Rust in Peace

Template:Good article Template:Short description {{safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst-infobox||$params=italic_title,name,type,longtype,artist,cover,border,alt,caption,released,recorded,venue,studio,genre,length,language,label,director,producer,compiler,chronology,prev_title,prev_year,year,next_title,next_year,misc|$extra=italic_title,longtype,border,caption,language,director,compiler,chronology,year,misc|$aliases=italic title>italic_title,Italic title>italic_title,Name>name,Type>type,image>cover,Cover>cover,Border>border,Alt>alt,Caption>caption,Longtype>longtype,Artist>artist,Released>released,Recorded>recorded,Venue>venue,Studio>studio,Genre>genre,Length>length,Language>language,Label>label,Director>director,Producer>producer,Compiler>compiler,Chronology>chronology,Misc>misc|$flags=override|$B={{#ifeq:{{#invoke:Is infobox in lead|main|[Ii]nfobox [Aa]lbum}}|true|{{#if:Template:Has short description | |Template:Short description|noreplace}}}}{{#invoke:Infobox|infobox}}Template:Template otherTemplate:Category handlerTemplate:Main other{{#invoke:Check for unknown parameters|check|unknown=Template:Main other|preview=Page using Template:Infobox album with unknown parameter "_VALUE_"|ignoreblank=y|italic_title |type |name |image |cover |border |alt |caption |longtype |artist |released |recorded |venue |studio |genre |length |language |label |director |producer |compiler |prev_title|prev_year|next_title|next_year|chronology|year|misc}}{{#if:{{#invoke:String|match|error_category=Music infoboxes with Module:String errors|A|1=So Far, So Good... So What!1988Countdown to Extinction1992studioRust in PeaceMegadeth-RustInPeace.jpgCover art by Ed RepkaMegadethTemplate:Start date1989–1990Rumbo Recorders, Canoga Park, California<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>Thrash metalTemplate:DurationCapitolTemplate:Hlistx|2=</?t[drh][ >]|nomatch=}}|Template:Main other}}Template:Main other}} Rust in Peace is the fourth studio album by American thrash metal band Megadeth, released on September 24, 1990, by Capitol Records.<ref>Template:Citation</ref> It was the first Megadeth album to feature guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza. The songs "Hangar 18" and "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" were released as singles. A remixed and remastered version of the album featuring four bonus tracks was released in 2004.

Since its release, Rust in Peace has often been named as one of the best thrash metal records of all time, by publications such as Decibel and Kerrang!, and listed in the reference book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance at the 33rd Grammy Awards. At the 1991 Foundations Forum, the album received a Concrete Foundations Award for "Top Radio Album" and the single "Hangar 18" won "Top Radio Cut" award.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Background and production

In 1988, Megadeth appeared at the Monsters of Rock festival at Donington Park in the UK, alongside Iron Maiden, Kiss, Helloween, Guns N' Roses, and David Lee Roth. The band performed to an audience of more than 100,000 people<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> and was soon added to the "Monsters of Rock" European tour, but dropped out after the first show due to bassist David Ellefson's drug problems.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Further issues within the band caused frontman and guitarist Dave Mustaine to fire drummer Chuck Behler and guitarist Jeff Young, and cancel their scheduled 1988 Australian tour.Template:Sfn Nick Menza, previously Behler's drum tech, was hired as the band's new drummer.<ref name=RIP2004/> The search for a new guitarist was a drawn out process; Mustaine examined a number of guitarists for the job, including Dimebag Darrell of Pantera, who was initially offered the job before declining, as he requested that his Pantera brother, drummer Vinnie Paul, also be hired.<ref name="King">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Jeff Waters of Annihilator was also considered.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Mustaine had asked original Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland to rejoin the band,<ref name="Poland">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> with Poland tracking lead guitar parts on demo versions of all the songs that ended up on the studio album.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> According to Poland, he was "99 percent going to join" the band but was talked out of it by his manager.<ref name="Poland"/> According to Mustaine, one of the last guitarists he had heard about, Marty Friedman, had sent him a copy of Dragon's Kiss, on which Friedman played. Upon listening to the record, Mustaine had Friedman come in to audition and hired him.<ref name=RIP2004/> This would become the band's first stable line-up and, as recognized by fans, the 'classic' Megadeth lineup.Template:Sfn

