Thrash metal legends Megadeth and Slayer have announced that they will each play their respective classic albums Rust In Peace and Seasons In The Abyss in their entireties, as the bands co-headline the rescheduled American Carnage tour. Both albums being released in 1990, this year marks the twentieth anniversary of the release of both albums. The tour also heralds the twentieth anniversary of the original Clash of the Titans tour, which saw Megadeth and Slayer share the stage with fellow thrashers Testament in Europe. The American Carnage tour will be the first time since 1990 that all three bands have shared the stage, and the first time that that lineup will play North America. No word yet on whether Testament will follow suit and play one of their full albums, but we can only hope.

Rust In Peace and Seasons In The Abyss solidified Megadeth and Slayer's positions among the heavy metal pantheon. Rust showcased the technical proficiency of Megadeth, with guitarists Dave Mustaine and Marty Friedman trading solos like bullets, while Slayer's Seasons merged the hellish fury of 1986's Reign In Blood with the songwriting sensibilities of 1998's South of Heaven.

Rust and Seasons contributed songs that became live staples and legendary entries into heavy metal canon; Megadeth's Rust In Peace gave us the epic "Holy Wars…The Punishment Due" and the guitar-fest of "Hangar 18"; on Seasons In The Aybss, Slayer unleashed the unstoppable "War Ensemble" and the diabolic "Seasons In The Abyss". These songs (as well as others off Rust and Seasons) became part of every live show, every compilation album and every cover band's repertoire, even finding their way to the Guitar Hero and Rock Band video game franchises.

Playing Seasons In The Abyss might well be an overture (and maybe even an apology) from Slayer, who had to pull out of the original American Carnage schedule due to vocalist/bassist Tom Araya's emergency back surgery. It resulted in the whole Carnage tour being postponed, which gave time for Megadeth, Testament and Exodus to embark on the "Rust In Peace 20th Anniversary Tour" (where Megadeth played all of Rust In Peace, and Testament played their 1987 debut album The Legacy in full).

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