July 25, 1983 - Metallica and Kill 'Em All

Two months after my last release a new band joins my library when metal band Metallica released their first studio album "Kill 'Em All" on July 25, 1983. They released a couple demos with a different line-up, but this would be their first official album. But who is Metallica? They were one of the pioneers of the thrash metal genre and were founded by drummer Lars Ulrich and singer/rhythm guitarist James Hetfield. They recruited bassist Cliff Burton and lead guitarist Kirk Hammett to complete the line-up for this album and Metallica sounded like no other band at this time period. They were inspired by New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands and combine blistering guitars with very fast-paced drums to make this new thrash metal sound. Let's give it and them a listen!

The album kicks off with "Hit The Lights" and it begins with a slow fade-in as everything starts very quiet and continues to get louder until they reach full volume. After a frantic opening they move into the main riff as we hear some great speedy guitar by Hetfield and some very loud and epic drums by Ulrich. For a rhythm guitar part, it's pretty damn fast and Hetfield also sings for the first time. He sounds very young and his voice is very high, but it has a bit of an edge to it fits this metal style well. After a fast-paced verse they slow it down for a simpler chorus where Hetfield sings the name of the song a few times and we hear some cool albeit much slower guitar. Larson plays a nice drum fill at the end of the chorus and this leads right into the first guitar solo as Hammett makes the main riff seem slow with a blistering solo! He only solos for a few bars but he delivers some great stuff that sounds really good and this leads perfectly back into the fast-paced verse. They repeat the same formula of fast verse, slow chorus and blistering solo and it doesn't make much time to get through it as things are very fast-paced. After a third verse and chorus Hetfield segues nicely into a new riff as he lays down an epic backing track that sets the stage for Hammett to have a bit of a longer solo. This solo is over a minute long and Kirk goes absolutely nuts delivering a TON of amazing shredding guitar! He is relentless and just when one crazy bit is done he moves right into another awesome part! This absolute madness sounds phenomenal I think and the solo takes us right to the end of the song where Hammett finishes up with a great metal flourish ending and Ulrich plays a final epic drum roll to end it. That's one hell of an introduction to Metallica; time to strap in for some more insanely fast music! The next song is over seven minutes long and is titled "The Four Horsemen". Previous lead guitarist Dave Mustaine gets a writing credit on this song, but Hetfield wrote the lyrics about the four horsemen of the apocalypse. Hammett and Hetfield sync up their guitars for a more emphatic riff as they lead the way with a very catchy and quick main riff. Burton's bass sounds pretty good as well and Hetfield sings a scrappy verse where it's a bit hard to understand him when he sings in a lower voice. The music sounds great though and when James goes higher I think he not only sounds clearer but it fits the style better. The guitar slows down in the chorus once again but Cliff continues to play some nice fast bass. Hetfield sings a solid chorus that ends with a nice yell as they segue nicely back into the main riff. After another cool verse and chorus Hetfield switches to a new very metal riff that is pretty simple but also sounds pretty heavy and epic. Burton syncs up with the guitars in a cool little segue that takes us to another new riff. This is another upbeat riff led by some cool guitar by Hetfield and he also sings a pretty solid verse overtop. They use the same synced up segue to move into yet another cool riff, showing off some early progressive touches, as Hetfield and Burton now play a smooth backing riff that sets the stage for Hammett's guitar solo. He starts a little slow but the whole time he plays perfectly in tune with the rest of the band and sounds very good. He starts rampig it up and delivers another fantastic solo that blows your mind on a couple different occasions in a pretty short period! The solo leads into their synced up segue which seamlessly takes us back to the main riff for another solid verse and chorus. It seems like the song could have ended there, but we've got a minute to go and I love that they don't settle. When you have someone like Kirk Hammett, you let him fly and Hetfield resumes one of his nice earlier guitar riffs to set the stage for another solo. I hope you like your face being melted because Hammett is shredding it right from the start of this solo as he plays some unbelievably fast and precise stuff. Just when you think it couldn't get better he continues to find another gear and delivers another sublime solo! They end the song as they started with one last run of the catchy main riff before bringing this seven minute epic to a great end. Track 3 is "Motorbreath" and it continues the fast-paced theme as Lars plays a little drum intro before Hetfield and Hammett team up for a very fast main guitar riff. It's another very fast drumbeat from Lars and Hetfield sings a very quick verse overtop this solid