Holy Wars ... The Punishment Due / Lucretia

Opening their landmark album 'Rust in Peace', this six-and-a-half-minute epic is a masterclass in technical thrash metal precision and structural complexity. Dave Mustaine splits the composition into two distinct halves: the first tackling the religious conflicts in Northern Ireland, while the heavier, slower second half is inspired by the Marvel comic character The Punisher. The track's furiously complex riffing and Marty Friedman's exotic acoustic interludes redefined the technical limits of the genre.