MEGADETH - "Rust In Peace Live" DVD/CD

 By John Jeffrey

Any day Megadeth unleashes a new release upon the world is a good day!  September 7, 2010 will be one of them, as Megadeth will release "Rust In Peace Live," via Shout! Factory Records.  "Rest In Peace Live" is a multimedia release, as it is being released on three different formats - CD, DVD & Blu-ray.

After popping in the disc in and starting the main concert portion of the video (the concert is split into 2 parts, the first part being the complete "Rest In Peace" album in it's entirety, the second part is made up of "bonus" fan favorites performed from various other Megadeth releases), one thing was clear, not only is Megadeth's music timeless, but the band appears to be ageless!!
Dave Mustaine and the boys don't look like they've aged since 1990, when they first toured for the "RIP" CD.  Although two of the members of the "RIP" lineup (guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza) did not return for the CD's 20th anniversary tour (their replacements, Chris Broderick - guitar- and Shawn Drover - drums - do more than a adequate job), one member who DID return was original Megadeth bassist, Dave Ellefson.

After watching this current lineup tear through song after song from "RIP," it reminded me of how important the bass guitar is to the songs on that album, and watching "Dave Jr." playing those bass parts, reminded me of how important he is to Megadeth.  I don't feel that the songs would have had the same level of authenticity without him, which really comes through, when watching and listening to this great DVD.

Speaking of authenticity, when Megadeth set out to do this tour, the band made a conscience effort to replicate everything from the original "RIP" tour, from the stage itself, to the attire the band members performed in.  From the Vic (Megadeth's album cover mascot) backdrop, to the radiation symbols on the bass drum heads, all the way to Mega Dave's bullet belt and wristbands, everything was almost identical to it's 1990 counterpart.

In addition to the live concert footage, the DVD includes behind-the-scenes footage, showing fans line up outside the legendary Hollywood Palladium - waiting to get into the concert, the band doing a photo shoot (which wouldn't be complete without Dave doing the classic Mustaine sneer) and the band rehearsing in their dressing room as they prepared to take the stage.

After watching the DVD, one cannot come away without being impressed at how perfect this live performance is.  You might question what amount of studio trickery was done when making this DVD, or is Megadeth just that good live?  I say they're just THAT good!!
Droogies rejoice and "Rust In Peace!!!!"