Kill 'Em All
Encyclopedia
Kill 'Em All is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal
band Metallica
. It was released on July 25, 1983. Since its release, it has been certified 3x platinum by the RIAA
, having sold over 3 million copies in the United States alone.
(guitar/vocals), Lars Ulrich (drums), Ron McGovney
(bass), and Dave Mustaine
(lead guitar). Due to tensions with Mustaine, McGovney left the band. Castro Valley
-born bassist Cliff Burton
was recruited as his replacement. Mustaine was fired in April 1983, just before the recording of Kill 'Em All, for his drug and alcohol problems, overly-aggressive behavior and clashes with bandmates. After Mustaine's departure, Metallica recruited Kirk Hammett
, who previously played for Exodus
and was a one time student of Joe Satriani
. The band started recording Kill 'Em All with Hammett, who had re-written the Guitar Solos for most songs on the album, but is not credited for, barely a month later. Mustaine then formed the band Megadeth
, which also achieved multi-million selling success. Mustaine claimed this band to be the ever lasting "Gods".
Despite their differences, Mustaine's contributions to the early years of Metallica were still acknowledged; he received co-writing credits on four of the songs on Kill 'Em All. The songs "The Four Horsemen" (originally titled "The Mechanix") and "Jump in the Fire" were written by Mustaine. "The Mechanix" was performed at many early Metallica shows, but following Mustaine's exit, the band added a mid-paced, melodic middle section. Hetfield also wrote new lyrics for both "The Mechanix" and "Jump in the Fire" (a song originally about teenage sexual frustration), and retitled "The Mechanix" as "The Four Horsemen". Mustaine then sped up the original version of "The Mechanix", renamed it simply "Mechanix" and included it on the first Megadeth
album, Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!
Mustaine's other co-writing credits on Kill 'Em All are for the songs "Phantom Lord" and "Metal Militia".
Kill 'Em All is notable for having several songs with a concert-like ending, with slowing tempos and climactic final riffs. Examples of this include "Hit the Lights", "Phantom Lord" and "No Remorse".
The album is acclaimed for combining the rawness and fast tempos of speed metal
and punk rock
with the technicality and sharpness of New Wave of British Heavy Metal
, influences include Diamond Head
, Iron Maiden
, Motörhead, Black Flag
and the Misfits, making it one of the earliest and most influential thrash metal
albums ever recorded.
emerging from it. However, Megaforce urged them to change this, and they agreed, switching to Kill 'Em All. This time the cover featured the shadow of a hand letting go of a bloodied hammer. Burton is credited with coming up with the name Kill 'Em All (referring to timid record distributors) as a response to the whole situation. Even though the original title was unused, the band did later release a "Metal Up Your Ass" t-shirt with the proposed artwork. A live bootleg recording of a 1982 performance is in existence, titled Metal Up Your Ass (Live), and includes the originally intended cover artwork.
Original pressings of the album came with an inner sleeve that included pictures and lyrics as well as a silver label on the vinyl. Subsequent pressings had a blank white sleeve and standard album label. The 1988 re-release re-introduced the lyrics and photos. The original release can be distinguished by the words "Bang That Head That Doesn't Bang" at the top of the back cover. This was dropped from the re-release.
, as well as its subsequent re-issue and the band's first demo, No Life 'Til Leather. The demo's title comes from the first line of the song. Hetfield had brought the majority of the song to Ulrich from his old band, Leather Charm
, and the two worked out different arrangements. It was one of only a handful of songs that were performed live with Mustaine as the lead guitarist.
In the instrumental interlude in the latter half of the song, a guitar riff can be heard that Queen
originally used in their song "Great King Rat" and later in "Stone Cold Crazy
". Metallica would later cover the latter song.
The lyrical theme of the song is about performing live, traveling on the road and living a "heavy metal" lifestyle.
The song was covered by Black Tide
on its debut album Light from Above
.
The song was also featured on Guitar Hero: Metallica along with "Whiplash" and "Seek and Destroy"
". "The Mechanix" had different lyrics and was written by Mustaine during the time when he was in his previous band Panic. After Mustaine was ejected from Metallica, he included it on Megadeth's debut album, Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!
, with the title slightly shortened to just "Mechanix", with the original lyrics and at a much faster tempo. At this time, Hetfield rewrote the lyrics and added a new, melodic guitar solo in the middle of the song. This section is rarely played when Metallica performs the song live.
"The Four Horsemen" is a fan-favorite song of Metallica. The title also served as a source for one of the band's nicknames.
The lyrics, as the title suggests, are about the end of the world and the apocalypse, referring to the Biblical
text about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
. However, many believe the song is about Metallica themselves as the "horsemen".
The lyrics refer to the horsemen as Time, Famine, Pestilence and Death. This is a revision upon an already non-canonical misinterpretation of the Biblical passages. In the Bible, the four horsemen are actually Conquest, War, Famine and Death. In other popular culture they are known as Pestilence, War, Famine and Death.
During the bridge of the song, bassist Cliff Burton
's voice can be heard providing the backing vocals.
The iTunes bonus track of the song can be watched on the Live Shit: Binge & Purge
box set. The song was performed in Seattle on August 29, 1989.
An excerpt of "The Four Horsemen" is used in the queue video for the Zombiegeddon house in Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights
XX: Twenty Years of Fear.
Mustaine has publicly admitted that the bridge to the song The Four Horsemen is a direct copy of the main riff in the Lynyrd Skynyrd
song Sweet Home Alabama. As of yet, Lynyrd Skynyrd has not sued Metallica and/or Mustaine for plagiarism. Such a case would not be unprecedented, as Joe Satriani
sued Coldplay
for plagiarism.
.
The song was released as Metallica's second single, accompanied by fake live performances of "Phantom Lord" and "Seek & Destroy", which were alternate studio recordings with sounds of a crowd overdubbed in. According to Ulrich in an interview in 1991, "Jump in the Fire" was written and inspired by the Iron Maiden
song "Run to the Hills
", which was number one on the charts as Kill 'Em All was in the process of being written.
The cover of the "Jump in the Fire" single features an oil painting entitled Devil's D-Day that the artist Les Edwards
created in 1978.
and tapping
. At the beginning of the track, Burton says, "Bass solo, take one", likely to inform people that the song is played on bass guitar. It was also the bass solo that Burton was playing when Hetfield and Ulrich first saw him at a gig, Hetfield stated, "We heard this wild solo going on and thought, 'I don't see any guitar player up there.' We were both counting the strings and I finally turned to Lars and said, 'Dude, that's a bass!' Cliff was up there on stage with his band Trauma with a wah-wah pedal and his huge mop of red hair. He didn't care whether people were there. He was looking down at his bass, playing."
