Having amassed a pile of CD's over the past few months, thanks in part to a co-worker who started pointing me towards 80's metal bands, I'm now set to task on actually going through them. It's going to take me the better part of June, and knowing little to nothing about it, it's relatively all new territory.
I'm kicking things off with Megadeth, the band I'm most familiar with out of everything I picked up. In hindsight, it's kind of odd that it's taken me this long to get around to the band. Well, let me rephrase, the 80's discs of the band. I actually have a handful from the 90's, which is the period of the band I know, and like tunes from.
Two months after parting ways with Metallica, Dave Mustaine would meet bassist, David Ellefson. Fueled by hate and the desire for revenge against his ex-band mates, the two formed Megadeth. Though several vocalists tried, Mustaine would ultimately decide to do the singing himself.
With Richard Girod on drums, the band recorded a three-track demo, calling it Last Rites. This would garner the attention of Combat Records, who signed them in 1984, giving them an initial $8,000.00 to record an album, and $4,000.00 more when those funds ran out. Depending on who you asked, this session was either hindered by the money being spent on drugs and food, or things went well, and there were no issues. At this point, it's just more of that Dave Mustaine muddied lore.
The lineup at this time consisted of Dave Mustaine on vocals, piano, and guitar, Chris Poland on guitars, David Ellefson on bass, Gar Samuelson on Drums, and possible Lee Raunch, who also provided drums. Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good! would be released in 1985 and be met with positive critical response. This is a bit of an abridged version of their history. I might go more in depth tomorrow.
Their debut is chaotic and intense. Speed and thrash are definitely the name of the game, and the band gives everything they've got to deliver this. There's definitely talent behind the instruments.
While as a whole, it's decent from start to finish, where it loses me is the vocals. Not that they're bad, but rather that I can't understand them half the time.
I do question Megadeth's decision to cover the Lee Hazelwood penned, and Nancy Sinatra sung These Boots Were Made For Walking. Sure, their version is definitely faster, but it comes off more so as a parody than something to be taken seriously.
I suppose if there was a track that stood out for me, that would be Looking Down The Cross. Granted, I have no clue what the lyrics are about, but I really dug the guitar riff throughout it. But again, overall, I liked the album, and I'm looking forward to jumping into 1986's Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?
Beyond that, I don't have much more to say at this point.
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