SilentScream213 Nothing Megadeth did in the 80’s really struck me as all that amazing (no, not even Peace Sells…) but Rust in Peace is almost as incredible as the legends tell.

Megadeth has long avoided my praise due half to Dave’s poor vocals and lyricism and half to the total absence of real feeling in the otherwise impressive playing. Here, the band improve their already strong technique to enter Tech Thrash territory at times, but much more importantly they add a heavy dose of intelligent and evocative melodies that serve the song instead of simply showcase talent. The first few tracks have earworm riffs for days, just galloping one after another, only stopping for equally fantastic solos.

Dave’s vocals aren’t good here, however, he has found the sweet spot in making them work with the music, and most of the time they work really well. Holy Wars is the best example, as he switches between angry snarling about government, to a rough, desperate croon that actually sounds pained when playing the role of The Punisher lamenting what he’s been through. His voice doesn’t always hit right, but here it works much better and more often than anything they’d done prior. The lyrics range from very good to not so great, but they almost always manage to be better than the shallow words of their 80’s output.

There’s so much energy and good technique that even the weaker songs on the album are quite good. However, it is certainly a glaring weakness that side A is so, so much better than side B. Once you get halfway through, you’ve very little to look forward to in comparison of the awe-inspiring material that starts you off. In terms of high points though, this album reaches heights that are absolutely deserving of its praise.

UMUR "Rust in Peace" is the 4th full-length studio album by US thrash metal act Megadeth. The album was released through Capitol Records in September 1990. There have been a couple of lineup changes since "So Far, So Good... So What! (1988)" as drummer Chuck Behler has been replaced by Nick Menza, and guitarist Jeff Young has been replaced by Marty Friedman. Menza had worked as Behler's drum tech, so he was recruited from within the ranks. Friedman already had a name on the scene because of his involvement with acts like Hawaii and Cacophony. Especially his work with the latter mentioned act had established his reputation as a highly skilled guitarist. He was however not the band´s first choice. Lead vocalist/guitarist Dave Mustaine auditioned several guitarists (including Dimebag Darrell of Pantera and Jeff Waters of Annihilator) before settling on Friedman.

Following the release of "So Far, So Good... So What! (1988)", Megadeth toured heavily, but bassist David Ellefson´s struggles with drug addiction put the touring activities on hold for a while. Mustaine also underwent treatment for drug- and alcohol addiction in those years, and the band were a bit of a mess. Therefore the addition of Menza and Friedman was just was the doctor ordered. Getting a couple of professionals in the band to stabilize the lineup seemed to cool the two wild Daves down and make them focus their energies on music instead of parties and drugs.

Stylistically the material on "Rust in Peace" also sounds a lot more focused and consistent in quality than the material on the three preceding albums. The gritty and aggressive energy of the early releases are pretty much gone here (although the music still features a healthy dose of aggression. It´s just a different and less savage type of aggression), which may put some listeners off, but to those who enjoy their thrash metal a bit more sophisticated and well produced "Rust in Peace" is a phenomenal release. It´s an incredibly well produced album, featuring a powerful and detailed sound production, which suits the more sophisticated nature of the material well.

The album feautures several highlights like the rather complex opening track "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due", "Hangar 18", which features loads of trade-off guitar solos, and the brilliant "Tornado of Souls", but the whole album is of high quality. The new four-piece have a great playing chemistry with Mustaine and Friedman complimenting each other well with their very different solo styles, and Menza and Ellefson providing a strong and powerful rhythm foundation. Mustaine has a pretty unique voice and delivery. His voice is always sure to be an aquired taste, but he is arguably original sounding and has a passionate way of singing. The lyrical content is increasingly political in nature but also deal with other subjects.

"Rust in Peace" is a case of something good coming out of something bad. The result of of two lost souls finding a purpose in life and a renewed focus on their art, teaming up with two musicians hungry for success. No matter what the premise was, "Rust in Peace" came out a very strong high quality release. It´s one of those albums which sounds completely unique. A 5 star (100%) rating is deserved.

martindavey87 Ushering in what would become Megadeth's "golden era", 1990's 'Rust in Peace' was the album where all the pieces fit together perfectly. Dave Mustaine was sober (again... for now...), a new line-up was in place that was superior to any that had come before (and probably after...), and the music was a perfect bookend to the thrash metal scene that was on its last legs (for the time being...).

