Let me know how YOU feel about the first Metallica album, both back then and now, if you stuck with them over the decades, or anything else that makes sense, in the comments below.
I’m 50 and have always been a metalhead. I have a few times in my life where I heard something that changed everything musically. It was Ride the Lightning for me too and the song was Creeping Death. I heard that song and my jaw was on the floor,I was blown away. Haven’t felt like that about music in a long time.
Being a kid growing up in small town Missouri, I didn't have access to underground metal... A childhood friend of mine from Tulsa moved here, he had Kill Em All. This was early 86, Master came out around the time. I stole it from my local Walmart and I never looked back. I went backwards got Ride The lightning, then Kill Em All. I still have the local newspaper article on Cliff Burton's death and remember it like yesterday... Kill Em All will always be top 3 Metallica for me!!! Love your show!!! 🤘🤘 P.S.- Rest In Peace Jonny Z... Thank you for Megaforce Records and all the amazing bands you turned me on to...
I can't remember the exact year I discovered them, but it was probably 85 or 86. Those years were huge for me, because that's when my metal discoveries rapidly expanded from hair bands to Iron Maiden. Once I discovered Maiden there was no looking back.
Hey Matt! Great to find you here. Loving what I've watched so far! I felt the need to say that Eric did this same thing to me back in '84 regarding RTL! Too funny. I remember getting a call, 'Hey, what're you doing? Stay there I'll be right over. You HAVE to hear this album'. Literally a life changing moment I tell people about to this day.
In 1983 I walked into a record store where the DJ of a heavy metal public radio show worked. His nom de plume was "Uncle Salty." I was there to buy a demo tape by a local band called Crisis that I had heard on his show. I asked him if there was anything new he recommended. He suggested this new band called Metallica. He described them as "metal played at punk speeds, like Motorhead or Raven." I bought it. It changed everything for me. Also bought the Crisis demo. Another fast and raw metal band. Turned me on to my local scene.
1984,14 years old.Friends brother came back from the States in about August with Kill Em All and Metal Church.Blew us away (both). Loved the look of both bands,that street look.Think I had to wait about a week or two before Metal For Melbourne (record store in Aus) got Ride The Lightning in.Bought that as soon as it came in.Was a bit of a Metallica fan boy after that,back in the day.
My first album was ride the lightning as well and I was blown away! Loved it immediately! I picked up kill em all after and wasn’t blown away like I was with ride the lighting, It was a great album but it took a couple of days for me to fully appreciate it.
Matt, fantastic video! I'd really love to see you do more deep dives into individual albums like this, sharing your own personal story involving the record. For me I saw the "One" music video at around 10 or 11 years old and it scared the $hit outta me....When the "Black Album" came out, I was instantly in love and strategically went backwards from there, buying the cassette tapes of the previous 4 albums. Ironically I think I got "Kill 'em All" last. BTW ...Lightning is my favorite. Thanks again for the awesome episode today
Great story sounds alot like mine as we are the same age. Would love to hear about the first time you discovered Mercyfull Fate or Venom and what album you found first. Love your videos thanks.
Either band would be an excellent choice... Black Metal and Don't Break The Oath alone would be great. Thanks for the kind words about my videos. Glad you dig them.
I was introduced to Metallica in a very similar way to you. A friend of mine had RTL and played it for me. I was gobsmacked by it, so bought it the same day. It was a couple of months later when I saw KEA in my local store, so picked it up immediately. I got a lot of discography info via Kerrang! magazine back then, so also knew of the 12"s that were available. When MOP came out I was equally gobsmacked. My love for them started to wane with "And Justice..." and they just became pub background music with the black album. When they toured the UK with Raven back then, they jumped up onstage (well, it was a floor) and played a guest spot at some friends gig in a very small bar.
I probably told you this or mentioned it in a video, but I had a Kerrang! subscription in the '80s, though it took an entire month for each issue to make it stateside. Still worth it as they were who was covering all of these great bands, including early Metallica. Of course, the mag changed a bit with the times and it was never the same, but those early memories of discovery through that publication are still with them.
I was 15 & had asked my parents 2 go 2 a concert since prob 7.They finally took me to Ozzy on Sin tour w/ a band I'd never heard of Metallica on puppets tour!! one of their friends let me borrow Lightning & it blowd me away.The concert was Badass & I got to see Cliff just weeks b4 he left us, he was throwing out shirts & albums & Thrashing like a Maniac. After I bought lightning & Master on cassette at the same time,but killemall was hard to find in Tenn,but when I did it became my Fav
I heard about Metallica in 1983 in a magazine and kept seeing ads for "Kill 'em All". Then in '84 my local station,CHOM FM in Montreal, started a show on Friday nights called "The Metal Files". They would play all the new underground metal bands like Slayer,Venom and Metallica and I was blown away! Unfortunately,our local neighborhood record store didn't sell records from independent labels or imports. Luckily for me and my cousins (the only other metalheads I knew at the time) we had a record store in Downtown Montreal that sold Metal records and were sponsors of "The Metal Files". It was called "Rock en Stock" and they started an in-house label called "Banzai" whose claim to fame was that they invented the Speed Metal swirl. The label distributed to our city the imports we couldn't get elsewhere and that was where I bought "Kill 'em All","Ride The Lightning" and the "Creeping Death" 12 inch (with Blitzkrieg and Am I Evil on the other side). "Ride" was my favorite but "Kill" was a close and still are today. I still get the same feeling putting them on now as I did when I was 14. I only have the 12 inch left now. Had to sell the others as I was going into cds and needed money. I regret that now but it was necessary then.
I live in northern Vermont so I definitely know about CHOM, being only about 90 minutes from Montreal. Never knew about that record store, though now I wish I did. Banzai, of course, is legendary, and I have many releases from that label given to me by friends across the border. As for records no longer in my collection, I deeply regret the loss of many of them, so I get it.
Amazing album and always transports me back to the better days. Lived for WSOU and the metal show they had late night. Raven- Angel Witch-Metallica- Accept. I was a wizard with my old tape deck capturing all of those songs that were new and sounded like nothing else I had heard. Metal Militia always makes me want to punch myself in the throat. I was a fan from that point on. Did "Whiplash" with my old band . Keep up the good work man. Nice new intro !
I have a number of old cassettes onto which I taped many a metal show from college and community radio stations in whatever town I lived. I actually started digitizing them because in addition to the music on them, I dig hearing the DJ banter in between tracks. Really takes me back.
Hey man good episode. Back in 1986, I was 16 years old. That was the year that a buddy I knew then introduced me to Metallica with Master of Puppets! After that I was hooked!! It was definitely deferent from what I was used to hearing when it came to big hair heavy metal bands at the time. With so much interest of this group, I had to take a listen to their previous albums Ride the Lightning and of course Kill ‘Em All. With time, like you. I’ve grown to enjoy Kill ‘Em All much more than anything later they have done. Til this day, I still can’t get enough of their first album. I’m now 51 years old and it still holds up fantastic when I crank that up on my turntable with extra bass!!
It's funny to think that I literally went from Motley Crue to Venom in a matter of months back in 1984. I mean, I still like all of that stuff, but the more extreme and aggressive stuff will always have more significance by comparison. Master is definitely a great album to come in on as well.
I’m 44 and got into the song One on Headbangers Ball. Didn’t buy an album until the Black Album and then worked backwards. Quickly became a “they used to be better!!!” guy
When I was 12 in 1984 I borrowed a mix tape from a friend and it had For Whom the Bell Tolls , Manitou by Venom, Melissa by Mercyful Fate,etc. I couldn't find RTL at the time, but found Kill Em All in the sale bin at Hastings Records in the mall not long after. I listened to the album over and over, and really liked Phantom Lord, Jump In The Fire, and The Four Horsemen. I found RTL at the record store and bought the album a couple months later. I can still play the album and flashback to that time. A very special record.
