Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! - Megadeth

This is the 1985 Combat Records debut album by thrasholes Megadeth. FYI that was a compliment, if I said douchestep or something else non-Metal it's be an insult. I've previously reviewed Super Collider and So Far, So Good... So What! on this blog, and I figured why not get this one over with because it was fairly simple. This album features Chris Poland, Dave Ellefson and Gar Samuelson and was self produced by Dave. This is actually the last of the big four's debut albums to be released, Fistful of Metal was released in January 1984 this was released in June of 85. Just a fun fact.

1. Last Rites/Loved to Deth: Opening with a quote from a classical piece, that for whatever reason I'm to stupid to recall. When I look it up, I discover it's Bach's Tocatta and Fugue in D Minor. I think it's a nice intro, and once it ends and the song starts it has a nice punch. Now the "verses" kind of sound like a mess, like they don't really sound like they lined up correctly. As it progresses it sounds like it comes together better, and David Ellefson's poppy bass sounds like it fits better. A decent song, but the solo isn't really there.
2. Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!: This opens rather promising, and the vocals sound very demonic with the shrieks. The plays a riff, that almost sounds like a chase, and I love the bass and drums accompanying it... tasty. Nice and angry too.
3. The Skull Beneath The Skin: The way this opens I was expecting it to maybe be fast but this isn't as fast as some the others this far. This is fast but parts are slower when its just drums and the bass. This is a nice speed metal tune though, and tells the tale of how Vic became Vic. If your interested I'd definitely look up the lyrics. It's kinda neat, but then again Black Magic and Occult interests me. Not like I'd practice or believe it, but in the same way Ancient Egyptian mythology interests me.  
4. Boots: The infamous cover of the Nancy Sinatra classic. This is basically a thrash/speed metal cover of the tune. I mean is there really much more to it than that. I mean the stupid fucking beeps on the reissue sound terrible, laughably terrible. But this is an angry song and I like it.
5. Rattlehead: Ah the track named after Vic, one of the many metal mascots to grace album cover with the likes of Eddie the Head or Snaggletooth or even more recently the Deathbat. Even though it's named after him, its about head banging. I like the tune and solo, but yeah.... I mean it's not really mind blowing. 
6. Chosen Ones: This almost sound like it could pass as a Priest song. Really, I'm serious. It's actually a bit refreshing after 5 tracks of essentially the same thing. Yeah this isn't really THAT different, but it feels different enough I guess to where I like it. Plus tasty solo, and great bass fill. Plus the song is about Monty Python. 
7. Looking Down The Cross: A very beefy song topic, about the "real" last thoughts of Jesus. The song in its own is interesting and has a nice build into the song, which appears to fade in. I really like that solo and I feel like this song is being given room to breathe. This sounds like a Megadeth song by the way, and has that sinister feeling that they are great at. Also this is possibly the best song on the album, like really. It's the most unique, sonically different, and kinda has this sort of Iron Maiden bass gallop. This could pass as a Maiden song, but that's not necessarily bad. I kinda think this is one of the songs that I'll revisit, and while it may not have the punch I want it to have, looking back like none of these songs do. This really sounds like classic Megadeth, and I feel like if he revisited this song it'd be phenomenal on the level of other songs like Peace Sells or Tornado of Soul.
8. Mechanix: This is the original version of the Metallica classic known as The Four Horsemen. While the affirms rioted track is better crafted, this track is very fast and about sex using a car as a euphemism. This could basically be looked at as if you sped up the track and took out the nuances and structures and made it much more straightforward. I still enjoy this, thought you can't top the others

Overall I have to give this album a 6/10. This sounds very loose, and I like that. At the same time, its very one note. Like I feel like these songs were recorded live all in one take and the album was cut on track after another. I mean the songs fit together well, but like..... It's very self produced sounding.... Which it is. I also feel like there is a sort of demo feeling to the album, which isn't a bad thing, but it doesn't sounds as focused. Like all the songs are of the same mind set sort of. If you weren't paying attention it'd be easy to mix one into the other. At least their next album would feature a more cleaned up sound and more focused. Just check it [this one] out, its worth a listen or two.