Megadeth is one of the biggest metal bands to date. Formed in 1983 after guitarist Dave Mustaine left the band Metallica, he sought to innovate the genre of thrash metal which had already begun to gather attention around the world. In 1985, Megadeth released their first album, Killing is my business… and business is good! It very much held up the old school, fast and thrashy style of Metallica’s first album Kill Em All. In 1986, the band released their second album called Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying?

Their third album in 1988 was called So Far, So Good… So What! In 1990, however, Megadeth released their fourth album, and to many, their best album. Rust in Peace is the first Megadeth album to feature guitarist Marty Friedman and the drummer Nick Menza.

In terms of content the album has multiple hits, namely the track Hangar 18 and Holy Wars… The Punishment Due. Not only did the band combine their speed and the raw energy from previous albums, but they also combined more technical aspects into their music. Reasonably so, Rust In Peace came to be recognized as one of the best thrash metal albums of all time.

The album touches on several topics such as aliens, religious wars, break ups, magic, and nuclear war, to name a few. A great example of their energy and technicality is the solo in the song called Tornado of Souls. The segment is at just a minute long out of the total 5 minutes and 22 seconds of the song and it receives praise from fans and critics around the world. In 1991, the album was nominated for a Grammy at the 33rd Grammy Awards.

Personally, my favorite song on the album is Tornado of Souls. I enjoy it because of not only the lyrical content but also because of the way that it’s complimented by the phenomenal instrumentals on the track. Based on my personal preference, I rate the album with a solid 10 out of 10.