Megadeth: Rust In Peace Live

Classic album revisited on live CD and DVD.

By
( )
published

You can trust Louder Our experienced team has worked for some of the biggest brands in music. From testing headphones to reviewing albums, our experts aim to create reviews you can trust. Find out more about how we review.

On March 31, 2010, Megadeth celebrated the 20th anniversary of Rust In Peace – for many, their best album – by playing it live in its entirety at the Hollywood Palladium. What made the event even more special was the return of errant bassist David Ellefson after an eight-year absence.

Recorded for this two-disc set, it was a performance of clinical power befitting the self-styled State-Of-The-Art Speed Metal Band.

Marshalled by the clean but still mean Dave Mustaine, the band sounds sharper than it ever did in its drug-fuelled youth. And the album’s standout tracks – Holy Wars… The Punishment Due and Hangar 18 – confirm Rust In Peace as a genuine landmark in metal music.

The DVD adds a short documentary that confirms what we already knew: that Megadeth fans enjoy shouting and making funny faces.

Paul Elliott
Paul Elliott

Freelance writer for Classic Rock since 2005, Paul Elliott has worked for leading music titles since 1985, including Sounds, Kerrang!, MOJO and Q. He is the author of several books including the first biography of Guns N’ Roses and the autobiography of bodyguard-to-the-stars Danny Francis. He has written liner notes for classic album reissues by artists such as Def Leppard, Thin Lizzy and Kiss, and currently works as content editor for Total Guitar. He lives in Bath - of which David Coverdale recently said: “How very Roman of you!”