ARTIST: Megadeth
TITLE: Killing Is My Business…and Business Is Good!
YEAR RELEASED: 1985
CHART ACTION: None
SINGLES: None
OTHER SONGS YOU MAY KNOW: Killing Is My Business
LINEUP: Dave Mustaine, Chris Poland, David Ellefson, Gar Samuelson.
WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT: Debut album from the band Dave Mustaine formed after being booted from Metallica. It displays chops, and is tightly wound.
SOME WORDS, PHRASES AND CLAUSES ABOUT THIS RECORD: Dave Mustaine took his anger and disappointment about being thrown out of Metallica into his new band, where he’s definitely the one in charge.
The tight riffing, the speed drumming, and the yelped, growled vocals by Mustaine set a signature sound for the band, and through the entire record they revel in it. There’s some decent riffage and solo work. Also, “Mechanix” is very similar to “Four Horsemen” by Metallica, as Mustaine wrote the main part of that song for his former band.
What doesn’t work is the cover of “These Boots Were Made for Walking”, especially on the re-issue, where they beeped out all of the changed lyrics.
NOTES & MINUTIAE: Mustaine sketched out a cover, and gave it to the record company. They lost it, and tried to ‘fake’ it.
IS THERE A DELUXE VERSION: Demos, etc.
GRADE: B: I’ve never been a real of fan of Megadeth but this has some good riffs and definite headbanging. Mustaine just rubs me the wrong way vocally at times and they really should have left off the cover.