Album
Kill ’Em All
Kill 'Em All is Metallica's debut album, released on 25 July 1983 through the independent label Megaforce. The band had formed in Los Angeles in 1981, then moved to San Francisco to bring in bassist Cliff Burton. Their No Life 'til Leather demo caught the ear of label boss Jon Zazula, who gave them a $15,000 budget. Dave Mustaine was fired just before recording, so Kirk Hammett arrived in time for the sessions in Rochester, New York, in May 1983.
The record was nearly called Metal Up Your Ass, with a sleeve to match, until Zazula talked the band out of it. Its fast, hard-edged approach sounded nothing like early-1980s mainstream rock, and it is now seen as a groundbreaking thrash metal album. "Whiplash" and "Jump in the Fire" were the singles. Sales started modestly, but the album went on to reach 4× platinum in the US.
Kill ’Em All on Riffology
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Kill ’Em All: tracklist, credits and charts
10 tracks · 51:03Tracklist
- 1Hit the LightsJames Hetfield and Lars Ulrich4:17
- 2The Four HorsemenHetfield, Mustaine, Ulrich7:08
- 3MotorbreathJames Hetfield3:03
- 4Jump in the FireHetfield, Mustaine, Ulrich4:50
- 5(Anesthesia) – Pulling TeethCliff Burton3:27
- 6WhiplashJames Hetfield and Lars Ulrich4:06
- 7Phantom LordMustaine, Hetfield, Ulrich4:52
- 8No RemorseJames Hetfield and Lars Ulrich6:24
- 9Seek & DestroyJames Hetfield and Lars Ulrich6:50
- 10Metal MilitiaMustaine, Hetfield, Ulrich6:06
- Produced by
- Paul Curcio, Jon Zazula
- Executive producer
- Jon Zazula
- Recorded at
- Music America (Rochester, New York)
- Recorded
- 10–27 May 1983
- Mixed at
- Music America Studios
- Engineered by
- Chris Bubacz, Andy Wroblewski
- Label
- Elektra
- Length
- 51:03
Line-up
- Cliff Burton · electric bass guitar
- Kirk Hammett · electric guitar
- James Hetfield · electric guitar, lead vocals
- Lars Ulrich · drums (drum set)
Singles
- “Whiplash” · 8 August 1983
- “Jump in the Fire” · 20 January 1984
Peak chart positions
| Chart | Peak |
|---|---|
| Polish Albums | 13 |
| German Albums · 2023 | 17 |
| US Top Rock Albums | 18 |
| Swiss Albums · 2023 | 31 |
| Hungarian Physical Albums (MAHASZ) · 2023 | 33 |
| Austrian Albums · 2023 | 54 |
Certifications
| Region | Certification |
|---|---|
| Argentina · 2011 | Platinum |
| Australia · 2024 | 2× Platinum |
| Canada · 1994 | Platinum |
| Germany · 2019 | Gold |
| Italy · 2025 | Gold |
| Poland · 2021 | Platinum |
| United Kingdom · 2013 | Gold |
| United States · 2025 | 4× Platinum |
From MusicBrainz, Wikipedia and Wikidata. Only what the sources record is shown.
