A prog metal classic
5
By Pick My Boogers Please!
I don’t view this album as primarily thrash metal. I mean it is, but it’s so technical that the primary genre is progressive metal, which was creeping on up at the time with bands like Queensryche and the just-begun Dream Theater. Metallica’s And Justice For All counts too, but not as much as Rust in Peace. After Rust in Peace, prog metal bands borrowed its approach and execution as well as its heavier edge in order to detach from the glam metal roots the genre began in. The production is a little fluffy compared to previous Megadeth albums, but the synergy is so good with the lineup that the production actually becomes quite delicious listening to it. Songs like Lucretia and Tornado of Souls wouldn’t be nearly as potent if they were produced like Peace Sells or Master of Puppets because the songs are flexible and require flexible production to make them work. It’s very satisfying to listen to, even though Dave Mustaine is at his most phlegmy here and squeaky too vocally. Most metalheads know these songs, but there are overlooked ones like Lucretia, Poison Was the Cure, and especially Five Magics. I do wonder what would have happened if the Abbott brothers had joined ‘Deth, but just like Whitney Houston or Darrell Hall joining Van Halen one can only imagine…
