Hear Megadeth’s “Rust in Peace” Like Never Before with Isolated Bass and Drums
Hearing isolated bass tracks is always an eye-opening experience, but it’s even better when the bassist chimes in to add more detail.
David Ellefson shared the isolated bass and drums for the entirety of Megadeth’s Rust in Peace album, as posted to YouTube by SamPlaysBass. Released in 1990, it features the metal bass master locking in with the late Nick Menza. Hearing their airtight groove is exciting for fans and for Ellefson himself.
“This one really took me back because hearing these isolated bass and drum tracks from the Rust In Peace era is literally like sitting back in the control room at Rumbo Recorders with Mike Clink and Nick Menza reviewing takes together,” he shared on Facebook.
He also shared some details for his “fellow gear heads.” He tracked the album with two Jackson basses: an original Grover Jackson 1986 Quicksilver four-string, and a 1988 red four-string with an ebony fingerboard that was later painted black for the “Rust in Peace” tour. Each was fitted with Rotosound Swing Bass strings with .45, .65, .80, and .105 gauges. Ellefson ran those through a GK 800RB head and two Hartke 4×10 cabinets with aluminum speakers.
Aside from the gear, Ellefson shared a bit of studio magic that made one track work.
“On ‘Hangar 18,’ the first half of the song had the E string tuned down to D. For the second half, we punched back in and tuned it up to E — which eventually led to creating the original 5-string bass later that year for touring in 1990,” he explained.
Rust in Peace featured killer bass work on songs that would become classics, including “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due,” “Tornado of Souls,” “Dawn Patrol,” and more.
“Love hearing this stuff stripped down to the raw tracks,” Ellefson concludes. “Really brings back some great memories.”
Same here, Dave.
Listen in to relive the thrash masterpiece with a new perspective.
Song Time Stamps:
00:00 – Holy Wars The Punishment Due
06:25 – Hangar 18
11:35 – Take No Prisoners
14:56 – Five Magics
20:35 – Poison Was The Cure
23:32 – Lucretia
27:26 – Tornado Of Souls
32:45 – Dawn Patrol
34:35 – Rust In Peace Polaris
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