1988's 'So Far, So Good... So What!', with only a couple of notable songs and pretty rough production, was a bit of a disappointment, and with mainstream success on the horizon, it was time for the band to get their act together. With another new line-up change (their third over four albums), main man Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson were joined by drummer Nick Menza and guitar virtuoso Marty Friedman. And the difference is noticeable immediately.

'Rust in Peace' sees the band really step up the intensity and precision in their playing, with some of their most technical and relentless compositions. The chemistry between Mustaine and Friedman is incredible, with both men given ample time to shine, though it's Friedman's exotic guitar licks and ripping solos that truly raise the game for Megadeth. A much-improved production means that every note is crisp and clear, and with the 80's thrash boom coming to an end, this would at least ensure the subgenre would go out with a bang!

However, transcending the thrash genre and often cited as one of the best metal albums of all time, period, this is where I feel 'Rust...' tends to become slightly mired by hyperbole. Don't get me wrong, 'Holy Wars... The Punishment Due', 'Hanger 18', 'Tornado of Souls' and 'Rust in Peace... Polaris' are all absolute classics. And that's an understatement. These are truly some of metals finest and most endearing pieces, having stood the test of time and still being as impactful today as they were in 1990. But let's be honest with ourselves here... 'Five Magics'... 'Poison Was the Cure', even 'Dawn Patrol', which serves as a breather from the barrage of headbanging mayhem, are all fairly average tracks, and while they're not awful, they're not all that memorable, either.

This doesn't take much away from 'Rust in Peace', though. It's status as a classic metal album is fully warranted, and while I may not rate it as highly as most others, there's no denying that this is Megadeth's best, most beloved and most innovative work.

Vim Fuego There is no doubting Dave Mustaine’s incredible abilities as a guitarist. It was the reason he was a member of Metallica. It was the reason he was able to put together a new band and win a record deal after being booted from Metallica. It was the reason Megadeth has always been regarded as one of thrash metal’s Big Four, despite the fact Megadeth was at least two years behind the other three when it came to releasing a debut album.

Mustaine’s biggest problem has always been gathering and maintaining enough talent for Megadeth to reach its full potential. He found a steady lieutenant in bass player Dave Ellefson, but a second guitarist and drummer proved more problematic. ‘Rust In Peace’ was Megadeth’s fourth album, with a third different line-up. It may seem hypocritical, but drummer Gar Samuelson and guitarist Chris Poland were both sacked due to drug problems, despite the fact Mustaine and Ellefson were also drug users. Replacements Chuck Behler and Jeff Young only lasted a single album, and were both sacked while Ellefson was undergoing drug addiction treatment.

Behler was replaced by his drum tech, Nick Menza. A new guitarist was a bit more problematic. Guitarists as diverse as Dimebag Darrell, Slash, Lee Altus from Heathen, and Eric Meyer of Dark Angel were suggested or auditioned as a replacement. Meyer and Dimebag were both offered the position, but both turned it down. The answer turned out to be Marty Friedman, previously of Cacophony. For an ego as big as Mustaine’s, Friedman must have been quite a threat. Why? Because Mustaine had finally met his match, if not his better.

Finally, Megadeth had its classic line-up. And so to ‘Rust In Peace’. Pushed by Friedman’s talents, Menza’s solidity, and his own and Ellefson’s sobriety, Dave Mustaine set out to create a fitting successor to the impressive but flawed ‘So Far, So Good…So What!’. This is what he came up with.

Non musicians will struggle to name half of what Mustaine and Friedman created between them. Sharp, spiky riffs, incredible solos, with notes flying past in all directions, it is a lesson in thrash metal guitar technique. Nick Menza’s drumming is streets ahead of anything the band had produced in the past. So, great riffs, great solos, great drumming, great musicianship all round. What’s the problem?

The faults are numerous, but for some odd reason, metal fans the world over ignore them.

