Metallica - Kill 'Em All
1983 Megaforce

Track Listing:
1.  Hit The Lights
2.  The Four Horsemen
3.  Motorbreath
4.  Jump In The Fire
5.  (Anesthesia)--Pulling Teeth
6.  Whiplash
7.  Blitzkrieg
8.  Phantom Lord
9.  No Remorse
10. Seek & Destroy
11. Metal Militia
12. Am I Evil?

Line-Up:
Vocals:  James Hetfield
Guitars:  James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett
Bass:  Cliff Burton
Drums:  Lars Ulrich

Website:  www.metallica.com

Scoot's Rating:  A+
Overall Album Rating:  A+

Also be sure to read:
Metallica - ...And Justice For All Review by Horatio
Metallica - Metallica Review by Horatio
Metallica - St. Anger Review by Horatio

Scoot's Review:
It's 2005 and I pity all you jerks who don't understand how great this album is, because I know that you'll never be able to approach it with an open mind if your introduction to Metallica was "St. Anger" or "Load".  Believe me, I totally understand how horrible Metallica is, both musically and as people, since at least 1988.  Luckily for me, I'm old enough to remember when "Master Of Puppets" was their newest release, and thus had the opportunity to get seriously behind the Metallica war machine free from the preconceived notions and troubling connotations attached to the band today.  Again, my condolences if you're not onboard with "Kill 'Em All", because not only is it the band's finest hour, but it's also my favorite metal LP ever.  No, this is not going to be a very objective review.

In one fell swoop, Metallica sounded the death knell for one subgenre (NWOBHM) while ushering in the glory days of another (thrash/speed).  As any metal historian can tell you, Metallica were huge fans of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, covering songs by bands like Budgie, Diamondhead, Blitzkrieg, and others.  The band's early sound drew heavily from these influences, while cranking up the speed, volume, and aggression to new heights.  Though none of the members were virtuosos (with the possible exception of the late Cliff Burton), they are perfectly equipped for the task at hand and rip through the album's twelve tracks with all the fervor and hunger of youth. 

Not yet old enough to be completely jaded, nor mature enough to be entirely self conscious, Kill 'Em All abounds with the obvious passion they felt for being in a metal band.  References to leather, spikes, metal, and headbanging populate almost every song.  Emblazoned on the back cover above their ugly acne-scarred photo is the amazing motto: "Bang that head which doesn't bang".  Wow.  Some bullet points to close this already too long review out:

• Hetfield's rasped, in-the-red vocal delivery on "Metal Militia"

• an amazing cover of "Am I Evil?" that actually outdoes Diamondhead's original

• track 5 is a bass solo for crying out loud

• Kirk has a badge on his jacket on the back cover pic that reads "I fuckin' hate buttons"

• no songs about dragons, Lord of the Rings, or any of that pseudo-hippie nonsense the Brits were so into

• they thank "vodka and ale" in the thank you list

• name checking themselves in "Whiplash" ("We'll never stop/We'll never quit/Cause we're Metallica!")

• BANG THAT HEAD WHICH DOESN'T BANG

Scoot's Rating:  A+

Discography (last updated 1.27.06):
Hit The Lights demo - 1982
Metal Up Your Ass demo - 1982
No Life 'Til Leather demo - 1982
Power Metal demo - 1982
Ron McGovnev's '82 Garage Demo - 1982
Horsemen Of The Apocalypse demo - 1993
Jump In The Fire EP - 1983
Kill 'Em All - 1983
Megaforce demo - 1993
Creeping Death EP - 1984
Ride The Lightning - 1984
Whiplash EP - 1985
Master Of Puppets - 1986
Garage Days Re-Revisited EP - 1987
...And Justice For All - 1988
Eye Of The Beholder EP - 1988
Harvester Of Sorrow EP - 1988
One EP - 1989
Welcome Home (Sanitarium) EP - 1989
The Good, The Bad, And The Live box - 1990
Enter Sandman EP - 1991
The Unforgiven EP - 1991
Metallica - 1991
Live At Wembley Stadium EP - 1992
Nothing Else Matters EP - 1992
Sad But True EP - 1992
Wherever I May Roam EP - 1992
15 Pieces Of Live Shit EP - 1993
Live Shit:  Binge And Purge box - 1993
The Unforgiven II EP - 1995
Ain't My Bitch EP - 1996
Hero Of The Day EP - 1996
King Of Nothing EP - 1996
Load - 1996
Mama Said EP - 1996
Mandatory Metallica EP - 1996
Until It Sleeps:  Part I - 1996
Until It Sleeps:  Part II - 1996
Best Of Metallica - 1997
Live In London EP - 1997
Reload - 1997
The Memory Remains EP - 1997
Fuel EP - 1998
Garage Inc. - 1998
Live In London - 1998
Turn The Page EP - 1998
Whiskey In A Jar EP - 1998
Die, Die My Darling EP - 1999
No Leaf Clover EP - 1999
S&M EP - 1999
S&M Live - 1999
S&M Version:  Master Of Puppets EP - 1999
S&M Version:  Nothing Else Matters EP - 1999
I Disappear EP - 2000
Exclusive Collection - 2001
Best Of Metallica - 2003
Frantic EP - 2003
St. Anger - 2003
St. Anger EP - 2003
Some Kind Of Monster EP - 2004
The Unnamed Feeling EP - 2004
Vinyl Box Set - 2004
St. Danger box set- 2005