It’s hard to believe so many years have passed since I walked into a local independent music store with a couple of friends to grab Megadeth’s fifth album, released on this day 30 years ago.

Countdown went on to become their biggest seller, thanks in large part to lyrical themes that remain pertinent to this day, even though it’s not always regarded as a total banger amongst the band’s diehard loyalists.

In addition, credit Dave Mustaine for not fading into obscurity after getting canned by Metallica in 1983 just three months before the release of their debut LP. Indeed MegaDave’s ups and downs are the stuff of legend, the struggles of which come across loud and clear throughout the band’s early catalog that has been described by critics and fans alike as “ferocious,” “loud, fast and brutal,” “impressive,” “a masterpiece” and “genre-defining work.”

Dave is respected for his straightforward honesty, his dogged individuality, and perhaps above all his tenacious refusal to give in and die — most remarkable considering that he’s checked in and out of rehab 17 times. So if you’re searching for something real amid the barren, vacuous landscape of modern music, give Dave and his band a chance because they’re as real as it gets.