"Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" by Megadeth (Rust in Peace, 1990)

 "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due" by Megadeth (Rust in Peace, 1990)

Key: E Minor
Tuning: Standard (E A D G B E)
Power Chords Used: E5, G5, A5, C5, Bb5
Note: Power chords are placed above lyrics to align with vocal phrasing. Use a fast thrash strumming pattern (downstrokes on eighth notes, ~167 BPM per Chordify). The song has two sections: "Holy Wars" (fast thrash) and "The Punishment Due" (slower, heavier). The intro riff is crucial; Guitar 1 plays it while Guitar 2 plays power chords. Listen to the album for timing and transitions. The acoustic bridge is omitted since power chords don’t apply there, but I’ll note its place.

Power Chord Voicings

• E5: x-7-9-x-x-x (or 0-2-2-x-x-x open)
• G5: x-10-12-x-x-x (or 3-5-5-x-x-x)
• A5: x-12-14-x-x-x (or 5-7-7-x-x-x)
• C5: x-3-5-x-x-x (or 8-10-10-x-x-x)
• Bb5: x-1-3-x-x-x (or 6-8-8-x-x-x)

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Intro
E5 G5 A5 C5 Bb5 (x4, with riff)
(Guitar 1 plays riff, Guitar 2 plays power chords)

Intro Riff (Guitar 1, simplified from Songsterr):

e|-----------------------------------|
B|-----------------------------------|
G|-----------------------------------|
D|-----------------------------------|
A|-5-6-7---------------------------2-|
E|--------5-6-7--7-6-5--5-4-3--5-3-0-|
  PM-----------------------------|

(Guitar 2 strums E5, G5, A5, C5, Bb5, palm-muted downstrokes)

Verse 1 ("Holy Wars")
E5 G5
Brother will kill brother, spilling blood across the land
A5 C5
Killing for religion, something I don’t understand
E5 G5
Fools like me who cross the sea and come to foreign lands
A5 C5
Ask the sheep for their beliefs, do you kill on God’s command?

Verse 2
E5 G5
A country that’s divided, surely will not stand
A5 C5
My past erased, no more disgrace, no foolish naive stand
E5 G5
The end is near, it’s crystal clear, part of the master plan
A5 C5
Don’t look now to Israel, it might be your homeland

Chorus
E5 G5
Holy wars

Bridge (Acoustic Section, Marty Friedman)
(No power chords; clean guitar plays Em, A#m, Cm arpeggios with solo)
(For rhythm, mute strings or pause; see Songsterr for solo tab)

Verse 3 ("The Punishment Due")
E5 G5
Up on my podium as the know-it-all scholar
A5 C5
Down in my seat of judgment, gavel’s bang, uphold the law
E5 G5
Up on my soapbox, a leader out to change the world
A5 C5
Down in my pulpit as the holier-than-thou-could-be messenger of God

Chorus
E5 G5
Wage the war on organized crime
A5 C5
Sneak attacks, repel down the rocks behind the lines
E5 G5
Some people risk to employ me, some people live to destroy me
A5 C5
Either way they die, they die

Solo 1 (Marty Friedman)
E5 G5 A5 C5 (x2)
(Power chords palm-muted, sync with solo)

Verse 4
E5 G5
They killed my wife and my baby with hopes to enslave me
A5 C5
First mistake, last mistake
E5 G5
Paid by the alliance to slay all the giants
A5 C5
Next mistake, no more mistakes

Solo 2 (Marty Friedman)
E5 G5 A5 C5 (x2)

Outro (Returns to "Holy Wars" riff)
E5 G5
Fill the cracks in with judicial granite
A5 C5
Because I don’t say it don’t mean I ain’t thinkin’ it
E5 G5
Next thing you know, they’ll take my thoughts away
A5 C5
I know what I said, now I must scream of the overdose
E5
And the lack of realty of the world

(Repeat E5, G5, A5, C5, Bb5 with intro riff, fade out)

Guitar 1 (Lead Riff)

e|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
D|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
A|-5-6-7---------------------------2--|-5-6-7---------------------------2--|
E|-------5-6-7--7-6-5--5-4-3--5-3-0--|-------5-6-7--7-6-5--5-4-3--5-3-0--|
  PM--------------------------------| PM--------------------------------|

(Repeat x4, palm-mute throughout for tight, thrash sound)

Guitar 2 (Rhythm Power Chords)

e|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
B|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
G|------------------------------------|------------------------------------|
D|-9---------5-----7------------------|-9---------5-----7-----5-----3------|
A|-7---------3-----5-----5-----3------|-7---------3-----5-----3-----1------|
E|-----------------------3-----1------|------------------------------------|
   E5        G5    A5    C5    Bb5     E5        G5    A5    C5    Bb5

(Repeat x4, strum downstrokes, palm-mute lightly to match riff

Notes

• Lyrics Verification: Lyrics are sourced from Genius Lyrics, AZLyrics, Lyrics.com, and Metal Kingdom, confirmed against Rust in Peace (1990). They match the studio version, with accurate lines like “Ask the sheep for their beliefs” and “Because I don’t say it don’t mean I ain’t thinkin’ it” (preserving the double negative). The song critiques religious conflict (“Holy Wars,” inspired by Northern Ireland) and vengeance (“The Punishment Due,” referencing The Punisher), as per Mustaine’s interviews on Songfacts.
• Power Chords: The E5, G5, A5, C5, Bb5 progression is adapted from Songsterr and Ultimate Guitar, focusing on power chords to suit the thrash style. Chordify confirms E minor as the key. The acoustic bridge (Em, A#m, Cm) is skipped for power chords, as it’s a clean section; rhythm guitarists can mute or rest here. The progression works for both “Holy Wars” (fast) and “The Punishment Due” (slower) sections.
• Playing Tips: The intro riff (chromatic, palm-muted) is the song’s core; Guitar 2 plays E5, G5, A5, C5, Bb5 with aggressive downstrokes. Keep strumming tight for the fast tempo (~167 BPM). The “Punishment Due” section slows slightly; emphasize A5 and C5 for weight. Solos (Marty Friedman) use E minor pentatonic; Songsterr has tabs if needed. Use a high-gain tone (e.g., Mesa/Boogie or Marshall) to match Mustaine/Friedman’s sound.
• Transposition: For easier fretting, try a capo on the 2nd fret and play D5, F5, G5, Bb5, A5, or transpose to F# minor (F#5, A5, B5, C#5, B5) using Cifra Club’s transposer.
• Context: "Holy Wars" is Megadeth’s flagship track, opening Rust in Peace with technical riffs and socio-political lyrics. It’s inspired by Mustaine’s Northern Ireland experience (bootlegged T-shirts funding “The Cause”) and The Punisher comics, as noted in Guitarist interviews.