metal riff. This leads into a similarly fast-paced chorus that sounds pretty good and Hammett breaks away for a decent little riff afterwards before they return to the verse. It doesn't take long to run through another verse and chorus at this pace and everything stops for a second for epic effect before Hammett takes off for his solo. As we've already come to expect, he delivers a blistering solo full of all kinds of great stuff and this song keeps tearing along as they connect it nicely back into the main riff. They play another verse and chorus and with just over 30 seconds left in this short song, that's time to squeeze in another solo! Hammett goes off once again and plays some more tremendous face-melting guitar before they end things rather abruptly. This song was non-stop metal head banging the whole way through and I love this thrash style! The next song is called "Jump In The Fire" and Hetfield and Hammett sync up their guitars for a pretty sweet opening riff. James switches to a similar riff by himself as he and Burton form a nice main riff and Hammett adds a very short little solo before they settle into the verse. Hetfield does a mix of higher and lower vocals and he does a pretty good job of leading this solid verse. They segue nicely into the chorus and the sweet opening riff turns out to be the chorus riff as James and Kirk sync up while Hetfield adds some flare to the final word as he sings "jump in the fire!" They return to the main riff for another verse and after another chorus Hetfield starts up a catchy new riff that sounds pretty good as he sets a nice backdrop for Kirk's solo. Hammett plays some pretty freaking fast stuff in another solid solo but it's not quite as face-meltingly awesome as some of his others. It leads nicely back into the main riff as we hear a final verse before they play a couple rounds of the chorus. Instead of ending it there, they again choose to throw in another guitar solo and Hammett puts his earlier solo in this song to shame as he reels off a fantastic one here! He plays some incredible stuff at the beginning and he finds a new level of greatness at the end as he turns it up even more with some wonderfully fast guitar. This man seems like one of a kind and why wouldn't you just fade out to Kirk soloing when you have someone of his caliber. Speaking of high caliber, the next track is "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth" and the first thing we hear is someone say "bass solo, take one". Burton shows off his talents in this song that is mostly a true bass solo with no other instruments, although it sounds a lot like a distorted guitar. Burton playing this solo live is actually what caught the eye of Hetfield and Ulrich and after they saw him perform this solo they had to have him as their bassist. Luckily, things worked out and he recorded his trademark solo in the studio; and as we hear, he does it all on his first take. Cliff weaves an epic solo that sounds really cool and words don't really do justice to how Burton plays a smooth but also pretty metal solo, all on the bass! For the first two minutes he plays a beautiful part but he shifts nicely into a much faster part and after an epic pause around the 2:30 mark, Lars comes in with a fast-paced drum beat and Cliff really starts to show off! Who knew a song with no guitars could sound so metal! Burton's bass sounds fantastic and he plays some wicked stuff that sounds phenomenal! Words cannot describe the crazy sounds he makes with his bass and after the drums fall away and the song seems over Cliff leaves us with some final effects that sound very trippy in a cool way to end a very unique and awesome song. The final song on side one is "Whiplash" and Ulrich plays a pretty cool drum beat on his toms while the rest of the band open with some slow, droning guitars. Things speed up soon enough though as Hetfield plays a very typical thrash metal riff that is pretty simple, but it's so fast and relentless that it sounds great! Hetfield sings the first verse overtop this speedy riff and his high yelling vocals sound pretty good. With things going so fast they arrive at the chorus shortly where the guitars slow down to a pace that is still faster than most bands. They end the chorus nicely with everything but Lars drums stopping as James yells "whiplash!" and they move back into another speedy verse. They play a couple more quick verses and chorus's before they shift nicely into a new riff that is also pretty fast. Hetfield plays a sweet little rhythm guitar riff and as seems to be their formula, this new riff sets the stage for Hammett's guitar solo. It's pretty amazing that he continues to come up with new solos that just blow your mind in every direction. It must get tiring to read it over and over, but he delivers another phenomenal solo! It ends abruptly, James screams "whiplash!" and they kick right into another solo! If you hadn't had enough already Hammett melts off what's left of your face with another amazing solo; they just never let up and attack you with awesome music! They move into a final verse and we hear Hetfield sing "we'll never stop, we'll never quit, 'cause we're Metallica". That about sums it up right there! They play a final chorus to finish things off and every song on this first side was an off the wall headbanger! I love it! 