The album title Rust in Peace was inspired by a bumper sticker that Mustaine saw on the back of a vehicle while driving home from Lake Elsinore, California. The sticker read: "May all your nuclear weapons rust in peace". Mustaine liked the concept and decided to use it as a title for Megadeth's upcoming album.Template:Sfn Rust in Peace was recorded at Rumbo Recorders with producer Mike Clink, while the mixing was handled by Max Norman.<ref name=RIP1990/> Clink was brought in for his work on both Guns N' Roses' Appetite for Destruction and UFO's Strangers in the Night.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The producer's work dealt mostly with the bass, drums and Friedman's guitar.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> In a 2002 interview, Mustaine declared that they "really didn't make the record with [Clink]" as at the time he was focused on Guns N' Roses' Use Your Illusion I and II – which were also being recorded at Rumbo – and stated most of the work in the album was done by himself, Norman, and engineer Micajah Ryan.<ref name="Rust"/>

Artwork

The album artwork was created by artist Ed Repka,<ref name=RIP1990/> who previously had done the cover for Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? in 1986.<ref name=PSBWB>Template:Cite book</ref> It references "Hangar 18", and depicts band mascot Vic Rattlehead and world leaders of the era viewing an alien body. In addition to creating the album's cover, Repka also supplied artwork for the album's two singles.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The object Rattlehead is holding was confirmed by Mustaine to be a material resembling Kryptonite.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The men featured on the cover are, from left to right: an unidentified British representative, Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu, German President Richard von Weizsäcker, Soviet President Mikhail Gorbachev, and United States President George H. W. Bush.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>{{ safesubst:#invoke:Unsubst||date=__DATE__ |$B= Template:Fix }}

Composition

The album features multiple lyrical themes: religion,Template:Sfn politics and warfare, as well as Mustaine's personal issues, such as his fight against drug and alcohol addiction,Template:Sfn UFO conspiracy theories<ref name="Hangar 18">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> and even the Marvel Comics character Punisher.<ref name=Punisher>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

The opening song, "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" finds its thematic inspiration derived from the Northern Ireland conflict, in which the largely Catholic nationalist community were in conflict with the mainly Protestant loyalist community over the sovereignty of the six counties of Northern Ireland. Mustaine has said that at a show in Antrim, Northern Ireland, he discovered bootlegged Megadeth T-shirts were on sale. He was dissuaded from taking action to have them removed on the basis that they were part of fund raising activities for "The Cause",<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref> explained as something to bring equality to Catholics and Protestants in the region. Liking how "The Cause" sounded as was explained to him, Mustaine dedicated a performance of "Anarchy in the U.K." to it, causing the audience to riot.Template:Sfn The band were escorted in a bulletproof bus back to their hotel in Dublin after the show.<ref name="Rust">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name=Bulletproof>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> This incident, along with Marvel's Punisher, inspired Mustaine to write the song.<ref name=Punisher/>

"Rust in Peace... Polaris", addresses the topic of nuclear warfare,Template:Sfn with "Polaris" referring to the Cold War-era Lockheed UGM-27 Polaris intercontinental ballistic missile.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref> Mustaine has revealed that the song, originally titled "Child Saint", was one of his earlier compositions, having been written before his tenure with Metallica (1981–83).<ref name="Rust"/> Menza proposed the concept for "Hangar 18", a song about UFO conspiracies and Area 51.<ref name="Hangar 18"/> Musically, the song features twin guitar solos after the verse.Template:Sfn

In 2017, more than 25 years after the album was released, Dave Mustaine revealed the majority of "Holy Wars" tabs on the web did not transcribe the main riff correctly, and posted the correct transcription himself.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Release and reception

Rust in Peace was released on September 24, 1990, by Capitol Records.<ref name=25Years>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 1994, the album was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) for shipping one million copies in the United States.<ref name="RIAA">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Rust in Peace, along with the rest of Megadeth's Capitol-released studio albums, was remixed and remastered in 2004.