Can't even count the sheer number of metal mix tapes I and my friends made, and then borrowed from each other to learn about new bands. Still have some of them in my collection to this day. Great memories, indeed.
Oddly enough I got sold on Metallica through the 5.98 EP which I picked up on cassette in the mall. I was already into Anthrax and ready to experience new metal. It was a bit of an education learning about the bands they covered ( Diamond head, Budgie). Then Justice came out and quickly became a favorite. I loved the social criticism being an angry teen and the dense plodding almost mechanical sound was new for me. Still nostalgically my favorite album from them. I saw them twice for that tour (the cult and queensryche as opening acts). So when the black album came out I was sorely disappointed and would only listen to the first 4 albums. And yeah kill ‘‘em all is gritty and greasy and probably my second favorite Metallica album. Would love to see an Overkill “taking over”, or Flots “no place for disgrace” beyond classic sophomore album rants. Anyway I’m new here and love your content and delivery. Cheers!
I discovered everything as a kid from my friends, my friends were always playing Metallica songs in the music block at school. They did a gig at our school and played Seek & Destroy, Scum and The Kill by Napalm Death among others. Great times 🤘🏻
Ride was my first album too but i had heard Kill em All from a degraded taped copy. I still remember the electrifying vibe that Seek & Destroy gave me, mix that with testosterone and alcohol on a Friday night.. Absolute mayhem. Ride definitely turned things to 11.. They just got more prestigious and skillfull. Master was their pinnacle but MUYA is quite a special memory
Similar story. I bought RDL and Don't Break The Oath (Mercyful Fate) at a flea market in 1984 based solely on the album art. Was blown away and sought out everything by both bands. I remember the very first gig I ever played back in 1985 when I was 15 I was in a group called Mantas. We played at The Lobster Festival in Rockland, Maine in front of about 400 tourists. We played The Four Horsemen and Seek and Destroy by Metallica and Buried Alive plus Red Light Fever by Venom.and one original song. It was a blast! The audience hated us!
Cool story about your old band. Also, I could rant endlessly about Don't Break The Oath, which is now something to consider for another video. Thanks for inadvertently recommending that. ;)
Really enjoyed this format for the show. I am 55. Didn’t come into listening to Metal until the death of my brother in ‘86. I guess I just needed a change at that point in my life in order to find the inspiration to go forward. I needed more of an edge and an attitude. That’s when I discovered Metallica, as well as the entire Metal scene. I definitely came in at the right time. What a time for music. I borrowed an original pressing of Master Of Puppets from a girlfriend at the time, which I regrettably ended up leaving under the seat of my car after a night of heavy drinking. Man do I kick myself for that. It would be worth a pretty penny now, not that I would sell or ever give it back to that girl.😂😂 Anyway, that’s where I came into Metallica. I then circled back to KEA and RTL. RTL remains my favorite to this day. Too bad the newer material isn’t as good, but those first few albums will stand the test of time long after we are all gone from here. Great show, Matt.
Ride the Lightning was also my introduction to Metallica back in the mid-eighties and it blew me away. Still my favorite album of all-time. I too was a bit let down hearing Kill em All after hearing that masterpiece first. Btw, it’s funny to hear you talk about Worcester and Shrewsbury since these places are basically 10 minutes away from where I live lol. There’s a cool record store in Worcester called Joe’s Albums. Just recently picked up Sons of Northern Darkness by Immortal there on blue/black vinyl sealed for a great price. Cool place.
I've been to Joe's Albums! Went there for the first time last year and picked up some vinyl. They have a respectable metal section, though since it's downtown, parking is so-so. Great to hear from someone from my old stomping grounds.
I came in through Guitar Hero and my local rock station. The first songs I heard were One, Seek and Destroy, and Master of Puppets. Puppets blew me out of the water and I've been a super fan ever since. Saw them 5 times last year. I wish they'd bring out more KEA tracks live. Lights, Whiplash, and Seek are great live, but I really want Motorbreath, No Remorse, and Metal Militia. Those are my personal favorite deep cuts from the album.
I hear that a lot from younger fans, both Guitar Hero and Grand Theft Auto 3. Initially, that took me by surprise... until I played GTA3 and totally got it. Of course, I'm of the mind that however you got to metal is a good way. And, wow, five times in a year! Awesome.
In October of 84 I was 13 and lived in a small town near Buffalo NY and one weekend my parents dropped me off at mall in Buffalo, I was mostly into Maiden and Priest, etc but while I was in the record store the clerk put on Kill 'Em All and I just stood there dumbfounded for the first few tracks and immediately purchased a copy. KEA didn't leave my turntable that entire week. I was sold on this new aggressive style and I begged my dad to take me to the mall the next Saturday and as luck would have it the same clerk was there, so I asked him about other bands playing this style and that day and in the following weeks I got At War with Satan, Show No Mercy, Morbid Tales, Bathory s/t, War and Pain and of course Ride the Lightning plus many more. I had been indoctrinated into an exclusive club and wore it proudly until Hardcore changed my life a few years later. Matt, you should do another video for Reign in Blood and/or To Mega Therion or even some Crossover bands....just sayin'
I should add that I saw them the first time with W.A.S.P. and Armored Saint and saw them on their tours for Master of Puppets and In Justice for All and lost interest when they all got a professional makeover at the same time (Cliff was spinning in his grave) and started making music videos (which they said they would never do) I did see them for free with Guns and Roses and at some festival in California in the 90's. I can't listen to KEA at all now, I feel as though it hasn't aged well very well. If I had to listen to Metallica it would most likely be Master of Puppets.
BOTH are those albums are killer choices. I could seriously talk about Reign In Blood forever, and that Celtic Frost album is also a pretty big deal. Thanks for the suggestions.
I discovered Metallica with Ride the Lightning and the reason for that was that I loved the cover of the album like many other music choices I had in my teenage years, I did the same with Iron Maiden, My favorite color is Blue and I loved how the blue looked on that album, Especially the Metallica logo. Then after that I discovered Master Of Puppets and finally I got to listen to Kill 'Em All. I thought that Ride the Lightning was their first album at the time but my cousin who was a bigger Metalhead than I was told me, "No dude"! Ride the Lightning is not their first! It's this one! The rest is history! Rock On! 🤘🤘
Funny, although I was already 20 in 1984, same happened to me when I bought Ride The Lightning after seeing someone wearing a denim vest with a Metallica logo patch in a Motörhead/Mercyful Fate concert. And yes, when you listen to KEA after RTL, it feels like the production was not that good and it is more raw, but liked it a lot anyway. Same happened to me with Anthrax and other bands. Great videos, man!
I actually wish this was my first exposure to the band. I bought the Master of Puppets cassette out at the Hubbarston flea market (and you thought Strawberries was an obscure reference!) and I was totally confused by the odd time signatures and 5/4 measures. I hadn't heard much punk or hardcore yet at that point, so it sounded like the snare was just playing on the wrong beat. I tried to like it but it just made my head hurt...it wasn't until later after I heard Kill 'em All and Ride the Lightning that I gave Master of Puppets a shot again.
Ah, the flea market. Likely, the same market I got my KISS bubble gum cards, still in the packs, and going for the 15-cent sticker price from 1978... except that it was ten years later. Yeah, maybe flea markets are always bad. Hmm.