Side two begins with "Phantom Lord" and it has a slow, almost marching opening for the first 30 seconds until Hetfield starts up a pretty sweet fast-paced guitar riff. Lars comes in with a long frum fill and Hammett and Burton both sync up with Hetfield for a really emphatic main riff that is fast and furious! Hetfield sings a very quick verse overtop this sweet main riff and in no time at all they move into a similar chorus. Hetfield has a nice high yell in the chorus and after Hammett reels off a couple speedy licks of sweetness they quickly resume the furious main riff. After another solid verse and chorus Hammett's speedy licks turns into his first guitar solo and he continues to find new and creative ways to melt our faces as he plays another dazzlingly awesome solo! The end of the solo slows right down in a nice segue into the next part where unlike usual these guys are playing quite a slow riff! It sounds very smooth and epic still as Metallica show they have a slower side to them as well, but it's not long before they're speeding things up again. They connect nicely back to the main riff before Hammett and Hetfield play off each other in a very cool guitar solo. James plays the same heavy main riff but Hammett plays a wicked five second solo after every bar! Kirk plays a series of amazing short solos and each one sounds incredible as he continues to show off his talents. This leads right back into the main riff and after a final verse and chorus they end things with a grand and epic flourish as everyone plays their guts out in a spectacular finish. The hits keep piling up! Track 8 is called "No Remorse" and James, Cliff and Lars lay down a pretty solid backing riff and after only just settling in it's already time for the first guitar solo! Hammett is is mid-song form though as he opens up with a really great solo full of all kinds of speedy goodness. After this opening solo they switch into the main riff as Hammett syncs up with Hetfield for some nice guitar and a nice drum fill by Lars takes us to the first verse. Hetfield sings quickly along as usual in this verse and after he plays a cool little bridge riff we arrive at the chorus. It's a fast-paced chorus riff that sounds pretty good as Hetfield almost rambles his way through. They connect nicely back to the main riff as they repeat the verse/bridge/chorus formula. Things get very distorted for a second after the chorus and Hetfield emerges from the chaos with a catchy new guitar riff. Burton joins in with some pretty sweet bass and Lars forms the beat as they set the stage nicely for another Hammett solo. Kirk delivers the goods as usual with another blisteringly fast solo and he ends it with a very cool little bit that reminds me of Iron Maiden. This awesome little finale to the solo connects seamlessly back into the main riff as we hear another solid verse/bridge/chorus. After this chorus Lars plays a fast drum fill and James screams "Attack!" before things speed up to a whole new gear! They move into a really fast but simple thrash riff that sounds pretty sweet and Hetfield begins to sing a new verse overtop the riff. It's a pretty cool new riff and James finishes it with a final "no remorse!" before they move into another epic metal flourish ending. Just when the song seems over, they kick back in for one final guitar lick and end another screamer of a song! Up next is the longest song on the album at just under seven minutes, titled "Seek & Destroy" and despite it's length, it was released as a single. It's not blistering fast like most of the stuff on this album, and this slower speed made things more accessible I guess. It kicks right into a slow but really catchy guitar riff by Hammett and the rest of the band backs him nicely. They segue really well into a new riff that is also really catchy and it seems Metallica saved all their best "slower" riffs for this song. They simplify this new riff even more as the guitar plays a slow and simple but heavy riff while Hetfield sings a pretty solid verse overtop. They reach a very simple chorus where Hetfield's only lyrics are "searching, seek & destroy" repeated several times over but the slow guitars sound very distorted and still make for a solid, heavy chorus. They play another slow verse and chorus and everything gets quiet afterwards as Lars begins playing a much faster drum beat. Hetfield emerges from the silence with a more typically fast riff and it's another great, catchy bit of guitar. He sets the stage for Hammett's solo and just like earlier on the album they play off each other for a series of mini-solos that sounds pretty great! This time it gets even better as Hammett continues to shred it and turns things into a full-blown solo with some more incredible guitar. After the solo, they basically hit reset and start the whole song from the beginning! It's the opening all over again as they familiarly make their way back to the main riff. They play a final verse and chorus and after Hetfield does a nice evil laugh they break it down into a new heavy riff that sounds pretty sweet as they slowly and epicly play this one out to it's conclusion. They return to their more standard thrash-y ways on the final song of the album, "Metal Militia" and it's driven by another deliciously fast rhythm guitar riff by Hetfield. It's not very flashy, but they not only play insanely fast, but it's perfectly on time and perfectly in time with each other as Hetfield, Hammett and Burton are all playing basically the same thing. This furious opening switches into a new riff that is just as fast as the guitars and bass all sound pretty amazing! Hetfield yells overtop this new riff and I like his almost screaming vocals as things furiously thrash along. The opening riff returns and turns out to be the chorus riff as Hetfield once again just sings the name of the song several times over in the chorus. The lyrics could certainly be improved upon, but the music is pretty freaking awesome as they switch back and forth between these two equally fast and wicked riffs. After another great verse and chorus Hammett immediately takes off for his solo and I bet you can guess what I'll say at this point as he plays an insanely fast, crazily awesome solo. It never lets up as he shreds up and down his guitar and the solo leads into a cool little bass segue by Burton that brings us to a new part. This new buildig riff is also pretty damn quick and they seem to climb and climb really nicely, culminating with a wicked little flourish by Hammett. With absolutley no time to take a breath, they throw you right back into another speedy verse as Metallica only knows constant notes on this song! After a furious final verse they continue to jam out the chorus and a slow fadeout begins. We hear the fading in of what sounds like marching soldiers and as the music fades away the album ends with the sounds of war as we hear gunfire and soldiers marching. A very metal way to end what is easily one of the most metal albums ever made at this point!

That is the end of "Kill 'Em All" and if you couldn't tell I thought it was a phenomenal album! Thrash metal is new to my library and it is unlike anything I have up to this point. There are so many amazing guitar solos and James Hetfield, Cliff Burton and Kirk Hammett all seem to be amazing musicians. This is a very high bar to debut with, but I look forward to Metallica's next effort!