Metallica Releases Their Debut Album 40 Years Ago

A band that would alter the course of rock ‘n’ roll history and set the tone for the 1980s was first exposed to the public in 1983. It was the day when lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, bassist Cliff Burton, drummer Lars Ulrich, and singer/guitarist James Hetfield of the Los Angeles heavy metal group Metallica released their first album, Kill ‘Em All.

Kill ‘Em All, widely regarded as one of the most intense and rapid albums of the decade, with hits such as “Seek & Destroy,” “Jump in the Fire,” and “Whiplash.” These tracks solidified Metallica’s position as a major force in music.

Here are five interesting facts about Kill ‘Em All that you may not be aware of in honor of its 40th anniversary:

At first, Metallica intended for the album to be called Metal Up Your Ass.

Cliff Burton’s comment about certain record wholesalers, “why don’t we just kill ’em all,” inspired the official title.

Although just 15,000 copies were sent to the US in the beginning, nearly 3 million copies of Kill ‘Em All have been sold.

In honor of the record’s 30th anniversary, Vans released a limited edition pair of Kill ‘Em All sneakers in 2013.

A few of the album’s tracks were from the former bands of Metallica members. The original version of “Hit the Lights” was a song by James Hetfield from his former group Leather Charm. The Mechanix from Dave Mustaine’s former band Panic was formerly The Four Horsemen.