![]() The title cut is the interior monologue of a man who is about to ride the lightning for a crime he did not commit. “Fight Fire with Fire” worries about the threat of nuclear destruction as the result of escalating tensions between countries. And because I’m an idiot.Īnd the songs! Gone are the “are you ready to bang your head?” lyrics, replaced by mature, dark tales of existential crisis. Side Note: I had lightning bolts painted over my bed in my childhood home because I love Metallica. The cover art even features an electric chair being illuminated by lightning bolts emanating from the Metallica logo. Most notably, it appears in Stephen King’s best book, The Stand. Ride The Lightning is a euphemism (sort of) for going to the electric chair. And Kirk, in addition to providing killer riffs, comes up with the perfect name. Lars concentrates on timing and getting the rhythm right. James finally embraces his role as lead singer. Cliff introduces music theory and thoughtful songwriting into the process. (At present, there is no cause to worry or not worry about Kirk.) Immediately, there’s a new sense of focus in the band. There’s a lot of fucking around on Kill ‘Em All, but there are also signs of what is to come in songs like “Motorbreath”, “Phantom Lord” and “Seek and Destroy.”īefore Metallica go into the studio to record their second album, they fire Dave and hire a shredder named Kirk. Indeed, several of the songs are about doing just that. Kill ‘Em All is, in large part, an homage to the NWOBHM bands the group loves so well. Metallica record their first album in 1983. He will die in a bus crash on an icy road in Sweden while on tour in 1986.) They immediately invite him to join the band. Cliff is a quiet, thoughtful kid who knows music theory and has his own tragic past. They see a bassist named Cliff who absolutely blows them away. One night, James and Lars go to the Whiskey to catch a show. It’s the most metal name any of them has ever heard. ![]() He will pull himself together and form another successful group later.) The band calls themselves Metallica. The two teens find a talented, but troubled, lead guitarist named Dave whose love of alcohol often outstrips his love of making music. ![]() “At least this guy’s got good taste,” Hetfield thinks. The music bonds them and makes them feel less alone. They rock out to Tygers of Pan Tang, Blitzkrieg and, of course, Diamond Head. When he gets back, Lars calls James and convinces him to come over and listen to a bunch of records he’s picked up in Europe. Bands like Venom and Angel Witch and Diamond Head. ![]() But he also has a taste for bands whose music never quite translates across the pond. Yeah, Lars digs Maiden and Priest and to a lesser extent, Def Leppard. It is 1981 and the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (NWOBHM) is in full growl. Lars goes off to Europe for the summer to follow some of his favorite metal bands as they tour the continent. “Who does this fucking Lars Ulrich guy think he is?” James Hetfield wonders. Instantly, the working-class kid dislikes the rich kid. The working-class kid is a good rhythm guitarist and reluctant vocalist who has already been in several metal bands. The wealthy kid is a mediocre drummer who wants to form a metal band. As a result, his mother’s cancer goes untreated, and she dies. The other is a working-class kid, the son of devout Christian Scientists who reject medicine. One is wealthy, the son of a professional tennis player.
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