The first is the main problem Megadeth has suffered ever since its formation- vocals. Dave Mustaine knows what he wants to say, and when he’s snarling his vocals, the message is loud and clear. The guy can’t fucking sing though. As soon as he tries anything melodic, he goes outside his effective range and ends up out of tune. Sometimes it doesn’t matter too much, but on the song “Five Magics” he hits the most dreadful tones of his entire career, and sings flatter than a witch’s tit. “Tornado of Souls” is also fucking awful, with his voice wobbling all over the place. Worst of the lot is the pointless filler ‘Dawn Patrol’. Yes, it shows off Dave Junior’s oft-overshadowed bass, but the almost Gothic vocals are just fucking silly, and the little sucky mole sounds at the end are just...wrong.

The next problem is the guts had almost completely gone from Megadeth’s sound. ‘So Far, So Good…So What!’ was not what Mustaine had wanted when it was recorded, but from a fan’s point of view, it was a damn sight heavier than this album or the first two. It had some grunt to it, even if it was a bit fuzzy. ‘Rust In Peace’ seems to have had most of the bottom end grunt removed in favour of crunchy mid-range tones to show off the crunchy riffs, and has a crystal clear high-end for leads and solos. That is fine, if that is the effect desired, but ‘Rust In Peace’ was released in the same year as Anthrax and Slayer both released their heaviest, most uncompromising albums. If those two bands could both get clear and heavy sounds, why did Megadeth have to sacrifice the heavy?

The songs? The fucking songs! Some of them aren’t even songs, but just collections of ill-fitting riffs. Metallica fell into the same trap on ‘…And Justice For All’, but covered their mistakes more effectively. On this album, some of the transitions from one riff to the rest are quite jarring, like a high school metal band not quite knowing how to put a song together.

There is the odd high point, like ‘Poison Was The Cure’, with a brooding intro dominated by Ellefson’s bass, before cracking into a bouncy, choppy main riff, like the best parts of the ‘Peace Sells…But Who’s Buying?’ album. However, three thrilling minutes hardly make up for 37 minutes of frustration.

The maturity of ‘So Far, So Good…So What’ had gone west. Think of the emotional bitterness of “In My Darkest Hour”. What do we get instead? “Rust in Peace... Polaris”. Supposedly about nuclear war, it’s full of lame penis puns. What about the venomous attack of “Liar”? Try "Holy Wars…The Punishment Due", about the conflict in Northern Ireland, a situation Mustaine understood poorly. Oh yeah, and the second part of the song is about The Punisher comic. And the righteous anger of “Hook In Mouth”? Take your pick from a variety of half-arsed songs about UFOs, witchcraft, drugs, and apparently a ghost living in Dave’s attic (“Lucretia”).

This is a great album for aspiring metal guitarists to study. A forensic examination of the techniques used, and how the separate components of the music were constructed should be essential. However, as a whole, it fails. It is an egotistical dick waving contest, with the two guitarists showing how they can outdo each other, to the detriment of the overall effect. That this album is considered a classic is a perfect example of the emperor’s new clothes effect. Because it is so over-hyped and sharply executed, no one wants to be the first to listen to it with a critical ear and say, no, this album does not work.

No. This album does not work.

aglasshouse There's nothing much more to add about Megadeth's knock-you-off-your-seat blast into the 90's that people haven't already stated. By this time metal was well into the music industry, but with Rust In Peace Megadeth had opened up a whole new crevasse for other bands to jump into in this decade. A highly influential and simply golden piece of metal material, Rust In Peace is considered by many to be one of the greatest metal albums of all time.

Let's keep this short and to the point. Mustaine is spectacular. Is voice is obviously fitting to whatever Megadeth plays, mostly because he seems like he was engineered to play such a role. Especially when he's coinciding with such smashing guitar-ing from Friedman as well as rocking the floor himself. Nick Menza is like the thunder to the lightning, and delivers some flawless percussion that you rarely see in metal bands. His playing perfectly fits neatly alongside his band-mates in 'Hangar 18', as well as in the stunning opening (and full product) of my personal favorite track 'Lucretia'.

That's pretty much all there is to it. Rust in Peace is awe-inspiring and all other kinds of inspiring. The intrepid songwriting and the majesty at which they play is just plain amazing. Pick it up if you haven't heard it yet.

siLLy puPPy Good reason this is one of the highest rated metal releases of all time. It just sounds perfect from beginning to end. Well constructed songs with riveting thrash fury and ripping melodic guitar solos from Marty Friedman all conspired to make an epic album. I should also mention the phenomenal bass of David Ellefson and Nick Menza's pounding drums. Only the vocals of Dave Mustaine are the part of this band that don't absolutely thrill me, but despite them this is still a masterpiece.