I had a cheat lol! The metal buyer at my local spot played Hit the Lights, Four Horsemen, and Jump in the Fire on a local radio show called Metal Shop. Having loved my limited knowledge of NWOBHM; this struck total interest! What I do find was that after hearing Ride and especially MOP, I drifted away from this album. Listen to it occasionally, but not as much as I did back then. Did have the luck of older friends that took me to Cleveland Ohio and Johnstown Pa and witnessed the live greatness before they blew up. Admittedly still my all time favorite band and metal memories. More stories for another time ha ha. I am 53, too, so your story checks most boxes if you know what I mean. I had a friend that went by the quote and look as a major turnoff until I did the secret lp playing at my house. To this day!! He doesn’t believe that it was THAT record. It’s fun hearing other opinions and history! We all have precious memories that are ours. It’s a music thing for sure and appears commonly among us record collectors. Great rant!!
Always love hearing about metal discovery through local or college radio shows. Definitely owe some of my own band exposure to those types of stations, and did college radio myself as a result of that. I should also mention that I too have done the secret record playing thing for friends. A buddy of mine, who hates KISS with a passion, was over one night. I played him Music From The Elder and he gushed over it, saying how amazing it was. Showed him the cover and watched the smile drop right off his face. Classic.
I think I first saw Metallica on MuchMusic back when I was 8 years old, but I didn't really understand it at the time. I think the first Metallica SONG I ever heard was the radio edit of Cyanide from Death Magnetic when I was a preteen on 103.3 The Edge (Buffalo) and I loved it!
I discovered Metallica with the video for One. I was 11 at the time and I enjoyed horror movies, so I very liked the video, it looked dramatic. The shots from the old movie, the angry look of James, it was great. Then I heard of them again with the black album, first I like it very much. Then a friend brought me Ride the lightning and And justice for all, then Kill ´en all. In my opinion they where the best at that time, whatever album of the first four you put on, you can hear they had something more than other bands. Unfortunately they are still a great band to go see live, but they lost their angry side now. To me the way James sing now, and the way they play their old catalogue stuff sounds too much happy. There is no metal aggressiveness anymore, to me it’s missing. I think there’s great songs on their other album after the black album, but nowhere close to their stuff in the ´80’s.
I remember seeing a picture disc copy of this in my local record store and thinking “HOLY SHIT” just from the cover and the title alone made me want to check this album out. I was in early eighth grade at the time and I got the cd quickly after and I was blown away and also thinking “wow, this was the same band that made enter sandman?” I was also a little hesitant to check Metallica out at the time but for the reason I thought it would all be like the black album but this album changed my opinion on the band and was very much a gateway to checking out more thrash/extreme metal. I found the A variant of this album for $75.00 a few years ago in near perfect shape two years ago and that may have been my best find.
“wow, this was the same band that made enter sandman?” LOVE this quote. Also, super cool to hear you got that A variant of KEA, and for that price, too! Wow!
@@TheAccusationNetwork I found that and a bunch of rare albums that day two of which were a green combat pressing of Dont Break The Oath and Quiet Riot 2.
Hello!!! I am a Metallica fan since 1987, when i was 15 years old. My first record from them was the Master of Puppets. I boutgh the kill lp in 1989 from Euerpean issues by Phonogram, it is a grand record!!! I like it!! A few years ago i bougth the kill box set to celebrate the 30th yeras, amazing box!!! The dvd from the All for one kill tour is amazing!!! Metallica play very intensent!!! You have de Megaforce record edition....at last i wil try to buy it in discogs...., but is very expensive for me!!! Metall up your ass!!!! Best regards from Zarautz (Basque Country in Spain).👏👏🤘🤘🤘
Was 14 years old when an older guy handle me a cassete with "Hail To England" by Manowar on one side and "Kill 'Em All" by Metallica on the other side. I was blown away by both albums but "Kill 'Em All" stuck with me the most. So i had to save some money to buy it but when i went to the record store they already had "Ride the Lightning" also which caused me kind of a dilemma. I went for "Kill 'Em All" and a couple of weeks later bought "Ride the Lightning" which is my favourite album of all time!!! By the way, in their recent shows they were kicking off their set with "Whiplash"!!!
Good to hear about Whiplash live! At last, MORE Kill 'Em All live. Cool that you heard Hail To England early on, too. Took me forever to nail down a copy of that back in the '80s as it was an import only for the longest time. Once I got it, I was blown away by it, too.
Kill Em All was my intro to Metallica. Yes that's right, not the black album but this one. The only song I knew before this album was The Memory Remains and the song I heard after that was Metal Militia which is one of my favorite songs of all time and like I said it blew me away. All these years later Ride the Lightning is my favorite album of all time period. I listen to it a couple times a month now and I'll never stop and I'll never quit because it's Metallica🤘😉
I already know all the background to this album better than my own family history but I watched this video anyway lol. Funny enough Seek and Destroy is probably my least favorite track as well. Obviously not bad by any stretch of the imagination, just not quite as heavy as the others and yeah they do still play it regularly whereas I'd rather hear Phantom Lord or Metal Militia. Great video by the way! I love hearing stories about album discoveries like this! I discovered it on my cousins iPod in 2012😂 I was blown away and it's absolutely an important album to me and my metal journey as it's the one record that made me a metal head.
The first album I heard was Master of Puppets in the summer of 91. Pretty much from 91 to 95 I had all of their main albums plus The $5.98 E.P. - Garage Days Re-revisited album on repeat. Nowadays when I pick up one of their albums it is usually the Ride the Lightning album and a mix of other songs. Interestingly though they were not my intro to Metal that honor goes to Black Sabbath (thanks dad) and then really into metal through hearing Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.
Do you seek out different pressings of certain albums for better sound or do you not buy into that “audiofile” stuff? For example the Columbia House pressing of Master of Puppets sounds better than the Regular Elektra pressing. Just curious on your opinion on this topic? Thanks Matt
Typically, I don't get caught up in chasing after more of the audiophile stuff, chiefly because I would likely be spending even more money than I already do on this little hobby of mine. I can appreciate excellent sound quality, but it's not the highest priority for me.
Matt I remember pretty well!! I had bought my mothers 79 Buick Regal. Had a tape deck put in. Bought RTL or you or Eric bought it. Blew me away! I had to keep stopping the tape to yell at you guys WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!! I said. Nothing I’ve never heard before. So fucking heavy! I was hooked.
I remember my Mom would not let me spend my bday money on a kill em all shirt. She said there was no way i would be wearing anything that said Kill on it. So somehow I convinced her to let me get a Flotsam and Jetsam Doomsday for the Deciever shirt with a much more violent graphic. But lol, it didn’t say kill on it
LOL. Hilarious! My grandmother was not cool with pretty much every thrash or death metal record or shirt I bought in the mid- to late-'80s, to be sure. She would even slowly toss out a metal shirt here and there, thinking I wouldn't notice. Guess who noticed and retrieved those from the trash on a semi-regular basis? Ah, the good ol' days.
I discovered Metallica in the same order, with RTL first. Heard it on my local rock station when the album was released, and they played the whole thing, believe it or not. Very unheard of for a radio station to do that since air time was valuable. I had the cassette in hand soon after. I do remember having to get permission from my parents to buy it, lol. They relented when I convinced them I didn't care about the lyrics (and I really didn't). KEA followed suit, and it also became one of my most-listened-to tapes in my Walkman and boom box. Now I have a VG+ original vinyl pressing, either B or C, I'll have to look at it and see. But there's no printed insert, so it's not A. I think I paid around $70 for it, and this was only a couple years ago, so that was a steal.
I heard ...And Justice For All the exact same way... on the radio and in its entirety, a few days before it officially came out. This was when I was in L.A. with a girlfriend and the station was KNAC, which was all metal and hard rock back then. As for the KEA variant, you can find the letter somewhere etched in the runout.
