Rust In Peace: The Inside Story of the Megadeth Masterpiece
"Eradication of Earth's population launch...POLARIS!" - Megadeth
Talk about the ultimate depiction of thrash metal perfection...from A to Z. "Rust in Peace", as we all should know it to be...or should I say...we BETTER know, is THE perfect thrash metal album of all time. In fact, in this blogger's opinion, "Rust in Peace" was Megadeth's answer to Metallica's "...And Justice For All" album. But if you want to get controversial with it...then fuck it...throw "Master of Puppets" in there as well.
Think about it. We've heard this album time and time again and the opinion is always the same...it's fucking BAD-ASS! And then we think about how awesome Dave Mustaine, Marty Friedman, David Ellefson, and Nick Menza are and were (R.I.P Nick Menza). Then we think about how the recording of the album was probably completed with little effort because of how talented the quartet is...or was...or...well...you know what I mean. Nothing could be further from the truth. As a matter of fact, there was a shit-ton of drama happening behind the scenes before, during, and after the recording and release of "Rust in Peace". All talent and bad-assness aside, these dudes had major league issues.
Once you open up this book and read the forward, which was written by none other than Slash himself, you can't wait to start chapter one. And once you've started chapter one you won't be able to put the book down until you've finished it. No joke. This book dives WAY deep into the dysfunctional and self-destructive behaviors of the two Daves or Davids, which, in turn, made them functional (believe it or not) to write, record, complete, and release a thrash metal masterpiece. Add a tour to that too.
The book's documentary-style narrative gives for great story telling. I mean, you truly do get raw perspective from all sides (except Nick Menza's of course) from everyone that was involved in the process of making the concept of this album a reality. It's riveting, honest, emotional, redeeming, empowering, educational, funny, and sobering. Best of all it's a remarkable telling of how a couple of exceptionally talented, hardcore heroin/cocaine/booze/weed/nicotine addicted musicians were able to go from questioning their own, individual self-worth and existence to finding hope within themselves to get sober and change their lives.
Amidst the downward-drug spiral these guys were free-falling into, they were not only able to create a thrash metal masterpiece, but they were also able to remain a fucking competitive force to be reckoned with in the thrash metal genre at that time. I say that because, to be fair, you had the other Big 4 bands (Metallica, Slayer, and Anthrax) who, in 1990-1991, were also out there putting out good shit (Metallica: Black Album, Slayer: Seasons in The Abyss, Anthrax: Persistence of Time...fuck it...Pantera: Vulger Display of Power, Testament: Souls of The Black, Exodus: Impact is Imminent). Trust me...it was competitive.
The book also clarifies WTF happened to that one concept of reuniting the "Rust in Peace" line-up in 2010 for a "Rust in Peace" 20th Anniversary album tour that never came to fruition. You get inside details as to why the idea of the reunion fell to the way-side and you'll completely understand why you can't, at least in my opinion, blame Dave Mustaine's asshole-ness (as he's been described by his peers many times before) for putting the concept behind him, never to be visualized again.
In fact, you would have to agree with the decisions he made during that time about the reunion because, frankly, the people and circumstances involved in trying to make that happen simply changed. And honestly, not for the betterment of Megadeth. Dave realized that the minute the line-up got together in a meeting with management to decide whether or not the reunion tour could breathe life.
Trust me, this book is a Megadeth tell-all for not just the true dedicated fan, but for any metal head who has the "Rust in Peace" album and wants to know how the album was realized, who Megadeth were and what they were going through at that time, and what it took to create such a thrash metal classic. There is so much I, myself, learned about Dave's perspective on life and his perspective on the importance of who it is that you keep close to you in your inner circle. There is a reason Dave's personality is the way it is and the book tells you why. You will come to find that you can relate to him...more than you probably know. It's an awesome read that gave me a new found appreciation not just for Megadeth or the "Rust in Peace" album, but for life in general. Seriously...you will love this book. This die-hard gives it ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️- Skiddoo the Mouse.