Often in concerts, Hetfield changes the original lyric from "But we'll never stop, we'll never quit, 'cause we're Metallica" to "But you'll never stop, you'll never quit 'cause you're Metallica" emphasizing that it is the fans who've made Metallica what they are. In live performances, Jason Newsted
often sang for part or all of the song, notably in Live Shit: Binge & Purge
in San Diego, California
. He also sang it without Hetfield on the stage July 7, 2000 at the Georgia Dome
in Atlanta, July 8, 2000 at Kentucky Speedway
in Sparta, KY and July 9, 2000 at Texas Stadium
in Irving, TX. Hetfield was icing down a recently injured back while Hammett, Newsted and Ulrich performed.
A number of covers of the song have been performed. In 2005, Motörhead won their first Grammy Award
for the cover of the song on a Metallica tribute album. It was also covered by Billy Milano
and Scott Ian
and Phil Soussan
and Vinny Appice
for Metallic Assault: A Tribute to Metallica, while Pantera
, using the joke name "Pantallica", performed the song live with Newsted on bass and members Dimebag Darrell
(guitar) and Philip Anselmo (vocals) switching instruments.
Metallica's Seattle 1989 performance of the song, and the iTunes
bonus version are almost exactly similar, except at the end of the song, Hetfield addresses the audience differently.
During the Live Shit version of the song, Hetfield counted off random numbers to start the song. Instead of saying "1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4", he said "1, 2, 4, 3, 2 and a half!"
The song was also covered by the German thrash metal band Destruction
on their 2000 album All Hell Breaks Loose
.
The lyrics deal with a mythical battle between heavy metal beasts. The band would often dedicate this song to members of the audience who "were bumping heads and getting their heads bumped too" during their early concerts.
Hetfield's third band before Metallica was called Phantom Lord.
Anthrax
recorded a cover of the song as a b-side to its 1998 album, Volume 8: The Threat Is Real
. It can be found on the import-single for the song "Inside Out".
The song was covered by death metal
band Cannibal Corpse
on its album Gore Obsessed
(2002) and its extended play Worm Infested
(2003).
.
During the documentary film about Metallica, Some Kind of Monster
, the song is used when footage of the band down the years is shown highlighting the progression in the band's appearance and sound over time. In the book Metallica: This Monster Lives
one of the film's directors said how initially they wanted to alter the footage so it flowed smoothly but soon noticed the value of showing the alteration in the band in each piece of footage.
This was also the theme song of former WCW
and current TNA
wrestler Sting and AAA
wrestler Cibernético
. In Sting's case, the song was a live recording from Woodstock 1999
which would be included on the 1999 compilation WCW Mayhem: The Music
. New York Mets
pitcher John Maine
takes the mound to "Seek & Destroy". Also, the San Jose Sharks
and the New Jersey Devils
of the National Hockey League
use the song as their entrance theme during home games.
"Seek & Destroy" was covered by Chuck Billy
and Jake E. Lee
and Jimmy Bain
and Aynsley Dunbar
for the album Metallic Assault: A Tribute to Metallica. The song has also been covered by thrash metal band Testament
, Bludvera and Acid Drinkers
and instrumentally by Freaklabel as part of a tribute medley. Malaysian death metal band Sil Khannaz also cover this song on their tribute album The Best of Sil Khannaz. Apocalyptica
, and Pantera
, the latter with Jason Newsted
, covered it live.
Numerous sources from different heavy metal magazines point out the song's lyrics are anthemic towards their hatred for the LA glam scene.
. Here, "Seek & Destroy" was played with Newsted singing vocals; however, at the end of the song, the band would commence in a jam for nearly 7 minutes until Hetfield took the microphone and continually had the audience sing the lines "Seek & Destroy!" He also went to the edge of the barriers holding off the crowd and got them to sing the lines individually. The song length went from an average of 7 minutes to an average of 16 to 20 minutes for the elongated concert version of the Black Album
tour. During the Shit Hits the Sheds Tour
of 1994, the song would be introduced as a new song that Jason wrote and would include an extended jam, that would include one of the main riffs of "The Outlaw Torn". From 2004 until 2011 it was a regular closing song at the end of the band's set (Some gigs in 2011 ended in Creeping Death). However, instead of it being played in E standard tuning
, it is played in D standard tuning. It was also played in E flat tuning during the years 1995 - 2002.
When played live, Hetfield (in the past also Newsted) often changes the beginning lyrics "in the city tonight" by replacing "the city" with the name of the town in which they are performing.
song "Dead Reckoning". The first three mini solos are derived from the song "Princess of the Night" by Saxon
. Metallica added the final solo. Since the song's debut on Kill 'Em All, Hammett has apologized for the unusual pitch of the string bend which occurs at 3:47 to 3:48, during the solo, is in fact a mistake or "bum note".
The song describes Metallica as the Metal Militia taking on the world with their heavy metal. As the militia, Metallica is trying to get the message out.
" by English heavy metal band Diamond Head
. The song first appeared on Diamond Head's album Lightning to the Nations
. "Am I Evil?" was included in the Garage Days Revisited b-side of Metallica's single "Creeping Death
". The song appeared again in 1998 on Metallica's Garage Inc.
anthology of covers, as well as on Disc 3 of the Live Shit: Binge & Purge
boxed set. Metallica has made the song recognizable to metal fans today when playing it live many times. In Los Angeles on the Damaged Justice Tour, Metallica switched the line-up for "Am I Evil?" in five shows: Ulrich was on vocals, Hetfield played drums, Hammett played bass and Jason Newsted
played guitar.
also added the song "Blitzkrieg" (a cover of the song by the band of the same name
). "Blitzkrieg" was previously released as Garage Days Revisited on the b-side of the "Creeping Death
" single from the label Music for Nations
in 1984. "Blitzkrieg" is now easily attainable on the Garage Inc. compilation.
Heavy metal music
Heavy metal is a genre of rock music that developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, largely in the Midlands of the United Kingdom and the United States...
band Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
. It was released on July 25, 1983. Since its release, it has been certified 3x platinum by the RIAA
Recording Industry Association of America
The Recording Industry Association of America is a trade organization that represents the recording industry distributors in the United States...
, having sold over 3 million copies in the United States alone.
Music
Metallica's original line-up featured James HetfieldJames Hetfield
James Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
(guitar/vocals), Lars Ulrich (drums), Ron McGovney
Ron McGovney
Ron McGovney is a former American musician, best known as the original bassist in the heavy metal band Metallica.-Leather Charm and Metallica:...
(bass), and Dave Mustaine
Dave Mustaine
David Scott "Dave" Mustaine is the founder, main songwriter, guitarist, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Megadeth. Prior to Megadeth, Mustaine was the first lead guitarist and a co-songwriter of the heavy metal band Metallica until he was fired from the band in 1983. In 2009, he...
(lead guitar). Due to tensions with Mustaine, McGovney left the band. Castro Valley
Castro Valley, California
Castro Valley is a census-designated place in Alameda County, California, United States. As of the 2000 census, it is the fifth most populous unincorporated area in California, and the twenty-third in the United States...
