Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! is the debut studio album by the American thrash/heavy metal band, Megadeth. The album was recorded on a mere budget of $8,000 and lasts a duration of 31:10. It was released on June 12, 1985 under producer Karat Faye and the record label known as Combat Records.
Lineup:
Dave Mustaine: Lead Vocals, Rhythm and Lead Guitar, Piano
Chris Poland: Lead Guitar
David Ellefson: Bass Guitar, Backing Vocals
Gar Samuelson: Drums
Dave Mustaine was the original lead guitarist of the band Metallica. Despite the fact that Mustaine was a terrific guitarist with Metallica, he was kicked out of the band for his excessive drinking and violent tendencies, thus removing his participation from their debut album.
Once he was removed from Metallica, Dave became very angry and wanted to get back at the band in some way. He decided to create his own band and his main goal was to play faster, heavier, and angrier music than Metallica. So, Dave Mustaine did exactly that with this release.
The original mix of this album has really poor production value that can be mostly attributed to the fact that the band was only given $8,000 to produce the album. Instead of using all of the money on production, Megadeth used half on drugs, alcohol, and food.
Because of this they could not afford to pay the producer, so Mustaine and the boys produced it themselves. The end result is not very good. The remastered version is way better and is the version that you will find on Spotify, Youtube, and iTunes.
The album did not enter the Billboard 200. Despite this, the album received very positive reviews upon its release. Over 254,000 copies have been sold in the United States since its release. Here are my thoughts on each track:
1. "Last Rites/Loved to Deth" 4:38 (7/10)
"Last Rites/Loved to Deth" is perfectly placed as the opener of the album. The opening piano section to the song is a nice start to get the listener's attention. Then, the riff fest begins. The guitar riffs are really unique and fast.
Gar's drumming is awesome. The one thing I noticed when I first heard this album is how angry Dave must have been. His vocals were definitely really raw during the track. The guitar solo is fast and pretty memorable. "Last Rites/Loved to Deth" is a solid way to start the album.
2. "Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!" 3:05 (6.5/10)
The title track continues the trend of angry thrash. The guitar riffs are really fast during this song. It's honestly ridiculous how much Dave Mustaine is clearly trying to be faster and angrier than Metallica. Lyrically the song is simply talking about a hitman. The guitar solo is unique and pretty wild as well.
3. "The Skull Beneath the Skin" 3:46 (7/10)
"The Skull Beneath the Skin" has an eerie opening guitar riff that is as unorthodox as the rest of the song. I love how there are random guitar licks and solos throughout this entire track. The main riff to the song is really catchy and speedy. Dave's voice is pretty poor for the most part on the album, but his vocals are decent for the most part on this track. Ellefson's bass sounds great as well.
4. "These Boots" (cover) 3:44 (2/10)
"These Boots" is one of those covers that I really do not enjoy. It has corny lyrics that Dave slightly changed. This got the band in a lawsuit and as a result, every change he made is covered up by annoying bleeps. The original version without the bleeps is also really poor as well. It just does not fit in well on this record at all. I am not a fan at all.
5. "Rattlehead" 3:42 (7.5/10)
"Rattlehead" begins with an opening riff that is extremely fast. Then the random guitar soloing begins again. As I listened to the record I realized Megadeth completely threw song structure out the window. The chorus of the song is awesome and is probably my favorite from the album. The guitar solos are all extremely fast and ridiculous. The drumming in the song is so impressive as well. "Rattlehead" is one of my favorite songs from the entire album.
6. "Chosen Ones" 2:54 (5.5/10)
"Chosen Ones" begins with another really cool guitar riff. Ellefson's bass is really audible and sounds great. The guitar solo is really good and definitely another impressive one from the album. The drumming stands out again. "Chosen Ones" is another solid thrashy tune from the album.
7. "Looking Down the Cross" 5:01 (8/10)
"Looking Down the Cross" begins with another eerie guitar riff that is soon met with random guitar soloing to begin the song. The song is fittingly creepy to begin, but soon becomes another thrash tune. I think the riffs are so catchy during the track and the guitar solos sound fantastic.
The bass is very audible and the drumming is perfect. Mustaine's vocals actually work really well on the track. "Looking Down the Cross" is my favorite song from the album and demonstrates song writing that is superior and more mature in comparison to others on the album.
8. "Mechanix" 4:20 (7.5/10)
"Mechanix" is fast and hard hitting. It is literally Metallica's track "The Four Horseman," but with different lyrics and sped up. Keep in mind Mustaine has writing credits on "The Four Horseman." This song is the perfect example of Mustaine doing what Metallica does, but in a faster and heavier manner. The guitar riffs in the song are ridiculously fast and catchy. The drumming is really impressive as well. The guitar solo is a perfect ending to the album.
My Verdict:
Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! is often considered to be one of the classic thrash metal albums that defined the genre. This is definitely true because this album was the fastest and heaviest album at the time of its release.
The album's strengths are its speed, aggression, and musical skill it took to simply play these fast guitar riffs and keep pace on the drums. The weaknesses are definitely the immature song writing, the vocals, and the poor production. The album definitely has a charming rawness to it that is unique though. Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! is a solid debut, but Megadeth would make much better material after this record.
