In 1999, Megadeth released their eighth studio album, "Risk". The album was noteworthy for being a drastic musical departure for the band, and the culmination of the band's increasing attempts for mainstream success throughout the 1990s, a trend starting with "Countdown to Extinction" (1992). "The World Needs a Hero" marks a stylistic transition towards the band's thrash metal roots. Furthermore, the album had been touted by the band as an "antidote" to "Risk" in a press release. However, the album has been noted by several music critics as still retaining some commercial feel from previous albums.