Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!
| Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! | ||||
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The original low-budget cover created by Combat Records
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| Studio album by Megadeth | ||||
| Released | June 15, 1985 | |||
| Recorded | December 1984 – January 1985 | |||
| Studio | Indigo Ranch Studios, Malibu, California | |||
| Genre | Thrash metal, speed metal | |||
| Length | 31:10 | |||
| Label | Combat | |||
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| Megadeth chronology | ||||
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| Alternative cover | ||||
The remastered/remixed CD edition cover redesigned from Mustaine's 1985 sketches
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| Professional ratings | |
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| Review scores | |
| Source | Rating |
| AllMusic |   |
| Drowned in Sound | 8/10 |
| KNAC | |
| Q | |
| Rock Hard | 9/10 |
| The Rolling Stone Album Guide | |
| Sputnikmusic | 4/5 |
Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! is the debut studio album by the American thrash metal band Megadeth released on June 12, 1985 by the independent record label Combat Records. At the beginning of 1985, the band was given $8,000 by Combat to record and produce its debut album. After spending half of the album's budget on drugs, alcohol and food, the band was forced to fire their original producer and produce the album themselves. Despite the resulting poor production, the album was a well-received effort that obtained strong reviews in various music publications. Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! played an essential role in establishing thrash metal as an authentic subgenre of heavy metal music. It explores themes of death, violence, and occultism.
The album features a controversial cover of "These Boots Are Made for Walkin'" and the track "Mechanix", a song frontman Dave Mustaine originally wrote for Metallica. A deluxe edition, completely remixed and remastered with several bonus tracks, was released through Loud Records in 2002. It features vastly different artwork, with its cover based on the version originally designed by Mustaine in 1985. All songs from the album were performed frequently during Megadeth's initial tour but have been steadily dropped from the setlist since.
Dave Mustaine served as the lead guitarist for Metallica during their early days. However, due to drinking, substance abuse, violent behavior, and personality conflicts with band mates James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, Mustaine was soon fired from Metallica. Two months after being dismissed, he and bassist David Ellefson formed Megadeth in Los Angeles. Mustaine later recalled: "After getting fired from Metallica, all I remember is that I wanted blood. Theirs. I wanted to be faster and heavier than them." Fueled by the desire for revenge, Mustaine elevated the intensity of Megadeth's music in order to challenge his former band. He sped up existing songs such as "Mechanix", which Metallica's new line-up adapted into the slower paced "The Four Horsemen". Mustaine included his original version of the song on the album to "straighten Metallica up", as Metallica referred to Mustaine as a drunk and said he could not play guitar.
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