-born bassist Cliff Burton
Cliff Burton
Clifford Lee "Cliff" Burton was an American musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the American heavy metal band Metallica....
was recruited as his replacement. Mustaine was fired in April 1983, just before the recording of Kill 'Em All, for his drug and alcohol problems, overly-aggressive behavior and clashes with bandmates. After Mustaine's departure, Metallica recruited Kirk Hammett
Kirk Hammett
Kirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stones list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
, who previously played for Exodus
Exodus (band)
Exodus is an American thrash metal band formed in 1980 in Richmond, California. Spanning a career of over 30 years, Exodus has gone through numerous lineup changes, two extended hiatuses, and the deaths of two former band members. Guitarist Gary Holt remains the only constant member of the band,...
and was a one time student of Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
. The band started recording Kill 'Em All with Hammett, who had re-written the Guitar Solos for most songs on the album, but is not credited for, barely a month later. Mustaine then formed the band Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
, which also achieved multi-million selling success. Mustaine claimed this band to be the ever lasting "Gods".
Despite their differences, Mustaine's contributions to the early years of Metallica were still acknowledged; he received co-writing credits on four of the songs on Kill 'Em All. The songs "The Four Horsemen" (originally titled "The Mechanix") and "Jump in the Fire" were written by Mustaine. "The Mechanix" was performed at many early Metallica shows, but following Mustaine's exit, the band added a mid-paced, melodic middle section. Hetfield also wrote new lyrics for both "The Mechanix" and "Jump in the Fire" (a song originally about teenage sexual frustration), and retitled "The Mechanix" as "The Four Horsemen". Mustaine then sped up the original version of "The Mechanix", renamed it simply "Mechanix" and included it on the first Megadeth
Megadeth
Megadeth is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California which was formed in 1983 by guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, bassist Dave Ellefson and guitarist Greg Handevidt, following Mustaine's expulsion from Metallica. The band has since released 13 studio albums, three live albums, two...
album, Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!
Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!
Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! is the debut album by the American heavy metal band Megadeth, released in June 1985 through Combat and Relativity Records. During the beginning of 1985, the band was given $8,000 by Combat Records to record and produce their debut album, but this...
Mustaine's other co-writing credits on Kill 'Em All are for the songs "Phantom Lord" and "Metal Militia".
Kill 'Em All is notable for having several songs with a concert-like ending, with slowing tempos and climactic final riffs. Examples of this include "Hit the Lights", "Phantom Lord" and "No Remorse".
The album is acclaimed for combining the rawness and fast tempos of speed metal
Speed metal
Speed metal is a sub-genre of heavy metal music that originated in the late 1970s from NWOBHM and hardcore punk roots. It is described by Allmusic as "extremely fast, abrasive, and technically demanding" music....
and punk rock
Punk rock
Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock...
with the technicality and sharpness of New Wave of British Heavy Metal
New Wave of British Heavy Metal
The New Wave of British Heavy Metal was a heavy metal movement that started in the late 1970s, in Britain, and achieved international attention by the early 1980s. The movement developed as a reaction in part to the decline of early heavy metal bands such as Deep Purple, Led Zeppelin and Black...
, influences include Diamond Head
Diamond Head (band)
Diamond Head are an English heavy metal band formed in 1976 in Stourbridge, England. The band is recognised as one of the leading members of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and is acknowledged by later bands like Metallica and Megadeth as an important early influence.-Early history:Formed by...
, Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
, Motörhead, Black Flag
Black Flag (band)
Black Flag was an American punk rock band formed in 1976 in Hermosa Beach, California. The band was established by Greg Ginn, the guitarist, primary songwriter and sole continuous member through multiple personnel changes in the band...
and the Misfits, making it one of the earliest and most influential thrash metal
Thrash metal
Thrash metal is a subgenre of heavy metal that is characterized usually by its fast tempo and aggression. Songs of the genre typically use fast percussive and low-register guitar riffs, overlaid with shredding-style lead work...
albums ever recorded.
Album title
The band initially intended to title the album Metal Up Your Ass with the cover featuring a toilet bowl with a hand clutching a daggerDagger
A dagger is a fighting knife with a sharp point designed or capable of being used as a thrusting or stabbing weapon. The design dates to human prehistory, and daggers have been used throughout human experience to the modern day in close combat confrontations...
emerging from it. However, Megaforce urged them to change this, and they agreed, switching to Kill 'Em All. This time the cover featured the shadow of a hand letting go of a bloodied hammer. Burton is credited with coming up with the name Kill 'Em All (referring to timid record distributors) as a response to the whole situation. Even though the original title was unused, the band did later release a "Metal Up Your Ass" t-shirt with the proposed artwork. A live bootleg recording of a 1982 performance is in existence, titled Metal Up Your Ass (Live), and includes the originally intended cover artwork.
Original pressings of the album came with an inner sleeve that included pictures and lyrics as well as a silver label on the vinyl. Subsequent pressings had a blank white sleeve and standard album label. The 1988 re-release re-introduced the lyrics and photos. The original release can be distinguished by the words "Bang That Head That Doesn't Bang" at the top of the back cover. This was dropped from the re-release.
Reception and awards
- In 1989, the album was ranked number 35 on Rolling StoneRolling StoneRolling Stone is a US-based magazine devoted to music, liberal politics, and popular culture that is published every two weeks. Rolling Stone was founded in San Francisco in 1967 by Jann Wenner and music critic Ralph J...
s list of The 100 Greatest Albums of the '80s. and was listed by Kerrang!Kerrang!Kerrang! is a UK-based magazine devoted to rock music published by Bauer Media Group. It was first published on June 6, 1981 as a one-off supplement in the Sounds newspaper...
magazine at No. 29 among the "100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time". - Kill 'Em All peaked at number 120 on the charts, and sold 300,000 copies upon first release. It sold 500,000 copies and was certified goldRIAA certificationIn the United States, the Recording Industry Association of America awards certification based on the number of albums and singles sold through retail and other ancillary markets. Other countries have similar awards...
in 1989, platinum in 1991, double platinum in 1995 and triple platinum in 1999. - The album was ranked the number 1 Underground Album by Hit ParaderHit ParaderHit Parader is an American music magazine focusing on the genres of hard rock, pop, and heavy metal.The magazine was originally started as a pop song lyric magazine by Charlton Publications in 1942. Charlton sold off the magazine before the company went under in 1991...
. - Kill 'Em All ranked at number 20 in metal-rules.com's Best Metal Albums Ever.
Track listing
Songs
Kill 'Em All features the only two songs to ever be written only by one band member of Metallica each; "Motorbreath" (Hetfield) and "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth" (Burton). Mustaine credits Hugh Tanner for "Motorbreath" and "Hit the Lights" in a 1984 call-in radio interview."Hit the Lights"
"Hit the Lights" was the first song that Hetfield and Ulrich worked on when forming Metallica. Early versions of the song can be heard on the compilation album Metal MassacreMetal Massacre
Metal Massacre is a series of compilation albums released through Metal Blade Records. It is famous for "shedding light" on bands such as Metallica, Slayer, Overkill, Trouble, Tactics, Armored Saint, and more.-History:...
