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I don't need to tell any Megadeth fan if they ought to pick this one up or not; as the list of tracks below should answer the question for you. As for the non-Megadeth fan, "Capitol Punishment" is not really the band's crowning achievement, but it does give a decent idea of what they are about and have done. Bear in mind that this is a compilation CD that was released purely because Megadeth were obligated to release one more album on Capitol Records before their contract expired and they signed with Sanctuary. So, as you might have guessed, this usually results in a half assed effort. However, this is Megadeth we're talking about. As long as they draw out some of their big guns, it will suffice; which is exactly what this record does.

There are two 'new' tracks on here; the first one is the only song exclusive to this release. The next track "Dread & The Fugitive Mind" would complete the list of new material to appear here and it would later be found on the band's 2001 release "The World Needs A Hero."

After a little bit of prancing around homosexually with songs from "Cryptic Writings" and "Risk" the album takes a turn for the better. It is beyond me why those songs are on here, but I guess it serves the purposes of having a little bit of everything. Thankfully, there is only one song from the horror otherwise known as "Risk." ("Crush 'em" would be of the better songs on that album anyway). The selection from "Youthanasia" is also a decent one, with "A Toute Le Monde" being one of the finest songs out there. And obviously, the classics "Countdown to Extinction" and "Rust In Peace" make their appearance as well. The band's older works such as "Peace Sells…But Who's Buying?" and "So Far So Good…So What?" also make small contributions and are all digitally remastered for this 2000 release. For those unaware, there is nothing on here from "Killing is my Business…and Business is Good." This compilation is merely a 'celebration' of what Megadeth have done with Capitol Records, and as such anything the band did that was not on this label prior to 2000 is not on "Capitol Punishment."

This is merely a satisfactory compilation and is by no means something you should expect great things from. Fans of the band can safely steer clear as pretty much anything good on here is available on other, far superior albums without having to wade through some utter garbage. For those that haven't gotten a taste of Megadeth yet, it is a fairly decent start; however, you will be well advised to start with the aforementioned classics rather than this. There is some absolute nonsense on here that will leave permanent scars. Buy at your own "Risk" ;)