Metallica
Kill 'Em All

THE REVIEW

First of all, this is my first review and I don't know if it will be decent (at least, I hope it is).

In 1983, a band called Metallica, composed of four young guys (at the time) named James Hetfield on guitar (rhythm) and vocals, Kirk Hammett on guitar (lead), Cliff Burton on bass, and Lars Ulrich on drums. Influenced by hardcore punk and NWOBHM bands, they mix these two genres and give life to "Kill 'em All," their first studio album and the first to start a new genre of extreme heavy metal called "thrash metal," the illegitimate child of the two genres that greatly influenced the band.

It's worth mentioning that in this album, Dave Mustaine, the former lead guitarist of Metallica, contributed to the composition of four very beautiful songs, namely: "The Four Horsemen", "Jump in the Fire", "Phantom Lord", and "Metal Militia". He was later kicked out of the band due to his problems with drugs and alcohol.

Now let's analyze the first part of the album properly. Kicking off the show is the opener "Hit the Lights" which starts with a drum work by Ulrich and then bursts into a fast and frantic riff, ending with some excellent solos. The following "The Four Horsemen" is one of the longest songs on the album, but the pace doesn't drop and the speed is maintained as in the previous song, only at the midway point there's a great melodic part. "Motorbreath" is one of the shortest and is a straight thrash metal punch in the teeth. Now it's one of the most beautiful songs on the album's turn, and we are talking about "Jump in the Fire" which has a simple and pleasant refrain; here too there are excellent solos at the end. Now it's time for one of the band's best instrumental tracks, "Anesthesia" composed entirely by the legendary Cliff Burton, who plays his powerful bass and ends with a drum-backed solo.

Now let's analyze the second part of the album, starting with "Whiplash" where Ulrich's drums, once again, kick off the show and then burst into numerous fast and adrenaline-filled riffs; in short, it's a headbanging song. "Phantom Lord" starts with a slow drum intro, followed by more raw and frantic riffs accompanied by Hetfield's ever-angrier voice. Now there's one of the songs I really like, and it's "No Remorse" which features a frighteningly extreme and fast rhythmic section compared to the previous songs, the ending is downright devastating. "Seek & Destroy" is one of the absolute best songs on the album, this one is never missing from their live shows, the initial riff is one of the best composed by Metallica. The album ends beautifully with "Metal Militia", brutal and fierce enough to break through reinforced concrete walls.

In a few words "Kill 'em All" is a masterpiece in every sense, both for metal music and music in general. I recommend it to fans of the genre and to those who haven't listened to it yet. The best songs are... all of them.