Unlike the previous albums which Dave Mustaine continuously found himself butting heads with producers and inevitably firing them, this album was the one where a single producer had the luxury of sitting through the entire process. The album came out at a time when glam metal ruled and was a huge impetus in ushering in the newer extreme forms of metal to the mainstream. Another album that I never tire of no matter how many times I listen to it.

AtomicCrimsonRush Megadeth’s albums are hit and miss affairs often but “Rust In Peace” hits the target on every song. The riffing is incredible, with sharp and technical brilliance throughout. The percussion is outstanding and everything is brought together with the inspired vocals of Mustaine.

Quintessential Megadeth is found here on such genius lightning speed lead solos as ‘Hangar 18’. I have the tablature of this in a metal mag and its almost impossible to follow along. The technical expertise of fret melting hammer ons and sweep picking is astonishing. On the live DVDs Mustaine is able to replicate this and it is unbelievable. It would have to be one of my favourite metal songs, the lead soling at the end is phenomenal.

‘Five Magics’ is another very complex shredder but the band have even performed this live. ‘Take No Prisoners’ is another melodic metal highlight but for me one of the most awesome displays of riffing is found on ‘Holy Wars…. The Punishment Due’. All Megadeth addicts know this well and they should as it is the band at their absolute best.

Overall “Rust In Peace” is essential listening with enough variation on thrash riffs to hold the interest.

Warthur This is the first Megadeth album where they didn't change producers partway through the process, which I suspect has a lot to do with its success; the band are able to take full advantage of a bedrock of stability they hadn't previously enjoyed in order to deliver the finest album of their career. Lyrically, the album is all over the place, with subjects ranging from ruminations on the Northern Ireland conflict, pollution and nuclear war to comic books, cheesy fantasy novels and UFO conspiracy theories, whilst musically speaking the band deliver some of the most technically polished thrash they would produce. There are good reasons why this is one of the highest-scoring albums on the site, and it more than deserves the acclaim it receives.

bonnek There are certain albums that I enjoy so much that I don't want to analyze them too much. RIP is such an album.

Mustaine finally got a stable line-up together that would go on for a continuous 10 years and 5 albums, and even if they never got near the quality of this album again, you can not blame them for staying together to keep trying to capture the magic chemistry again that oozes from this metal masterpiece. Perfect songs, concentrated musicianship, the best guitar shredding ever and that angry snarl from Mustaine that makes thrash metal such a treat compared to more melodic metals.

That's all folks, just one warning maybe, avoid the 2004 remaster at all cost. It has one nice bonus track, but the remixing with its tiny drum snare is a disaster, and then I'm not even mentioning the parts where Mustaine had to record new vocals because the original vocal tracks were lost. Don't touch a perfect thing Dave, never!

topofsm Really, what more about this album has been said that hasn't been said already? Rust in Piece is Megadeth's Magnum Opus, along with Peace Sells... and for good reason. This is the point where the band took their complex progression and multi-sectional thrash to its logical extreme, before regressing into more standard metal with Countdown to Extinction. Through the creative sections along with masterful riffs, this shows that Megadeth were far from just screwing around with music.

There are plenty of arguments about Megadeth vs Metallica, and one reason people see Metallica as better are their long-form progressive metal tracks. While the tracklist shows that the song lengths for Megadeth aren't excessively long, Megadeth preferred to throw out the repetition on albums like this and bring tons of interesting sections into a well-constructed, concise format. One of the best examples of this is one of the deeper cuts on the album, "Five Magics", which starts off with some repetitive bass and guitar interplay, before blasting off into multiple high-energy sections, ultimately climaxing into a gigantic buildup. In less than six minutes they say more than, say, the eight minute opuses "Battery" and "Master of Puppets"

They do not suffer from sporadic changing syndrome that causes some to groan when listening to the more instrumentally challenging bands. All the riffs are solid, where Mustaine and Friedman just crank out great riff after great riff. The opening shouting of the guitar kicks it off in "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" and doesn't stuff. Most of them are energetic and thrashy, peaking out speedwise at the rockabilly-esque "Poison Was the Cure". Other times they are slow, like the latter section of the opening track. No matter what, though, they all pack a punch, with maybe the sole exception of "Lucretia" which while opening with a great melody on guitar delves into some sections that are slightly more standard in metal.