, as well as its subsequent re-issue and the band's first demo, No Life 'Til Leather. The demo's title comes from the first line of the song. Hetfield had brought the majority of the song to Ulrich from his old band, Leather Charm
Leather Charm
Leather Charm was a short-lived American heavy metal band from Downey, California, noteworthy as a forerunner to the highly successful thrash metal band Metallica.-History:...
, and the two worked out different arrangements. It was one of only a handful of songs that were performed live with Mustaine as the lead guitarist.
In the instrumental interlude in the latter half of the song, a guitar riff can be heard that Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
originally used in their song "Great King Rat" and later in "Stone Cold Crazy
Stone Cold Crazy
"Stone Cold Crazy" is a song by English rock band Queen from their successful 1974 album Sheer Heart Attack. The song is the eighth track on the album. Although the song was never released as a single, it was played live at almost every Queen concert between 1974-1978...
". Metallica would later cover the latter song.
The lyrical theme of the song is about performing live, traveling on the road and living a "heavy metal" lifestyle.
The song was covered by Black Tide
Black Tide
Black Tide is an American heavy metal band from Miami, Florida. Formed in 2004, the group is currently signed to Interscope Records and is composed of Gabriel Garcia , Austin Diaz , Zachary Sandler , and Steven Spence...
on its debut album Light from Above
Light from Above
Light from Above is the debut album from Black Tide. The album was released on March 18, 2008 and was produced by Johnny K. Each member of Black Tide was under 20 years of age during the recording of this album, making it very notable in the music industry. Three singles have been released from the...
.
The song was also featured on Guitar Hero: Metallica along with "Whiplash" and "Seek and Destroy"
"The Four Horsemen"
"The Four Horsemen" is a reworking of the Mustaine penned "The MechanixThe Mechanix
"The Mechanix" is a song originally performed by American heavy metal band Metallica. Dave Mustaine originally wrote the song for Panic, and later brought it with him to Megadeth...
". "The Mechanix" had different lyrics and was written by Mustaine during the time when he was in his previous band Panic. After Mustaine was ejected from Metallica, he included it on Megadeth's debut album, Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good!
Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!
Killing Is My Business... and Business Is Good! is the debut album by the American heavy metal band Megadeth, released in June 1985 through Combat and Relativity Records. During the beginning of 1985, the band was given $8,000 by Combat Records to record and produce their debut album, but this...
, with the title slightly shortened to just "Mechanix", with the original lyrics and at a much faster tempo. At this time, Hetfield rewrote the lyrics and added a new, melodic guitar solo in the middle of the song. This section is rarely played when Metallica performs the song live.
"The Four Horsemen" is a fan-favorite song of Metallica. The title also served as a source for one of the band's nicknames.
The lyrics, as the title suggests, are about the end of the world and the apocalypse, referring to the Biblical
Bible
The Bible refers to any one of the collections of the primary religious texts of Judaism and Christianity. There is no common version of the Bible, as the individual books , their contents and their order vary among denominations...
text about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse
The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse are described in the last book of the New Testament of the Bible, called the Book of Revelation of Jesus Christ to Saint John the Evangelist at 6:1-8. The chapter tells of a "'book'/'scroll' in God's right hand that is sealed with seven seals"...
. However, many believe the song is about Metallica themselves as the "horsemen".
The lyrics refer to the horsemen as Time, Famine, Pestilence and Death. This is a revision upon an already non-canonical misinterpretation of the Biblical passages. In the Bible, the four horsemen are actually Conquest, War, Famine and Death. In other popular culture they are known as Pestilence, War, Famine and Death.
During the bridge of the song, bassist Cliff Burton
Cliff Burton
Clifford Lee "Cliff" Burton was an American musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the American heavy metal band Metallica....
's voice can be heard providing the backing vocals.
The iTunes bonus track of the song can be watched on the Live Shit: Binge & Purge
Live Shit: Binge & Purge
-San Diego:Recorded at the San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California on January 13 and 14, 1992.-VHS one/DVD one:#"20 Min. MetalliMovie"#"The Ecstasy of Gold"#"Enter Sandman"#"Creeping Death"#"Harvester of Sorrow"#"Welcome Home...
box set. The song was performed in Seattle on August 29, 1989.
An excerpt of "The Four Horsemen" is used in the queue video for the Zombiegeddon house in Universal Orlando's Halloween Horror Nights
Halloween Horror Nights
Halloween Horror Nights is an annual Halloween event that occurs at Universal Orlando Resort, Universal Studios Hollywood and Universal Studios Singapore. Universal Studios remains operational during the day and transitions to Halloween Horror Nights at night...
XX: Twenty Years of Fear.
Mustaine has publicly admitted that the bridge to the song The Four Horsemen is a direct copy of the main riff in the Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd
Lynyrd Skynyrd is an American rock band prominent in spreading Southern Rock during the 1970s.Originally formed as the "Noble Five" in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1964, the band rose to worldwide recognition on the basis of its driving live performances and signature tune, Freebird...
song Sweet Home Alabama. As of yet, Lynyrd Skynyrd has not sued Metallica and/or Mustaine for plagiarism. Such a case would not be unprecedented, as Joe Satriani
Joe Satriani
Joseph "Joe" Satriani is an American instrumental rock guitarist and multi-instrumentalist, with multiple Grammy Award nominations...
sued Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
for plagiarism.
"Motorbreath"
"Motorbreath" is about "living life in the fast lane" and "not ending up like others [the] same song and dance". It means to live life to the fullest and enjoy being alive. It is the only song in the history of the band that is credited to Hetfield alone, and one of two in which Ulrich does not have credit (both on Kill 'Em All, the other is "(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth", which was solely written by Cliff Burton). Dave Mustaine later used the main riff to create "FFF" for Megadeth's Cryptic WritingsCryptic Writings
Cryptic Writings is the seventh studio album by heavy metal band Megadeth. The album was released on June 17, 1997 and debuted at #10 on Billboard Top 200. This is the last Megadeth studio album to feature drummer Nick Menza. His departure would mark the end of the band's longest lasting lineup to...
.
"Jump in the Fire"
The original version of "Jump in the Fire" was primarily written by Dave Mustaine. The lyrics of "Jump in the Fire" were written from Satan's point of view. It describes how the Devil watches the people who are killing each other, and so he is sure that they will all go to hell for their actions as they, allegorically, "jump in the fire". The original lyrics, featured on the No Life 'til Leather demo, dealt with sexuality and were written by Mustaine. It is known for its guitar outro at 3:46.The song was released as Metallica's second single, accompanied by fake live performances of "Phantom Lord" and "Seek & Destroy", which were alternate studio recordings with sounds of a crowd overdubbed in. According to Ulrich in an interview in 1991, "Jump in the Fire" was written and inspired by the Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden
Iron Maiden are an English heavy metal band from Leyton in east London, formed in 1975 by bassist and primary songwriter Steve Harris. Since their inception, the band's discography has grown to include a total of thirty-six albums: fifteen studio albums; eleven live albums; four EPs; and six...
song "Run to the Hills
Run to the Hills
"Run to the Hills" was Iron Maiden's sixth single and the first single from their 1982 album The Number of the Beast. The lyrics clearly discuss the violence visited upon Native Americans in the Nineteenth Century. Several lines appear to address the Sioux Wars, a conflict between the Lakota...