I discovered Metallica through the first Metal Massacre album. I don't recall how much of an impression they made on me at that time. Then I saw them open for Venom in Brooklyn, New York on April 24, 1983. THAT was when they got my attention in a huge way. They were like a nuclear bomb. Never saw anythingi like them before that. They totally killed the rather amateurish live Venom show by comparison. Towards the end of the show James brought out a copy of the soon to be released 'Kill Em All' and tossed it out to the audience. I bought the album as soon as it hit the local record store. Loved it from day one. It's interesting now in retrospect to see how blatantly they were mimicking their favorite NWOBHM bands such as Jaguar, Savage, Blitzkrieg and Diamond Head.
Venom often talked smack about Metallica in interviews of the time, and I couldn't help think there might be a wee bit of jealousy behind the mockery. And, yes, the NWOBHM influence makes so much more sense NOW!
MoP was my intro to Metallica, then RtL and finally KEA. It sounded really basic after those other too and I didn't really listen to it as much as the others. I picked up what turned out to be a Russian boot on vinyl, about 8 years ago, which sounds really thin and put me off the album. It wasn't until I found a cheap copy on CD a few years back that sounded amazing that I reignited my love affair with it. Since then I've acquired an OG UK pressing and that sounds just as good, thankfully it didn't cost me $140! (in fact it didn't cost me anything he finishing off his comment smugly...)
1988, I was 13 and saw the video of OnE on MTV and this began my Metallica journey and exploration heavy music. From there it spiraled into Slayer, Testament, Maiden and Anthrax. Then I heard death metal like Malevolent Creation, Deicide, Carcass, Morbid Angel and Napalm Death and further down the rabbit hole of extreme music I went and continue to this day. I love all Metallica’s albums up through the Black album. I tried with Load, Reload and even St. Anger but most of the songs on the Load albums just didn’t hit the mark for me and St. Anger is just crap. I do really like the song Moth to Flame off the newest release but haven’t explored anything beyond that song.
All of this sounds insanely familiar, right down to the bands and albums. I think the "One" video really opened the floodgates for a lot of future Metallica fans. I might have underestimated that potential back then but, in retrospect, it makes a lot more sense.
It’s still a classic record. When I first heard hit the lights I was blown away how big it sounded. I listened to Metallica constantly. Kill ‘Em All was one of those records. Unfortunately this kinda went away from my album of choice because these cheesiness of the lyrics and the vocals kinda became meh. Ride the Lightning will always be number one, and that’s because it’s a more losses off record than KEA
Sometimes, albums fall away from us. It might be courting controversy here, but I can think of a couple classic Exodus albums that just don't do it for me at all anymore, and there are a number of bands who have similar albums that I loved to death as a kid but fall flat now. Tis the price of getting older.
I'd say it does and doesn't, though that can be said for a lot of old thrash releases. It will always be an important and extremely influential record within thrash and metal as a whole, however, it is blatently clear it's just NWOBHM, specifically Saxon, Blitzkrieg, Satan type bands but sped up and no where near as tight playing as the bands just mentioned. Especially after Mustaine was booted out, who was the best musician in the band at the time. Though after over a decade since getting into metal, this record and Metallica has grown dull in comparison to everything else I have gotten into since, Kill 'Em All will always have a special place in my collection purely because it was the band and record that got me into the genre in general. Heading down HMV on my 11th birthday and seeing the cover in the CD rack, I spent my birthday money and was shocked at what I received, to the point that Metallica was the only band I listened to for around a year. Now, I throw on their first five records when I just want something familiar, though sadly it's become background music for me over the last few years. I think modern reviews of this record are wearing those nostalgia tinted glasses, much like with Maiden's Number of the Beast. It's good, but even back then there were far better thrash and metal records being released. I think Metallica got so much praise more due to their live performance and just how well Lars promoted the band.
I probably should have mentioned the loose playing on KEA, but the whole NWOBHM sped up thing is pretty real. As for modern reviewers, I'm sure a few of them might be going along with a certain party line. Interesting point about the live shows.
@@TheAccusationNetwork from what I've heard from people who've been in and around the scene since those days, Metallica's live shows were second to none. They're not a band on my personal must see list, but if I got the opportunity for less than their insane prices £80+ for a ticket (more so insane when I saw Slayer, Obituary, Anthrax and Lamb of God for £60), I wouldn't say no.
Heard Hit the Lights on the Metal Massacre compilation in 82 so I already was familiar with them when this album came out in 83. A great kick ass album. I jumped off the bandwagon after Master of Puppets .they completely sold out when they left Jok nny Z and Megaforce
I heard that comp maybe a year after finding KEA and got to hear that early version of HTL for the first time then. Very different. As for Megaforce, they were a prime label back then. Bought everything I could from Zazula's label, for sure.
Kill 'em All was not my first album to hear, it was Master Of Puppets on shitty cassette tape (copied from some copied tape and not OG) without any song titles, it sounded like noise to me, but after few listens I got into it. I still have my vinyl from back I was kid, it is EU '89 Vertigo repress of Kill 'em All, Ride The Lightning and Master Of Puppets also have original EU And Justice For All. They all look horrific of so many plays and abuses in "metal" parties when we had LP's and cassettes change all the time to get our favourites songs, explain that to modern kids with streaming. Last year I got Master Of Puppets 2LP 45RPM MFN from '87, why not ;) Recently started to pick all their box sets, now have 4, so all except Master Of Puppets and probably one I'll not have it, unless they do repress of it, it is sold out and goes for stupid price. Still need to go through most of material there, so much to hear and read, but I'm glad to have them. Master Of Puppets is still my favourite, because Hetfield vocals started to be more male than kid (to me his pitchy vocals still sounds a bit silly on Ride The Lightning), and his lyrics also improved. But in all honesty I like all first 5 albums and they are great listens from start to finish, for me at least, still to this day!
I have an '89 Metallica box set that has Vertigo pressings in it, mostly the 12" singles that came out in that decade. Would still like to chase after OG press of all those singles one day.
I had the original metal up ya ass shirt and wore it to death.Still have about a dozen original thrash/death tees from the 80s-90s.Was given a dub tape with KEA and RTL around 84.Lyrics are meh on KEA,but its not about the lyrics but the new style of guitar riffage.Absolutely loathed glam metal and could identify with the working class denim,high tops and tee look of thrash because that's how we dressed.Thrash Metal was so contrary to the saccharine tutti fruity lame arse culture of the 80s and my refuge.Also always loved the 70s style that Cliff was rocking.
I came in to Metallica with ...And Justice for All. I was looking for some new music to listen to and I thought that Metallica could have some good stuff. My dad is a metalhead so I thought "Why not?". And that's how I started listening to metal.
I could have used a metal parent back then. So much of discovery was through friends and a few choice magazines. Nice to hear you had that dad. Very cool.
Let me know how YOU feel about the first Metallica album, both back then and now, if you stuck with them over the decades, or anything else that makes sense, in the comments below.
Bought it off the shelf when i was 17 , loved it then and still love it now . What a game changer . Cheers Matt .
I’m 50 and have always been a metalhead. I have a few times in my life where I heard something that changed everything musically. It was Ride the Lightning for me too and the song was Creeping Death. I heard that song and my jaw was on the floor,I was blown away. Haven’t felt like that about music in a long time.
Being a kid growing up in small town Missouri, I didn't have access to underground metal... A childhood friend of mine from Tulsa moved here, he had Kill Em All. This was early 86, Master came out around the time. I stole it from my local Walmart and I never looked back. I went backwards got Ride The lightning, then Kill Em All. I still have the local newspaper article on Cliff Burton's death and remember it like yesterday... Kill Em All will always be top 3 Metallica for me!!! Love your show!!! 🤘🤘 P.S.- Rest In Peace Jonny Z... Thank you for Megaforce Records and all the amazing bands you turned me on to...
