The Four Horsemen hit the nail on the head with their debut release (Kill 'em All - Metallica)

Member Name: vacuumgarden

Product:	Kill 'em All - Metallica
Date:	26/05/08 (59 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Metallica's debut album was highly original for its time, and still enjoyable today.

Disadvantages: Sounds slightly rough and ready compared to later releases, and lacks lyrical and thematic depth.

Metallica's début album Kill 'Em All was widely seen as a ground-breaking release when it first saw the light of day back in 1983. Recorded in two weeks on a shoestring budget, the band showcased an aggressive sound that took inspiration from traditional metal but approached it with the energy and urgency of punk rock. The resulting combination was dubbed 'thrash metal', and alongside contemporaries such as Slayer, Anthrax and Megadeth, Metallica played authentically fast and heavy music that was seen as a rejection of the more commercial L.A. glam-metal scene. Twenty five years on, this record certainly seems a lot tamer and less revolutionary than it perhaps did then. But it nonetheless retains the youthful exuberance that was lost on later releases by the band, and remains to this day perhaps the most visceral and immediate of Metallica's albums.

The first three Metallica albums feature what is widely considered to be the 'classic' line-up, which consisted of James Hetfield (vocals/guitars), Lars Ulrich (drums), Cliff Burton (bass) and Kirk Hammett (guitars). The performances on Kill 'Em All are pretty tight overall, and its clear that a solid musical chemistry existed between the band even at this early stage. Hetfield was already a gifted rhythm guitarist, with a real knack for a tight riff - even if his vocals were less accomplished at this point. Ulrich's drum parts are solid if unremarkable, and Hammett's guitar work fits the band pretty well for a man who had only joined the band earlier that year. The early Metallica's real asset however was Burton, whose bass parts were highly innovative and added a lot to their sound. His unconventional approach and staggering technique on the bass guitar added an extra dimension to the band that raised both their credibility with the underground metal community, and their musicianship as a whole.

The songs on offer are pretty excellent too. Like many first albums, Kill 'Em All is essentially a professionally recorded representation of the band's live set at the time. Most of the tracks continue to feature in Metallica setlists today (which is a testament to the quality of the material), and songs such as Whiplash, No Remorse, Seek & Destroy and The Four Horsemen are as good as anything they ever wrote in the years after. Even tracks that are played less frequently these days, such as Motorbreath, Phantom Lord and Metal Militia, are quality thrash metal. The only song that doesn't quite hit the mark is Jump In The Fire, which sounds slightly forced and hasn't aged that well in comparison to the other compositions. Musically the album goes by at a relentless breakneck speed, only easing up for the occasional middle-section in some songs, and in the Burton bass solo Anasthesia (Pulling Teeth). With later albums the band would slow down and feature more mid-tempo compositions, but Kill 'Em All is the closest thing to a pure thrash record Metallica ever released. The lyrics too are less serious than in later releases, thematically referring to the band's lifestyle and 'more metal than you' attitude. Although more lightweight than the grand statements evident in future releases like ...And Justice For All and Master Of Puppets, this is not necessarily a bad thing. The album is not as bleak, serious or heavy-handed as those releases, and as a result Kill 'Em All is arguably a much more immediate and instantly gratifying listen overall.

Metallica would in the ensuing years build on the musical template set down by Kill 'Em All and take their music in new and often unexpected ways, but this remains the definitive document of their formative years. They would take on weightier subject matter, develop a more commanding feel for dynamics and song composition, and individually improve as musicians to the benefit of the band as a unit. Essentially, Kill 'Em All remains a great album even a quarter of a century on, and it exudes an energy and focus that Metallica were to gradually lose as the years went by. For its time it was brash, forward-thinking and very aggressive, and nothing the band do now can tarnish or detract from the quality of this album.

Summary: Kill 'Em All is an energetic and visceral 80's thrash metal release.