'Metallica's first release and borrowing heavily from the then prevalent 'NWOBHM' movement, contrive a blend of uncompromising 'Speed Metal' that would later be described as 'Thrash'. Shortly before the release of 'Kill 'Em All' original guitarist 'Dave Mustaine' later of 'Megadeath' departed and was replaced by the now long standing 'Kirk Hammett' and as such some of the songs present were co-written by 'Mustaine'. Overall this is really raw 'Metallica' and in places isn't well refined, especially that of 'James Hetfield' vocals, all the same this is still a very important album and for a debut it's an excellent piece of work

First off is the hard hitting 'Hit the Lights' a manic riff driven blazer, that although very unpolished with basic lyrics and uneven vocals, features some excellent swift and crunching guitar work- a no nonsense opener with undercurrents of 'Judas Priest'. Even better is the more structured 'Four Horseman' a song co-written by 'Dave Mustaine' and allegedly later reworked for his own band. The song flows excellently for such a powerful track and although the vocals are a bit scratchy, this is one of the finest cuts present with relentless rhythm, consistent drum and bass work and contains some of the best lyrics on the album. Less noteworthy is the punishing biker track 'Motorbreath' and while the fret work is severe especially that of the solo, it's too basic and not very memorable, overall sounds reminiscent of an average 'Venom' track. Much better is the more thoughtful 'Jump into the Fire' a strongly written piece that is pretty catchy for such a fierce rocker, the chorus is impressive and gutsy and just adds to the ambience of this top notch thrasher. Oh dear it all goes wrong though with the instrumental bass solo 'Pulling Teeth', while 'Cliff Burton' is technically very good, this stand alone effort doesn't impressive and for me makes it the worst cut present. Back on track is the frantic 'Whiplash' the briskest number on 'Kill 'Em All', perhaps a tad crude in places but again 'Kirk Hammett's' fret work is admirable and for me makes the song. Next up is 'Phantom Lord' and again aspects of 'Venom's' work springs to mind, a little generic overall but the instrumental break is very good. 'No Remorse' follows strongly with more dynamic yet powerful instrumentation, vocally 'James Hetfield' sounds the strongest here than on any other song and although it's a decent track it's too drawn out. Superior still is the strafing 'Seek and Destroy' one of the best blazers present, here 'Lars Ulrich' and 'Cliff Burton' drive the song relentlessly and although the lyrics are basic they are potent and cutting. Last up is 'Metal Militia' this track is a bit of a let down with poor lyrics and a sloppy uncontrolled thrashy approach.

Love it or hate it, this is the album most responsible for the birth of Thrash Metal. Personally I'm not a fan of the genre, but I do admire 'Metallica's' development of the 'NWOBHM' inspired sound to the punishing levels present here. Their next releases 'Ride the Lighting' surprisingly in my opinion exhibition this evolution even clearer.