Megadeth Announce Rust In Peace 20th Anniversary Tour

Megadeth, 2010: Dave Mustaine is the only guy left who played on Rust In Peace

Vic Rattlehead is back on the road!

Dave Mustaine and Megadeth, coming off the artistic success of last year's Endgame, have announced a month-long tour celebrating the 20th anniversary of their clsssic album Rust In Peace. The setlist at each show will include a complete performance of the 1990 thrash classic, which opens with the one-two punch of "Holy Wars/The Punishment Due" and "Hanger 18", These two songs are the best twelve minutes in the entire Megadeth catalogue. In addition to the songs on Rust In Peace the band will play a selection of old and new Megadeth tracks. Seminal thrash bands Testament and Exodus are the opening acts.

This tour was announced following the postponement of the band's planned "American Carnage" Tour with Slayer as co-headliners. "American Carnage" was postponed following the announcement that Slayer frontman Tom Araya needs critical back surgery. That tour will proceed as planned following Araya's recovery, with dates to be announces last week.

This tour is also something for Testament fans to look forward to. The band, which currently includes four of its original members, plans to use their "middle" slot to play all of their debut album The Legacy. These songs are so old that they were written when the band was called "Legacy" and were working on their first record, "Testament." The rest is metal history. Exodus do not have a complete album planned, but one hopes that they'll at least do "The Toxic Waltz."

Here's the tour dates:
3/1 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
3/2 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
3/3 - Medford, OR - Medford Armory
3/6 - Calgary, AB - Big Four (Testament with Special Guests)
3/7 - Edmonton, AB - Shaw Conference Centre (Testament with Special Guests)
3/8 - Saskatoon, SK - Prairieland Exhibition Hall
3/11 - Indianapolis, IN - Murat Theater
3/12 - Pittsburgh, PA - Palace Theater
3/13 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
3/15 - Washington, DC - 9:30 Club
3/16 - Baltimore, MD - Rams Head Live
3/18 - Scranton, PA - Scranton Cultural Center
3/19 - Norfolk, VA - The NorVa
3/21 - Atlanta, GA - Tabernacle
3/22 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
3/23 - Memphis, TN - Minglewood Hall
3/25 - Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Theater
3/26 - Austin, TX - Stubb’s Amphitheate
3/27 - Lubbock, TX - The Pavilion
3/28 - El Paso, TX - Club 101
3/30 - Tucson, AZ - Rialto Theater
3/31 - Hollywood, CA - Hollywood Palladium (Testament with Special Guests)

"The Boston gig has been cancelled. But I wouldn't worry. It's not a big college town."--Ian Faith