Metallica

From the Source

Metallica's Kill 'Em All saw the band committing their ground-breaking brand of thrash metal to vinyl for the first time. Raw, rapid and brutal, this 1993 debut had its roots in punk and traditional heavy metal but produced a sound that was all its own, marking not just Metallica's coming of age, but the moment that metal changed for good.

Inspired by the aggression and speed of new British metal acts such as Iron Maiden, and Diamond Head, Kill 'Em All reveals the early Metallica forging the raucous thrash metal sound that would take them on to world domination. But while the album earned them a following on the underground metal scene, in 1983 the ferocity and speed of tracks like 'The Four Horsemen' and 'Seek & Destroy' came as a challenge for many listeners. Martin Hooker, whose Music For Nations label released the band's debut in Europe, remembers hearing the album's demo: 'I loved it on first listen. It was one of the most extreme records of its kind. I clearly remember friends of mine hearing the tape and looking incredulously at me saying, "What are you getting yourself into? This is just noise!" Most people just couldn't get their heads around early Metallica at all. With its punk roots, it was a real shock to the system.'