BUDGIE in for the kill MCF2546

Welsh Heavy Rock Pioneers: Budgie’s ‘In For The Kill!’ (MCF 2546)

Today’s entry focuses on a seminal release from the Welsh power trio Budgie, a band often cited as a key influence on the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and thrash metal giants like Metallica. We are looking at the original 1974 UK pressing of In For The Kill!, released on MCA Records with the catalog number MCF 2546.

Released in May 1974, this was the band’s fourth studio album and the only one to feature drummer Pete Boot, who joined Burke Shelley (bass/vocals) and Tony Bourge (guitar) for this recording. The album is a masterclass in heavy, grooving hard rock.

The tracklist features some of the band’s most iconic riffs. The title track, In For The Kill, is a galloping hard rock anthem. Even more legendary is Crash Course In Brain Surgery (originally a single from 1971, re-recorded here), which gained massive fame years later when Metallica covered it on their Garage Days Re-Revisited EP. The epic, slow-building Zoom Club shows the band’s ability to craft atmospheric, heavy jams.

For collectors, this original UK pressing is highly desirable. It features the classic MCA black labels with the rainbow color spectrum. The cover is fully laminated, a hallmark of high-quality British pressings of the era, manufactured by Garrod & Lofthouse. Recorded at the legendary Rockfield Studios, the production is warm, heavy, and raw.

MCF 2546 is an essential piece of vinyl for anyone interested in the roots of heavy metal. It captures a band at their heaviest, delivering a sound that was years ahead of its time.