Megadeth - Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! review
| 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.
Rating breakdown
| Performance: | 9 |
| Songwriting: | 9 |
| Originality: | 9 |
| Production: | 8 |
Written by omne metallum | 07.04.2020
Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
Rating:
8.0
8.0
|
Rating: 8.0 |
On most debut albums the songs are all very good - it's most likely a best of from all the years the band existed before they got a record deal. But unfortunately, the band is not famous enough to get a lot of money for the production. This album is a little bit special on both points - first of all this album was released not so long after Dave Mustaine's departure from Metallica so, this is not an album with songs composed over five years or something like that. And about the production... I heard rumours that the band spent most of the money they got for the recording on sex, drugs and booze, which resulted in a sound a bit too raw for my taste. Of course, old school Bay Area Thrash should sound not like Enya, but there is a limit after which even my ears start to hurt. It's not the worst thing that was ever recorded, but it takes some points away from an album that is actually very good. Read more ›› |
Rating:
8.0
8.0
|
Rating: 8.0 |
Dave Mustaine, as all know him, was not born 48 years ago in La Mesa California. Dave Mustaine was born in 1983 when he was betrayed by his closest friends and cast from their ranks. He went and recruited warriors for his cause so that vengence could be had. Upon the release of this debut album it would seem Dave was out for blood. Indeed, killing became his business, and business was good. Read more ›› |
Comments
Comments: 2
Visited by: 39 users
| Bad English Tage Westerlund Posts: 62017  |
I like the way that I your reviev give you itch And all the reasons I give you to bitch And how I make you wanna write in this site And feel your life is just a losing game Well a bit my own Lyric. I like you go to jazz, some songs are David Ellefson can play some good bass lines, he wont die in a jazz improvisation band. Chris poland can play guitars, his solo proves he can play a bit shreed and improvisation. Only drummer is wrong for jazz it would be Nick Menza
---- I stand whit Ukraine and Israel. They have right to defend own citizens. Stormtroopers of Death - "Speak English or Die"  I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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| omne metallum Contributor Posts: 509  |
Haha, those are some good lyrics. May I recommend you try the New Yorkers? Poland and Gar's prior band to Megadeth; Gar just swings in that band (and like you said, shows Poland can shred and improvise!) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDKSZCfa3dc < live clip of the band
---- Just because I'm not listening doesn't mean I don't care
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