mbido afọ ahụ. Marty Friedman wuru ụlọ ọrụ na ụlọ ọhụrụ ya na Phoenix wee mezue album nke anọ ya, nke a tọhapụrụ n'April 1996. Na Septemba 1996, Megadeth gara London ịrụ ọrụ na abụ maka album ọzọ. Onye njikwa ọhụrụ bụ Bud Prager na-ahụ maka ide abụ ndị ahụ nke ọma, onye nyere echiche egwu na okwu; ọtụtụ okwu na aha abụ gbanwere na arịrịọ ya. Mustaine mesịrị dee banyere mmetụta Prager nwere n'ahụ́ ya, sị: "Echere m na ikekwe nwoke a [Prager] pụrụ inyere m aka inweta ihe ndekọ ahụ na-enweghị ihe ọ pụtara bụ́ nke m chọrọ nke ukwuu". The album, e dere na Nashville, bụ Megadeth mbụ imekọ ihe ọnụ na mba pop na-emeputa Dann Huff, onye zutere Mustaine na 1990.Cryptic Writings e wepụtara na June 1997. The album ruru nọmba iri na Billboard 200, na e mesịrị gbaara ọlaedo na United States. Abụ ya, "Trust", ghọrọ abụ Megadeth kachasị elu na Mainstream Rock Tracks na nọmba ise, ma họpụta ya maka Best Metal Performance na 1998 Grammy Awards. Ọ bụ ezie na abụ anọ niile sitere na album ahụ banyere n'elu 20 na Billboard's Mainstream Rock Tracks chart, nzaghachi mgbasa ozi na album ahụ bụ ngwakọta. The album featured a iche iche set nke songs nke Los Angeles Times kọwara dị ka a "na-akpali akpali itule" n'etiti okenye ihe onwunwe na ibuo songs. Mgbe a jụrụ ya banyere album nke eclecticism, Mustaine kwuru na Cryptic Writings kewara n'ime atọ. Otu akụkụ dabeere na ngwa ngwa, ihe ndị ọzọ na-eme ihe ike, nke ọzọ bụ "egwú na-adabere na redio dị ka Youthanasia", na nke atọ ikpeazụ bụ nke na-atọ ụtọ. Mgbe ihe karịrị otu afọ kemgbe egwu egwu ikpeazụ nke ìgwè ahụ, Megadeth laghachiri dị ka ihe omume ndụ na June 1997, na-amalite njem nleta ụwa na Misfits na njem nleta na United States na Life of Agony na Coal...  Ajụjụ: Megadeth nwere onye njikwa ọhụrụ aha ya bụ gịnị?
Bud Prager