Rust In Peace.

This Megadeth album which was released in 1990 , in my personal opinion represents the band at the peak of their musical prowess. Also it combines for the first time, the musical genius of Dave Mustaine with the guitar virtousity of Marty Friedman. Yes, Marty is often given less credit than he deserves for his stint with Megadeth , but i believe Rust In Peace would not have been the same with any other guitarist. His style of guitaring, including his use of exotic scales blended so well with the band's style that I find it hard to believe that he left Megadeth claiming "I am tired of playing Metal music" an irony of sorts that such a great guitarist should pass a statement so devoid of the fundamental thirst in all guitarists belonging to such bands to push the limits of Metal music.

The main theme recurring throughout the album is regarding politics and warfare.I also feel that Mustaine's lyric writing has always been unquestionably outstanding, but in this album scales new hieghts.The opening track "Holy Wars,the Punishment Due" originally composed of 2 songs but the latest CD versions have them fused as one . Here again the lyrical excellence in terms of pure shock and effect are seen , especially in the latter half of the song. The song has an acoustic bridge by Marty followed by an intense solo by Mustaine.The video for this song too has been well shot with grotesque references to the ill effects of war.'The Punishment due' is a reference to the "Punisher" of Marvel Comics.

The next song Hangar 18 , is another all time classic of the band , and is about an alien space ship that supposedly landed in 1947 in Ohio.The latter half of the song is completely instrumental .A brilliant song , with several heart racing solos accompanied with short but powerful drum rolls, the finale of this song will not dissapoint a person who can listen to anything even vaguely Metal.

I still remember the first Metal song I heard . I remember when I was 13 years old , scoffing at the band that couldnt even spell death correctly as I randomly scrolled to a song titled "Lucretia". Right from the opening spooky laugh(which always reminds me of an old lady) till the grand finish I was hooked on ; like a small child let into a Toy shop, into a new world called 'Metal'.The reason I like songs like this is that i simply enjoy songs with a guitar solo that builds up to a supreme high point where the guitars scream and wail(like Pink floyd's Comfortably Numb extended version Pulse concert) nonchalantly. Ellefson and Mustaine wrote the above twosongs whereas most other songs were written by Mustaine alone.

The last song that I would explicitly mention is'Tornado Of Souls'.Another timeless classic with powerful lyrics and a solo that rips your heart apart.I dont know what these guys were on when writing these songs , and better still while recording them , but god bless their souls for an album so damn good that even if you take away their lifetime's every album and performance, this one album will ensure that I will always have something to cherish and listen to, and to hold on to a band that reached a pinnacle point of musical genius they themselves could never scale again.

My only letdown is the album cover art.Rattlehead holding a green light as he uncovers a coffined alien with a group of suited men around him lacks good art or creative meaning.
One last tribute to a band like whom no one plays any more, to an album like which no one can play any more and to a frontman and guitarist who gifted us with an album like none other,"Rust In Peace."