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Metallica Kill 'Em All Release Date: 1983 Running Time: 51:03 Label: Elektra 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 Tracks: Title Composer Time 1 Hit the Lights 4:17 2 Four Horsemen 7:08 3 Motorbreath 3:03 4 Jump in the Fire 4:50 5 (Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth 3:27 6 Whiplash 4:06 7 Phantom Lord 4:52 8 No Remorse 6:24 9 Seek and Destroy 6:50 10 Metal Militia 6:06 Releases: Year Type Label 1995 CD Elektra 2007 CD Mercury 2003 CD Smji 2006 CD Universal/Mercury CS Elektra 1989 CS Vertigo LP Elektra 1983 LP Music For Nations 2008 LP Warner Bros.

Group Members: Ron McGovney Robert Trujillo Dave Mustaine Lars Ulrich James Hetfield More >> Similar Artists: Anthrax Slayer Danzig Voivod Sepultura More >>

Influenced By: Black Sabbath Diamond Head The Misfits Motörhead Saxon More >> Followers: Overkill Sentenced Stormtroopers of Death Metal Church Body Count More >>

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