"We weren't playing any old, cataloged material. Talking about the recording process, Mustaine said that Youthanasia was written solely in the studio. Producer Max Norman suggested that they build a new self-dedicated studio, in cooperation with the band, Capitol and Max's funding a modular studio was built in a warehouse in South Phoenix. The sessions for the album initially began in Phase Four Studios (Tempe) in January 1994, after a few weeks the sessions were moved to Vintage Recorders in Phoenix and continued there into May- this studio is often the location for scenes in the Evolver video. Mustaine did not want to record in Los Angeles, so it was eventually decided to record in Phoenix, since the majority of the band resided in Arizona. Another problem was the indecision on where the recording would take place. Many band meetings during this period concerned Mustaine's creative control over a "successful formula", so that the rest of the band could better exercise their creativity. It was a time of problems and conflicts for Megadeth, that in every two weeks or so, according to frontman Dave Mustaine, there were "outrageous emotional interventions" in order to make the group a democracy. With the next album, Youthanasia, the band moved towards a more mainstream sound. As a result, they continually sold-out arenas across North America, in addition to developing a strong following overseas. Megadeth's previous studio release, Countdown to Extinction, became the band's biggest commercial accomplishment, entering the Billboard 200 at number two and eventually becoming double platinum. A remixed and remastered edition featuring several bonus tracks and detailed liner notes was reissued on July 27, 2004. It was commercially successful, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard 200 chart, and was certified platinum for shipping one million copies in the United States-a distinction achieved in 1995. Youthanasia received positive reviews upon its release. The cover art features an elderly woman hanging babies by their feet on a seemingly endless clothes line the artwork concept was directly inspired from a line of the title track. The album's title is a play on words, implying that society is euthanizing its youth. The album is not a large stylistic departure from the band's earlier recordings however it marked the continuing evolution of Megadeth, following the footsteps of the previous album Countdown to Extinction (1992). Youthanasia is the sixth studio album by American heavy metal band Megadeth, released on November 1, 1994, through Capitol Records.