Review Summary: Dave Mustaine is about to make you his b****!!!!
Mad Max : Fury Road was one of the best action movies of the decade. George Miller's expertise behind the camera not only allowed for the return of one of the most iconic 80's action series of all time, but also provided a host of brilliance behind the film making, creating an experience who's thrilling battles and macabre death races was made into a more compelling package, and taking it to a whole other level. Even during the dips in activity, energy didn't die down. Instead, these quieter moments were used to add tension, building up to an ever present climax. In this way, the new action movie to destroy all other actions movies, and
Megadeth's 1990 magnum opus
Rust In Peace are very much alike. Carrying the same attributes,
Rust In Peace is a artistic endeavor that capitalizes on Dave Mustaine's compositional knowledge exceedingly well to the point of sheer awe. Fast, furious, and filled with clamorous solo work and extreme riffage, not much can stand in the way of these Los Angeles rockers raging speed and technicality.
A testament to consistency, a lot of the tracks here not only stands out as some of
Megadeth's best, but some of the finest thrash metal delivered in the history of the sub-genre. The grand opening number
Holy Wars sets up a sensational epic, with galloping guitars and trotting drums accompanied by the frequent guest appearance of piercing solo savagery. Though 6 minutes and a half minutes in length, the song seems to end in an instance, whizzing past the listener in an act of true showmanship. An anthem in it's own sense,
Hangar 18 begins with a melodic chorus of guitars only to unravel as careless yet efficient solos working off each other like a flurry of bullets frantically bouncing off impenetrable metallic walls of steel.
Take No Prisoners, though ridicolous in tone, is the most short and sweet track here, and is one of the catchiest for sure. While each song feeds off the momentum of the other, carrying with it the torch of almighty power like the bearer of flame during the last Olympic torch relay, there is actually a decent amount of variety glazed throughout this record.
Five Magics contains the same heavy metal awesomeness of previous tracks, but focus's on a more built-up climax, making the final result more satisfying and deserving of such a conclusion.
Poison Was The Cure will remind any metalhead silly enough to forget of the huge influence punk had on thrash metal's famous founders, with chaotic, insanity driven music that simply stops for no one.
Lucretia stands out, with its retelling of the rambunctious antics of a young Dave Mustaine backed by incredibly entertaining instrumentals. And how can anyone forget about
Tornado of Souls? Deserving of its name, it successfully brings forth a twister of surging energy, which pulsates throughout like the blood red veins of Marty Friedman as he melts your face of with his solo work. The track even pays an homage to older metal bands, with riffs that could easily be mistaken to belong to Tony Iommi himself.
Though not every song is as compelling as some of the aforementioned masterworks,
Rust In Peace's "low points" shouldn't even be considered as such. If you were on a road trip, this would be one of the best albums to bring along. Standing at 40 minutes in length,
Megadeth's fourth album doesn't march needlessly onward to and off the cliffs of irrelevance and monotony, but stays just long enough to cram the point into your skull. Overall,
Rust in Peace is a hard act to beat. While some might be disappointed that the band has yet to exceed this masterpiece, this monumental record is not a bad one to consider a band's magnum opus either. Highly recommended.
Best tracks :
Holy Wars...The Punishment Is Due
Hangar 18
Five Magics
Lucretia
Tornado of Souls
