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Megadeth
About Holy Wars... The Punishment Due
"Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" is the opening track of thrash metal band Megadeth's 1990 album Rust in Peace. The song has an unusual structure: it opens with a fast thrash section, shifting at 2:26 after an acoustic bridge by Marty Friedman to a different, slower and heavier section called "The Punishment Due", interspersed by two guitar solos played by Friedman, before speeding up again with a third and final solo played during this segment by Dave Mustaine. The entire song is commonly referred to as "Holy Wars", with "The Punishment Due" referring to the heavier slower section. The lyrics deal with global religious conflict, particularly in Israel and Northern Ireland. In an interview with the UK magazine Guitarist, Dave Mustaine said that he was inspired to write the song in Northern Ireland, when he discovered bootlegged Megadeth T-shirts were on sale and was dissuaded from taking action to have them removed on the basis that they were part of fundraising activities for "The Cause" (i.e. the Provisional Irish Republican Army). "The Punishment Due" is based on the popular Marvel comic book character, the Punisher. A cover version of the song is playable in the band simulation game Rock Revolution. The master recording is purchasable as part of the Rust in Peace album pack on the Rock Band band simulation platform, is playable in the Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock game, and is available as DLC for Rocksmith 2014. The music video for "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" was filmed in August 1990 (around the time of the Gulf War in 1990). It depicts news footage of various armed conflicts, mainly from the Middle East interspliced with footage of the band playing.more »
- Year:
- 2014
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- 144Views
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- #2
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Become A Better Singer In Only 30 Days, With Easy Video Lessons!
Brother will kill brotherSpilling blood across the landKilling for religionSomething I don't understandFools like me, who cross the seaAnd come to foreign landsAsk the sheep, for their beliefsDo you kill on God's command?A country that's dividedSurely will not standMy past erased, no more disgraceNo foolish naive standThe end is near, it's crystal clearPart of the master planDon't look now to IsraelIt might be your homelandsHoly warsUpon my podium, as theKnow it all scholarDown in my seat of judgementGavel's bang, uphold the lawUp on my soapbox, a leaderOut to change the worldDown in my pulpit as the holierThan-thou-could-be-messenger of GodWage the war on organized crimeSneak attacks, repel down the rocksBehind the linesSome people risk to employ meSome people live to destroy meEither way they die, they dieThey killed my wife, and my babyWith hopes to enslave meFirst mistake, last mistake!Paid by the alliance, to slay all the giantsNext mistake, no more mistakesFill the cracks in, with judicial graniteBecause I don't say it,Don't mean I ain't thinkin' itNext thing you know, they'll take my thoughts awayI know what I said, now I must scream of the overdoseAnd the lack of mercy killingsMercy killingsMercy killingsKillings, killings, killings, killingsMercy you know, they'll take my thoughts away
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Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by Dave Mustaine and David Ellefson, after Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums. A pioneer of the American thrash metal movement, Megadeth rose to international fame in the 1980s and was ranked as one of the "Big Four of Thrash" along with Metallica, Slayer and Anthrax, who were responsible for creating, developing and popularizing the thrash metal sub-genre. more »
8 fans
Genre »
Non-Music, Rock
Style »
Interview, Thrash
Sheet Music PDF Playlist
Written by: Dave Mustaine
Lyrics © Warner Chappell Music, Inc.
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
12 facts about this song
Song Creation"Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" is the opening track of the fourth studio album, "Rust In Peace" by the American heavy metal band Megadeth. |
Conceptual InspirationThe song's lyrics were written by the lead vocalist and guitarist Dave Mustaine. The inspiration behind the song stemmed from the conflict in Northern Ireland, which he mistook for a form of holy war in his youth. |
Retrospective RealisationMustaine later confessed his ignorance and admitted his mistake about religious wars when he wrote this song, after being confronted by fans. |
Album Release"Rust In Peace" was released on September 24, 1990, and "Holy Wars...the Punishment Due" was the first single off of the album. |
Song StructureThis song is known for its intricate musical structure, with shifting time signatures and tempo changes, showcasing the band's technical prowess. |
Commercial SuccessUpon release, the album peaked at number 23 on the US Billboard 200 chart and was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). |
Heralded SoloMarty Friedman's guitar solo in the song is highly acclaimed and is universally recognized as one of the greatest in heavy metal history. |
Live Performance IncidentDuring a live performance of the song in Northern Ireland, Megadeth faced a riot after Mustaine dedicated the song to "The Cause" - A term often used to refer to the Irish republican cause. |
Sensitivities AcknowledgedFollowing the Northern Ireland gig incident, Megadeth temporarily removed the song from their setlist during the rest of the European tour. |
Video Game Appearance"Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" has featured in several video games, including "Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock” and “Rock Band 4.” It was also featured in the 2009 film, “Jennifer's Body”. |
Award NominationMegadeth received a Grammy nomination for Best Metal Performance for "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" in 1991, but they did not win. They would later win their first Grammy in 2017 for the song "Dystopia." |
LegacyDespite the controversies, "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" remains a fan favorite and is regularly performed by Megadeth. It continues to be ranked among the greatest heavy metal songs of all time. |
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