Megadeth Peace Sells... But Who's Buying CD

Additional Tracks

Megadeth: David Ellefson (bass guitar); Chris Poland, Dave Mustaine, Gar Samuelson.
Personnel: Dave Mustaine (vocals, guitar); David Ellefson (vocals, background vocals); Paul Sudin, Mike Anderson, Randy Burns, Casey McMackin (vocals); Chris Poland (guitar); Gar Samuelson (drums).
Audio Mixers: Dave Mustaine; Paul Lani; Ralph Patlan.
Audio Remixer: Dave Mustaine.
Liner Note Author: Dave Mustaine.
Recording information: Maddog Studios, Venice, CA (02/15/1986-03/20/1986); Music Grinder, Los Angeles, CA (02/15/1986-03/20/1986); Rock Steady Studios, Los Angeles, CA (02/15/1986-03/20/1986); Track Recorders (02/15/1986-03/20/1986).
Editor: Lance Dean.
Photographers: Ross Halfin; Chris Walter; Peter Cronin; Neil Zlozower.
Unknown Contributor Roles: Bo Caldwell; Dave McRobb.
Arguably Megadeth's strongest effort and a classic of early thrash, Peace Sells combines a punkish political awareness with a dark, threatening, typically heavy metal worldview, preoccupied with evil, the occult, and the like. The anthemic title track and "Wake Up Dead" are the two major standouts, and there is also a cover of Willie Dixon's "I Ain't Superstitious," which takes on an air of supernaturally induced paranoia in the album's context. The lines between hell and earth are blurred throughout the album, and the crashing, complex music backs up Mustaine's apocalyptic vision of life as damnation -- his limited vocal style is used to great effect, growling and snarling in a barely intelligible fashion under all the complicated guitar work. Vital, necessary thrash. ~ Steve Huey
Guitarist Dave Mustaine was an original member of thrash-pioneers Metallica. But he was booted from the band during the recording of that band's debut album, KILL 'EM ALL. Instead of moping around, Mustaine returned to California and immediately formed another group--Megadeth. He promised his fans that the new outfit would be faster and more lethal than his former band, and Megadeth's 1985 debut, KILLING IS MY BUSINESS, AND BUSINESS IS GOOD, made good on this threat. Megadeth and Metallica duked it out in the music press, but both acts thrived. In 1986, each released its finest record, Metallica's MASTER OF PUPPETS and Megadeth's PEACE SELLS...BUT WHO'S BUYING?
While Metallica initially shunned MTV, Megadeth used the video format to its advantage--becoming the first thrash band to do so. Both "Wake Up Dead" and the anthemic title track received constant play on MTV's HEAVY METAL HOUR; the latter song's brief bass intro was even used as the theme to MTV news in the early-'90s. Tracks such as "The Conjuring," "Devil's Island," "Good Mourning/Black Friday," and a cover of Jeff Beck's "I Ain't Superstitious" proved to be just as brutal. PEACE SELLS is an influential, all-time heavy metal classic.
Guitarist Dave Mustaine was an original member of thrash-pioneers Metallica. But he was booted from the band during the recording of that band's debut album, KILL 'EM ALL. Instead of moping around, Mustaine returned to California and immediately formed another group--Megadeth. He promised his fans that the new outfit would be faster and more lethal than his former band, and Megadeth's 1985 debut, KILLING IS MY BUSINESS, AND BUSINESS IS GOOD, made good on this threat. Megadeth and Metallica duked it out in the music press, but both acts thrived. In 1986, each released its finest record, Metallica's MASTER OF PUPPETS and Megadeth's PEACE SELLS...BUT WHO'S BUYING?
While Metallica initially shunned MTV, Megadeth used the video format to its advantage--becoming the first thrash band to do so. Both "Wake Up Dead" and the anthemic title track received constant play on MTV's HEAVY METAL HOUR; the latter song's brief bass intro was even used as the theme to MTV news in the early '90s. Tracks such as "The Conjuring," "Devil's Island," "Good Mourning/Black Friday," and a cover of Howlin' Wolf's blues standard "I Ain't Superstitious" proved to be just a