Rust in Peace: who are the men in suits staring at the alien?
A secret hangar, a frozen alien in a capsule, and five very serious men in suits. Leaning over them all, grinning, a skeleton with his eyes covered and a glowing green stone in his hand.
A blue hangar with a curved roof. In the middle, a long rusty capsule with a glass lid, and under the glass an alien who does not look pleased to be there. Around the table sit five men in dark suits, each with a small flag on his badge. And looming over them is Vic Rattlehead, Megadeth's skeleton mascot, his eyes hidden behind a riveted metal visor, one bony hand on the capsule and the other holding up a glowing green stone.
Hangar 18
The scene comes straight from one of the album's songs. Hangar 18 is about a secret government base where aliens are kept out of sight, and the cover lets you in on the secret. The painting is by Ed Repka, the American artist who had already painted Vic for Peace Sells... but Who's Buying? in 1986. Dave Mustaine later confirmed that the green thing in Vic's hand is meant to look like Kryptonite.
Spot the president
The men in suits are the world leaders of 1990, and fans have spent years naming them. From the right: US President George H. W. Bush, Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev, West German President Richard von Weizsäcker and Japanese Prime Minister Toshiki Kaifu. The man on the far left is the mystery. He is usually called John Major, but Margaret Thatcher was still Prime Minister when the album came out, and he does not look much like either of them. Nobody has ever settled it.
A title from a car bumper
The name came from the road. In his autobiography Mustaine says he saw a bumper sticker on a car that read, more or less, may all your nuclear weapons rust in peace. He liked it so much it became the album title, with an obvious nod to rest in peace.
Rust in Peace came out on Capitol on 24 September 1990. It was recorded at Rumbo Recorders in Canoga Park, California, and it was the first Megadeth album with guitarist Marty Friedman and drummer Nick Menza, the band's first line-up that actually stayed together for a while. It reached number 8 in the UK and was nominated for a Grammy for Best Metal Performance.
About the poster
This is the Rust in Peace sleeve printed as a 75 × 55 cm (30 × 22 in) landscape poster, from 2020. It is an original magazine insert, never hung, with no staple holes, folded three times as issued. The sheet is double-sided, with Ozzy Osbourne "Blizzard" on the back, so one sheet gives you two classic covers.
Browse all original Megadeth posters.
Quick answers
Who painted the Rust in Peace cover?
Ed Repka, the American artist who also painted the cover of Peace Sells... but Who's Buying?
Who are the people on the Rust in Peace cover?
World leaders of 1990: George H. W. Bush, Mikhail Gorbachev, Richard von Weizsäcker and Toshiki Kaifu, plus a British figure on the far left whose identity has never been settled.
Where does the title Rust in Peace come from?
Dave Mustaine saw a bumper sticker wishing that all nuclear weapons would rust in peace, and took it as the album title.
How big is the poster?
75 × 55 cm (about 30 × 22 inches), landscape. It is a separate insert, so it has no staple holes, and it is folded three times as issued.
What is on the other side?
Ozzy Osbourne "Blizzard of Ozz". The sheet is double-sided, so you choose which cover goes on the wall.