Rust in Peace is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Megadeth, released on September 24, 1990. It was their third album distributed through Capitol Records, and their only collaboration with record producer Mike Clink who was the first producer to successfully produce a Megadeth album from start to finish, without being fired. It was the first album to feature guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza, following the firing of both Jeff Young and Chuck Behler in 1989.

There are nine tracks on the album, with lyrics inspired by subjects ranging from nuclear fallout, war, religion, Area 51, and fantasy. Two singles were released from the album: "Hangar 18" and "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due", which have become staples of the band's live performances. Rust in Peace was very well received by both critics and fans and was responsible for bringing Megadeth to the attention of a mainstream metal audience, and it is considered one of the most influential heavy metal albums of all time. The album was nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 33rd Grammy Awards, and "Hangar 18" was nominated for the same award at the 34th Grammy Awards. Allmusic described the record as "easily Megadeth's strongest musical effort", and it was noted as one of 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die.

A remixed and remastered version featuring four bonus tracks was released in 2004. A limited edition 180g LP using the original mix was issued in the U.S. in 2008 by Capitol Records. In addition, in January 2010, the band announced that they would be doing a North American tour to commemorate the album's 20th anniversary. They performed the whole album live, including three tracks that had never previously been performed live, "Five Magics", "Poison Was the Cure" and "Rust in Peace... Polaris". Their performance at the Hollywood Palladium was filmed and released as Rust in Peace Live on CD and DVD later that year. (wiki)

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by Steve Huey

A sobered-up Mustaine returns with yet another lineup, this one featuring ex-Cacophony guitar virtuoso Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza, for what is easily Megadeth's strongest musical effort. As Metallica was then doing, Mustaine accentuates the progressive tendencies of his compositions, producing rhythmically complex, technically challenging thrash suites that he and Friedman burn through with impeccable execution and jaw-dropping skill. Thanks to Mustaine's focus on the music rather than his sometimes clumsy lyrics, Rust in Peace arguably holds up better than any other Megadeth release, even for listeners who think they've outgrown heavy metal. While the whole album is consistently impressive, the obvious highlight is the epic, Eastern-tinged "Hangar 18."