", which was number one on the charts as Kill 'Em All was in the process of being written.
The cover of the "Jump in the Fire" single features an oil painting entitled Devil's D-Day that the artist Les Edwards
Les Edwards
Les Edwards is a British illustrator known for his work in the horror, science fiction and fantasy genres, and has provided numerous illustrations for book jackets, posters, magazines, record covers and games during his career...
created in 1978.
"(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth"
"(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth" is a bass solo by Cliff Burton, which fades into the next song, "Whiplash". It is an instrumental track, with some accompaniment on drums by Ulrich. The song features Burton's distinctive "lead-bass" style of playing, incorporating heavy distortion, use of the wah-wah pedalWah-wah pedal
A wah-wah pedal is a type of guitar effects pedal that alters the tone of the signal to create a distinctive effect, mimicking the human voice...
and tapping
Tapping
Tapping is a guitar playing technique, where a string is fretted and set into vibration as part of a single motion of being pushed onto the fretboard, as opposed to the standard technique being fretted with one hand and picked with the other...
. At the beginning of the track, Burton says, "Bass solo, take one", likely to inform people that the song is played on bass guitar. It was also the bass solo that Burton was playing when Hetfield and Ulrich first saw him at a gig, Hetfield stated, "We heard this wild solo going on and thought, 'I don't see any guitar player up there.' We were both counting the strings and I finally turned to Lars and said, 'Dude, that's a bass!' Cliff was up there on stage with his band Trauma with a wah-wah pedal and his huge mop of red hair. He didn't care whether people were there. He was looking down at his bass, playing."
"Whiplash"
"Whiplash" was the first single released from Kill 'Em All. It is credited to Hetfield and Ulrich. The song is mostly about the feeling one gets from headbanging. "Bang your head against the stage", "Make it ring, make it bleed, make it really sore" and "You're thrashing all around...acting like a maniac" are examples of this.Often in concerts, Hetfield changes the original lyric from "But we'll never stop, we'll never quit, 'cause we're Metallica" to "But you'll never stop, you'll never quit 'cause you're Metallica" emphasizing that it is the fans who've made Metallica what they are. In live performances, Jason Newsted
Jason Newsted
Jason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist known for his work with Metallica, Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. Joining Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton's death, Newsted remained a member until 2001, making him the band's longest-serving bassist...
often sang for part or all of the song, notably in Live Shit: Binge & Purge
Live Shit: Binge & Purge
-San Diego:Recorded at the San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California on January 13 and 14, 1992.-VHS one/DVD one:#"20 Min. MetalliMovie"#"The Ecstasy of Gold"#"Enter Sandman"#"Creeping Death"#"Harvester of Sorrow"#"Welcome Home...
in San Diego, California
San Diego, California
San Diego is the eighth-largest city in the United States and second-largest city in California. The city is located on the coast of the Pacific Ocean in Southern California, immediately adjacent to the Mexican border. The birthplace of California, San Diego is known for its mild year-round...
. He also sang it without Hetfield on the stage July 7, 2000 at the Georgia Dome
Georgia Dome
The Georgia Dome is a domed stadium located in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, between downtown to the east and Vine City to the west. It is primarily the home stadium for the NFL Atlanta Falcons and the NCAA Division I FCS Georgia State Panthers football team. It is owned and operated by the...
in Atlanta, July 8, 2000 at Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway
Kentucky Speedway is a tri-oval speedway in Sparta, Kentucky, which has hosted ARCA, NASCAR and Indy Racing League racing annually since it opened in 2000. The track is currently owned and operated by Speedway Motorsports, Inc. and Jerry Carroll, who, along with four other investors, owned...
in Sparta, KY and July 9, 2000 at Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium
Texas Stadium was a football stadium in Irving, Texas, a suburb of Dallas. The stadium opened on September 17, 1971.Built to replace the aging Cotton Bowl, it was the home field of the NFL's Dallas Cowboys, and had a seating capacity of 65,675...
in Irving, TX. Hetfield was icing down a recently injured back while Hammett, Newsted and Ulrich performed.
A number of covers of the song have been performed. In 2005, Motörhead won their first Grammy Award
Grammy Award
A Grammy Award — or Grammy — is an accolade by the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences of the United States to recognize outstanding achievement in the music industry...
for the cover of the song on a Metallica tribute album. It was also covered by Billy Milano
Billy Milano
Billy Milano is a Bronx-born heavy metal musician now based in Austin, Texas. He was the singer, guitarist, and bassist of crossover thrash band M.O.D., and the singer of its predecessor, Stormtroopers of Death....
and Scott Ian
Scott Ian
Scott Ian Rosenfeld , better known by the stage name Scott Ian, is an American musician, best known as the rhythm & lead guitarist for the heavy metal band Anthrax. Ian is also the guitarist and a founding member of the crossover thrash band Stormtroopers of Death...
and Phil Soussan
Phil Soussan
Phil Soussan is a bass guitarist, songwriter and producer who has gained notoriety as a member of a host of famed rock and roll bands, including some who have been fronted by such vocalists as Ozzy Osbourne, Billy Idol, Vince Neil, Johnny Hallyday and John Waite, as well as a membership in Beggars...
and Vinny Appice
Vinny Appice
Vincent Samson Appice , also known as Vinny Appice is a rock drummer of American Italian descent and the younger brother of drummer Carmine Appice...
for Metallic Assault: A Tribute to Metallica, while Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
, using the joke name "Pantallica", performed the song live with Newsted on bass and members Dimebag Darrell
Dimebag Darrell
Darrell Lance Abbott , also known as Diamond Darrell and Dimebag Darrell, was an American guitarist. He was best known as a founding member of the heavy metal bands Pantera and Damageplan. Abbott also contributed to the album Rebel Meets Rebel, a collaboration between Pantera and David Allan Coe...
(guitar) and Philip Anselmo (vocals) switching instruments.
Metallica's Seattle 1989 performance of the song, and the iTunes
ITunes
iTunes is a media player computer program, used for playing, downloading, and organizing digital music and video files on desktop computers. It can also manage contents on iPod, iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad....
bonus version are almost exactly similar, except at the end of the song, Hetfield addresses the audience differently.
During the Live Shit version of the song, Hetfield counted off random numbers to start the song. Instead of saying "1, 2, 1, 2, 3, 4", he said "1, 2, 4, 3, 2 and a half!"
