Hey everybody it’s Elliott and today you’ll be reading the first of many of my new blog series where I review classic/new metal albums based on each individual song 1-10. I hope you enjoy!
The first album I’ll be going over is “Kill ‘Em all”. I chose this album to be my first because it’s my all-time favorite metal album hands down. Also I thought it would be cool to start it off with Metallica’s debut album and it just so happens to be it’s 36 year anniversary today!
1# Hit the Lights- 10/10
I think this song defines what Metallica is all about. Very catchy riffs and lyrics, fast paced and a unbelievably awesome solo. This song is one of my favorites on this album because it gets right into the main riff. It feels like I’m riding a motorcycle with a flame thrower through hell during this song. It’s the perfect way to start an album. I wonder how awesome it was to hear all this music back then when this was the “new stuff”. If I could go back in time to see a song live, it’d be between this song and Seek and Destroy. But it would have to be with Cliff.
2# The Four Horsemen-8.7/10
This is a great song! I don’t think it’s one of my favorites for Metallica in general but it’s a popular song on this album. I think it is just a little too long and can feel a little dragged out for me and I think the mixing in the vocals could be a little higher up. But that’s just my opinion. If it was a little shorter I think it could be one of my favorites. But I do like the breakdown of the song and the solos. I think I like the 2nd solo a little better than the first. I think it has more attitude. The song has moments that I absolutely love and moments I’m not too crazy about. But overall it’s a good song!
3# Motorbreath-8.8/10
This song is quick and to the point. I noticed that it has a very similar riff to “Hit the Lights” when the song gets faster. Once again the 2 solos from Kirk are amazing. I just wish the solos could be a little longer but that’s all I have for this one. A quick, to the point, awesome song.
4# Jump in the Fire-9.7/10
This is one of my favorites from Metallica. The main riff is so cool, it’s one of those riffs you wish you wrote yourself. It’s sounds a little jazzy to me which I think is awesome. I’m pretty sure Dave wrote that riff which makes sense because his music sounds kind of like jazz metal. It kind of sounds fun, like not angry, more of hanging out and drinking beers type of vibe. Which I like because it’s something a little different.
5# Anesthesia Pulling Teeth- 10/10
Do I really have to explain why I love this song? It’s THE best bass solo of ALL TIME!! Cliff Burton is one of my heroes and is the hero of most metalheads! He is a metal god! What I love about this song is that it’s kind of a break in the album in which it’s a refreshing instrumental track. I also think that his bass sounds like it’s telling a story or talking to whomever is listening to it. That’s what made him one of the best bassists ever.
6# Whiplash-9.5/10
This is one of the best songs on the album and I like that I can hear a hint of Ace of Spades in this. It kind of sounds like a song that Motorhead never released. This is a very thrashy song and I think it’s very catchy! Which is good because it feels like a faster version of Black Sabbath with some of the riffs. This is the definition of 80s thrash metal and makes me want mosh whenever I listen to it! It makes me want to smash the T.V. and windows with a hammer. I absolutely love this song but I don’t think it’s better than songs like Jump in the Fire, Hit the Lights or Seek and Destroy. I feel like it needs something more to it that their other songs have, that’s the only reason why I didn’t give this one a 10/10.
7# Phantom Lord-9.8/10
I think this song is a little underrated. I think it’s almost perfect but I think the solo could be a tiny bit better. But the clean part after the solo is SO cool. It sounds a tiny bit like the And Justice For All album. The second solo I like a lot better than the first solo. It kind of sounds like a Randy Rhoads solo. I think this is an overall a great song and the weird part is that I never really listened to this song much and I don’t know why. Definitely going to listen to it more in the future!
8# No Remorse-8.9/10
This song is another one of those cases where I like it a lot but it isn’t as good as a song like Seek and Destroy. I think the highlight of the song is the speedy part and I really like how it starts off with a kick ass solo from Kirk. It also has a cool groove metal riff in there that I like a lot. I think this rating could change within a week or two if I listen to it more. It usually depends on how I’m feeling at the moment. This sounds like it has a strong Iron Maiden Paul Di’anno era vibe to it, in fact there is a small part in this song that sounds exactly like Iron Maiden at 3 minutes 48 seconds into the song!
9# Seek and Destroy-9.9/10
The only reason why this isn’t perfect because it’s a little to long. But other than that this song is absolutely awesome! I love every riff on this song and the vocals perfect. I think this song has the best solo on the album. I really like how it starts with that fast paced riff and then goes into the killer solo. If I were to do metal cover of this album, this would be the song I’d pick. I think this is probably the most popular song on the album and it definitely deserves to be the most popular song. It has all the right elements for an old school Metallica song. The catchy singing, fantastic guitar playing/writing and a raw screaming sound from the guitars!
10# Metal Militia 9.3/10
I was originally going to give it a 8.7 but after listening to it again I didn’t think that was fair. I really love the fast guitars throughout the song and this is another song that has that Motorhead/Black Sabbath vibe. If it had a more memorable solo this song would’ve been a little higher. I think I listen to this particular song more in the future.
ALBUM OVERALL: 94.6/100
I think a 94.6 is a good rating for this album. This is a very awesome, powerful, raw and inspiring album for me. Every time I listen to it, it makes me want to play guitar and start a thrash band. It might be a little or a lot different for you. Remember this is just my own personal opinion. I really hope you enjoyed this and I hope you have an awesome rest of your day!
HAPPY ANNIVERSARY TO KILL ‘EM ALL
