Review by Mandeep Arora on April 15, 2025.

Dave Mustaine is a visionary. Sure, and I concur, he's been a bit controversial, has acted up in some of his old interviews, and may have his newfound set of beliefs that don't exactly align with yours, but Megadeth would not have been the mega entity it is today if it wasn't for him. Yes, and wholeheartedly, I agree the generous contributions of the top-notch musicians he amassed over the years play a fundamental part too. But whatever Mustaine's motivation was - be it to topple Metallica from their high chair or to simply become the biggest thrash metal band in the world - it ensured they had a direction and a goal to work towards, which led them on this extensive, long-lasting journey. And here, some four decades later, we have them as, statistically, the second biggest thrash metal band of all time, making Mustaine and his workmates quite rich men in the process.

Admittedly, this isn't even their first universally acclaimed album. That honor would go to the frenzied and slightly mysterious 'Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?', which put them on the map as one of the emerging thrash metal titans. Relatively, what 'Rust in Peace' did was even more substantial, i.e., permanently solidify their repute as the epitome of technical and complex yet melodic thrash metal; there's so much rancor in this album, so much anger, and yet, it has some very well laid out and thoughtful lead work. It's a mega album, the collective swoon for which is very much palpable here on Metallum - an average score of 95% based off of 40 reviews, of which half stand at a perfect 100%. That's a monumental feat considering how fussy and exacting an audience metalheads can be. As per my observation, which I'll admit isn't the most comprehensive, it's possibly the most upstaged and consistent album on this website as far as generalised scoring goes.

This may also be the band's most celebrated lineup, and it shows. 'Holy Wars... the Punishment Due' has left us slack-jawed for as long as one can remember. It's one of those songs that you cannot get bored of thanks to its more expressive structure and insightful lyrics. The subsequent songs are equal, or maybe even bigger, Megadeth classics: the likes of 'Hangar 18' and 'Tornado of Souls' immediately come to mind, the former for its mind-bending and exemplary whirlwind of an intro and the latter simply for Marty Friedman's impeccable and now iconic guitar solo. Numerous such moments keep sprouting over and over, perennially searing themselves into every metalhead's subconscious regardless of whether one's a fan or not. The guitar leads are of a joyful, sprightly kind, but they sit very well with the buzzsaw riffs, their combined effect uprated to superlative levels by the drums. Nick Menza is arguably the most renowned and celebrated drummer of the band and an absolutely menacing one at that. His finest and most hard-hitting moments can be heard on songs like 'Take No Prisoners' and 'Five Magics' - the latter being an unusual, mystifying tune that gradually morphs into what I think is the most adrenaline-inducing song thanks to Menza's inhumane and cold-blooded murder of the drum kit. The man's a literal drum monster.

For all their relentlessness, the drums still merely function as an equal to the crisp guitar work, a testament to the mighty duo of Mustaine and Friedman. In the grander scheme of things, it's a rather short-lived partnership compared to the longevity of Murray/Smith or Tipton/Downing, but I reckon it's right up there. The razor-sharp riffs they spawn fall mostly in line with the usual thrash metal standards - frenetic, chaotic, vigorous. But they're also characterful and elegant at times, and conjointly with the expressive lead work, form the core of the album. Everything happens at such a breakneck speed, with the songs going back and forth, that the album does not really fizzle out except maybe when 'Dawn Patrol' plays - an unusual voice-over by Mustaine with minimal bass to boot. I don't think there's any bad song in here but they could certainly do without 'Poison Was the Cure', a decent but rather generic tune that doesn't bring much to the table and sticks out as the sore thumb in an otherwise fantastic collection of songs.