I can't remember the exact year I discovered them, but it was probably 85 or 86. Those years were huge for me, because that's when my metal discoveries rapidly expanded from hair bands to Iron Maiden. Once I discovered Maiden there was no looking back.
Hey Matt! Great to find you here. Loving what I've watched so far! I felt the need to say that Eric did this same thing to me back in '84 regarding RTL! Too funny. I remember getting a call, 'Hey, what're you doing? Stay there I'll be right over. You HAVE to hear this album'. Literally a life changing moment I tell people about to this day.
Pantera - Far Beyond Drivens original album art was inspired by the "Metal Up Your Metal". Great video by the way
In 1983 I walked into a record store
where the DJ of a heavy metal public radio show worked. His nom de plume was "Uncle Salty." I was there to buy a demo tape by a local band called Crisis that I had heard on his show. I asked him if there was anything new he recommended. He suggested this new band called Metallica. He described them as "metal played at punk speeds, like Motorhead or Raven." I bought it. It changed everything for me. Also bought the Crisis demo. Another fast and raw metal band. Turned me on to my local scene.
53 ,you make me feel young I'm 47 and I watch all your videos
1984,14 years old.Friends brother came back from the States in about August with Kill Em All and Metal Church.Blew us away (both). Loved the look of both bands,that street look.Think I had to wait about a week or two before Metal For Melbourne (record store in Aus) got Ride The Lightning in.Bought that as soon as it came in.Was a bit of a Metallica fan boy after that,back in the day.
My first album was ride the lightning as well and I was blown away! Loved it immediately!
I picked up kill em all after and wasn’t blown away like I was with ride the lighting, It was a great album but it took a couple of days for me to fully appreciate it.
Matt, fantastic video! I'd really love to see you do more deep dives into individual albums like this, sharing your own personal story involving the record. For me I saw the "One" music video at around 10 or 11 years old and it scared the $hit outta me....When the "Black Album" came out, I was instantly in love and strategically went backwards from there, buying the cassette tapes of the previous 4 albums. Ironically I think I got "Kill 'em All" last. BTW ...Lightning is my favorite. Thanks again for the awesome episode today
You're welcome! Glad you enjoyed it. As for doing more of these, I really dug making this one and am inspired to do more with the format.
Great story sounds alot like mine as we are the same age. Would love to hear about the first time you discovered Mercyfull Fate or Venom and what album you found first. Love your videos thanks.
Either band would be an excellent choice... Black Metal and Don't Break The Oath alone would be great. Thanks for the kind words about my videos. Glad you dig them.
I was introduced to Metallica in a very similar way to you. A friend of mine had RTL and played it for me. I was gobsmacked by it, so bought it the same day. It was a couple of months later when I saw KEA in my local store, so picked it up immediately. I got a lot of discography info via Kerrang! magazine back then, so also knew of the 12"s that were available. When MOP came out I was equally gobsmacked. My love for them started to wane with "And Justice..." and they just became pub background music with the black album. When they toured the UK with Raven back then, they jumped up onstage (well, it was a floor) and played a guest spot at some friends gig in a very small bar.
I probably told you this or mentioned it in a video, but I had a Kerrang! subscription in the '80s, though it took an entire month for each issue to make it stateside. Still worth it as they were who was covering all of these great bands, including early Metallica. Of course, the mag changed a bit with the times and it was never the same, but those early memories of discovery through that publication are still with them.
@@TheAccusationNetwork Yes, I loved K! back then. Most issues ended up stuck to my bedroom wall.
I was 15 & had asked my parents 2 go 2 a concert since prob 7.They finally took me to Ozzy on Sin tour w/ a band I'd never heard of Metallica on puppets tour!! one of their friends let me borrow Lightning & it blowd me away.The concert was Badass & I got to see Cliff just weeks b4 he left us, he was throwing out shirts & albums & Thrashing like a Maniac. After I bought lightning & Master on cassette at the same time,but killemall was hard to find in Tenn,but when I did it became my Fav
I heard about Metallica in 1983 in a magazine and kept seeing ads for "Kill 'em All". Then in '84 my local station,CHOM FM in Montreal, started a show on Friday nights called "The Metal Files". They would play all the new underground metal bands like Slayer,Venom and Metallica and I was blown away! Unfortunately,our local neighborhood record store didn't sell records from independent labels or imports. Luckily for me and my cousins (the only other metalheads I knew at the time) we had a record store in Downtown Montreal that sold Metal records and were sponsors of "The Metal Files". It was called "Rock en Stock" and they started an in-house label called "Banzai" whose claim to fame was that they invented the Speed Metal swirl. The label distributed to our city the imports we couldn't get elsewhere and that was where I bought "Kill 'em All","Ride The Lightning" and the "Creeping Death" 12 inch (with Blitzkrieg and Am I Evil on the other side). "Ride" was my favorite but "Kill" was a close and still are today. I still get the same feeling putting them on now as I did when I was 14. I only have the 12 inch left now. Had to sell the others as I was going into cds and needed money. I regret that now but it was necessary then.
I live in northern Vermont so I definitely know about CHOM, being only about 90 minutes from Montreal. Never knew about that record store, though now I wish I did. Banzai, of course, is legendary, and I have many releases from that label given to me by friends across the border. As for records no longer in my collection, I deeply regret the loss of many of them, so I get it.
Amazing album and always transports me back to the better days. Lived for WSOU and the metal show they had late night. Raven- Angel Witch-Metallica- Accept. I was a wizard with my old tape deck capturing all of those songs that were new and sounded like nothing else I had heard. Metal Militia always makes me want to punch myself in the throat. I was a fan from that point on. Did "Whiplash" with my old band . Keep up the good work man. Nice new intro !
I have a number of old cassettes onto which I taped many a metal show from college and community radio stations in whatever town I lived. I actually started digitizing them because in addition to the music on them, I dig hearing the DJ banter in between tracks. Really takes me back.
Hey man good episode. Back in 1986, I was 16 years old. That was the year that a buddy I knew then introduced me to Metallica with Master of Puppets! After that I was hooked!! It was definitely deferent from what I was used to hearing when it came to big hair heavy metal bands at the time. With so much interest of this group, I had to take a listen to their previous albums Ride the Lightning and of course Kill ‘Em All. With time, like you. I’ve grown to enjoy Kill ‘Em All much more than anything later they have done. Til this day, I still can’t get enough of their first album. I’m now 51 years old and it still holds up fantastic when I crank that up on my turntable with extra bass!!
It's funny to think that I literally went from Motley Crue to Venom in a matter of months back in 1984. I mean, I still like all of that stuff, but the more extreme and aggressive stuff will always have more significance by comparison. Master is definitely a great album to come in on as well.
@@TheAccusationNetwork Oh without a doubt 👍🏻
Great album and great video. Ride The Lightening was my introduction to Metallica too. And then I went back to Kill Em All as well. Lol.
I’m 44 and got into the song One on Headbangers Ball. Didn’t buy an album until the Black Album and then worked backwards. Quickly became a “they used to be better!!!” guy
When I was 12 in 1984 I borrowed a mix tape from a friend and it had For Whom the Bell Tolls , Manitou by Venom, Melissa by Mercyful Fate,etc. I couldn't find RTL at the time, but found Kill Em All in the sale bin at Hastings Records in the mall not long after. I listened to the album over and over, and really liked Phantom Lord, Jump In The Fire, and The Four Horsemen. I found RTL at the record store and bought the album a couple months later. I can still play the album and flashback to that time. A very special record.
