“Kill 'Em All” is the debut studio album by American
heavy metal band Metallica, released on July 25, 1983, through independent
label Megaforce Records. Metallica began by playing shows in local clubs in Los
Angeles. They recorded several demos to gain attention from club owners and
eventually relocated to San Francisco to secure the services of bassist Cliff
Burton. The group's “No Life 'til Leather” demo tape (1982) was noticed by
Megaforce label head Jon Zazula, who signed them and provided a budget of $15,000
for recording. The album was recorded in May with producer Paul Curcio at the
Music America Studios in Rochester, New York. It was originally intended to be
titled “Metal Up Your Ass”, with cover art featuring a hand clutching a dagger
emerging from a toilet bowl. The band was asked to change the name because
distributors feared that releasing an album with such an offensive title and
artwork would diminish its chances of commercial success.
Metallica promoted the album on the two-month co-headlining “Kill 'Em All for
One” tour with English heavy metal band Raven in the US. The album also
generated two singles: "Whiplash" and "Jump in the Fire".
Although the initial shipment was 15,000 copies in the US, the album sold
60,000 copies worldwide by the end of Metallica's “Seven Dates of Hell European”
tour in 1984. The album did not enter the Billboard 200 until 1986, when it
peaked at number 155, following Metallica's commercial success with its third
studio album, “Master of Puppets”; the 1988 Elektra reissue peaked at number
120. “Kill 'Em All” was critically praised at the time of its release and has
since been regarded as a groundbreaking album for thrash metal, because of its
"precise musicianship, which fused new wave of British heavy metal riffs
with hardcore punk tempos". It was also retrospectively placed on a few
publications' best album lists. The album's musical approach and lyrics were
markedly different from rock's mainstream of the early 1980s and inspired a
number of bands who followed in similar manner. It was certified 3× Platinum by
the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 1999 for shipping three
million copies in the United States.
“Kill 'Em All” este albumul de debut al trupei americane de heavy metal Metallica, lansat la 25 iulie 1983 prin compania independenta Megaforce Records. Metallica a inceput sac ante in spectacole locale in Los Angeles. Ei au inregistrat cateva demo-uri pentru a atrage atentia patronilor de cluburi si a reusi sa se mute in San Francisco, pentru a-si asigura permanent serviciile basistului Cliff Burton. Banda demo a trupei, “No Life 'til Leather”, a fost remarcata de seful de la compania Megaforce, Jon Zazula, care le-a furnizat u buget de 15000$ pentru a o inregistra. Albumul a fost inregistrat in mai cu producatorul Paul Curcio la Music America Studios in Rochester, New York. Intentia initiala pentru titlu a fost “Metal Up Your Ass”,cu o coperta pe acre aparea o mână strângând un pumnal ieșind dintr-un vas de toaletă. Trupei I s-a cerut sa schimbe numele si coperta deoarece distribuitorii s-au gandit ca un astfel de titlu ofensiv, dublat si de imagine, va diminua sansele lansarii comerciale.
Metallica a promovat albumul cu turneul din SUA cu titlu combinat “Kill 'Em All
for One”, care a durat 2 luni, avand cu ei si trupa britanica de heavy metal
Raven. Albumul a generat si doua single-uri "Whiplash" si "Jump
in the Fire". Desi prima expeditie de albume in SUA a fost de 15000 de
copii, trupa a vandut 60000 de copii datorita si turneului European "Whiplash"
and "Jump in the Fire" din 1984. Albumul nu a intrat in Bilboard 200
pana in 1986 cand a atins locul 155, ca urmare a succesului celui de-al treilea
album al trupei “Master of Puppets”; relansarea din 1988 de la Elektra a atins
locul 120. “Kill 'Em All” a fost laudat de critica la lansare si a fost privit
de atunci ca un album innovator pentru thrash metal, datorita precisei sale
muzicalitati, care a facut fuziunea dintre riff-urile noului val britanic de heavy metal
cu tempo-urile de punk hardcore. A fost plasat retrospective pe listele celor
mai bune albume ale catorva publicatii muzicale. Abordarea muzicala si
versurile au fost diferite fata de curentul rock principal de inceput de ani ’80
si a inspirit o serie de trupe care au urmat acelasi stil. A fost certificate 3x
platina de catre RIIA in 1999 pentru expedierea si vanzarea a 3 milioane de
copii in SUA.
List of tracks
Side 1
1. "Hit
the Lights" 4:17
2. "The
Four Horsemen" 7:13
3. "Motorbreath" 3:08
4. "Jump
in the Fire" 4:42
5. "(Anesthesia)—Pulling
Teeth" (instrumental) 4:15
6. "Whiplash" 4:09
Side 2
7. "Phantom
Lord" 5:02
8. "No
Remorse" 6:27
9. "Seek
& Destroy" 6:56
10. "Metal
Militia" 5:11
Personnel
Metallica
James Hetfield – vocals, rhythm guitar
Kirk Hammett – lead guitar
Cliff Burton – bass
Lars Ulrich – drums
Production
Paul Curcio – production
Jon Zazula – executive producer
Chris Bubacz – engineer
Andy Wroblewski – assistant engineer
Alex Perialas – mastering
Bob Ludwig – mastering (first Elektra releases)
George Marino – 1995 remastering
Howie Weinberg - 2016 remastering
Artwork
Gary L. Heard - front & back cover design photos
Kevin Hodapp - inner sleeve photos
Shari & Harold Risch - graphics, design & layout
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