Billboard recently caught up with Megadeth frontman / founder Dave Mustaine, who looked back on getting Megadeth off the ground and where the band is today. Following is an excerpt from the interview.

Q: When thrash first started, you and the other bands were operating at the fringes of the music-industry infrastructure. How much has that experience helped you adapt to today’s challenges?

Mustaine: "When I found out last year that the Megadeth record was responsible for [a significant] fragment of our label’s worldwide sales -- so much so that I stopped for a second and said, 'Are you kidding me? We’re responsible globally for that much of the entire label’s revenue?' -- I thought, 'Wow, that’s great. Metal really is alive.' But it’s different for our scene the way the revenue streams have changed. It just leaves you scratching your head, and you’re just thinking, 'How on earth does this work? How is there even a pay structure like this? Where does the money come from? Who’s collecting it? Who are these people?' (Laughs.) I don’t get it at all."

Q: So what is it that has enabled Megadeth to stay viable?

Mustaine: "There are a lot of people who do this for different reasons. Some people want the money; others want fame. (Megadeth bassist and co-founder) David Ellefson could have gone back home to Minnesota at any time. He obviously had a different calling as to why he did this, and that’s led to a very interesting friendship and relationship. For me, the reason that I wanted to keep soldiering on was revenge. I wanted to prove to everybody that I could do what I could do. When I lost my job, having my former employers say that I wasn’t doing good, that really pissed me off, ’cuz it wasn’t true. I’m a good guitar player (laughs)."

Q: Listening back now (to Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good), what stands out to you about the Megadeth lineup that made that album?

Mustaine: "Chris Poland is a very unique and talented individual. He’ll always be one of the most exotic guitar players I’ve ever played with. And Gar Samuelson being a jazz drummer gave our playing a super, super cool element that none of the other metal bands had. It was great to be able to hold that over everybody else’s head because no one else could figure out what we were doing. We had energy, starts and stops, and so many gear shifts -- and that’s all attributed to the jazz element, which gave the music all these crazy dynamics that you would never get in a normal rock band’s drum track. It just wouldn’t sound the same."

Read the complete interview here.

In celebration of Megadeth's 35th anniversary, the band is streaming “The Skull Beneath The Skin”  from the newly remastered, deluxe reissue of Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good.

Century Media and Legacy Recordings will released the 2018 deluxe reissue of Megadeth’s classic debut album, Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good, on June 8th (June 6th in Japan via Sony Japan).

"In 2017, we enlisted Quebec's Utopique Creations to create a new Vic Rattlehead sculpture for the album cover of Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good: The Final Kill," says Megadeth. "Here's a behind-the-scenes look at the making of Vic."

Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good - The Final Kill has been completely restored to Dave Mustaine’s intended vision. Remixed by veteran metal mixer, Mark Lewis (Whitechapel) and remastered by Ted Jensen for an optimal listening experience, the 2018 version reveals unheard parts and performances throughout the record.

This rare gem includes the full album, along with 7 live audio tracks from VHS tapes found in Dave Mustaine’s own attic! In addition to the bonus live tracks, the 2018 reissue also features Megadeth’s 1984 3-track demo and the once removed cover of Lee Hazelwood’s, “The Boots” that has been added back to the record with recut vocals intended to maintain the integrity of both the original song and Megadeth’s own snarling rendition.

The package is further enhanced by a new album cover featuring a fully executed sculpture of the iconic skull that has been lost over the many years since the album’s initial release. The packaging also includes classic flyers and band photos pulled from their archive of timeless metal moments from Megadeth’s storied 35 year history. The Final Kill is the complete vision of main man, Dave Mustaine, who has contributed liner notes delving into the struggles during that time period as well as some of the surprising moments during the remixing sessions.

“I am just as much amazed at the music we made as I am at the pure fact that we survived it all!” - Dave Mustaine

Pre-order various formats here. CD and vinyl tracklistings below.

CD tracklisting:

"Last Rites / Loved To Deth" (Remastered)
"Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" (Remastered)
"The Skull Beneath The Skin" (Remastered)
"Rattlehead" (Remastered) - Explicit Content
"Chosen Ones" (Remastered)
"Looking Down The Cross" (Remastered)
"Mechanix" (Remastered)
"These Boots" (Remastered)
"Last Rites / Loved To Deth" (live) (1987 London, UK)
"Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" (live) (1986 Denver, CO)
"The Skull Beneath The Skin" (live) (1990 London, UK)
"Rattlehead" (live) (1987 Bochum, Germany) - Explicit Content
"Chosen Ones" (live) (1986 Denver, CO)
"Looking Down The Cross (live) (1986 Denver, CO)
"Mechanix" (live) (1986 Denver, CO)
"Last Rites / Loved To Deth" (demo) (Remastered)
"The Skull Beneath The Skin" (demo) (Remastered)
"Mechanix" (demo) (Remastered)

Vinyl tracklisting:

LP1 - Side A
"Last Rites / Loved To Deth" (Remastered)
"Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!" (Remastered)
"The Skull Beneath The Skin" (Remastered)
"Rattlehead" (Remastered)

LP2 - Side B
"Chosen Ones" (Remastered)
"Looking Down The Cross" (Remastered)
"Mechanix" (Remastered)
"These Boots" (Remastered)

LP2 - Side A
"Last Rites / Loved To Deth" (live) (1987 London, UK)
"Killing Is My Business...And Business Is Good!" (live) (1986 Denver, CO)
"The Skull Beneath The Skin" (live) (1990 London, UK)
"Rattlehead" (live) (1987 Bochum, Germany)
"Chosen Ones" (live) (1986 Denver, CO)

LP2 - Side B
"Looking Down The Cross" (live) (1986 Denver, CO)
"Mechanix" (live) (1986 Denver, CO)
"Last Rites / Loved To Deth" (demo) (Remastered)
"The Skull Beneath The Skin" (demo) (Remastered)
"Mechanix" (demo) (Remastered)