After getting the boot from Metallica, Dave Mustaine was on a warpath. The fire in him had been lit and he set out to create the ultimate thrash metal band as a counterattack.
In Mustaine’s own words, his mission was to have the “fastest, utmost heaviest, ultra furious metal band ever!”
…and their debut album shows exactly that.
Prior to its release, Kill ‘Em All was already out and Mustaine noticed his material was included on it as well. This only motivated him further to pick up the pace and respond to his former band members with his music.
Megadeth was the last of The Big 4 to make their debut, however it was arguably the heaviest of the other four. Everything was sped up a thousand beats per minute. The intensity, the energy level, no one could match the magnitude of Megadeth‘s work.
Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good captures the young, dangerous determination that fueled the band’s anger and aggression.
Beginning with Last Rites/Loved To Deth, they never lose the momentum from that first song. Other tracks such as The Skull Beneath The Skin and Rattlehead push the boundaries of thrash metal altogether.
After bands like Metallica and Anthrax laid the foundation during the mid/late 80s, Megadeth was one of the many groups in 1985 to take it to the extreme along with Possessed and Dark Angel.
Mustaine was also at the stage of his life where he practiced black magic and witchcraft. This was present in a lot of his early songwriting including songs like Looking Down The Cross.
The final track on the album, Mechanix, is yet another middle finger to Mustaine’s previous band, remaking The Four Horseman into a speed metal extravaganza.
In conclusion, Mustaine had made the greatest comeback in heavy metal. He was tossed out and left for dead only to return better than ever before. Most musicians would’ve called it quits after the devastating rejection from Metallica. Yet, Mustaine founded one of the world’s most prominent bands out of consistency and perseverance, a true American dream story.
Another superb writing.