METALLICA
KILL’EM ALL
July 25, 1983: the day that changed heavy metal forever.
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There are certain turning points in heavy metal that simply cannot be denied. KILL ‘EM ALL, the debut album from the mighty METALLICA, is without question the first shot fired in the sonic revolution of heavy metal that would ultimately come to be known as the point of origin for thrash metal.
Heavier, faster, and more aggressive than anything else at the time, the release of KILL ‘EM ALL completely changed the game.
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Jump in the Fire Released: January 20, 1984
TRACKS
Side one
1 Hit the Lights
2 The Four Horsemen
3 Motorbreath
4 Jump in the Fire
5 (Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth
6 Whiplash
Side two
1 Phantom Lord
2 No Remorse
3 Seek & Destroy
4 Metal Militia
It's time to prepare for a zoom call with “Zulu and Zuul” to better understand the subtle nuances between the “junt-junts” and the “flan-nahs”, find out which Metallica song was the first to have keyboards and acoustic guitars, always remember that “junts are for metal” and JOIN US as we discuss the debut album that did for thrash metal what Black Sabbath’s debut album did for heavy metal: it’s a 40th anniversary dive into METALLICA’s KILL ‘EM ALL.
HIT THE LIGHTS:
Just with the way it fades in you can tell that it’s gonna be LOUD! If you listen carefully (right after the pick scratch), you can tell that the guitar tone changed a tad on the left channel (especially if you listen with headphones) before the rest of the band comes in. Certainly, a much more refined, polished, and precise version than the demo version from Metal Blade’s “Metal Massacre I” compilation. Listening to this is like going back in time…back to a time before James’ teeth started doing more of the singing and his voice dropped down 3 octaves.
“When we start to rock
We never want to stop again…”
THE FOUR HORSEMEN:
I suppose we could also call this the much slower and doomier version of The Mechanix that super Dave (Mustaine) would eventually record with Megadeth.
That “galloping” part before the “Lynyrd Skynyrd” part and the part before that (the bridge?) where they address each of the 4 horsemen of the apocalypse (which are probably riding right now as we speak) is perhaps (even to this day) one of THE heaviest riff moments in Metallica’s 40-year history.
This is certainly the longest and most progressive song on this album. There’s also a part right before the outro solo (around the 6:00 minute mark) that seems really unusual; not sure if it was just an accident or what, but it sounds absolutely surreal. Maybe that was courtesy of the haunted studio.
“The quartet of deliverance rides,
A sinner once, a sinner twice,
No need for confession now,
‘Cause now you’ve got the fight of your life…”
MOTORBREATH:
Presumably written before any of Lars’ gum endorsement deals started coming through. A bit more of the NWOBHM sound with a little more heaviness and dirt on it. You can certainly feel the “live energy” vibe of this song; obviously a no-brainer that it would become a staple of their live sets.
“Those people who tell you not to take chances,
They are all missing on what life’s about,
You only live once so take hold of the chance,
Don’t end up like others, the same song and dance…”
JUMP IN THE FIRE:
It’s odd. Sure, we all know that this is a Metallica song, and we all remember it from way back in the day when we first heard it, but somehow it almost seems strangely out of place. Based on the shape and technicality of the riffs (and to some extent, the lyrics even), you can tell that Mr. Mustaine certainly had a hand in the writing of this one. The outro solo on this song smokes though; very much old school, classic Kirk Hammett style shred.
“So reach down grab my hand
Walk with me through the land
Come home where you belong…”
(ANESTHESIA) – PULLING TEETH:
Perhaps, to date, one of the most profound instrumentals of Metallica’s career…captured in one take! ONE. TAKE! This isn’t just some noodling, it’s got a flow to it, like an actual song, and it showcases Cliff Burton’s otherworldly bass playing talent like nothing else in their catalog.
Some have called Cliff Burton the Jimi Hendrix of bass guitar, which is certainly a reasonable comparison. No other bass player in metal matches the fluidity, originality, and ferocity of Cliff’s style. From note choice to tone to technique, there has never been, nor will there ever be anyone else like Cliff Burton.