Again, Mustaine and Friedman must be mentioned. Friedman is many a Megadeth fan's favorite guitarist, and the solos on this album back it up quite well. It's difficult trying to tell what brings more to the table, the wild, endless soloing that goes on and on in "Hangar 18", or the emotional and shreddy blast that is "Tornado of Souls". The former is quite entertaining, with Mustaine and Friedman going back and forth against each other in a chaotic maelstrom of fury, getting faster and faster and building in increasing rage and technique. The latter, however, might be Friedman's masterpiece of a solo, containing thousands of exactly the right notes needed, giving a wonderful emotional and energetic touch needed in such a powerful song.

At the end of the day, you should know what you're getting into with "Rust in Peace". Megadeth is at the top of the game, and while the thrash isn't quite as extreme or dark as other bands in the genre, this still stands as an important pillar in the world of metal. Plenty have stated its influence and importance, and the music behind it speaks for itself. So if you're reading this and haven't gotten it already, there's really no excuse. Go out and get it.

Daysbetween Rust in Peace is Megadeth's fourth studio album and the first to feature two new band members who would remain for another ten years. Nick Menza on drums brought speed and youthful hunger to succeed to the band while Marty Friedman was an accomplished shredder and the best lead guitarist in the bands long history. The perfect line-up in my opinion who created the perfect Megadeth album in RIP.

The album is book-ended by two classics in 'Holy Wars... The Punishment Due' and 'Rust in Peace... Polaris' and both are epic in feel,have great riffs but are technically superb. My favorite song is 'Five Magics' which is speedy, highly complex musically with almost a Progressive approach. Drumming is superb throughout the album and each song seems to almost contain a semi drum solo. Even Mustaine's vocals are pretty decent on this album, which might be down to Mike Clink's production, although he retains his punky snarl. Every track is killer so no filler.

Must also mention the artwork which is in prime blue and shows Vic holding a green (radioactive?) crystal over a Polaris missile containing an alien while the world leaders are relegated to the background. This is Megadeth's masterpiece and truly worthy of the full 5 stars.

bassgeezer Megadeth’s Rust in Peace is an outstanding example of classic thrash metal - full of great riffs, speed, aggression, shredding, and time-changes. It is both heavy and technical with progressive, complex rhythms. Mustaine’s and Friedman’s multiple back to back duelling solos show the pairing to be a force to be reckoned with. The speed of their riffing is matched to perfection by Ellefson’s bass and Menza’s blisteringly quick drumming. The tracks on the album consistently demonstrate Mustaine’s impressive composition skills. The only problem with the album is that because it is so fast it is over far too quickly for me.

NorseGangsta Rust in Peace is the pinnacle of Megadeth's career. None of their albums have and most likely ever will surpass it. It was recorded with one of their best line ups and contains many of their best songs. Moving on to the music, it is nearly flawless. The riffs are played with intense precision and the solos by both Marty Freidman and Dave Mustaine are perfect. Dave Ellefson and Nick Menza provide a solid base for the guitarists to work off of, yet they too also have great performances. While Marty Freidman has most of the extremely technical, musically challenging solos, it is clear that Dave Mustaine owns this record. He is the sole lyricist and composer on six of the nine tracks, and his solos are mind-blowing with their speed and ferocity. Another thing to note is that while Dave Mustaine doesn't have the greatest voice, it's impressive how much of a range he uses while playing complex riffs. The recommended songs from this album are: Holy Wars...The Punishment Due, Hangar 18, Five Magics, Lucretia, and Rust in Peace...Polaris. Overall, this album is one of the the greatest in thrash metal, easily surpassing Ride the Lightning or Reign in Blood in its technicality, lyrical content, and overall musical composition. (Side note: DO NOT buy the remastered version of this album. Nearly all the vocal tracks are re-recorded and they sound much worse than the original.)