Editing Cryptic Writings (section)

==Artwork and release==
The symbol depicted on the cover is a [[veve]], a [[Haitian Vodou|voodoo]] sign. According to Ellefson, the original concept for the album's cover was very different, however, it was changed at the last minute. According to Menza, "The original album title was going to be ''Needles and Pins''. The cover was supposed to be a girl holding a [[Kewpie]] with a bunch of pins in it... she's stabbing the doll with a syringe in the chest. That didn't fly."<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/albums_cryptic.html |title=The Realms of Deth - Megadeth Albums - Cryptic Writings |access-date=May 25, 2019 |archive-date=October 24, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191024063817/http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/albums_cryptic.html |url-status=live }}</ref> The title derives from the song "[[Needles and Pins (song)|Needles and Pins]]" by [[The Searchers (band)|The Searchers]], used as incidental music in "[[Use the Man]]". Aside from being a lyric, Ellefson stated that there was not really any correlation between the title and the music on the album.<ref name=EllefsonInterview>{{cite web|title=Set The World on Fire – David Ellefson Interview archived at the Realms of Deth|url=http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/interviews_rockonline1998.html|work=Rock Online|access-date=October 21, 2012|archive-date=June 12, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190612125917/http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/interviews_rockonline1998.html|url-status=dead}}</ref> The first 500,000 copies of ''Cryptic Writings'' in the United States were released with an album cover featuring a silver background.<ref name="band">{{cite web|title=Cryptic Writings (1997)|url=http://www.megadeth.com/release/cryptic-writings|work=Megadeth.com|access-date=August 6, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130817162646/http://www.megadeth.com/release/cryptic-writings|archive-date=August 17, 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref> These releases also included a [[Vic Rattlehead]] collectible card which promoted "The Cryptic Writings Of Megadeth", an issue run by [[Chaos Comics]].<ref>{{cite book|last=Shirley|first=Ian|title=Can Rock & Roll Save the World?: An Illustrated History of Music and Comics|year=2005|publisher=SAF Publishing Ltd|isbn=0-946719-80-2|page=80|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=rGhccTlnwSUC&q=megadeth+cryptic+writings+cover+comics&pg=PA80}}</ref> Later US pressings features the same artwork with a black background instead. The black background album cover is also featured in the remasters.<ref name="booklet" />

The album sold 75,000 copies in its first week of release and debuted at number 10 on [[Billboard 200|''Billboard'' 200]].<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=[[Worcester Telegram & Gazette]]|url=http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WO&p_theme=wo&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADF86E0D629DAC&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|title=Metal Maintains Megadeth|date=August 10, 1997|quote=For example, 'Cryptic Writings' sold 75000 units immediately upon release, making its debut at No. 10 on Billboard magazine's record sales chart in mid-June&nbsp;...|access-date=August 8, 2013|archive-date=October 19, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131019231906/http://nl.newsbank.com/nl-search/we/Archives?p_product=WO&p_theme=wo&p_action=search&p_maxdocs=200&p_topdoc=1&p_text_direct-0=0EADF86E0D629DAC&p_field_direct-0=document_id&p_perpage=10&p_sort=YMD_date:D&s_trackval=GooglePM|url-status=live}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Four months after its release, the record was certificated [[RIAA certification|gold]] by the [[Recording Industry Association of America]] (RIAA) for shipping half million copies in the US,<ref name="RIAA">{{cite web|url=https://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS&artist=Megadeth&format=ALBUM&go=Search&perPage=50|title=RIAA Gold and Platinum Database Search|publisher=[[Recording Industry Association of America]]|access-date=September 24, 2009|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070626051113/http://www.riaa.com/goldandplatinumdata.php?table=SEARCH_RESULTS|archive-date=June 26, 2007}}</ref> of which 383,000 were sold according to [[Nielsen Soundscan]].<ref name="Billboard 2" /> Two years after its original release, the album sold 850,000 copies in the United States and won widespread praise from rock radio programmers.<ref>{{cite magazine|last=Reesman|first=Bryan|title=Megadeth's 'Risk' Set To Ride Metal's Revival|magazine=[[Billboard (magazine)|Billboard]]|date=August 7, 1999|page=H-15|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=mAgEAAAAMBAJ&q=megadeth+cryptic+writings&pg=PA15|access-date=August 7, 2013}}</ref> However, ''Cryptic Writings'' did not enjoy particular chart success on international level. It only managed to peak at number two on the [[Finnish Albums Chart]], where it charted for eleven weeks. Elsewhere, it didn't enter into the top 10.<ref name="Hung Medien">{{cite web|url=http://finnishcharts.com/showitem.asp?interpret=Megadeth&titel=Cryptic+Writings&cat=a |title=Megadeth – Cryptic Writings |access-date=December 4, 2008 |publisher=Hung Medien |archive-date=May 25, 2024 |archive-url=https://archive.today/20240525213945/https://www.webcitation.org/66rpkZa4Q?url=http://finnishcharts.com/showitem.asp%3Finterpret=Megadeth |url-status=live }}</ref> It eventually received a gold certification from the [[Music Canada|Canadian Music Association]] for shipping 50,000 copies.<ref name="canada cert">{{cite web|url=http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Cryptic+Writings&sa=Megadeth&smt=0|archive-url=https://archive.today/20130807145930/http://www.musiccanada.com/GPSearchResult.aspx?st=Cryptic+Writings&sa=Megadeth&smt=0|url-status=dead|archive-date=August 7, 2013|title=Canadian album certifications – Megadeth – Cryptic Writings|publisher=[[Music Canada]]|access-date=August 27, 2013}}</ref>

A remixed and remastered version, featuring four bonus tracks, was released in 2004 through [[Capitol Records]] as part of the group's reissued back catalogue.<ref>{{cite news|title=Megadeth's 'She-Wolf' Remixed And Remastered: Free Download Available!|url=http://www.blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=24572|work=[[Blabbermouth.net]]|date=July 9, 2004|access-date=August 9, 2013|archive-date=February 16, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210216113503/https://www.blabbermouth.net/news/megadeth-s-she-wolf-remixed-and-remastered-free-download-available/|url-status=live}}</ref> According to the liner notes of the remastered version of ''Cryptic Writings'', Dave Mustaine had to alter many lyrics at the request of their new manager, Bud Prager. The liner notes suggest that Mustaine was not a fan of the changes, but other interviews indicate the band actively sought and eventually accepted Prager's advice for the album. "I figured maybe this guy (Prager) could help me get that intangible number one record I wanted so badly", Mustaine wrote in the liner notes.<ref name="booklet">{{cite AV media notes|title=Cryptic Writings|type=CD liner notes|others=Megadeth|year=1997|publisher=[[Capitol Records]]}}</ref>

It is the first Megadeth album not to feature the band's classic logo on the front cover, but it appears on the album's remastered version.