Kill 'Em All is the debut studio album by the American thrash/heavy metal band, Metallica. The album was recorded on a mere budget of $15,000 and lasts a duration of 51:15. It was released on July 25, 1983 under producer Paul Curcio and the record label known as Megaforce Records.
Lineup:
James Hetfield: Vocals, Rhythm Guitar
Kirk Hammett: Lead Guitar
Cliff Burton: Bass Guitar
Lars Ulrich: Drums
The style of the album incorporated the genres of New Wave British heavy metal and hardcore punk. By using the riffs of British heavy metal and the tempo of hardcore punk, Metallica was able to create their own unique sound. Their musical approach and lyricism were way different than other 80's rock bands. Thanks to their new and innovative approach that formed on this album, Metallica was able to inspire many other bands in the thrash metal genre.
Dave Mustaine was the original lead guitarist of the band and was given writing credits on several tracks on the album. Those tracks include "The Four Horsemen," "Jump in the Fire," "Phantom Lord," and "Metal Militia."
Despite the fact that Mustaine was a terrific guitarist, he was kicked out of the band for his excessive drinking and violent tendencies, thus removing his participation from this album. Since being kicked out of Metallica, Mustaine has had terrific success with the band he created called Megadeth.
The album did not enter the Billboard 200 until 1986, when it peaked at number 155. The album has since gone 3x Platinum in the United States, mostly due to the band's more popular releases that followed this album. Here are my thoughts on each track:
1. "Hit the Lights" 4:16 (8/10)
What a way to show off Metallica's fast and hard hitting sound! The riffing is fast-paced and catchy, and Hetfield's voice is so raw. Hammett's guitar solo is really great and memorable. The song itself is pretty basic as far as lyrics go, but this song is all about its fast-pace nature and raw power. "Hit the Lights" is perfectly placed as the album's opener because of its upbeat nature.
2. "The Four Horsemen" 7:13 (9.5/10)
"The Four Horsemen" is the most impressive track on the entire album. I love Hetfield's vocals and the guitar riffing on this one. Lyrically it is also one of my favorite songs from the album thanks to its catchy chorus and lyrical content. The bass work is also pretty nice and very audible, unlike some of Metallica's later work. The two guitar solos are icing on the cake.
3. "Motorbreath" 3:08 (5/10)
"Motorbreath" may have some impressive speedy guitar riffing, but it lacks the catchy song-writing punch of other tracks on the album. It is probably the most straight-forward track from the album. It does have a really nice guitar solo at the end, though. "Motorbreath" feels incomplete and just needed more minutes added to make the song a little better. There are some riffs I love, but as a whole this song is below average.
4. "Jump in the Fire" 4:41 (9/10)
"Jump in the Fire" features one of my favorite guitar riffs of all time. This is probably the catchiest track from the entire album thanks to its really catchy chorus and constant head banging guitar riffs and drum beats. I love Hetfield's vocals during the song as well. Throw in two impressive guitar solos and you have a classic early Metallica song. "Jump in the Fire" is one of my personal favorite song from the album.
5. "(Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth" (instrumental) 4:15 (8/10)
This instrumental is Cliff Burton's time to shine on the album, allowing his use of reverb during the bass solo to draw in his audience's attention. Honestly, it's pretty cool to hear a bass player use his instrument like this. Though it may be one of their least impressive instrumentals, it is still a very good track.
6. "Whiplash" 4:10 (9/10)
"Whiplash" is Metallica playing at maximum speeds, and the end product is very impressive. The rhythm guitar is frantic and is played at extremely fast speeds. I really enjoy Hetfield's vocal delivery because its raw nature fits the song so well. This song reminds us that Lars was actually really good during this time. I love the guitar solo thanks to its speed and ferocity. "Whiplash" is a great tune.
7. "Phantom Lord" 5:02 (8.5/10)
"Phantom Lord" has one of my favorite Metallica intros from the album. The guitar riffs are awesome once the song dives in. I love Hetfield's vocals because of their fast-paced delivery and ominous sounds. The chorus is catchy like most of the others from the album. Metallica threw in another amazing memorable guitar solo. The slowed down portion of the song is a sign of things to come later on for the band. The ending to the song is fierce and really puts a bow on top.
8. "No Remorse" 6:26 (8.5/10)
"No Remorse" begins with an impressive guitar riff that backs an incredible guitar solo intro. I love the guitar riffing throughout the track and it is definitely the driving force behind this track. The chorus is fast and catchy and demonstrates James' fierce vocal delivery that is both raw and unique. The guitar solo in the middle of the song is straight up awesome. "No Remorse" continues the trend of guitar driven tracks.
9. "Seek & Destroy" 6:55 (8.5/10)
"Seek & Destroy" has one of the best opening guitar riffs on the entire album. The thing that makes this song so great is its anthemic chorus that is so easy to sing along to. The guitar soloing is fast and impressive. The guitar riffing that ends the song is really catchy as well.
10. "Metal Militia" 5:09 (5.5/10)
"Metal Militia" begins with a blisteringly fast guitar riff that is soon met with really fast-paced drum beats. "Metal Militia" does have a terrible problem that stems from its poor chorus, thus making it the weakest on the album. The rest of the song is just speedy balls-to-the-wall thrash metal, but the song does not flow well and the chorus completely takes the listener's attention away from the song. The guitar solo is one of the album's best, but it does not save this track from mediocrity.
My Verdict:
Kill 'Em All is Metallica's most raw sounding album in their entire discography. I love the unfiltered sound of the album. The production may not be very good, but this album's powerful music is all it needs. It is definitely far from perfect, but thanks to its overall consistent heaviness and raw sound, the album is pretty fun to listen to. Although Kill 'Em All is not as good as some of the band's later material, I believe it is an essential album in any metal collection.
