«Rust in Peace» is Megadeth’s fourth album and it was released on 24 September 1990 by Capitol Records. The recording took place at Rumbo Recorders in Canoga Park, California, with Dave Mustaine and Mike Clink producing and Max Norman handling the mix. It is the band’s first work with guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza, alongside Mustaine and bassist David Ellefson.
“`Country: United States
Genre: Thrash Metal
For fans of: Metallica, Slayer, Exodus
The title came from a sticker Mustaine saw on a car: «May all your nuclear weapons rust in peace». On this album Megadeth sound more technical than ever: fast riffs, constant tempo changes and two guitars that weave around each other. The cover by Ed Repka shows the band’s mascot, Vic Rattlehead, next to leaders of the era looking at the body of an alien, a reference to «Hangar 18».
The opener «Holy Wars… The Punishment Due» runs over six minutes and moves through different passages, dealing with the conflict in Northern Ireland. It is followed by «Hangar 18», a song about conspiracy theories and Area 51, with two guitar solos after the first verse. Alongside them «Take No Prisoners», «Five Magics» and «Lucretia» stand out, while «Tornado of Souls» has one of the most loved solos in metal. «Rust in Peace… Polaris» revolves around nuclear weapons and the Cold War Polaris missile.
The album reached number 8 in Britain and 23 on the Billboard chart, went platinum in the United States, and was nominated for a Grammy in the Best Metal Performance category. In 2004 it was reissued as a remix and remaster. It is considered one of the most important thrash albums of all time, with «Holy Wars» and «Hangar 18» still played live to this day.
See also
See also: Slayer – Reign In Blood and Slayer: the story of the band that shaped the sound of thrash metal.