WHIPLASH:
“Flan-nah-nah-nah…”
Okay, I understand the “flan-nahs” don’t work in this instance…
The very first Metallica song I ever heard in my life…there was absolutely nothing like this anywhere else in music…nothing this heavy, fast, or aggressive. Easily one of the most iconic songs of Metallica’s career.
“Adrenaline starts to flow,
You’re thrashing all around,
Acting like a maniac,
Whiplash”
PHANTOM LORD:
Who woulda thunk that the mighty Metallica would have keyboards and acoustic guitars on their debut album!? Another classic…and also the opener for side 2 (if you’re following along on vinyl and/or cassette). Definitely a punk influence there, that same sort of unrestrained sonic fury.
The creepy middle part right before the breakdown gives us a taste of the darker sounds that will become more prominent in Metallica’s sound over their next few albums. It almost has the same flow as the middle part of “Master of Puppets” right before it goes into the solo.
“The leathered armies have prevailed,
The Phantom Lord has never failed,
Smoke is lifting from the ground,
The rising volume metal sound…”
NO REMORSE:
The first half of the song is much more heavy than fast, although it certainly finishes as fast and furious as any typical thrash tune. (The Cannibal Corpse cover of this is outstanding, btw, which should be a clear indicator of just how ferociously heavy this album was in 1983 and how massively influential it has been on metal throughout the FOUR DECADES since it was released!).
“Only the strong survive,
No will to save the weaker race,
We are ready to kill all comers,
Like a loaded gun right at your face…”
SEEK & DESTROY:
And now for perhaps the most classic Metallica song of them all. Someone said this was the “Creeping Death of Kill ‘Em All…” (in terms of being the anthem) but something about the vibe of this one seems radically different than Creeping Death. It’s almost more like the Paranoid of Kill ‘Em All…it’s instantly recognizable, and pretty much even people outside the tri-county metal community even recognize this song. It has a very distinctive 80’s feel to it somehow, if that makes any sense.
According to the Metallica lore of yore, there’s a “sour note” somewhere in this solo that makes Kirk cringe whenever he hears it. I think I know which note it is, but I’m not exactly sure, and quite frankly it doesn’t matter; whenever I hear it, it just takes me back to being a kid and hearing this for the first time.
“There’s no escape and that’s for sure,
This is the end we won’t take anymore,
Say goodbye to the world you live in,
You’ve always been taking but now your giving…”
METAL MILITIA:
You can hear the slight change in the guitar tone on this one right at the beginning just like on Hit The Lights. Another tune co-written by Mustaine. Of all the songs on their debut, this might be the absolute fastest and most technical song on the entire album. Even today, this is still one of the favorites from this record.
“Joining together to take on the world with our heavy metal,
Spreading the message to everyone here, come let yourself go,
Oh, through the mist and the madness
We’re trying to get the message to you…”
Show Notes:
(00:01): “Technically…if you think about it…” #YouTube / ***WARNING: #listenerdiscretionisadvised***/ #thisepisodesclinkyoftheepisode #jagermeistercoldbrew / “I think you’re supposed to shake it a little bit…” / “Can you guys dial in some snow for like mid-July?” / “Did you know you can identify as anything you want?” / #litterboxASMR / ***WELCOME BACK TO THE METAL NERDERY PODCAST!!!*** / “Lookin’…” / #thisepisodesbeeroftheepisode #AkademiaBrewing #reachingout (“You hook ‘em right under the balls and pull ‘em toward you…”) / #Hopbrodisiac / “It smells like #newcarpet…” / “Who the fuck still drinks #budlight?” / #RussellsReflectionsASMR #IcelandDickChick (“We’ll find out after we get the letter…”) and some new #MetalNerderyFans / “As long as they don’t call me Rusty…”
