One of the four bands I will be analysing and discussing is Megadeth. More specifically, 'Holy wars... The Punishment Due.' This is the startling and epic opening track to, now regarded as, one of if not the most influential metal albums of all time 1990's Rust In Peace. The album itself saw the introduction of Nick Menza (drums) and Marty Friedman (lead guitar), whose musical capabilities contributed into making the bands reputation what it is today. The album holds other timeless classics such as 'Tornado Of Souls' and 'Hangar 18.' This has been one of the most influential albums for me not only in terms of guitar work, but the way I listen to and appreciate different kinds of music.
Interestingly, the making of Megadeth originated from Dave Mustaine being kicked out of Metallica in its very early days. A lot of Metallica's 1983 'Kill Em All' solos and guitar work are said to be Mustaines parts.
Rust In Peace was recorded with Capitol Records in 1990, who had taken on other big bands of the genre: Iron Maiden, Alice In Chains, Exodus. Megadeth had a seven album run with Capitol, spanning across thirteen years.
The 'Holy Wars... The Punishment Due' music video begins with a frame of Megadeth's mascot ,Vic Rattlehead, as the band proceeds to play one of the most iconic and best guitar riffs to have ever been created. The beginning shots establishes the performative nature of the video, as we see all the band members through a series of quick cuts. Lyrically, The track’s first half, “Holy Wars,” is written about the religious conflict in Northern Ireland, which started in 1960, but has its roots as far back as the 17th century.
After a short acoustic bridge by Marty Friedman , the song changes to a different, slower and heavier section called “The Punishment Due”. The drumming slows down, and the riffs use more palm muted notes and harmonics. The section also has two guitar solo’s played by Marty Friedman “The Punishment Due” is based on the popular Marvel comic book character, the Punisher. The lyrics and outwards political comments especially towards the sectarianism witnessed by Mustaine draws back to the earlier punk style of song writing and attitude. “Taking a stand on anything of importance can be a risky card to play because you stand to lose half of your fans. But what good comes from playing safe all the time? You should question everything'' was stated by Mustaine in an interview.
In between the performance sections of the video, there are also flashes of narrative conventions as imagery of war appears more towards the second section of the song. The music video is brutal in its approach to editing. The ruthless flashes of war imagery and performing do not hold back which is in line towards the song's themes.
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