Megadeth - Rust In Peace (1990)

Only the strongest survived after the demise of thrash metal during the early ‘90s, and to do this many bands sold out, as the genre become little more than a nostalgic void, as the new noises of Nirvana and Pearl Jam turned the rock world on its head; for better or for worse, you decide. However, Megadeth’s fourth record, coming after the disappointing ‘So Far, So Good, …So What !’, was their defining moment, a classic thrash/rock album with an unrivalled cutting edge and cocksure arrogance which for a moment, made the band, and particularly Dave Mustaine, king of the castle. ‘Rust In peace’ is the sharpest knife in the draw, raging yet melodic, sneering yet focused, fast and furious, yet methodical and slow-burning, complex yet memorable, everything anyone could want from a thrash record.
‘Rust…’ in fact borders on greatness, from the opening ‘Holy Wars…’ vomit to the chugging ‘Five Magic’s’, and the plodding ‘Dawn Patrol’, but there’s no standout cut here because they all are, ‘Hangar 18’ with its punky opening chords before breaking into a mid-paced rocker, Mustaine gritting his teeth whilst the band of Menza, Ellefson and Friedman, surely being one of the most accomplished out there. ‘Take No Prisoners’ is pure thrashery, ‘Poison Was the Cure’ a violent, head banging frenzy and ‘Tornado Of Souls’ a complex work of wizardry.
There’s something for all the thrashers out here, there always will be because ‘Rust…’ is a timeless metal record.

9.5/10