The true birth of thrash. On Kill ‘Em All, Metallica fuses the intricate riffing of New Wave of British Heavy Metal bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, and Diamond Head with the velocity of Motrhead and hardcore punk.

James Hetfield’s highly technical rhythm guitar style drives most of the album, setting new standards of power, precision, and stamina. But really, the rest of the band is just as dexterous, playing with tightly controlled fury even at the most ridiculously fast tempos.

Kill ‘Em All’s most effective tone is one of supernatural malevolence — as pure sound, the record is already straight from the pits of hell. The band’s musical ambition grew rapidly, so today, Kill ‘Em All sounds more like the foundation for greater things to come.

But that doesn’t take anything away from how fresh it sounded upon fi

New and sealed.