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The true birth of thrash. On Kill 'Em All, Metallica fuses the intricate riffing of New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Diamond Head with the velocity of Motörhead and hardcore punk. James Hetfield's highly technical rhythm guitar style drives most of the album, setting new standards of power, precision, and stamina. But really, the rest of the band is just as dexterous, playing with tightly controlled fury even at the most ridiculously fast tempos. There are already several extended, multi-sectioned compositions foreshadowing the band's later progressive epics, though these are driven by adrenaline, not texture. A few tributes to heavy metal itself are a bit dated lyrically; like Diamond Head, the band's biggest influence, Kill 'Em All's most effective tone is one of supernatural malevolence -- as pure sound, the record is already straight from the pits of hell. Ex-member Dave Mustaine co-wrote four of the original ten tracks, but the material all sounds of a piece. And actually, anyone who worked backward through the band's catalog might not fully appreciate the impact of Kill 'Em All when it first appeared -- unlike later releases, there simply isn't much musical variation (apart from a lyrical bass solo from Cliff Burton). The band's musical ambition also grew rapidly, so today, Kill 'Em All sounds more like the foundation for greater things to come. But that doesn't take anything away from how fresh it sounded upon first release, and time hasn't dulled the giddy rush of excitement in these performances. Frightening, awe-inspiring, and absolutely relentless, Kill 'Em All is pure destructive power, executed with jaw-dropping levels of scientific precision. [An Elektra reissue added the cover songs "Blitzkrieg" and "Am I Evil?" from the European Creeping Death EP, which were later deleted and included on Garage, Inc.] ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide
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listener reviews
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HEAVYSHIT!!
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- By HeavyMETALMiike
- 7/13/2009 21:32:39
- FUCKING the BEST ALBUM!!
- 1 out of 1 people
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Awesome
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- By FOS yay
- 1/11/2009 05:40:20
- I love this album, its the Metallica twist on Glam metal...and leaves
it scratching its head, I highly recommended for people who only listen
to 80's rock, because you haven't experienced 80's metal :). - 1 out of 2 people
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the debut that started it all
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- By MidDriftDragon
- 12/26/2008 23:56:25
- this is a great album
great guitars
but hetfield's voice is just a little too high
but that's just minor
kirk is great on the album, so is cliff and lars, great title, and this album gets a 9.5/10 for me - 2 out of 2 people
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9/10
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- By Misery Messiah
- 7/21/2008 21:56:51
- This was a great start to Metallica's untoppable heavy metal success. "The Four Horsemen" has got to be the highlight with its heavy riffs and provocative solos. Not Metallica's best album but a good one.
- 3 out of 4 people
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top listeners
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- 142 plays
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