Megadeth Celebrates 40 Years of 'Killing Is My Business' With Limited Box Set

Summary

• Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good! turns 40, with a deluxe collector’s box set limited to just 350 copies.
• The original album was made on a tight budget and rough circumstances, according to Dave Mustaine.
• Megadeth is also finishing their 17th studio album, expected later this year with new guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari onboard.

Megadeth is marking the 40th anniversary of its debut album with a special box set release. Titled Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!, the ultra-limited collection arrives October 17 and will be restricted to just 350 copies.

The box includes several collectible items:

• A metallic gold 12-inch vinyl
• A lithograph signed by hand
• A zoetrope slipmat
• A metal laser-engraved business card
• A 4-inch embroidered patch
• A 3-foot by 5-foot replica flag
• A two-sided challenge coin
• A 20-page commemorative zine

The full package is housed in a deluxe custom case with a resin-molded lid.

The original album was released June 12, 1985, through Combat Records, a small independent label in New York. The first Megadeth lineup featured Dave Mustaine, David Ellefson, Chris Poland, and Gar Samuelson.

In a past interview with Guitar World, Mustaine reflected on the early days of thrash metal, comparing Killing Is My Business to a graduation moment for the band. “That was kind of like our senior year,” he said. “And Killing Is My Business was kind of like a summing up of everything about growing up for us.”

He also recalled the challenges during the recording process at Indigo Ranch Studios in Malibu. Mustaine said a chunk of their $8,000 budget was already gone when they arrived, reportedly spent on food and drugs. “We commenced making a $4,000 record,” he explained. “I was pissed. Any hope of us having a relationship was shattered.”

Despite the rocky start, the album has earned its place in metal history. VH1 once called it “The Best Thrash Metal Debut Album of All Time.”

New Music in the Works

Meanwhile, Megadeth has been working on its 17th studio album, expected to be released later this year. The band is once again collaborating with producer Chris Rakestraw, who worked on their previous albums The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead! (2022) and Dystopia (2016).

The new LP will come out via Mustaine’s Tradecraft label, in partnership with BLKIIBLK, an imprint of the Frontiers Label Group.

New Guitarist Takes the Stage

Megadeth’s current lineup features Finnish guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari, who stepped in during September 2023 when longtime member Kiko Loureiro took a break to stay with his family in Finland. Loureiro has not returned, and Mäntysaari is expected to continue with the band.

Born in Tampere, Finland, Mäntysaari started playing guitar at age 12. He joined the band Wintersun in 2004 and has been a member of Smackbound since 2015.

Got a tip for us? Email: [email protected]