Beer of the Episode
Akademia Brewing
Movie Snacks Sour
(11:19): “Do we have any #voicemail?” / Old school 1987 #thrashconcertticket #myfirstconcert / ***LEAVE US A VOICEMAIL AND GIVE US A CALL AT 980-666-8182!!!*** #TheVoiceMailSegment (And a call from Paul from #TheGreatWhiteNorth) #PeterPanSpeedrock (“They’re from #Dutch”) BEER FOR BREAKFAST / “Go getcha some #poutine eh” / WE’LL PLAY YOUR SHIT-TAH!!! (Part II: Russell’s pick): #KimDracula SEVENTY THORNS (Featuring Jonathan Davis) / “Left turn after left turn…”/ “Musically, it’s like an #acidtrip… with #multiplegenres”
(20:20): “Let’s go back to 1983…” / “That’s what always made #Penthouse better…” / #TheDocket METALLICA’S DEBUT ALBUM: KILL ‘EM ALL!!! / “I wonder who’s blood that is on the hammer?” / “It’s supposed to be a #poser picking his nose…” / Since #72Seasons is right around the corner, we decided to go #backtothefront of the mighty #Metallica catalog and celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of #KillEmAll / Looking back to when we first heard and/or bought Kill ‘Em All / The impact of Kill ‘Em All on the future of metal / #Franish (and/or #Spench) / July 25, 1983 / “Dude, the 80’s was like 20 years ago…”/ #KillEmAllTurnsForty and a reference to #MurderInTheFrontRow / “Did y’all know the place they recorded this was haunted?” / “Wait a minute: was HE singing or was it his teeth?”
(31:13): #killeropener HIT THE LIGHTS / Kirk’s guitar solos back in the day / $15,000 / “Zulu…or Zeul?”/ “That’s faith…and the recognition of true talent” / Sophistication / #MetalUpYourAss and the original #debutalbumtitle / #FuckThePMRC / THE FOUR HORSEMEN (“Probably their most progressive song on this one…”) / Listen to that crunch… (“Still gives me a boner to this day…”) / Cool doubletracked guitar solos during the #LynyrdSkynyrd part (very #Iommic sounding) #wristaction #markthetime
(44:33): MOTORBREATH / Did Cliff actually use a pick on this song? #strongfingers / “This feels amazing…I’ll bet it’s gonna be expensive…” / #liquidhotmagma / JUMP IN THE FIRE / “I heard food in that one…” / “The #potatobomb gave me a #potatobone” / #onetakewonder #basssolotakeone (ANASTHESIA) - PULLING TEETH #HailCliffBurton / #gumendorsements / “The first Metallica song I ever heard in my life…” / WHIPLASH #killerclosersideone
(58:55): “Condoms prevent minivans…” / #killeropenersidetwo #keyboardsASMR PHANTOM LORD (“That sounds more punk than thrash…”) / How about that creepy middle section? / #horribleKirkHammettImpression / Flan-na-na-na-na-na-na-na / NO REMORSE / “Question for the guitar boys…” / Production tweaks to give the illusion of multiple amps / “It’s the You Shook Me All Night Long of Kill ‘Em All…” / “The Creeping Death of Kill ‘Em All?” / SEEK & DESTROY (Definitely one of the finest guitar tones of 1983) / The difference between the juhnt-juhnt and the flan-nah / #killercloser METAL MILITIA (You can definitely hear the #DaveMustaine influence in the riffs)
(1:17:10): Tracking changes (if any)? / Extra tracks added in 1988 (Am I Evil and Blitzkrieg) / Favorite track(s)? / One of the few thrash classics that got progressively better from start to finish / “It’s all about the touch…” / Songs that could be removed… / One of THE best #debutalbums in history / ***THANK YOU ALL FOR JOINING US!!!*** / Go check out the #72Seasons #listeningparties and pick up the new album on 4/14/23!!! / “And the last word goes to…” / #untilthenext ***GO GRAB SOME MERCH AT THE #BUNKERPOONGIFTSHOPPE AT metalnerdery.com/merch *** / #outroreel #imagery “What the fuck is wrong with you?” / chugs and junts and jans