Megadeth
Rust In Peace Live

THE REVIEW

It was back in 1990 when almost surprisingly that old fox Dave Mustaine came out with Rust in Peace, which many consider the pinnacle of '80s thrash (as well as its last reminiscence for Dave and company). In fact, the fiery redhead, despite the follies committed in the past due to drugs and alcohol abuse, had "cleaned up" and recruited two new members: Marty Friedman on guitar and Nick Menza on drums.

The right choice he made... which gave life to a perfect blend of speed, precision, melody, and rhythm. "R.I.P." was the realization of a dream: to surpass Metallica on their own turf. Because while in the past, with "Peace Sells ...But Who's Buying," he had already proven to be one of the best guitarists and composers in the Los Angeles metal scene, Mustaine achieved here an unparalleled completeness.

Moral of the story: here we are 20 years later, on the occasion of the twentieth anniversary of that masterpiece. How to celebrate the occasion if not with a tour that re-proposes the album in its entirety?? And indeed, here starts a massive world tour through the USA and Europe, where among others, David Ellefson joins the crew (or rather, re-joins), who in the past had done much for Mustaine himself (he was the author of the famous bass riff in "Peace Sells"). So, is everything great then? Well, to tell the truth, yes, so much that the four have a unique verve on stage that will lead them to perform with Metallica, Anthrax, and Slayer on the "Big Four" stage. The only downside: Dave's voice can no longer handle long live performances as it once did, and we often find ourselves under the stage simply enjoying instrumental versions of the great hits presented. 

For better or for worse, the tour is a series of sold-out events, and the Palladium show is captured on a CD-DVD and a beautiful Blu-ray. Besides the presence of the R.I.P songs, there is a section with six classics of the band, including "She Wolf," "Trust," and "Peace Sells." The tracks are all well executed, and the re-proposal of the album is successful, and though Dave's voice isn't at its best, some re-recording here and there manages to compensate... ouch!! Wrong move, also because the production makes clear the studio origin of these; a pity but perhaps it's better this way. Yet, it's the production that leaves a bit of a bitter taste: the sounds are good, but Chris's guitar is notably muted during the songs, and the double bass (and also the drums in general) is not adequately amplified. The flaws are accentuated in the DVD which nevertheless offers a COMPLETE performance to enjoy with your home theater in the living room.

Despite everything, the fact remains that R.I.P. is a masterpiece, and the pairing of the two Davids on stage has lost none of the chemistry from the '90s. Recommended for fans; for others, perhaps it's better to go with "That One Night - live in Buenos Aires".