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, shifting at 2:26 after an acoustic bridge by Marty Friedman to a different, slower and heavier section called "The Punishment Due", before speeding up again. The entire song is commonly referred to as "Holy Wars".

The lyrics deal with the Northern Ireland conflict. In an interview with the UK magazine Guitarist, Mustaine says 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 fund raising activities for "The Cause" (i.e. the Provisional Irish Republican Army).^[1] "The Punishment Due" is based on the popular Marvel comic book character, the Punisher.^[2]

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,^[3] and is available as DLC for Rocksmith 2014. The "Holy Wars…The Punishment Due" video 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.

Personnel

CD single track listing

7" edition

Holy Wars…The Punishment Due
Lucretia

12" edition

Holy Wars…The Punishment Due
Interview with Dave Mustaine

12" edition

Holy Wars…The Punishment Due
Lucretia
Interview with Dave Mustaine (Edited)

CD edition

Holy Wars…The Punishment Due
Lucretia
Interview with Dave Mustaine (Edited)

Capitol Records DPRO-79462

Charts

Chart (1990)	Peak position
Finland (The Official Finnish Charts)^[4]	10
Ireland (IRMA)^[5]	12
UK Singles (Official Charts Company)^[6]	24

Notes

↑ The Realms of Deth - Megadeth Interviews - Dave the Human, Mustaine the Artist
↑ The Realms of Deth - Megadeth Lyrics - Rust in Peace
↑ McElroy, Griffin. "Full Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock track list revealed".
↑ Pennanen, Timo. Sisältää hitin: levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972. Otava Publishing Company Ltd, 2003. ISBN 951-1-21053-X
↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Megadeth". Irish Singles Chart.
↑ "Megadeth: Artist Chart History" Official Charts Company.

External links

Lyrics of this song at MetroLyrics

Megadeth

Dave Mustaine David Ellefson Kiko Loureiro Dirk Verbeuren Greg Handevidt Mike Albert Chris Poland Gar Samuelson Jeff Young Chuck Behler Nick Menza Marty Friedman Jimmy DeGrasso Al Pitrelli James MacDonough Glen Drover James LoMenzo Shawn Drover Chris Broderick Chris Adler

Studio albums	Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? So Far, So Good... So What! Rust in Peace Countdown to Extinction Youthanasia Cryptic Writings Risk The World Needs a Hero The System Has Failed United Abominations Endgame Thirteen Super Collider Dystopia

Live albums	Rude Awakening That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires Rust in Peace Live The Big Four: Live from Sofia, Bulgaria Countdown to Extinction: Live

Compilation albums	Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years Greatest Hits: Back to the Start Warchest Anthology: Set the World Afire Icon

Extended plays	Live at the Cow Palace Hidden Treasures Cryptic Sounds: No Voices In Your Head Live Trax and Live Trax II

Songs	"Peace Sells" "The Conjuring" "Anarchy in the U.K." "Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" "Hangar 18" "Symphony of Destruction" "Angry Again" "A Tout le Monde" "Trust" "Crush 'Em" "Dialectic Chaos/This Day We Fight" "Head Crusher" "The Right to Go Insane" "Sudden Death" "Public Enemy No. 1 "

Video albums	Rude Awakening Arsenal of Megadeth That One Night: Live in Buenos Aires Rust in Peace Live The Big Four: Live from Sofia, Bulgaria Countdown to Extinction: Live

Tours	Clash of the Titans Gigantour American Carnage Tour European Carnage Tour

Related articles	Discography Members Awards Vic Rattlehead Metallica MD.45 F5 EMP Label Group

Book Category

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