This is my all-time favorite Megadeth song. Absolutely incredible. The musical component is insane and complex at the same time. And the words...WOW! No hidden meanings here-just the frenzied tale of a lunatic serial killer on the rampage. Serial killers are certainly not an uncommon theme in heavy metal but Mustaine really cranked out something special here. The descriptions in this song are absolutely horrific. This is also apart from other "serial killer songs" in that it does not seem to be describing a particular non-fictitious killer. Slayer's "Dead Skin Mask" is about Ed Gein and "213" is about Jeffrey Dahmer. Then there's also Fear Factory who has "Suffer Age" which describes John Gacy. Contrarily, Mustaine appears to have taken the approach of describing a fictitious killer. The only real-life killer that comes to mind that seems to come even remotely close to Mustaine's description is Jack the Ripper. The Ripper did "stalk the streets" as he murdered prostitutes as opposed to killers such as Gacy, Bundy and Dahmer who would commit their murders in far less incriminating locations. Additionally, Mustaine is clearly describing the actions of a frenzied madman. In other words, Dahmer, Bundy and Gacy would not really fit Dave Mustaine's "profile." Dahmer, Bundy and Gacy are considered "organized" serial killers: their crimes are carefully planned out, they cover their tracks meticulously (at least initially) and they are able to blend seamlessly into society without anyone being the wiser. In contrast, most of the Ripper's retroactive profilers (not all but most) describe him as the "unorganized" type: frenzied, overcome by his urge to kill, not necessarily someone who could portray themselves as "normal" within society and perhaps not particularly intelligent. So it is plausible that Mustaine could be describing the Ripper. My guess, however, is that it is not about an actual person. But of course, the main point is not who it's about but the power and the fury of Mustaine's description. The words Mustaine chooses portray the serial killer phenomenon perfectly. The visuals described are legitimately disturbing. The part that gets me more than any is "Killer, intruder...stalking the street." The word "intruder" is particularly haunting: the implication is that he may come for you no matter where you are. The "stalking the street" phrase is also very powerful. The nightmarish image of a being that's "bloodthirsty" and is in the act of "stalking" that usually comes to one's mind first is the thought of being stalked by an animal in the woods. But here we are describing a "stalker" who is one of our own: a human being. Furthermore, he's doing the "stalking" on the streets where intuition would tell one that they would be perfectly safe. After all, the victim is walking the city streets amongst other civilized human beings where they ought to be safer in theory than being out in the woods with a bunch of animals. But alas, one of their own has come for them and done so on their own city streets. This sinister story then comes to a gruesome ending as the killer performs a symbolic ritual (as a great many number of serial killers do) following his crime. In his case, he paints an image of Satan on the wall, most likely with the victim's own blood. An absolutely WILD tale from the mind of Dave Mustaine. Then of course, there's the incredible musical performance. This is my fave from Megadeth for sure. Just masterful.
This is my all-time favorite Megadeth song. Absolutely incredible. The musical component is insane and complex at the same time. And the words...WOW! No hidden meanings here-just the frenzied tale of a lunatic serial killer on the rampage. Serial killers are certainly not an uncommon theme in heavy metal but Mustaine really cranked out something special here. The descriptions in this song are absolutely horrific. This is also apart from other "serial killer songs" in that it does not seem to be describing a particular non-fictitious killer. Slayer's "Dead Skin Mask" is about Ed Gein and "213" is about Jeffrey Dahmer. Then there's also Fear Factory who has "Suffer Age" which describes John Gacy. Contrarily, Mustaine appears to have taken the approach of describing a fictitious killer. The only real-life killer that comes to mind that seems to come even remotely close to Mustaine's description is Jack the Ripper. The Ripper did "stalk the streets" as he murdered prostitutes as opposed to killers such as Gacy, Bundy and Dahmer who would commit their murders in far less incriminating locations. Additionally, Mustaine is clearly describing the actions of a frenzied madman. In other words, Dahmer, Bundy and Gacy would not really fit Dave Mustaine's "profile." Dahmer, Bundy and Gacy are considered "organized" serial killers: their crimes are carefully planned out, they cover their tracks meticulously (at least initially) and they are able to blend seamlessly into society without anyone being the wiser. In contrast, most of the Ripper's retroactive profilers (not all but most) describe him as the "unorganized" type: frenzied, overcome by his urge to kill, not necessarily someone who could portray themselves as "normal" within society and perhaps not particularly intelligent. So it is plausible that Mustaine could be describing the Ripper. My guess, however, is that it is not about an actual person. But of course, the main point is not who it's about but the power and the fury of Mustaine's description. The words Mustaine chooses portray the serial killer phenomenon perfectly. The visuals described are legitimately disturbing. The part that gets me more than any is "Killer, intruder...stalking the street." The word "intruder" is particularly haunting: the implication is that he may come for you no matter where you are. The "stalking the street" phrase is also very powerful. The nightmarish image of a being that's "bloodthirsty" and is in the act of "stalking" that usually comes to one's mind first is the thought of being stalked by an animal in the woods. But here we are describing a "stalker" who is one of our own: a human being. Furthermore, he's doing the "stalking" on the streets where intuition would tell one that they would be perfectly safe. After all, the victim is walking the city streets amongst other civilized human beings where they ought to be safer in theory than being out in the woods with a bunch of animals. But alas, one of their own has come for them and done so on their own city streets. This sinister story then comes to a gruesome ending as the killer performs a symbolic ritual (as a great many number of serial killers do) following his crime. In his case, he paints an image of Satan on the wall, most likely with the victim's own blood. An absolutely WILD tale from the mind of Dave Mustaine. Then of course, there's the incredible musical performance. This is my fave from Megadeth for sure. Just masterful.