Upon release, the album received widespread critical acclaim.Template:Sfn Greg Kot of the Chicago Tribune called it Megadeth's most accomplished album, praising its "instrumental virtuosity, thoughtful lyricism and punkish rage".<ref name="Chicago"/>

Robert Palmer of Rolling Stone wrote that the album is demonstration of how far the "nasty speed thrash" concept can go without being "formulaic and boring".<ref name="RS"/><ref name=AM2004>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Reviewing the album for Entertainment Weekly, Jim Farber described the music as "sheer velocity, combined with dexterity" and Mustaine's lyrics as "nihilistic whimsy".<ref name="EW"/> Mike Stagno from Sputnikmusic agreed that the songwriting was "top notch" on the album, as well as the fast and technical musicianship. He also spoke highly of Friedman's and Mustaine's guitar performance, calling them "one of the most potent duos in the scene".<ref name="sputnik"/>

Spin reviewer Tom Nordlie praised the album, deeming it a "mature, complex, surprisingly consonant and sparely produced album", and concluded that Rust in Peace "never sleeps".<ref name="Spin">Template:Cite journal</ref> Music journalist Kim Cooper also noted the album's maturity and wrote that Rust in Peace "transcended the hard rock genre and raised the bar to a whole new level".Template:Sfn Another positive reaction came from Rock Hard, whose writer Holger Stratmann stated that the record was "pure Megadeth", filled with "razor sharp guitars" and "snotty vocals".<ref name="Rock Hard"/>

Legacy and influence

In retrospective analysis, Rust in Peace has been cited as having a large impact on its genre.Template:Sfn Heavy metal magazine Decibel labeled the album as a "genre-defining work",<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> while Kerrang! wrote that the record "set a new standard for heavy metal in the 90s".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> IGN named Rust in Peace the fourth most influential heavy metal album of all time, commenting that the album "displays Dave Mustaine's finest writing ever".<ref name=IGN>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Additionally, Martin Popoff ranked it eleventh among the best heavy metal albums of all time.<ref name=Popoff>Template:Cite book</ref> In a reader poll organized by MusicRadar in 2010, Rust in Peace was voted as the sixth best metal album ever. The MusicRadar staff explained that the record saw Megadeth moving "into the big league", while staying true to their intricate sound and lyricism.<ref name=MusicRadar>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In a list compiled by Chad Bowar of About.com, Rust in Peace was placed as the best heavy metal album of the 1990s and named a "thrash masterpiece".<ref name=Bowar/> The album was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 33rd Grammy Awards.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The album was also included in the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>

File:Mustaine at Moscow.jpg

Dave Mustaine in Moscow during the album's 20th anniversary tour

The tracks "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" and "Hangar 18" have become staples of Megadeth's live set, and are fan favorites.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> The guitar solo on "Tornado of Souls" is considered to be one of the greatest solos in heavy metal music.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2010, the band announced a 22-show North American tour to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Rust in Peace. The band performed the entire album at every show.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Dates in South and Central America were later added to the tour, due to positive response from fans.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> In 2010, Shout! Factory released a live recording filmed on the Hollywood Palladium stop of the tour,<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> entitled Rust in Peace Live. It was released on September 7, 2010, in Blu-ray, CD and DVD formats,<ref>Template:Cite news</ref> and debuted at number 161 on the Billboard 200 and number two on the Billboard DVD charts.<ref name="AMCharts">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Rust in Peace in its entirety was released as purchasable downloadable content in the rhythm game Rock Band, a part of their "Rust in Peace Download Package".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> It was released a little more than a year after the release of Peace Sells...But Who's Buying? on the game's download store. A cover version of "Holy Wars" by Steve Ouimette was featured in Rock Revolution.<ref name="rr-songs">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> "Holy Wars" was also featured in Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock,<ref name="sudden death">Template:Cite video</ref> while "Hangar 18" was featured in Guitar Hero II and as downloadable content for Guitar Hero 5.<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref><ref name="August DLC">{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref> Both songs have been described as amongst the most difficult songs in the series' history.<ref name="sudden death" /> "Holy Wars", "Hangar 18" and "Tornado of Souls" were also released as downloadable content for Rocksmith 2014

A sequel to "Hangar 18" titled "Return to Hangar" later featured on Megadeth's ninth studio album, The World Needs a Hero.

