Editing Cryptic Writings (section)

== Composition ==
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|description = ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'' journalist Dean Golemis cited "She-Wolf" as an example of the band's "melodic thrash" approach.<ref name="Chicago">{{cite news|last=Golemis|first=Dean|date=July 4, 1997|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/1997/07/04/megadethcryptic-writings-capitol-stareven-more-annoying-than/|title=Megadeth: Cryptic Writings (Capitol)|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|access-date=October 23, 2013|archive-date=December 3, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131203020015/http://articles.chicagotribune.com/1997-07-04/entertainment/9707040188_1_megadeth-nick-menza-fff|url-status=live}}</ref>
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Mustaine pointed out that four of the album's 12 tracks are "fast, hard and crunchy". Referring to the musical direction of the album, [[MTV]]'s writer P.R. Flack noted that "The Disintegrators" and "FFF" were rooted in the thrash metal genre, and ranked them among the fastest tracks on the record.<ref>{{cite web|last=Flack|first=P.R.|title=Cryptic Writings Coming Soon From Megadeth|url=http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/509467/cryptic-writings-coming-soon-from-megadeth.jhtml|publisher=[[MTV]]|access-date=August 8, 2013|archive-date=January 13, 2014|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140113202105/http://www.mtv.com/news/articles/509467/cryptic-writings-coming-soon-from-megadeth.jhtml|url-status=dead}}</ref> Neil Arnold of ''[[Metal Forces]]'' highlighted the tune "Vortex", which according to him, features some of the album's best guitar work.<ref name="Metal Forces" /> However, a number of songs, particularly "I'll Get Even" and "[[Use the Man]]", carried a more [[rock music|rock]]-oriented sound, which contributed to the album's diverse style.<ref name="Chicago" /> Lyrically, the album does not have a distinct subject matter, but focuses on numerous themes instead. "She-Wolf" tells of a "wicked temptress with mystic lips and lusting eyes."<ref>{{cite web|first=Don|last=Jamieson|title=Top 10 Metal Songs About Cannibalism|url=http://loudwire.com/top-metal-songs-about-cannibalism/|work=[[Loudwire]]|access-date=August 30, 2012|archive-date=August 2, 2013|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130802031633/http://loudwire.com/top-metal-songs-about-cannibalism/|url-status=live}}</ref> Mustaine has also stated that the song is about "An ex-wife and an ex-friend."<ref>{{Cite AV media |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iv2WqU4pbkY&feature=youtu.be |title=Megadeth “She Wolf” Ball Arena Denver 8-6-24 |date=2024-08-06 |last=David's Concert Archive |access-date=2024-08-20 |via=YouTube}}</ref> "Mastermind" has been stated by Mustaine as being about "the computerization of the world."<ref>{{cite web|title=An Ugly American – Dave Mustaine interview archived at The Realms of Deth|url=http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/interviews_rockmetal2001.html|work=Rockmetal.pl|access-date=October 20, 2012|archive-date=February 14, 2012|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120214232254/http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/interviews_rockmetal2001.html|url-status=live}}</ref>

"[[Trust (Megadeth song)|Trust]]" was released as the record's lead single. The song was developed from "Absolution", an instrumental track recorded on a [[demo (music)|demo]] during the studio sessions of their previous album.<ref name="Singles">{{cite web|title=Megadeth Lyrics – Cryptic Writings|url=http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/lyrics_cryptic.html#Trust|publisher=Rockmetal.art.pl|access-date=January 9, 2014|archive-date=May 26, 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110526015511/http://megadeth.rockmetal.art.pl/lyrics_cryptic.html#Trust|url-status=live}}</ref> "Trust" peaked at number five on the US [[Mainstream Rock Tracks]] chart, thus becoming the band's highest charting song on that chart. It was nominated for "[[Best Metal Performance]]" at the [[1998 Grammy Awards]].<ref name="band" /> "Almost Honest" was the second single of the album, and like its predecessor, entered the top ten on ''Billboard''{{'}}s Mainstream Rock chart, peaking at number eight.<ref name=AMCharts /><ref>{{Cite magazine|url=https://www.billboard.com/artist/megadeth/chart-history/rtt/|title=Megadeth|magazine=Billboard|access-date=October 29, 2020|archive-date=November 1, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201101110951/https://www.billboard.com/music/megadeth/chart-history/RTT/song/53561|url-status=live}}</ref> Mustaine stated that the song is about how people treat one another, which contains a message that "it's difficult for people to be honest". ''Billboard''{{'}}s [[Chuck Taylor (writer and editor)|Chuck Taylor]] commented that the song contains catchy hooks and the band's "signature guitar howl" and classified it "somewhere between [[Def Leppard]] and [[Bon Jovi]]".<ref name="Billboard 2" /> "Use the Man" and "A Secret Place" were released as the third and fourth single, respectively. "Use the Man" (which started with a snippet of [[The Searchers (band)|The Searchers]]' "[[Needles and Pins (song)|Needles and Pins]]", which was removed in the 2004 remaster) is about drug addiction, while "A Secret Place" describes losing touch with reality. "Have Cool, Will Travel" is about school shootings; in the remastered version, a snippet of the schoolyard song "[[The Wheels on the Bus]]" was added to its introduction.<ref name="Singles" />

Three extended plays were released in support of ''Cryptic Writings''. Two of these featured live recordings from the ensuing tour while the other was a studio EP which featured instrumental versions of several album tracks. The live releases were entitled ''Live Trax'' and ''Live Trax II'', the first being released on June 30, 1998.<ref>{{cite web |url={{AllMusic|class=album|id=r368504|pure_url=yes}} |title=Live Trax – Overview |access-date=December 4, 2008 |website=[[AllMusic]]}}</ref>