Before Metallica became the tired sold out commercial entity that they are today they were once four angry drug and booze fueled metal musicians who were hungry for world domination with their own terrifying new brand of heavy metal known as thrash. In 1983 they would begin their long trip to the top by putting out their debut album Kill 'em All (which they were originally going to title Metal Up Your Ass, but Elektra Records would not let them use that in fear of severe backlash from the public). Be that as it may, this album did lead the band to bigger and better things.
Kill 'em All is a very raw tone to it when compared to the high production quality of Metallica's subsequent efforts. While part of the organic nature of the sound came from production, much also came from the band's passion and enthusiasm for what they were doing. This was Metallica at their most primal and sincere. However, half of the songs on Kill 'em All were not written by any of the four members of Metallica who played on the album. Before the band went in to record the album they fired original lead guitarist Dave Mustaine who would go on to form Megadeth. The band replaced him with Kirk Hammet who has been with them ever since.
The Four Horsemen is in my opinion the most brilliant song from Kill 'em All. Though it isn't the band's fastest track it combines many different melodies and riffs to form what is an ingenious piece of songwriting in terms of construction. It definitely has some of the most passion and energy of all the songs on the album. Fun fact: The Four Horsemen is actually an altered version of a Metallica song that was called The Mechanix. The album version is slowed down, has different lyrics, and has more riffs and melodies. The original version would be recorded by Mustaine on Megadeth's debut album Killing is My Business.
The song most people know from Kill 'em All however is Seek and Destroy; for good reason too. It's opening riff is iconic. The moment the band tears into that opening riff everyone knows who is playing and what song it is. Plus, the chorus while not necessarily the most melodic is impossible not to sing along to when you're cranking the tune as loud as your stereo will allow you to. In a way it makes you feel one with this beefy monster of a song. This is the kind of song you listen to when you want to feel like a badass tough guy.
Kill 'em All is one of the more under rated of Metallica's early works. It's one of the few albums I know of where there is one track entirely dedicated to being a bass solo (from the late Cliff Burton). It might not be as crisp as some of the later albums, but what it lacks in production it makes up for in being pure raw metal that gives you nothing but Metallica at their hungriest and most passionate. It's a great crash course in thrash metal and is a great way for all of their influences from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal to culminate.
Kill 'em All, by Metallica receives 4 out of 5 stars.
Track List:
1. Hit the Lights
2. The Four Horsemen
3. Motorbreath
4. Jump in the Fire
5. Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)
6. Whiplash
7. Phantom Lord
8. No Remorse
9. Seek and Destroy
10. Metal Militia
Buy the album on Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Kill-Em-All-Metallica/dp/B00EBDXYVO/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1432874590&sr=8-1&keywords=metallica+kill+em+all
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