Massive Success

Fresh out of rehabilitation and with a renewed lineup, Mustaine entered the studio in mid-1990 with fierce determination. The result would be historic. In September 1990 Megadeth released Rust in Peace, considered by many their masterpiece and one of the best thrash metal albums of all time. With the virtuoso duo Mustaine–Friedman on guitars, Ellefson's power on bass and Nick Menza's devastating technique on drums, Rust in Peace delivered complex and emblematic tracks like "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" and "Hangar 18", which showed a more precise Megadeth in a state of creative grace.

The masterpiece that defined thrash metal

Mustaine, Friedman, Ellefson and Menza - The legendary lineup

The album was critically acclaimed and certified Gold in the US, consolidating the band's "classic" lineup. In 1991 Megadeth embarked on the Clash of the Titans tour, co-headlining with Slayer, Anthrax and Testament, devastating stages across Europe and the United States and proving that thrash metal could fill arenas. They also opened shows for Judas Priest on their Painkiller tour that year, learning from the metal veterans. The years of chaos seemed to be behind them: Megadeth now functioned like a well-oiled machine, competing on equal terms with Metallica in popularity and impact.

The tour that defined thrash metal

The Big Four in the 90s

The next album took Megadeth from cult status to absolute mainstream. Countdown to Extinction (1992) debuted at #2 on the US Billboard (only behind Billy Ray Cyrus), was certified Double Platinum and received a Grammy nomination. Songs like "Symphony of Destruction", "Sweating Bullets" and "Countdown to Extinction" became metal anthems of the 90s and dramatically expanded the band's audience beyond traditional thrash. Countdown... presented a somewhat more accessible and polished sound, without sacrificing fury or critical content (the title track denounces the slaughter of animal species). The band filmed popular videos that dominated MTV and carried out a massive world tour in stadiums and festivals, playing alongside groups like Pantera and Suicidal Tendencies. By this time Megadeth had already accumulated six consecutive Gold/Platinum albums in the US, confirming that their success was sustained and not a fluke. Mustaine and his companions received media praise and even got involved in high-profile events, such as when Dave was an MTV correspondent at the 1992 Democratic Convention, showing that Megadeth had completely transcended the underground metal sphere to become cultural icons.

Cover of Countdown to Extinction

The anthem that conquered MTV

In 1994 the group continued evolving with Youthanasia, a more melodic and mid-tempo album that reflected Mustaine's compositional maturity. Released on Halloween 1994, Youthanasia (with cover showing elderly women hanging babies on a clothesline) caused visual impact and sold very well, featuring standout tracks like "Train of Consequences" and the ballad "À Tout Le Monde". Although some fans missed the speed of previous works, Megadeth showed their versatility without losing their edge. The album was certified Platinum and their world tour took them to South America for the first time in late 1994, where they played to passionate crowds who received them as true rock stars. In 1995 they released the EP Hidden Treasures, compiling songs previously scattered across soundtracks (like "Angry Again" from the film Last Action Hero and the cover "Paranoid" by Black Sabbath), demonstrating the consistent quality of their material. That same year, they headlined the prestigious Monsters of Rock in Argentina and Brazil alongside legends like Alice Cooper and Ozzy Osbourne, definitively confirming their place at the top of world metal and their ability to lead massive festivals.

Cover that caused controversy in 1994

First South American tour

By 1997, already with 14 years of career, Megadeth was an established giant of world metal. That year they released Cryptic Writings, an album that continued the more accessible path and even boldly flirted with modern hard rock. The single "Trust" became their most successful radio song, reaching #5 on the Billboard Mainstream Rock chart (their highest position on that chart to date). Cryptic Writings was quickly certified Gold, also driven by other standout tracks like "Almost Honest" and "Secret Place". The band won the 1997 Metal Edge Readers' Choice award for Best Live Band, reflecting their powerful stage performance that remained impeccable. However, beneath the surface of success there were worrying signs of internal problems: during the Cryptic Writings tour, drummer Nick Menza discovered a tumor in his knee that required immediate surgery and had to abruptly abandon the tour. Mustaine, always fearing for the group's stability after so many past changes, made the controversial decision to replace Menza permanently instead of waiting for him. In July 1998 he announced the incorporation of drummer Jimmy DeGrasso (ex Alice Cooper, Suicidal Tendencies), marking the first lineup change in the successful nineties era and anticipating a more unstable phase to come. Shortly after, Marty Friedman began to openly express his growing discontent with the more commercial musical direction the band was taking, sowing the seeds of future creative tensions.

Trust - Their biggest radio success