Band:	Megadeth
Album:	Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!
Style:	Thrash metal
Release date:	June 12, 1985
Guest review by:	omne metallum

01. Last Rites / Loved To Death
02. Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good
03. Skull Beneath The Skin
04. These Boots [Nancy Sinatra cover]
05. Rattlehead
06. Chosen Ones
07. Looking Down The Cross
08. Mechanix
09. Last Rites/Loved To Deth [demo] [2002 re-release bonus]
10. Mechanix [demo] [2002 re-release bonus]
11. The Skull Beneath The Skin [demo] [2002 re-release bonus]

Finally, with the "Final Kill" version of Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!, we get some mixes that allow the music to shine through. This album has such complexities that previous mixes never managed to do justice. Killing Is My Business... blends technicality, heaviness and a jazzy approach to produce a near concise classic. The songs are strong, and sadly overlooked when it comes to 'Deth's back catalog.

The new mixes allow the album to become a regular listen compared to the occasional visits that I previously gave it. Everything is separated, with none of the blur of noise that previous versions featured. This does come with a pay-off though with the drums; while you can clearly hear what Gar is playing, they sound sterile and almost hollow.

The musicianship is top-notch on here; with this mix, the minutiae are audible rather than being lost in the fog like on previous versions. This proves to be one of the highlights of this album; the band are damn talented, and merge technical riffing while not sacrificing heaviness. If it wasn't for Mustaine's signature vocals, this could pass for a Dark Angel record.

The title track is a song that's sadly not appreciated as much as it should be; the jazzy thrash of it is a breath of fresh air. "Rattlehead" is an out-and-out classic, heavy and fast, yet with a breakdown that shows the quality of musicians on the album without seeming out of place.

Speaking of the vocals, yeah, they've never been a strong suit for the band, and that is also the case here. Mustaine wails away, with much of what he is saying buried underneath a blur of drinks and drugs. On this album, however, it adds to its charm, in the same vein as Bonded By Blood by Exodus.

There are a few things that do hinder this album and hold it back though; while the riffs are strong, the song crafting is not quite there yet. For example, the intro to "Looking Down The Cross" coming off as cheesy rather than atmospheric. The cover of "These Boots" feels like a bonus track rather than something that adds to the album; it's not bad, but it doesn't feel like a natural fit.

If you were ever put off this album due to audio issues, then you owe it to yourself to give the new version a go; from an album that only had cursory listens, it is now on regular repeat for me.