Can't even count the sheer number of metal mix tapes I and my friends made, and then borrowed from each other to learn about new bands. Still have some of them in my collection to this day. Great memories, indeed.
Oddly enough I got sold on Metallica through the 5.98 EP which I picked up on cassette in the mall. I was already into Anthrax and ready to experience new metal. It was a bit of an education learning about the bands they covered ( Diamond head, Budgie). Then Justice came out and quickly became a favorite. I loved the social criticism being an angry teen and the dense plodding almost mechanical sound was new for me. Still nostalgically my favorite album from them. I saw them twice for that tour (the cult and queensryche as opening acts). So when the black album came out I was sorely disappointed and would only listen to the first 4 albums. And yeah kill ‘‘em all is gritty and greasy and probably my second favorite Metallica album. Would love to see an Overkill “taking over”, or Flots “no place for disgrace” beyond classic sophomore album rants. Anyway I’m new here and love your content and delivery. Cheers!
I discovered everything as a kid from my friends, my friends were always playing Metallica songs in the music block at school. They did a gig at our school and played Seek & Destroy, Scum and The Kill by Napalm Death among others. Great times 🤘🏻
Ride was my first album too but i had heard Kill em All from a degraded taped copy. I still remember the electrifying vibe that Seek & Destroy gave me, mix that with testosterone and alcohol on a Friday night.. Absolute mayhem. Ride definitely turned things to 11.. They just got more prestigious and skillfull. Master was their pinnacle but MUYA is quite a special memory
Similar story. I bought RDL and Don't Break The Oath (Mercyful Fate) at a flea market in 1984 based solely on the album art. Was blown away and sought out everything by both bands. I remember the very first gig I ever played back in 1985 when I was 15 I was in a group called Mantas. We played at The Lobster Festival in Rockland, Maine in front of about 400 tourists. We played The Four Horsemen and Seek and Destroy by Metallica and Buried Alive plus Red Light Fever by Venom.and one original song. It was a blast! The audience hated us!
Cool story about your old band. Also, I could rant endlessly about Don't Break The Oath, which is now something to consider for another video. Thanks for inadvertently recommending that. ;)
Really enjoyed this format for the show. I am 55. Didn’t come into listening to Metal until the death of my brother in ‘86. I guess I just needed a change at that point in my life in order to find the inspiration to go forward. I needed more of an edge and an attitude. That’s when I discovered Metallica, as well as the entire Metal scene. I definitely came in at the right time. What a time for music. I borrowed an original pressing of Master Of Puppets from a girlfriend at the time, which I regrettably ended up leaving under the seat of my car after a night of heavy drinking. Man do I kick myself for that. It would be worth a pretty penny now, not that I would sell or ever give it back to that girl.😂😂 Anyway, that’s where I came into Metallica. I then circled back to KEA and RTL. RTL remains my favorite to this day. Too bad the newer material isn’t as good, but those first few albums will stand the test of time long after we are all gone from here. Great show, Matt.
Ride the Lightning was also my introduction to Metallica back in the mid-eighties and it blew me away. Still my favorite album of all-time. I too was a bit let down hearing Kill em All after hearing that masterpiece first.
Btw, it’s funny to hear you talk about Worcester and Shrewsbury since these places are basically 10 minutes away from where I live lol. There’s a cool record store in Worcester called Joe’s Albums. Just recently picked up Sons of Northern Darkness by Immortal there on blue/black vinyl sealed for a great price. Cool place.
I've been to Joe's Albums! Went there for the first time last year and picked up some vinyl. They have a respectable metal section, though since it's downtown, parking is so-so. Great to hear from someone from my old stomping grounds.
I came in through Guitar Hero and my local rock station. The first songs I heard were One, Seek and Destroy, and Master of Puppets. Puppets blew me out of the water and I've been a super fan ever since. Saw them 5 times last year.
I wish they'd bring out more KEA tracks live. Lights, Whiplash, and Seek are great live, but I really want Motorbreath, No Remorse, and Metal Militia. Those are my personal favorite deep cuts from the album.
I hear that a lot from younger fans, both Guitar Hero and Grand Theft Auto 3. Initially, that took me by surprise... until I played GTA3 and totally got it. Of course, I'm of the mind that however you got to metal is a good way. And, wow, five times in a year! Awesome.
In October of 84 I was 13 and lived in a small town near Buffalo NY and one weekend my parents dropped me off at mall in Buffalo, I was mostly into Maiden and Priest, etc but while I was in the record store the clerk put on Kill 'Em All and I just stood there dumbfounded for the first few tracks and immediately purchased a copy.
KEA didn't leave my turntable that entire week. I was sold on this new aggressive style and I begged my dad to take me to the mall the next Saturday and as luck would have it the same clerk was there, so I asked him about other bands playing this style and that day and in the following weeks I got At War with Satan, Show No Mercy, Morbid Tales, Bathory s/t, War and Pain and of course Ride the Lightning plus many more. I had been indoctrinated into an exclusive club and wore it proudly until Hardcore changed my life a few years later.
Matt, you should do another video for Reign in Blood and/or To Mega Therion or even some Crossover bands....just sayin'
I should add that I saw them the first time with W.A.S.P. and Armored Saint and saw them on their tours for Master of Puppets and In Justice for All and lost interest when they all got a professional makeover at the same time (Cliff was spinning in his grave) and started making music videos (which they said they would never do) I did see them for free with Guns and Roses and at some festival in California in the 90's.
I can't listen to KEA at all now, I feel as though it hasn't aged well very well. If I had to listen to Metallica it would most likely be Master of Puppets.
BOTH are those albums are killer choices. I could seriously talk about Reign In Blood forever, and that Celtic Frost album is also a pretty big deal. Thanks for the suggestions.
I discovered Metallica with Ride the Lightning and the reason for that was that I loved the cover of the album like many other music choices I had in my teenage years, I did the same with Iron Maiden, My favorite color is Blue and I loved how the blue looked on that album, Especially the Metallica logo. Then after that I discovered Master Of Puppets and finally I got to listen to Kill 'Em All. I thought that Ride the Lightning was their first album at the time but my cousin who was a bigger Metalhead than I was told me, "No dude"! Ride the Lightning is not their first! It's this one! The rest is history! Rock On! 🤘🤘
Funny, although I was already 20 in 1984, same happened to me when I bought Ride The Lightning after seeing someone wearing a denim vest with a Metallica logo patch in a Motörhead/Mercyful Fate concert. And yes, when you listen to KEA after RTL, it feels like the production was not that good and it is more raw, but liked it a lot anyway. Same happened to me with Anthrax and other bands. Great videos, man!
I actually wish this was my first exposure to the band. I bought the Master of Puppets cassette out at the Hubbarston flea market (and you thought Strawberries was an obscure reference!) and I was totally confused by the odd time signatures and 5/4 measures. I hadn't heard much punk or hardcore yet at that point, so it sounded like the snare was just playing on the wrong beat. I tried to like it but it just made my head hurt...it wasn't until later after I heard Kill 'em All and Ride the Lightning that I gave Master of Puppets a shot again.
Ah, the flea market. Likely, the same market I got my KISS bubble gum cards, still in the packs, and going for the 15-cent sticker price from 1978... except that it was ten years later. Yeah, maybe flea markets are always bad. Hmm.
