Yahoo!: ‘Kill ’Em All’: The Influence Of Metallica’s Murderously Good Debut Album
It would be no understatement to say that Metallica’s debut album, Kill ’Em All, changed the world. Not only was it instrumental in shaping the direction of heavy metal in the 80s, but it was the springboard for a band that would eventually become one of the biggest-selling musical acts in history.
But fame and fortune were a few years away. In 1983 Metallica was, for the most part, still in their teens (guitarist Kirk Hammett turned 20 in November 1982, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich would do so after the album’s release). Nevertheless, the band had built a steady following around their local Los Angeles scene, securing gigs on the strength of their infamous No Life ’Til Leather demo. And it was those tracks that would form Kill ’Em All.
