Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good
Megadeth raw. Those two words accurately describe the experience of "Killing is my Business … and Business is Good!" (which started an annoying trend of long Megadeth album titles with ellipses, question marks and/or exclamation points, which was resumed on the pointless "Still Alive … and Well?" in 2002).
Often overlooked and underappreciated, "KIMB" is the start of Megadeth's rise to thrash greatness. The production, because of extensive drug use and a limited budget, is shoddy, resulting in a difficult listen. But if one can get past poor production, some buried classics can be found here. Unfortunately, "KIMB" suffers from some uneven songwriting, which divides the album into serious thrashers ("Looking Down the Cross", "Loved to Deth", "The Skull Beneath the Skin") and goofy ranting thrashers (the title track, "Mechanix", "These Boots").
Still, all the music shreds, as Mustaine unleashes is frustrations of his then-recent exit from Metallica. A cover of Nancy Sinatra's "These Boots" falls under the goofy category of songwriting, and starts yet another annoying early Megadeth trend – totally out of place covers of songs by almost totally non-related artists. (This song, because of legal reasons, was left off a later reissue of KIMB but was edited in horrible fashion and restored to a 2002 sorely needed remix of the album). And yes, everyone knows "Mechanix" is Dave's version of "The Four Horsemen" by Metallica. This version is far less introspective and much faster, showcasing Mustaine's superior ability to that of his former comrades.
"KIMB" gives an insight into the origins of Megadeth, and contains some great tracks with killer riffs that never made it on to radio, compilations, live albums or even concerts ("Looking Down the Cross", "Rattlehead") that deserve to be heard. "Rattlehead," in fact, is one of the fastest songs the band ever recorded, and it's doubtful any band could play it today. The production, however, muddles the process considerably, as one must search for the killer riff at times. Be warned – it's not perfect, but still great thrash.
(Note: Raw Power reissued KIMB in 2002 with remixed original songs, murky demos of "Last Rites / Loved to Deth", "Mechanix" and "The Skull Beneath the Skin", as well as intended original artwork and insightful song-by-song liner notes.)
