Holy Wars... The Punishment Due

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"Holy Wars... The Punishment Due"
Megadeth - Holy Wars.jpg
Single by Megadeth
from the album Rust in Peace
B-side "Lucretia"
ReleasedSeptember 23, 1990
Recorded1990
Genre Thrash metal [1] [2] [3]
Length6:32
Label Capitol
Songwriter Dave Mustaine
Producers
Megadeth singles chronology
"No More Mr. Nice Guy"
(1990)		"Holy Wars... The Punishment Due"
(1990)		"Hangar 18"
(1991)
Music video
"Holy Wars...The Punishment Due" on YouTube

"Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" (also known as "Holy Wars") is a song by American thrash metal band Megadeth. Released in 1990, it is the opening track off the band's fourth studio album Rust in Peace (1990).

Contents

Music and lyrics

The song has an unusual structure: it opens with a fast thrash section, shifting at 2:26 after an acoustic bridge by Marty Friedman to a different, slower and heavier section called "The Punishment Due", [4] interspersed by two guitar solos played by Friedman, before speeding up again with a third and final solo played during this segment by Dave Mustaine.

The lyrics deal with global religious conflict, particularly in Israel and Northern Ireland. Mustaine said that he was inspired to write the song after an incident at a 1988 concert in Antrim, Northern Ireland, where, he unknowingly dedicated their cover of Anarchy in the UK to "The Cause", otherwise known as the (Provisional Irish Republican Army), and caused a riot. "The Punishment Due" is based on the popular Marvel comic book character, the Punisher. [5] [6]

Legacy

"Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" is widely considered one of Megadeth's greatest songs and one of the greatest songs in metal. In 2012, Loudwire ranked the song number one on their list of the 10 greatest Megadeth songs, [7] and in 2018, Billboard ranked the song number two on their list of the 15 greatest Megadeth songs. [8] In 2021, Eli Enis of Revolver included the song in his list of the "15 Greatest Album-Opening Songs in Metal". [9] In 2023, Rolling Stone ranked the song number twenty-eight on their list of the 100 greatest heavy metal songs. [10]

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, where it appears in the story mode as part of the final boss medley alongside "This Day We Fight!" and "Sudden Death", [11] and is available as DLC for Rocksmith 2014 . The music video for "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" 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 and Mustaine engaging in a skydive.

Accolades

YearPublicationCountryAccoladeRank
2022Louder SoundUnited StatesThe Top 20 Best Megadeth Songs Ranked [12] 1
2018 Billboard United KingdomThe 15 Best Megadeth Songs: Critic’s Picks [13] 2
2023 Rolling Stone United StatesThe 100 Greatest Metal Songs [10] 28

Track listing

7-inch edition

  1. "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due"
  2. "Lucretia"

12-inch edition

  1. "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due"
  2. "Interview with Dave Mustaine"

12-inch edition

  1. "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due"
  2. "Lucretia"
  3. "Interview with Dave Mustaine" (edited)

CD edition

  1. "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due"
  2. "Lucretia"
  3. "Interview with Dave Mustaine" (edited)

Personnel

Charts

Chart (1990)Peak
position
Australia (ARIA) [14] 138
European Hot 100 Singles ( Music & Media ) [15] 61
Finland (The Official Finnish Charts) [16] 10
Ireland (IRMA) [17] 12
UK Singles (OCC) [18] 24

Certifications

RegionCertification Certified units/sales
United States (RIAA) [19] Gold500,000‡

‡ Sales+streaming figures based on certification alone.

References

  1. ↑ Lawson, Dom (January 23, 2019). "22 killer old school thrash songs that will instantly improve your day". Metal Hammer . Retrieved May 6, 2019.
  2. ↑ "Fan Poll: 5 Greatest Thrash-Metal Songs of All Time". Revolver. March 6, 2019. Retrieved June 25, 2021.
  3. ↑ "Top 10 Best Thrash Metal Songs". thetoptens.com. Retrieved February 17, 2022.
  4. ↑ "Megadeth - Holy Wars... The Punishment Due Lyrics | Lyrics.com". www.lyrics.com. Retrieved August 28, 2024.
  5. ↑ Ling, Dave (September 20, 2022). "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due by Megadeth: The story behind the song". Metal Hammer . Retrieved January 24, 2026.
  6. ↑ "MEGADETH Frontman Dave Mustaine Says Song "Holy Wars" Inspired by THE PUNISHER". February 5, 2017.
  7. ↑ Hartmann, Graham (September 13, 2012). "10 Best Megadeth Songs". Loudwire . Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  8. ↑ Titus, Christa (March 15, 2018). "The 15 Best Megadeth Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard . Retrieved March 16, 2022.
  9. ↑ Enis, Eli. "15 Greatest Album-Opening Songs in Metal". Revolver. Retrieved December 21, 2025.
  10. 1 2 "The 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of All Time". Rolling Stone. March 13, 2023. Retrieved July 6, 2023.
  11. ↑ McElroy, Griffin. "Full Guitar Hero: Warriors of Rock track list revealed".
  12. ↑ Stewart-Panko, Kevin (July 14, 2022). "The top 20 best Megadeth songs ranked". Louder Sound. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  13. ↑ Titus, Christina. "The 15 Best Megadeth Songs: Critic's Picks". Billboard. Retrieved August 29, 2022.
  14. ↑ "Bubbling Down Under 5 November 1990". www.bubblingdownunder.com. November 5, 2021. Retrieved November 5, 2021.
  15. ↑ "Eurochart Hot 100 Singles" (PDF). Music & Media . October 6, 1990. Retrieved August 14, 2018.
  16. ↑ Pennanen, Timo. Sisältää hitin: levyt ja esittäjät Suomen musiikkilistoilla vuodesta 1972 . Otava Publishing Company Ltd, 2003. ISBN   951-1-21053-X
  17. ↑ "The Irish Charts – Search Results – Megadeth". Irish Singles Chart.
  18. ↑ "Search results for "Megadeth" | Official Chart". Official Charts Company.
  19. ↑ "American single certifications – Megadeth – Holy Wars... The Punishment Due". Recording Industry Association of America . Retrieved August 24, 2022.
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