And finally, my retrospective brief on 80s 'Deth...
So Far, So Good...So What!
Thank Dio for In My Darkest Hour, because most of this album sucks. It's aggressively childish and sloppy. The production is abysmal and the remaster does almost nothing to improve it. It's got the worst drummer and the worst lead guitarist to ever be "members" of the band. I don't have much good to say about this except that In My Darkest Hour is a top Megadeth tune. Hook In Mouth is solid enough, Set the World Afire is fine, and Mary Jane is ok, I suppose. Otherwise, bleghhhhh.
Rating - 5.5/10
Worst Songs - Anarchy in the UK, 502
Best Song - In My Darkest Hour
Peace Sells...But Who's Buying?
An absolute classic. I don't know why, but I frequently forget how truly great this album is. The first five songs are absolutely perfect in their ferocity, songwriting, and performance. Just pure classic thrash metal with Dave in top form. My Last Words also rules. There's really nothing bad to say about this one except that Bad Omen is pretty meh and the cover is not good (though better than most of their early covers). An absolute classic.
Rating - 8.6/10
Worst Song - I Ain't Superstitious
Best Songs - most of them
Killing Is My Business...and Business is Good!
This one is a little too raw for me, but the pieces are there. Some of the songwriting shows the brilliance of the later stuff Mustaine would do, but he certainly hasn't learned restraint yet. Most of the time that's not an issue, as this record just brims with energy and frenetic riffing. It will certainly never be my favorite, but there's something to admire about the ferocity of it. The main riff of the title track is still one Mustaine's best, Skull Beneath the Skin is incredibly well composed for early thrash, and Chosen Ones is super catchy. Unfortunately, These Boots is a horrible decision and I loathe Dave's version of The Mechanix, and both of these severely drag this album down.
Rating - 5.7/10
Worst Songs - The Mechanix, These Boots
Best Song - Looking Down the Cross