In 2015, satire website The Onion published an article titled "Humanity Still Producing New Art As Though Megadeth's Rust In Peace Doesn't Already Exist".<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation |CitationClass=web }}</ref>

Track listing

All songs written and composed by Dave Mustaine, except where noted.<ref name=RIP1990>Template:Cite book</ref> Template:Track listing Template:Track listing Template:Track listing Template:Track listing

Personnel

Credits are adapted from the album's liner notes.<ref name=RIP2004/><ref name=RIP1990/> Template:Col-begin Template:Col-2 Megadeth

• Dave Mustaine – lead vocals, guitars
• David Ellefson – bass, backing vocals
• Marty Friedman – guitars
• Nick Menza – drums, backing vocals

Additional musicians

• Sandra Rabin – laugh on "Lucretia"<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation

|CitationClass=web }}</ref>

• Chris Poland – lead guitar (demo tracks only)

Artwork

• Ed Repka – cover illustration and artwork
• Dave Mustaine – cover concept
• Gene Kirkland – photography
• Wendi Schaeffer – assistant photography

Template:Col-2 Production

• Produced by Dave Mustaine and Mike Clink
• Recording and engineering by Micajah Ryan and Mike Clink
• Assistant recording engineering by Andy Udoff
• Mixed by Max Norman
• Mastered by Greg Fulginiti
• Technician – Tom Mayhue

Management

• Ron Laffitte – Management for Lippman Kahane, Ent.
• Errol Gerson & Co., Inc – Business management
• Andy Somers – Worldwide Booking agent for Triad Artists, Inc
• John Jackson – European Booking agent for Fair Warning Agency. Ltd
• Leonard Korobkin, Esq. – Legal
• Brockum – Merchandise

2004 remix and remaster

• Produced by Dave Mustaine
• Mixed by Ralph Patlan and Dave Mustaine
• Engineered by Ralph Patlan with Lance Dean
• Edited by Lance Dean with Scott "Sarge" Harrison
• Mastered by Tom Baker

Charts

Template:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chartTemplate:Album chart

Chart (1990)	Peak position
European Albums (European Top 100 Albums)<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	34
Irish Albums (The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry)<ref>{{#invoke:citation/CS1|citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	18
Finnish Albums (The Official Finnish Charts)<ref name=FINI>Template:Cite book</ref>	19
Japanese Albums (Oricon)<ref name="JPN">Template:Cite book</ref>	29

Template:Album chart

Chart (2020)	Peak position

Accolades

Region	Year	Publication	Accolade	Rank
Canada	2004	Martin Popoff	Top 500 Heavy Metal Albums of all Time<ref name=Popoff/>	11
United Kingdom	2020	Kerrang!	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
	1990	Select	Albums of the YearTemplate:CN	46
	2000	Terrorizer	The 100 Most Important Albums of the 90sTemplate:CN	*
	2006	Classic Rock & Metal Hammer	The 200 Greatest Albums of the 90sTemplate:CN	*
	2010	MusicRadar	The 50 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time<ref name=MusicRadar/>	6
	2014	Metal Hammer	50 Hottest Thrash Albums of All TimeTemplate:CN	3
United States	2002	Revolver	The 69 Greatest Metal Albums of All TimeTemplate:CN	54
	2011	Robert Dimery	1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die<ref>Template:Cite book</ref>	*
	2007	IGN	Top 25 Metal Albums<ref name=IGN/>	4
	2012	About.com	citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
	2012		citation	CitationClass=web }}</ref>	1
	2017	Rolling Stone	100 Greatest Metal Albums of All Time<ref>Template:Cite magazine</ref>	19

Appearances

• "Hangar 18" appeared in the 2006 video game Guitar Hero II.
• "Tornado of Souls" appeared in the 2009 video game Brütal Legend.
• The whole album was featured as DLC for the Rock Band video game series on February 9, 2010.

Bibliography

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External links

• Template:Discogs master