Rust In Peace - Megadeth

Megadeth. What a name. If I were to vote on band names that really embody the spirit of the genre, Megadeth would be right up there in the top 5. A little piece of history before I begin talking about the album, though:
In the early 1980's, Metallica was establishing itself as a metal powerhouse with their first album, Kill 'Em All. This was grood (great and good) until the band had to kick out their lead guitarist, Dave Mustaine, due to his unruly addictions to drugs and alcohol. In 1983, Mustaine decided it was time to forge his own way and create a band that would rival Metallica. The result was Megadeth. Whether or not Megadeth's legacy will live up to its big brother is questionable. However, it's worth noting that both bands are still producing albums, which is very commendable.
Why talk about the history, you say? Because you can hear it. That's right. You can hear the history come through in most of Megadeth's music, and especially this album. Songs like "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" and "Five Magics" really bring out that grunge metal sound of the old Metallica, where as others showcase Mustaine's new direction. In general, Megadeth's songs tend to have more melodic guitar hooks and vocal lines. Some great examples of this are the guitar intro to "Lucretia" and the vocals in "Tornado of Souls." Mustaine does a great job of balancing those familiar grungy vocals that come from the gut with higher lines not often found in the genre. Don't get me wrong, here, though. I don't mean to say that Megadeth is only a rip-off of Metallica. It seems they've even taken a page out of Alice Cooper's book with "Dawn Patrol."
Bottom line time: You want good metal to scrunch up your face and head-bang to? You've got it. This album is always a fist-pumpingly good time. (Incidentally, I think that may be the first time in the Universe someone's used the term 'fist-pumpingly'). My big highlights on this album are "Hangar 18," "Holy Wars..." and "Tornado of Souls." Happy listening!

Free link to the album on Napster:
http://free.napster.com/view/album/index.html?id=10920463