7.16.2012 - Killing Is My Business And Business Is Good

Hello Scorpion,

I was wondering what inspired Dave to write (specifically the riffs in) the song "Killing Is My Business And Business Is Good." I find it to be an unusual, yet compelling piece of metal for a couple reasons:

1. It's tonal center seems to be in C# (not a common key for metal songs in E standard tuning)
2. It doesn't make much use of pedal notes - the riffs for the verse and intro have a lot of motion and create tension without repeating one note over and over
3. Maybe it's just the way that Gar played the drums, but the song almost swings. Swing is a given in Jazz, but in metal??? And yet, the song's aggression and metal integrity is just as strong as any other metal song.

I'd love to know the back story on this unusual, but very compelling metal tune. It's one of my all-time favorite Mustaine compositions.

Many thanks,

Ed Schoendorff

"eschoendorff" at the Megadeth forums and the Megadeth Cyber Army

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Hello Ed, I caught up with Dave Mustaine over the weekend and put your question over to him. Here is what he had to say...

"That is the beauty of not knowing what you are doing. Then when it is time to start following rules, you don’t care about the ones you break, if you don’t know yer breaking them.

Rest in peace Gary Samuelson."

-ScorpioN

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