Rust in Peace is the fourth studio album by the thrash metal band Megadeth, released on September 24, 1990, by Capitol Records. It was the first Megadeth album to feature guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza. The songs “Hangar 18” and “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due” were released as singles. A remixed and remastered version of the album featuring four bonus tracks was released in 2004.
The album was nominated for a Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance at the 33rd Grammy Awards. At the 1991 Foundations Forum, the album received a Concrete Foundations Award for “Top Radio Album” and the single “Hangar 18” won “Top Radio Cut” award.
The album title Rust in Peace was inspired by a bumper sticker that Mustaine saw on the back of a vehicle while driving home from Lake Elsinore, California. The sticker read: “May all your nuclear weapons rust in peace”. Mustaine liked the concept and decided to use it as a title for Megadeth‘s upcoming album.
Rust in Peace was recorded at Rumbo Recorders with producer Mike Clink, while the mixing was handled by Max Norman. Clink was brought in for his work on both Guns N’ Roses‘ Appetite for Destruction and UFO‘s Strangers in the Night.
The producer’s work dealt mostly with the bass, drums and Friedman‘s guitar. In a 2002 interview, Mustaine declared that they “really didn’t make the record with (Clink)” as at the time he was focused on Guns N’ Roses‘ Use Your Illusion I and II, which were also being recorded at Rumbo and stated most of the work in the album was done by himself, Norman, and engineer Micajah Ryan.
The album artwork was created by artist Ed Repka, who previously had done the cover for Peace Sells… but Who’s Buying? in 1986. It references “Hangar 18”, and depicts band mascot Vic Rattlehead and world leaders of the era viewing an alien body. In addition to creating the album’s cover, Repka also supplied artwork for the album’s two singles. The object Rattlehead is holding was confirmed by Mustaine to be a material resembling Kryptonite.
Tracklist:
SIDE A
- Holy Wars…The Punishment Due
- Hangar
- Take No Prisoners
- Five Magics
SIDE B
- Poison Was The Cure
- Lucretia
- Tornado Of Souls
- Dawn Patrol
- Rust In Peace…Polaris
Megadeth
Dave Mustaine: guitars, lead vocals
David Ellefson: bass, backing vocals
Marty Friedman: guitars
Nick Menza: drums, backing vocals
Additional musicians
Sandra Rabin: laugh on “Lucretia”
Chris Poland: lead guitar (demo tracks only)
Artwork
Edward J. Repka: cover illustration and artwork
Dave Mustaine: cover concept
Gene Kirkland: photography
Wendi Schaeffer: assistant photography
Production
Produced by Dave Mustaine and Mike Clink
Recording and engineering by Micajah Ryan and Mike Clink
Assistant recording engineering by Andy Udoff
Mixed by Max Norman
Mastered by Greg Fulginiti
Technician: Tom Mayhue
Management
Ron Laffitte: Management for Lippman Kahane, Ent.
Errol Gerson & Co., Inc: Business management
Andy Somers: Worldwide Booking agent for Triad Artists, Inc
John Jackson: European Booking agent for Fair Warning Agency. Ltd
Leonard Korobkin, Esq.: Legal
Brockum: Merchandise
Nicholas Menza (July 23, 1964 – May 21, 2016)