David Ellefson's last exit from the band may not have been the most prestigious but he's been the only long-standing member along with Mustaine in what was otherwise a quite fleeting lineup of entering and exiting musicians. Though Mustaine almost always remained the primary composer/songwriter, Ellefson's kind of been a central figure too. The album version that I've been listening to is apparently the original mix, subdued and all, but the grunt and growl of his bass work is kind of overwhelming and nasty, working especially well on the more chaotic numbers like 'Take No Prisoners' or even the more galloping ones like the title track. Speaking of Mustaine, even his voice is a bit high up the mix and sounds kind of scratchy. Let’s face it, he does not have a great singing voice. Or even a decent one, for that matter. But like most things in metal, or even music in general, it grows on you. Bit by bit. To the point where you can’t go back. You see, these classic Megadeth songs, and the less-renowned ones, are so deeply etched in my system that I cannot imagine them without his shrill, nasally voice; it wouldn’t sound very Megadeth-like if a rich, booming voice would start singing the closing sections of 'My Last Words', would it? Acquired taste it may be, but tell me, can you go back to the foamy indulgence of a rich and creamy latte after years of subjecting your taste buds to the intensity of simple black coffee? I can't.

In some ways, 'Rust in Peace' is the end of an era for American thrash metal or maybe even the whole genre, and it perfectly represents its zenith. Not that there haven't been good albums after this - there have been some great ones - but the collective template of an unapologetic sound set by old-school thrash started to soften bit by bit and became much more accessible to the general audience. I'm not saying that is a bad thing - in my books, it's a win-win situation for the bands to explore a more widespread audience and earn better money while people who cannot immerse themselves into the full-blown metal experience get to brag about listening to relatively heavy music. In that context, this album is the last of its kind.

So much has already been talked about it that my review literally seems like a mere drop in a vast ocean. To me, it’s the most unconventional of the thrash metal classics - very technical, very space-age, and exuding a whole lot of charisma thanks to that fantastic and slightly zany album cover. In many ways, Megadeth is also the most outlandish of the "Big Four", with peculiar song structures, technical instrumentation, and Mustaine's vocals. Sure, their sound softened after this, and maybe they were never quite the same again (in a similar vein to their arch-nemesis Metallica), but the raging fury that we witnessed in the early few years is a pure adrenaline rush, again very similar to their main rival. In my opinion, this is their finest effort at smashing the thrash metal boundaries and emerging as the flagbearer of technical yet accessible thrash, though I wouldn’t go so far as to call it the best album in the genre; there are far too many mighty contenders to beat for that crown and I don't think we can ever have a definitive winner. But it's up there, in the highest echelons, with a rarefied company, overlooking a dwindling genre that never again saw the same creative highs it once did.

Rating: 9 out of 10

Review by Luka on February 22, 2002.

In creating the very album that defined Megadeth, Dave Mustaine finally hits home with a solid line-up that truly works, and one that would shape the path of the band for the better part of the 90’s. With his unique, technical rhythm clashing with guitar legend Marty Friedman’s outrageous lead, it’s clear that this album was destined to become a heavy metal classic. The legendary "Hangar 18" carries a phenomenal 3-minute Friedman/Mustaine solo, interrupted by crunchy riffs which really pushes the limits of metal and guitarwork!

While maybe not as violent as 1986’s thrashy "Peace Sells...", this was the album that truly pushed the energy and creativity of Megadeth to its full potential and remains as the most powerful and memorable opus in their career. Being the last cover graced with grotesque mascot Vic Rattlehead, this album also symbolizes the end of Megadeth’s thrash metal pursuit, and the eventual loosening of the reins that would result in the following albums’ more mainstream approach.

I’m glad that this time the producer had his head on straight after the catastrophe on the last album. The guitars are done extra crisp while the melody is sharp and creates a dark atmosphere in tracks like 'Five Magics' and 'Lucretia'. The songs are arranged perfectly, a seemingly chaotic yet structured composition of fast riffs, outrageous solos, and complex layers of guitar harmony. After the climax of the song you’re left absolutely speechless, you just can’t ask for more.

Dave’s lyrics are as intelligent and entertaining as ever. Aside a few naive concepts like 'Hangar 18', the themes are an amusing, cut-the-bull type approach to politics, faults of society, and, of course, his own turbulent life. If you thought that songs like 'Holy Wars' were old news, just look at today’s situation with Afghanistan, the theme of middle-eastern conflict is more meaningful today than back when the song was written.

Bottom Line: This is the album that truly put Megadeth on the map. No less than a masterpiece! Every metal fan in the world should have this in their collection!

Categorical Rating Breakdown

Originality: 10
Musicianship: 10
Atmosphere: 10
Production: 10
Overall: 10

Rating: 10 out of 10