The concept is Polaris was one of the most powerful nuclear weapons ever developed. This didnt just kill a city, it was designed to kill civilization. One of the last Cold War era metal songs written, the lyrics are pov from the weapon itself. Hence all the warheads will rust in peace. It's essentially the title track. Scary times back then, and coming back around
For me it's always been the perfect song to end this record, I really love it. The song is about nuclear holocaust, Polaris was a nuclear ballistic missile launched from submarines. "The warheads will all rust in peace" refers to the abundant nuclear warheads that remain after the earth is destroyed by only a few of them. It's a great illustration of the insanity that there were enough nuclear weapons on earth to destroy it I don't know how many times. You can certainly leave that to Dave.
I would add Black Sabbath by Black Sabbath, Moving Pictures by Rush, Aqualung by Jethro Tull, and Dirt by Alice in Chains to that seminal list of alvums. Everyone a pinnacle of that genre. Disclaimer: Jethro Tull is a genre unto themselves 😉