92.0
Popularity (0–100, vs the whole vault)
9.4k
ListenBrainz listeners
382k
Wikipedia views, last 12 months
106k
Deezer fans (all editions)
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The best of 1983
All of 1983 →
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AC/DC · 1983
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Slayer · 1983
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Works
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Queen · 1977
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Sheer Heart Attack
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A Day at the Races
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Reinventing the Steel
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Sound of White Noise
Anthrax · 1993
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Releases and pressings
How we know the release date wikipedia + musicbrainz + wikidata
| Source | Date | Note |
|---|---|---|
| MusicBrainz | 25 July 1983 | |
| Wikipedia infobox | 25 July 1983 | |
| Wikidata | 25 July 1983 | |
| US release | 25 July 1983 | earliest US date |
| UK / Europe release | 1983 | earliest UK or European date |
67 editions
| Date | Country | Label | Barcode | Kind |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| — | US | Elektra | 075596076623 | other |
| — | XE | Vertigo | 042283814226 | other |
| — | US | Elektra | 075596076623 | other |
| — | DE | Roadrunner Records | other | |
| — | DE | Roadrunner Records | 016861990220 | other |
| — | GB | Music for Nations | 5016583100728 | other |
| — | US | Blackened | 858978005134 | other |
| — | XW | Blackened | 00602547910790 | deluxe |
| 1983 | US | Elektra | 075596076647 | other |
| 1983 | US | Megaforce Records | other | |
| 1983 | NL | Roadrunner Records | other | |
| 1983 | GB | Music for Nations | other | |
| 25 July 1983 | US | Megaforce Records | original | |
| 1984 | JP | NEXUS | other | |
| 1986 | GB | Music for Nations | other | |
| 1987 | GB | Music for Nations | other | |
| 1987 | GB | Music for Nations | other | |
| 1987 | US | Megaforce Records | other | |
| 1987 | GB | Music for Nations | 5016583100735 | other |
| 1988 | CA | Elektra | 075596076647 | other |
| 1988 | US | Elektra | other | |
| 1988 | US | Elektra | 075596076616 | other |
| 1988 | CA | Elektra | 075596076623 | other |
| 19 January 1988 | CA | Elektra | 075596076623 | other |
| 19 January 1988 | US | Elektra | 075596076623 | other |
| 21 November 1988 | JP | CBS/Sony | 4988009629056 | other |
| 1989 | XE | Vertigo | 042283814226 | other |
| 1989 | XE | Vertigo | 042283814219 | other |
| 1989 | FR | Vertigo | 042283814226 | other |
| 1989 | DE | Vertigo | 042283814226 | other |
| 1989 | AR | PolyGram | 042283814226 | other |
| 1989 | CO | Vertigo | 042283814226 | other |
| 1989 | MX | Vertigo | 7509967211762 | other |
| 1989 | XE | Vertigo | 042283814240 | other |
| 1989 | FR | Music for Nations | 5016583100728 | other |
| 1992 | CA | Elektra | 075596076623 | other |
| 21 February 1992 | JP | Sony Records | 4988009577722 | other |
| 1993 | AU | Vertigo | 042283814219 | other |
| 1993 | US | Elektra | 075596076623 | other |
| 1993 | AU | Vertigo | 042283814240 | other |
| 1993 | AU | Vertigo | 042283814226 | other |
| 20 June 1995 | US | Elektra | 075596076623 | other |
| 6 November 2003 | JP | Sony Music Japan International Inc. | 4547366012927 | other |
| 25 July 2006 | CA | — | other | |
| 9 August 2006 | JP | Vertigo | 4988005440013 | other |
| 15 April 2008 | US | Warner Bros. Records | 093624990932 | other |
| 16 May 2008 | XE | Universal Music Group International | 600753085271 | other |
| 12 September 2008 | JP | Vertigo | 4988005530462 | other |
| 22 September 2010 | JP | Vertigo | 4988005628626 | other |
| 2013 | US | Blackened | 856115004477 | other |
| 2016 | XE | Blackened | 602547885272 | other |
| 2016 | XE | Blackened | 602547885289 | other |
| 2016 | US | Blackened | remaster | |
| 8 March 2016 | XW | Blackened | remaster | |
| 15 April 2016 | XW | Blackened | 602547914026 | remaster |
| 15 April 2016 | US | Blackened | 858978005042 | remaster |
| 15 April 2016 | JP | EMI | 00602547914057 | remaster |
| 15 April 2016 | US | Blackened | 858978005042 | deluxe |
| 15 April 2016 | XE | Blackened | 602547885272 | remaster |
| 15 April 2016 | US | Blackened | 858978005035 | other |
| 15 April 2016 | US | Blackened | 858978005172 | remaster |
| 15 April 2016 | US | Blackened | 858978005035 | other |
| 15 April 2016 | JP | — | 602547914071 | remaster |
| 15 April 2016 | US | Blackened | deluxe | |
| 15 April 2016 | US | Blackened | 858978005134 | other |
| 13 April 2018 | JP | Blackened | 4988031272596 | other |
| 6 March 2020 | — | Blackened | 850007452162 | other |
Cover art sources
coverartarchive · upscaled: minor: best source 1425x1425, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05)
| Source | Size | Verdict |
|---|---|---|
| coverartarchive ✓ | 1425×1425 | upscaled: minor: best source 1425x1425, upscaled to 1500 (x1.05) |
| itunes | 1425×1425 | upscaled |
| deezer | 1200×1200 | upscaled |
| fanarttv | 1000×1000 | upscaled |