The song was also covered by the German thrash metal band Destruction
Destruction (band)
Destruction is a German thrash metal band. They are considered one of the "three kings" of the Teutonic thrash metal scene, the others being Kreator and Sodom...
on their 2000 album All Hell Breaks Loose
All Hell Breaks Loose (album)
All Hell Breaks Loose is the sixth full-length album by Destruction. It was the first official album made with Schmier returning to vocals since Release from Agony in 1988.-Track listing:# "Intro" - 0:43# "The Final Curtain" - 4:26...
.
"Phantom Lord"
"Phantom Lord" was written about the war cry of a mythical creature. It was primarily written by Dave Mustaine. The track was included on the band's first demo, No Life 'til Leather. It is the first Metallica song to include clean melodic guitars into its structure.The lyrics deal with a mythical battle between heavy metal beasts. The band would often dedicate this song to members of the audience who "were bumping heads and getting their heads bumped too" during their early concerts.
Hetfield's third band before Metallica was called Phantom Lord.
Anthrax
Anthrax (band)
Anthrax is an American heavy metal band from New York City, formed in 1981. Founded by guitarists Scott Ian and Danny Lilker, the band has since released ten studio albums and 20 singles, and an EP featuring Public Enemy. The band was one of the most popular of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
recorded a cover of the song as a b-side to its 1998 album, Volume 8: The Threat Is Real
Volume 8: The Threat Is Real
Volume 8: The Threat is Real is the eighth studio album by American heavy metal band Anthrax. The album was released in July 1998 by Ignition Records. The band and Paul Crook produced the album, which includes the single "Inside Out". Other singles released were "Crush", "P & V" and "Born Again...
. It can be found on the import-single for the song "Inside Out".
"No Remorse"
"No Remorse" contains a variety of tempo changes and guitar riffs. It is popular in gaming circles for being the inspiration behind the first song of the first Doom game. The song is about not feeling any remorse or repent during battle in war.The song was covered by death metal
Death metal
Death metal is an extreme subgenre of heavy metal. It typically employs heavily distorted guitars, tremolo picking, deep growling vocals, blast beat drumming, minor keys or atonality, and complex song structures with multiple tempo changes....
band Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse
Cannibal Corpse is an American death metal band from Buffalo, New York. Formed in 1988, the band has released eleven studio albums, one box set, and one live album...
on its album Gore Obsessed
Gore Obsessed
Gore Obsessed is the eighth studio album by American death metal band Cannibal Corpse released in 2002 through Metal Blade Records.There is also a Japanese version with "Compelled to Lacerate " as bonus track.-Track listing:...
(2002) and its extended play Worm Infested
Worm Infested
Worm Infested is the second EP by American death metal band Cannibal Corpse released in 2003 through Metal Blade Records.-Track listing:#"Systematic Elimination" – 2:53...
(2003).
"Seek & Destroy"
"Seek & Destroy" has been frequently played in concerts over the years since its live debut in 1982 and has been Metallica's closing song since the Madly in Anger with the World TourMadly in Anger with the World Tour
The Madly in Anger with the World Tour was a year-long concert tour by Metallica that took place in 2003 and 2004, in connection with their St. Anger album....
.
During the documentary film about Metallica, Some Kind of Monster
Some Kind of Monster (film)
Some Kind of Monster is a 2004 documentary film featuring the American heavy metal band Metallica. It shares its name with the song "Some Kind of Monster" from Metallica's 2003 album St. Anger....
, the song is used when footage of the band down the years is shown highlighting the progression in the band's appearance and sound over time. In the book Metallica: This Monster Lives
Metallica: This Monster Lives
Metallica: This Monster Lives is a book written by Joe Berlinger about how he filmed the feature-length movie Some Kind of Monster with the legendary heavy metal band Metallica....
one of the film's directors said how initially they wanted to alter the footage so it flowed smoothly but soon noticed the value of showing the alteration in the band in each piece of footage.
This was also the theme song of former WCW
World Championship Wrestling
World Championship Wrestling, Inc. was an American professional wrestling promotion which existed from 1988 to 2001. Based in Atlanta, Georgia, it began as a regional promotion affiliated with the National Wrestling Alliance , named Jim Crockett Promotions until November 1988, when Ted Turner and...
and current TNA
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling
Total Nonstop Action Wrestling is a privately held professional wrestling promotion founded by Jeff Jarrett and Jerry Jarrett. The company broadcasts its events on television and the Internet fifty two weeks a year with over a million weekly viewers on its primary television program, Impact...
wrestler Sting and AAA
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración
Asistencia Asesoría y Administración is a lucha libre professional wrestling promotion based in Mexico...
wrestler Cibernético
Cibernético
Octavio López Arreola is a Mexican professional wrestler who is best known under the ring name Cibernético, currently working for the Asistencia Asesoría y Administración promotion in Mexico...
. In Sting's case, the song was a live recording from Woodstock 1999
Woodstock 1999
Woodstock 1999, also called Woodstock 99, performed July 22–25, 1999, was the second large-scale music festival that attempted to emulate the original Woodstock Festival of 1969. Like the previous Woodstock festivals it was performed in upstate New York, this time in Rome, New York, around 200...
which would be included on the 1999 compilation WCW Mayhem: The Music
WCW Mayhem: The Music
WCW Mayhem: The Music is an album of songs related to World Championship Wrestling during the late 1990s.While many of the songs were performed by professional musicians, others featured wrestlers on vocals, such as "Bow Wow Wow." Numerous tracks, such as "Got Him In The Corner" and "Count That Man...
. New York Mets
New York Mets
The New York Mets are a professional baseball team based in the borough of Queens in New York City, New York. They belong to Major League Baseball's National League East Division. One of baseball's first expansion teams, the Mets were founded in 1962 to replace New York's departed National League...
pitcher John Maine
John Maine
John Kevin Maine is an American professional baseball pitcher. He has played for the Baltimore Orioles and New York Mets. He bats and throws right-handed.-Early life and college:Maine was born in Fredericksburg, Virginia...
takes the mound to "Seek & Destroy". Also, the San Jose Sharks
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California, United States. They are members of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League...
and the New Jersey Devils
New Jersey Devils
The New Jersey Devils are a professional ice hockey team based in Newark, New Jersey, United States. They are members of the Atlantic Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League...
of the National Hockey League
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
use the song as their entrance theme during home games.
