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

Megadeth: the name of this band arises from hatred and rivalry towards Metallica. This group was formed by the former lead guitarist of Metallica: Dave Mustaine. The year 1983 is when he was kicked out of the band, and also when Metallica's debut "Kill 'em All" was released. It's a great success for Metallica, but for Dave Mustaine... nothing; despite having composed four songs (which are excellent), he doesn't receive a single compliment for his work. Furious, he decides to form a band called Megadeth, recruiting his neighbor bassist David Ellefson, Chris Poland as the second guitarist, and Gar Samuelson on drums.

Two years after forming the band, they give birth to this little gem, "Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!". The album is a concentrate of fast thrash/speed metal, raw and angry with some NWOBHM influences.

The production of the album isn't the best because Combat Records didn't have a high budget to produce it; in fact, in some songs, the guitars are "muffled," and the bass at times makes more noise than the guitars, as can be heard in "These Boots."

The eight songs on this album are of good quality, though some are outstanding. "Last Rites/Loved to Death", "The Skull Beneath the Skin", "Rattlehead" (my favorite on the album), and "Mechanix" are the absolute best, with razor-sharp riffs and solos that are precise and technical yet fast and frantic. The other songs aren't bad but don't reach the level of the aforementioned ones because the pace drops, and they're a bit repetitive. I must admit that the cover of Nancy Sinatra wasn't interpreted terribly well, as the original version lasts about two minutes, while here it lasts almost three or four minutes. Another issue is Dave Mustaine's singing, which isn't entirely convincing, but in the subsequent albums, he will improve, reaching the pinnacle of his vocal maturity in "Rust in Peace."

In conclusion, the first work of Megadeth is more than good, although I expected worse. It deserves a listen; I recommend it to die-hard thrash metal fans.