Megadeth
Rust in Peace
[Columbia]


This album represents Megadeth's technical peak. It is well respected by fans of metal everywhere because it is an undeniably strong album.

What is makes it so strong? Most people will tell you that it is because of the riffs and solos. Indeed, Rust In Peace is packed with very intricate and busy riffs. However, 80% of the riffs are not memorable or even powerful on their own. And solos tend to not stand out as starkly against technical riffs that soar over a wide pitch range.

It is the way in which everything is blended subtly to carefully construct the song's impression that makes this album that good. While bands like Dream Theater or Sadus have riffs or sections that exist just to impress, the riffs on Rust in Peace, as impressive as they may be, are hacking at (and circling around) a vision.

Holy Wars, perhaps the most perfect song ever crafted by Megadeth, is a clear example. The song has several themes which are constantly bursting past one another, yet it runs with a solid sense of unity. The riffs contrasting, mutating, and even mixing into each other are amazing to behold, but no riff exists just for itself.

That said, I will now talk about those riffs.

The riffs throughout the album move a lot: rhythmically and melodically. They are not grounded to E or any other pitch (at least not via repetition, the preferred method for many bands). In fact, even some riffs that don't actually fly all over the frets seem to have a sweeping quality to them. Everything is in key, which compensates for the lack of blatant hammering on the tonal center.

Quick, intricate rhythms dominate the songs. Even during the quirky parts everything seems "together," driven by forceful double bass drums. At the beginning of Take No Prisoners and a few other places, there is some beatless, outright chugging, but usually, the underlying feel beneath the actual rhythms is a complex version that fast "Megadeth swing" (which is most easily to feel on Set the World Afire on _So Far So Good So What?_).

The drums sound with a strong and natural tone, the bass has a vivid yet piano-like quality. In order to articulate this album well, the guitars are a bit lacking in low end but have a good, tangible distortion.

All of the songs are strong, but Holy Wars, Tornado of Souls, and Polaris are the most powerful. Tornado of Souls manifests itself mostly in outgrowths of a kinetic melody which spirals into the more somber verse riffs. Polaris...is Polaris. The vocals and guitars blend very well, especially at "Winds blow from the bowels of hell," but that's not why it's so great, though.


© 1999 abasmagorsulpherion