"Seek & Destroy" was covered by Chuck Billy
Chuck Billy (vocalist)
Chuck Billy is an American vocalist, who is best known as the vocalist for the thrash metal band Testament.-Testament:Chuck Billy replaced Steve "Zetro" Souza, future Exodus vocalist, in the mid-1980s when the band was still called Legacy. Following his arrival, Testament released their first...
and Jake E. Lee
Jake E. Lee
Jakey Lou Williams , commonly known as Jake E. Lee, is an American guitarist best known for playing with Ozzy Osbourne in the mid-1980s and later in his own band Badlands.- Musical education :...
and Jimmy Bain
Jimmy Bain
James Stewart 'Jimmy' Bain is a Scottish bassist most famous for playing in the bands Rainbow and Dio with Ronnie James Dio. He has worked with Thin Lizzy frontman Phil Lynott, co-writing on his solo albums....
and Aynsley Dunbar
Aynsley Dunbar
Aynsley Thomas Dunbar is an English drummer. He has worked with some of the top names in rock, including Eric Burdon, John Mayall, Frank Zappa, Ian Hunter, Lou Reed, Jefferson Starship, Jeff Beck, David Bowie, Whitesnake, Sammy Hagar, UFO, and Journey...
for the album Metallic Assault: A Tribute to Metallica. The song has also been covered by thrash metal band Testament
Testament (band)
Testament is an American metal band from Berkeley, California, formed in 1983. They are often credited as one of the most popular bands of the 1980s thrash metal scene...
, Bludvera and Acid Drinkers
Acid Drinkers
Acid Drinkers are Polish thrash metal band formed in September 1986 in Poznań. Acid Drinkers were formed on September 21, 1986 consisting of Tomasz "Titus" Pukacki and Robert "Litza" Friedrich . The band's style from back then to present is thrash metal, with influences of heavy metal...
and instrumentally by Freaklabel as part of a tribute medley. Malaysian death metal band Sil Khannaz also cover this song on their tribute album The Best of Sil Khannaz. Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica
Apocalyptica is a band from Helsinki, Finland, formed in 1993. The band is composed of classically trained cellists Eicca Toppinen, Paavo Lötjönen, and Perttu Kivilaakso and drummer Mikko Sirén...
, and Pantera
Pantera
Pantera was an American heavy metal band from Arlington, Texas. Formed by the Abbott brothers, Vinnie Paul and Dimebag Darrell in 1981, bassist Rex Brown would join in late 1981 with vocalist Terry Glaze. Looking for a new and heavier sound, Pantera had Terry replaced in 1987 with Phil Anselmo as...
, the latter with Jason Newsted
Jason Newsted
Jason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist known for his work with Metallica, Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. Joining Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton's death, Newsted remained a member until 2001, making him the band's longest-serving bassist...
, covered it live.
Numerous sources from different heavy metal magazines point out the song's lyrics are anthemic towards their hatred for the LA glam scene.
Live performance
The song has become a fan favorite and has been played at almost every Metallica gig since the song was written. It is usually played as a closing number for their live performances, with Hetfield often asking the audience to sing along with him; he shouts "Searching", and they shout "Seek & Destroy!" The most memorable renditions of the song occurred during the years 1991, 1992 and 1993 for the Wherever We May Roam TourWherever We May Roam Tour
Wherever We May Roam was the fifth concert tour by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It began in autumn of 1991...
. Here, "Seek & Destroy" was played with Newsted singing vocals; however, at the end of the song, the band would commence in a jam for nearly 7 minutes until Hetfield took the microphone and continually had the audience sing the lines "Seek & Destroy!" He also went to the edge of the barriers holding off the crowd and got them to sing the lines individually. The song length went from an average of 7 minutes to an average of 16 to 20 minutes for the elongated concert version of the Black Album
Metallica (album)
Metallica is the self-titled fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. Mainly produced by Bob Rock, it was released on August 12, 1991 through Elektra Records to critical acclaim...
tour. During the Shit Hits the Sheds Tour
Shit Hits The Sheds Tour
The Shit Hits The Sheds was a concert tour by the American heavy metal band Metallica, which took place in 1994. The band played in 51 shows in North America, including a concert in Woodstock '94, which had an attendance of over 350,000 people. This is tour is also known for the debut of the song...
of 1994, the song would be introduced as a new song that Jason wrote and would include an extended jam, that would include one of the main riffs of "The Outlaw Torn". From 2004 until 2011 it was a regular closing song at the end of the band's set (Some gigs in 2011 ended in Creeping Death). However, instead of it being played in E standard tuning
Standard tuning
In music, standard tuning refers to the typical tuning of a string instrument. This notion is contrary to that of scordatura, i.e. an alternate tuning designated to modify either the timbre or technical capabilities of the desired instrument.-Bowed strings:...
, it is played in D standard tuning. It was also played in E flat tuning during the years 1995 - 2002.
When played live, Hetfield (in the past also Newsted) often changes the beginning lyrics "in the city tonight" by replacing "the city" with the name of the town in which they are performing.
Themes and inspiration
The song is about feeling the urge to kill. It can be inferred from the lyrics that it's not senseless killing but as revenge to someone that very much deserved it. During the Kill 'Em 'All for One tour, Hetfield would jokingly say that it was about hunting. It is said to be heavily influenced by the Diamond HeadDiamond Head (band)
Diamond Head are an English heavy metal band formed in 1976 in Stourbridge, England. The band is recognised as one of the leading members of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and is acknowledged by later bands like Metallica and Megadeth as an important early influence.-Early history:Formed by...
song "Dead Reckoning". The first three mini solos are derived from the song "Princess of the Night" by Saxon
Saxon (band)
Saxon are an English heavy metal band, formed in 1976 in Barnsley, Yorkshire. As front-runners of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, they had 8 UK Top 40 albums in the 1980s including 4 UK Top 10 albums. Saxon also had numerous singles in the Top 20 singles chart...
. Metallica added the final solo. Since the song's debut on Kill 'Em All, Hammett has apologized for the unusual pitch of the string bend which occurs at 3:47 to 3:48, during the solo, is in fact a mistake or "bum note".
"Metal Militia"
"Metal Militia" is the tenth and final track on the album. It was primarily written by Dave Mustaine even though writing credits were given to Hetfield and Ulrich. It is one of Metallica's fastest songs and the namesake for the band as well as a series of Metallica tribute albums.The song describes Metallica as the Metal Militia taking on the world with their heavy metal. As the militia, Metallica is trying to get the message out.
"Am I Evil?"
The eleventh track in 1988 Elektra Records re-issue of Kill 'Em All (initially not on the album) is a cover of "Am I Evil?Am I Evil?
The song was made most famous by Metallica's cover of the song, found on the 1988 re-release and the Japanese version of its debut album Kill 'Em All , though the cover was originally released as a b-side to the "Creeping Death" single in 1984, and was later released on Garage Inc. in 1998...
" by English heavy metal band Diamond Head
Diamond Head (band)
Diamond Head are an English heavy metal band formed in 1976 in Stourbridge, England. The band is recognised as one of the leading members of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal and is acknowledged by later bands like Metallica and Megadeth as an important early influence.-Early history:Formed by...
. The song first appeared on Diamond Head's album Lightning to the Nations
Lightning to the Nations
Lightning to the Nations is the debut album by heavy metal band Diamond Head. The album was recorded in 1979 and released in 1980 through their own label Happy Face Records, due to lack of interest from major labels and the band feeling that they needed to get the ball rolling as other bands from...
