Metallica - Kill 'Em All

Still good, but needs a re-mix.

Okay, couple things I need to get out of the way since this is a review of the vinyl version of this album. First, to enjoy this vinyl record fully, you NEED good equipment to play it on. I'm talking at or near audiophile-level hi-fi equipment, with the turntable being nothing less in build quality than something like a Technics SL-1200.

That being said, it would have been real good if Metallica had re-mixed and re-mastered this album for re-issue on vinyl. The big problem I have with it is that James Hetfield's lyrics are a little too buried in the mix on most of the songs. One thing I will say too is be prepared to really turn up the volume to hear things really good. This album really pushes the LP vinyl format to its limit, with 27 minutes of music on side one and 26 minutes on side two. Because of the long playing times, the basic playing volume is reduced to make all the music fit.

Despite the flaws, because this is a vinyl release, it will be a good collectible album and when played on fine turntables will give lots of listening enjoyment. Just be sure to get Metallica's next three after this one though, 'Ride the Lightning', 'Master of Puppets', and '...And Justice For All' on vinyl too. October 24, 2008

Kill 'Em All

Metallica-Kill 'Em All ****

The cover says it all really...

The infamous debut from Metallica, thrash metals most popular band. Kill 'Em All is one of those albums that either do it for you or it doesn't. It is loud, fast, and in your face. James Hetfield can't sing here, though he never really has been able too, and his lyrics leave something to be desired. They would improve over the years but here they are a joke. Cliff Burton kills, but often fumbles over himself. Though his solo on 'Pulling Teeth' is over the top. Lars was far from Lars. Kirk Hammet...well this is his album. A real riff fest, solos from out of this world and Hammet nails them all. Though Dave Mustaine wrote most everything before being kicked out and forming Megadeth. Hammet really makes the album.

'Seek And Destroy' is a bonafide Metallica classic. It is the really only place on the album where all cylinders click. 'The Four Horsemen' is a really metal giant. Truest in all forms. Great riffs, and actually some decently evil lyrics. 'Whiplash' and 'Jump In The Fire' almost satisfy but fall short. 'Pulling Teeth' is genius and the first instrumental. The is was is missed most on later albums from the band is their killer instrumentals. The rest of the album does exactly what the album cover does. It looks and sounds like a group if zit faced metal heads trying to look and sound cool...and you know what...there is nothing wrong with that because amazingly Metallica make it work through out this entire album.

Kill 'Em All was a far cry away from their next three albums (Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets, ...And Justice For All) all of which became classics. RTL easily being the groups best. But Kill 'Em All is innocent and honest and the album we have been waiting for Metallica to make since 1992. September 25, 2008

It's A Classic, PERIOD!

There probably isn't much to say about this album that hasn't already been covered by someone else's review. But I've been a Metallica fan since this album originally dropped and I'm still a fan to this day. I've managed to forgive them for Load...and Reload...and St. Anger. I'm trying to muster up the courage to buy Death Magnetic. But enough about all that...this is still my favorite Metallica album of all time for one simple reason...DAVE MUSTAINE! Listen to riffs like the main riff of Seek and Destroy and tell me it's not magic. I have respect for Kirk Hammett and he's done some great guitar playing over the years, but as far as writing music goes, Mustaine just writes catchier riffs...well not so much anymore, but definitely on this album. I'm also a huge Megadeth fan so I'm sure my view is skewed a bit...but to me there's just no comparison. With Mustaine writing the riffs, this album thrashes harder than a porn star on Viagra. The riffs are original, they don't sound repetetive, and they're fast without being so fast that you start getting dizzy from listening to 'em. I'm not knocking Ride The Lightning or any of the later work Hammett did up till the Black Album, but I still think Metallica would've been better off with Mustaine as their guitarist and this album shows it. This is THE THRASH ALBUM...plain and simple...oh yeah and James could still sing when this came out, even if his voice has a higher pitch. Oh and for all you fans that wonder what happened to Metallica the last 10 or 15 years...I'll give you 3 words to sum it up...Cliff Burton's gone! Alright I'm done, if ya' don't own this by now, someone should slap you! September 23, 2008

What was Great, Now... not so much

I'm not quite a fan of the re-issue of this album, for one very good reason. Before I get into that reason, I'll say that Kill Em All was my FAVORITE Metallica album of all time. Great hard stuff that'll never exist ever again. Which brings me to why I don't like this album:

They cut Blitzkrieg (a cover, I know) off the album. Why? So they could slap it on an album of covers in the future and make you buy another CD to get this one track.

No thanks. Glad I've still got my original pressing of this album with ALL the tracks on it. September 15, 2008

The best thrash album ever?

This album is as heavy and fast as Metallica ever got. One of the few albums you can listen to all the way through. A highly underrated album in my opinion. September 10, 2008

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