Unfortunately, I didn't discover them until master was out thru friends after they got the ozzy tour. Then a flood of thrash bands came into my life
I had a cheat lol! The metal buyer at my local spot played Hit the Lights, Four Horsemen, and Jump in the Fire on a local radio show called Metal Shop. Having loved my limited knowledge of NWOBHM; this struck total interest! What I do find was that after hearing Ride and especially MOP, I drifted away from this album. Listen to it occasionally, but not as much as I did back then. Did have the luck of older friends that took me to Cleveland Ohio and Johnstown Pa and witnessed the live greatness before they blew up. Admittedly still my all time favorite band and metal memories. More stories for another time ha ha. I am 53, too, so your story checks most boxes if you know what I mean. I had a friend that went by the quote and look as a major turnoff until I did the secret lp playing at my house. To this day!! He doesn’t believe that it was THAT record. It’s fun hearing other opinions and history! We all have precious memories that are ours. It’s a music thing for sure and appears commonly among us record collectors. Great rant!!
Always love hearing about metal discovery through local or college radio shows. Definitely owe some of my own band exposure to those types of stations, and did college radio myself as a result of that. I should also mention that I too have done the secret record playing thing for friends. A buddy of mine, who hates KISS with a passion, was over one night. I played him Music From The Elder and he gushed over it, saying how amazing it was. Showed him the cover and watched the smile drop right off his face. Classic.
Sure it does! Bought it when it came out out and blew me away . Are you kidding?😅
I think I first saw Metallica on MuchMusic back when I was 8 years old, but I didn't really understand it at the time. I think the first Metallica SONG I ever heard was the radio edit of Cyanide from Death Magnetic when I was a preteen on 103.3 The Edge (Buffalo) and I loved it!
My story of discovering Metallica is identical to yours, ironically enough.
Tony F. Corpse
(Post Mortem Superstar)
I discovered Metallica with the video for One. I was 11 at the time and I enjoyed horror movies, so I very liked the video, it looked dramatic. The shots from the old movie, the angry look of James, it was great. Then I heard of them again with the black album, first I like it very much. Then a friend brought me Ride the lightning and And justice for all, then Kill ´en all. In my opinion they where the best at that time, whatever album of the first four you put on, you can hear they had something more than other bands. Unfortunately they are still a great band to go see live, but they lost their angry side now. To me the way James sing now, and the way they play their old catalogue stuff sounds too much happy. There is no metal aggressiveness anymore, to me it’s missing. I think there’s great songs on their other album after the black album, but nowhere close to their stuff in the ´80’s.
I remember seeing a picture disc copy of this in my local record store and thinking “HOLY SHIT” just from the cover and the title alone made me want to check this album out. I was in early eighth grade at the time and I got the cd quickly after and I was blown away and also thinking “wow, this was the same band that made enter sandman?” I was also a little hesitant to check Metallica out at the time but for the reason I thought it would all be like the black album but this album changed my opinion on the band and was very much a gateway to checking out more thrash/extreme metal. I found the A variant of this album for $75.00 a few years ago in near perfect shape two years ago and that may have been my best find.
“wow, this was the same band that made enter sandman?”
LOVE this quote. Also, super cool to hear you got that A variant of KEA, and for that price, too! Wow!
@@TheAccusationNetwork I found that and a bunch of rare albums that day two of which were a green combat pressing of Dont Break The Oath and Quiet Riot 2.
Hello!!! I am a Metallica fan since 1987, when i was 15 years old. My first record from them was the Master of Puppets. I boutgh the kill lp in 1989 from Euerpean issues by Phonogram, it is a grand record!!! I like it!! A few years ago i bougth the kill box set to celebrate the 30th yeras, amazing box!!! The dvd from the All for one kill tour is amazing!!! Metallica play very intensent!!! You have de Megaforce record edition....at last i wil try to buy it in discogs...., but is very expensive for me!!! Metall up your ass!!!! Best regards from Zarautz (Basque Country in Spain).👏👏🤘🤘🤘
Was 14 years old when an older guy handle me a cassete with "Hail To England" by Manowar on one side and "Kill 'Em All" by Metallica on the other side. I was blown away by both albums but "Kill 'Em All" stuck with me the most. So i had to save some money to buy it but when i went to the record store they already had "Ride the Lightning" also which caused me kind of a dilemma. I went for "Kill 'Em All" and a couple of weeks later bought "Ride the Lightning" which is my favourite album of all time!!!
By the way, in their recent shows they were kicking off their set with "Whiplash"!!!
Good to hear about Whiplash live! At last, MORE Kill 'Em All live. Cool that you heard Hail To England early on, too. Took me forever to nail down a copy of that back in the '80s as it was an import only for the longest time. Once I got it, I was blown away by it, too.
Kill Em All was my intro to Metallica. Yes that's right, not the black album but this one. The only song I knew before this album was The Memory Remains and the song I heard after that was Metal Militia which is one of my favorite songs of all time and like I said it blew me away. All these years later Ride the Lightning is my favorite album of all time period. I listen to it a couple times a month now and I'll never stop and I'll never quit because it's Metallica🤘😉
Heh, I saw what you did there at the end.
I already know all the background to this album better than my own family history but I watched this video anyway lol. Funny enough Seek and Destroy is probably my least favorite track as well. Obviously not bad by any stretch of the imagination, just not quite as heavy as the others and yeah they do still play it regularly whereas I'd rather hear Phantom Lord or Metal Militia. Great video by the way! I love hearing stories about album discoveries like this! I discovered it on my cousins iPod in 2012😂 I was blown away and it's absolutely an important album to me and my metal journey as it's the one record that made me a metal head.
The first album I heard was Master of Puppets in the summer of 91. Pretty much from 91 to 95 I had all of their main albums plus The $5.98 E.P. - Garage Days Re-revisited album on repeat. Nowadays when I pick up one of their albums it is usually the Ride the Lightning album and a mix of other songs. Interestingly though they were not my intro to Metal that honor goes to Black Sabbath (thanks dad) and then really into metal through hearing Judas Priest and Iron Maiden.
Can't go wrong with any of those bands. My gateway to metal was AC/DC back in junior high, then on to much heavier stuff through the years.
Do you seek out different pressings of certain albums for better sound or do you not buy into that “audiofile” stuff? For example the Columbia House pressing of Master of Puppets sounds better than the Regular Elektra pressing. Just curious on your opinion on this topic? Thanks Matt
Typically, I don't get caught up in chasing after more of the audiophile stuff, chiefly because I would likely be spending even more money than I already do on this little hobby of mine. I can appreciate excellent sound quality, but it's not the highest priority for me.
Matt I remember pretty well!! I had bought my mothers 79 Buick Regal. Had a tape deck put in. Bought RTL or you or Eric bought it. Blew me away! I had to keep stopping the tape to yell at you guys WHAT THE FUCK IS THIS!! I said. Nothing I’ve never heard before. So fucking heavy! I was hooked.
I remember my Mom would not let me spend my bday money on a kill em all shirt. She said there was no way i would be wearing anything that said Kill on it. So somehow I convinced her to let me get a Flotsam and Jetsam Doomsday for the Deciever shirt with a much more violent graphic. But lol, it didn’t say kill on it
LOL. Hilarious! My grandmother was not cool with pretty much every thrash or death metal record or shirt I bought in the mid- to late-'80s, to be sure. She would even slowly toss out a metal shirt here and there, thinking I wouldn't notice. Guess who noticed and retrieved those from the trash on a semi-regular basis? Ah, the good ol' days.
Possibly a request? Could you please do any of the kiss albums? Id really appreciate it. Thanks man.
Planning on covering a KISS album in my next episode of The Vinyl Reacquisition Project. Still scripting that one as of present.
Great album! Please do a video on show no mercy.
Strongly considering that one, as finding Slayer was also a big deal as a teen. Thanks.
