Megadeth
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?

THE REVIEW

Year of Publication: 1986

Tracklist:

1. Wake up dead 2. The Conjuring 3. Peace sells 4. Devil's island

5. Good mourning/Black Friday 6. Bad Omen 7. I ain't superstitious 8. My last words

Today I will talk about this second (and seminal) disc from Megadeth. The album holds great significance for the band as it consolidates and matures the style already initiated with the debut "Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good" both musically and thematically.
In fact, despite the whole band still being heavily under the influence of drugs, the songwriting is decidedly more solid and mature than in the debut, as well as the production (admittedly, Mustaine himself stated that half of the debut album's budget was spent on drugs) and also the performances by the band. Mustaine's voice is better and more mature (though it maintains that characteristic tone that is either loved or hated). The sound is still dirty and violent, but more precise and effective, and at the level of songwriting, we witness the development of certain insights and a style of composing that would become typical of the band. The lyrics begin to show a certain apocalyptic and paranoid taste, with a certain propensity for political themes (see the album cover, which depicts a devastated UN building, or read the lyrics of "Peace Sells"), elements already present but still very raw.

Image-wise, the band's mascot, Vic Rattlehead, appears for the first time on the cover with the look he will also have in the following years. The band's strength at this stage of their career lies in violent, direct, effective, and uncompromising tracks that nevertheless do not abandon certain subtleties and influences not typically belonging to the metal world but more akin to blues or jazz (testified by the cover of "I Ain't Superstitious" by Willie Dixon).
The album starts very well with the direct and compelling "Wake Up Dead," a powerful and energetic track with a desperate and hallucinated undertone. It then continues with "The Conjuring," a piece that starts relatively calmly, only to become an authentic punch in the teeth. It then continues with the title track, a fundamental composition and perhaps the most successful of the album: it opens with a nice bass line, continues with a simple but very effective and compelling riff while Mustaine with his peculiar voice (which is either loved or hated) ironically mimics the so-called "system" only to suddenly change halfway and become a paranoid and obsessive gallop. "Devil's Island" is the classic metal flurry that talks about the equally classic criminal sentenced to death; "Good Mourning/Black Friday" is the longest and most complex track on the album, starting with a calm arpeggiated acoustic guitar in the background with the lead guitar above, serving as an introduction to the song. After Mustaine's menacing "good morning," the track changes tone and the acoustic guitar is replaced by a martial electric guitar marking a powerful riff. The same acoustic arpeggio is then repeated with the electric. The nightmare then explodes totally in the second part of the track, "Black Friday" becoming a very aggressive and fast piece, an excellent thrash track. Mustaine's interpretation of the lyrics is exceptional, he plays the part of the insane murderer very well. The whole track is subject to sudden accelerations that increase the adrenaline in the listener.

"Bad Omen" is the worst episode of the album, quite anonymous, adding or taking nothing. The classic skip track. The cover of "I Ain't Superstitious" is very interesting, as the band manages to make the song their own and adapt it to a metal key without distorting it or making it trivial.
The closing track "My Last Words" is another excellent thrash gallop starting with a calm acoustic guitar, only to become an engaging mid-tempo before finally transforming into a wild and crazy race. Ultimately, a very important album both for Megadeth's career and for the thrash metal scene in general.

Now for a few brief curiosities...

- "Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?" is the band's second album.
- There is a video for the track "Wake Up Dead"
- The album is co-produced by Mustaine and Randy Burns, who would later become very famous in the metal field producing works of Sepultura as well.
- The complete form of the band's mascot, Vic Rattlehead, appears for the first time.
- Chris Poland and Gar Samuelson were kicked out of the band after the album tour for selling equipment to buy drugs and making erotic phone calls to Mustaine's girlfriend (!).