. "Am I Evil?" was included in the Garage Days Revisited b-side of Metallica's single "Creeping Death
Creeping Death
-Covers:* New Jersey Hardcore band Shattered Realm includes a cover of "Creeping Death" on the reissue of their 2002 album "Broken Ties Spoken Lies"* Plays Metallica by Four Cellos by Apocalyptica.* During Ozzfest 2002 by Drowning Pool....
". The song appeared again in 1998 on Metallica's Garage Inc.
Garage Inc.
-Disc two:These tracks are a collection of B-sides from artists Metallica were inspired by, throughout the early years of the band.-Personnel:* James Hetfield – lead vocals, rhythm guitar, lead guitar on "Whiskey In the Jar"...
anthology of covers, as well as on Disc 3 of the Live Shit: Binge & Purge
Live Shit: Binge & Purge
-San Diego:Recorded at the San Diego Sports Arena, San Diego, California on January 13 and 14, 1992.-VHS one/DVD one:#"20 Min. MetalliMovie"#"The Ecstasy of Gold"#"Enter Sandman"#"Creeping Death"#"Harvester of Sorrow"#"Welcome Home...
boxed set. Metallica has made the song recognizable to metal fans today when playing it live many times. In Los Angeles on the Damaged Justice Tour, Metallica switched the line-up for "Am I Evil?" in five shows: Ulrich was on vocals, Hetfield played drums, Hammett played bass and Jason Newsted
Jason Newsted
Jason Curtis Newsted is an American bassist known for his work with Metallica, Voivod and Flotsam and Jetsam. Joining Metallica in 1986 after Cliff Burton's death, Newsted remained a member until 2001, making him the band's longest-serving bassist...
played guitar.
"Blitzkrieg"
The 1988 re-issue of the album by Elektra RecordsElektra Records
Elektra Records is an American record label owned by Warner Music Group. In 2004, it was consolidated into WMG's Atlantic Records Group. After five years of dormancy, the label was revived by Atlantic in 2009....
also added the song "Blitzkrieg" (a cover of the song by the band of the same name
Blitzkrieg (band)
Blitzkrieg are a heavy metal band from Leicester formed in 1980, consisting of Brian Ross , Ken Johnson , Guy Laverick , Paul Brewis and Phil Brewis ....
). "Blitzkrieg" was previously released as Garage Days Revisited on the b-side of the "Creeping Death
Creeping Death
-Covers:* New Jersey Hardcore band Shattered Realm includes a cover of "Creeping Death" on the reissue of their 2002 album "Broken Ties Spoken Lies"* Plays Metallica by Four Cellos by Apocalyptica.* During Ozzfest 2002 by Drowning Pool....
" single from the label Music for Nations
Music For Nations
Music For Nations was a British independent record label focusing mainly on rock and metal. They were a subsidiary of the larger label distributor Zomba Records who in turn is owned by BMG....
in 1984. "Blitzkrieg" is now easily attainable on the Garage Inc. compilation.
Singles
- "Jump in the FireJump in the Fire-External links:* *...
" was released as a single in the UK in February 1984 to promote a UK tour with VenomVenom (band)Venom are an English heavy metal band that formed in 1979 in Newcastle upon Tyne. Coming to prominence towards the end of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal, Venom's first two albums—Welcome to Hell and Black Metal —are considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general...
. The single would feature "Phantom Lord" and "Seek & Destroy" as live tracks, although they are actually studio recordings with fake crowd noise dubbed over them. - "WhiplashWhiplash (song)-External links:*...
" was released as a 12" single in the US, featuring the same tracks as the UK "Jump in the Fire" single but also featuring a "special Neckbrace remix" of "Whiplash". However, Lars UlrichLars UlrichLars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...
stated that there is no difference between the remix of "Whiplash" and the original version, except of course that it is a different mix of the song, it has added reverb which is very noticeable. It has the same instrumental tracks but with a different mix.
Personnel
- James HetfieldJames HetfieldJames Alan Hetfield is the rhythm guitarist, co-founder, main songwriter, and lead vocalist for the American heavy metal band Metallica. Hetfield co-founded Metallica in October 1981 after answering a classified advertisement by drummer Lars Ulrich in the Los Angeles newspaper The Recycler,...
– lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
, rhythm guitarRhythm guitarRhythm guitar is a technique and rôle that performs a combination of two functions: to provide all or part of the rhythmic pulse in conjunction with singers or other instruments; and to provide all or part of the harmony, ie. the chords, where a chord is a group of notes played together... - Lars UlrichLars UlrichLars Ulrich is a Danish drummer, and one of the founding members of the American thrash metal band Metallica. He was born in Gentofte, Denmark to an upper-middle class family. A tennis player in his youth, Ulrich moved to Los Angeles, California at age sixteen to pursue his training; though rather...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person .... - Kirk HammettKirk HammettKirk Lee Hammett is the lead guitarist and a songwriter in the heavy metal band Metallica and has been a member of the band since 1983. Before joining Metallica he formed and named the band Exodus. In 2003, Hammett was ranked 11th on Rolling Stones list of The 100 Greatest Guitarists of All Time...
– lead guitarLead guitarLead guitar is a guitar part which plays melody lines, instrumental fill passages, guitar solos, and occasionally, some riffs within a song structure... - Cliff BurtonCliff BurtonClifford Lee "Cliff" Burton was an American musician, best known as the bass guitarist for the American heavy metal band Metallica....
– bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
Production
- Paul Curcio; Jon Zazula – producerRecord producerA record producer is an individual working within the music industry, whose job is to oversee and manage the recording of an artist's music...
s - Chris Bubacz – engineerAudio engineeringAn audio engineer, also called audio technician, audio technologist or sound technician, is a specialist in a skilled trade that deals with the use of machinery and equipment for the recording, mixing and reproduction of sounds. The field draws on many artistic and vocational areas, including...
- Alex PerialasAlex PerialasAlex Perialas is an American audio engineer, mixer, and record producer, best known for his extensive work during the "golden age" of thrash metal in the mid–1980s to early–1990s...
(first pressing; credited as "Alex Perialis"); Bob LudwigBob LudwigBob Ludwig is an American mastering engineer.He is a well known and respected figure within the music industry. His name is credited on the covers of albums released across the world, and he has won numerous awards....
(all other releases) – masteringAudio masteringMastering, a form of audio post-production, is the process of preparing and transferring recorded audio from a source containing the final mix to a data storage device ; the source from which all copies will be produced... - George Marino – remasterRemasterRemaster is a word marketed mostly in the digital audio age, although the remastering process has existed since recording began...
ing - Andy Wroblewski – assistant engineer
Album
| Year | Chart | Peak position |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | Billboard 200 Billboard 200 The Billboard 200 is a ranking of the 200 highest-selling music albums and EPs in the United States, published weekly by Billboard magazine. It is frequently used to convey the popularity of an artist or groups of artists... |
155 |
| 1988 | Billboard 200 | 120 |
| 2007 | Finnish Albums Chart | 12 |