Megadeth — Killing Is My Business… (And Business Is Good) [reissue]

If Dave Mustaine’s claim that most of his early material ended up on Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All and Ride The Lightning LP’s is true then it’s super obvious that Hetfield and Co. took the good stuff! This reissue of Megadeth’s debut, in retrospect, showcases weak songwriting and Mustaine’s vocal stylings are damn near thin enough to give you a paper cut. Songs like "Last Rites/Loved To Death" and "The Skull Beneath The Skin" feature enough neo-classical widdly-widdly guitar geek noodling from Mustaine and original Megadeth guitarist Chris Poland to send you hunting for a pointy guitar and a powdered wig so you don’t feel left out. Killing Is My Business... also contains "Mechanix," a song that is literally a carbon copy of Metallica’s "Four Horsemen," but only with different lyrics. The band’s version of Nancy Sinatra’s "These Boots Are Made For Walkin’’" comes complete with censored beeps during Mustaine’s offensive reworking of the lyrics because the song’s original writer made them do it. The record also comes with demo versions of "Last Rites," "Mechanix" and "The Skull Beneath The Skin," all of which sound like they were recorded on a walkman through a toilet paper tube in a hockey arena bathroom. Strictly for the hardcores.