ALBUM OF THE WEEK # 149 METALLICA - KILL 'EM ALL (1983 - 30TH ANNIVERSARY)

[RJhog (Admin)]

Artist: Metallica

Genre: Heavy Metal

Country Of Origin: U.S.

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Member: Yes

Album: Kill 'Em All

Released: July 25, 1983

Producer: Paul Curcio

Song Of The Week: Jump In The Fire

It's First Friday again, which means it's time for a 30th Anniversary album.  True Metal is not a category that I explore very often, but this week that's what you get.  From 1983, it's Metallica's debut Kill 'Em All.

• While reaching a dismal #120 on the Billboard Chart, the debut still has been certified Triple Platinum by the RIAA (Wikipedia).
• Dave Mustaine parted ways with Metallica before the album was recorded, but still received writing credit on several tracks (Wikipedia).
• Mustaine was replaced by Kirk Hammett, who remains in the band today.
• I think Hammett's playing as well as Lars Ulrich's drumming are both very good.
• James Hetfield's voice sounded very immature on this album.  It obviously got better as the band's career went along.

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 & Destroy

10. Metal Militia

[Jon]

This is one hell of a debut, not a bad track on the whole album.

I first heard this album in '83, when I was at a friends house and he pulled out this album and said i just had to hear it. I thought it was just noise at first and then he skipped over to "Jump In The FIre", picked up his geetar and played that opening riff, and I thought it was the most amazing thing I had ever heard. It still took me a few years before I picked up this album, and then it wasn't just noise any longer. Thanks Jimmy Nelson for giving me my first taste of Metallica!

Crap, I'm REALLY getting old now. I'm reminiscing too much.   

[Niels (Mod)]

I remember this album, when it was released. I didn't buy it, because it was too heavy, and really just one album among a lot of new Heavy Metal-albums, that came after the successfull New Wave Of British Heavy Metal. But when Ride The Lightning was released, I needed some new music, and bought it, and that album is still my favorite Metallica-album. I never did buy this one, and never will. I got really tired of Metallica around the time when they released Load, and I haven't really recovered since, and doubt if I ever will.

[Scott]

Im still not much a Metallica fan..  but I do remember when this came out.  I first heard it in Washington State traveling from Tacoma to Portland when a friend of mine popped it in the cassette deck.  I didn't like it, but he loved it so it got cranked loud and repeated for the majority of the ride...

 

A long time has passed since I've heard this last, and I mean a LLLLLLOOOOONNNNNNNGGGGGGG time...

 

• I like it more, and I do hear some melodic elements that I never heard before.
• The first two tracks aren't bad at all, kinda liked The Four Horsemen
• Motorbreath is awful...
• Cool riff in Jump In The Fire, but the tune kind of drones over and over and becomes uninteresting
• Is that a Fuzz bass solo opening (Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth?  Liked this instrumental!
• No Remorse, now were talking !!  Love that riff and the lead work is really solid!  Love the tone of the guitar!
• Is it just me or does the production of Seek and Destroy sound different than the rest of the songs?  And not in a good way.  Either way its not a very good tune
• Didn't like the closer either...

 

So my opinion has changed!  This is better than I remembered, far better since I hated it originally.  But it doesn't change my thinking of Metallica as whole, I'm still a sideline fan, content to hear them incidentally every now and then.

 

Nice post...