I discovered Metallica in the same order, with RTL first. Heard it on my local rock station when the album was released, and they played the whole thing, believe it or not. Very unheard of for a radio station to do that since air time was valuable. I had the cassette in hand soon after. I do remember having to get permission from my parents to buy it, lol. They relented when I convinced them I didn't care about the lyrics (and I really didn't). KEA followed suit, and it also became one of my most-listened-to tapes in my Walkman and boom box. Now I have a VG+ original vinyl pressing, either B or C, I'll have to look at it and see. But there's no printed insert, so it's not A. I think I paid around $70 for it, and this was only a couple years ago, so that was a steal.
I heard ...And Justice For All the exact same way... on the radio and in its entirety, a few days before it officially came out. This was when I was in L.A. with a girlfriend and the station was KNAC, which was all metal and hard rock back then. As for the KEA variant, you can find the letter somewhere etched in the runout.
@@TheAccusationNetwork Yeah, I looked, and it's the B variant.
I discovered Metallica through the first Metal Massacre album. I don't recall how much of an impression they made on me at that time. Then I saw them open for Venom in Brooklyn, New York on April 24, 1983. THAT was when they got my attention in a huge way. They were like a nuclear bomb. Never saw anythingi like them before that. They totally killed the rather amateurish live Venom show by comparison. Towards the end of the show James brought out a copy of the soon to be released 'Kill Em All' and tossed it out to the audience. I bought the album as soon as it hit the local record store. Loved it from day one. It's interesting now in retrospect to see how blatantly they were mimicking their favorite NWOBHM bands such as Jaguar, Savage, Blitzkrieg and Diamond Head.
Venom often talked smack about Metallica in interviews of the time, and I couldn't help think there might be a wee bit of jealousy behind the mockery. And, yes, the NWOBHM influence makes so much more sense NOW!
MoP was my intro to Metallica, then RtL and finally KEA. It sounded really basic after those other too and I didn't really listen to it as much as the others. I picked up what turned out to be a Russian boot on vinyl, about 8 years ago, which sounds really thin and put me off the album. It wasn't until I found a cheap copy on CD a few years back that sounded amazing that I reignited my love affair with it. Since then I've acquired an OG UK pressing and that sounds just as good, thankfully it didn't cost me $140! (in fact it didn't cost me anything he finishing off his comment smugly...)
It's fun to hear again with older ears. You can appreciate its place in metal history, hear more of its influences, and all of that.
1988, I was 13 and saw the video of OnE on MTV and this began my Metallica journey and exploration heavy music. From there it spiraled into Slayer, Testament, Maiden and Anthrax. Then I heard death metal like Malevolent Creation, Deicide, Carcass, Morbid Angel and Napalm Death and further down the rabbit hole of extreme music I went and continue to this day. I love all Metallica’s albums up through the Black album. I tried with Load, Reload and even St. Anger but most of the songs on the Load albums just didn’t hit the mark for me and St. Anger is just crap. I do really like the song Moth to Flame off the newest release but haven’t explored anything beyond that song.
All of this sounds insanely familiar, right down to the bands and albums. I think the "One" video really opened the floodgates for a lot of future Metallica fans. I might have underestimated that potential back then but, in retrospect, it makes a lot more sense.
I used to go to that same strawberries
NIce!
It’s still a classic record. When I first heard hit the lights I was blown away how big it sounded. I listened to Metallica constantly. Kill ‘Em All was one of those records. Unfortunately this kinda went away from my album of choice because these cheesiness of the lyrics and the vocals kinda became meh. Ride the Lightning will always be number one, and that’s because it’s a more losses off record than KEA
Sometimes, albums fall away from us. It might be courting controversy here, but I can think of a couple classic Exodus albums that just don't do it for me at all anymore, and there are a number of bands who have similar albums that I loved to death as a kid but fall flat now. Tis the price of getting older.
I'd say it does and doesn't, though that can be said for a lot of old thrash releases.
It will always be an important and extremely influential record within thrash and metal as a whole, however, it is blatently clear it's just NWOBHM, specifically Saxon, Blitzkrieg, Satan type bands but sped up and no where near as tight playing as the bands just mentioned. Especially after Mustaine was booted out, who was the best musician in the band at the time.
Though after over a decade since getting into metal, this record and Metallica has grown dull in comparison to everything else I have gotten into since, Kill 'Em All will always have a special place in my collection purely because it was the band and record that got me into the genre in general. Heading down HMV on my 11th birthday and seeing the cover in the CD rack, I spent my birthday money and was shocked at what I received, to the point that Metallica was the only band I listened to for around a year. Now, I throw on their first five records when I just want something familiar, though sadly it's become background music for me over the last few years.
I think modern reviews of this record are wearing those nostalgia tinted glasses, much like with Maiden's Number of the Beast. It's good, but even back then there were far better thrash and metal records being released. I think Metallica got so much praise more due to their live performance and just how well Lars promoted the band.
I probably should have mentioned the loose playing on KEA, but the whole NWOBHM sped up thing is pretty real. As for modern reviewers, I'm sure a few of them might be going along with a certain party line. Interesting point about the live shows.
@@TheAccusationNetwork from what I've heard from people who've been in and around the scene since those days, Metallica's live shows were second to none. They're not a band on my personal must see list, but if I got the opportunity for less than their insane prices £80+ for a ticket (more so insane when I saw Slayer, Obituary, Anthrax and Lamb of God for £60), I wouldn't say no.
Heard Hit the Lights on the Metal Massacre compilation in 82 so I already was familiar with them when this album came out in 83. A great kick ass album. I jumped off the bandwagon after Master of Puppets .they completely sold out when they left Jok nny Z and Megaforce
I heard that comp maybe a year after finding KEA and got to hear that early version of HTL for the first time then. Very different. As for Megaforce, they were a prime label back then. Bought everything I could from Zazula's label, for sure.
Kill 'em All was not my first album to hear, it was Master Of Puppets on shitty cassette tape (copied from some copied tape and not OG) without any song titles, it sounded like noise to me, but after few listens I got into it.
I still have my vinyl from back I was kid, it is EU '89 Vertigo repress of Kill 'em All, Ride The Lightning and Master Of Puppets also have original EU And Justice For All. They all look horrific of so many plays and abuses in "metal" parties when we had LP's and cassettes change all the time to get our favourites songs, explain that to modern kids with streaming.
Last year I got Master Of Puppets 2LP 45RPM MFN from '87, why not ;)
Recently started to pick all their box sets, now have 4, so all except Master Of Puppets and probably one I'll not have it, unless they do repress of it, it is sold out and goes for stupid price. Still need to go through most of material there, so much to hear and read, but I'm glad to have them.
Master Of Puppets is still my favourite, because Hetfield vocals started to be more male than kid (to me his pitchy vocals still sounds a bit silly on Ride The Lightning), and his lyrics also improved. But in all honesty I like all first 5 albums and they are great listens from start to finish, for me at least, still to this day!
I have an '89 Metallica box set that has Vertigo pressings in it, mostly the 12" singles that came out in that decade. Would still like to chase after OG press of all those singles one day.
Funny how Metallica was a band I was really into at a time but now it's just a bit boring.
I had the original metal up ya ass shirt and wore it to death.Still have about a dozen original thrash/death tees from the 80s-90s.Was given a dub tape with KEA and RTL around 84.Lyrics are meh on KEA,but its not about the lyrics but the new style of guitar riffage.Absolutely loathed glam metal and could identify with the working class denim,high tops and tee look of thrash because that's how we dressed.Thrash Metal was so contrary to the saccharine tutti fruity lame arse culture of the 80s and my refuge.Also always loved the 70s style that Cliff was rocking.
I came in to Metallica with ...And Justice for All. I was looking for some new music to listen to and I thought that Metallica could have some good stuff. My dad is a metalhead so I thought "Why not?". And that's how I started listening to metal.
I could have used a metal parent back then. So much of discovery was through friends and a few choice magazines. Nice to hear you had that dad. Very cool.