Seminal Metal album, Kill ‘Em All by Metallica gets the tribute treatment from a host of new and old, but all admiring metallers.

Release Date: 14th November 2025

Label: Silver Lining Music

Format: digital / LP / CD

A SEMINAL ALBUM

I have to admit I was a little hesitant when I was asked to review this tribute album. You see, I am a huge, self professed fan boy for Metallica and there was a risk that I would struggle to remain objective, thinking that anyone trying to replicate such a seminal metal album was heresy! However, curiosity got the better of me, so I promised myself that I would remain objective and enjoy these versions on their own merit rather than compare them to an hungry, fledgling Metallica back in 1983, turned up the volume and pressed play! 

England’s Tailgunner get things underway with a faithful, aggressive version of Hit The Lights with a slight twist making it sound a little like early Iron Maiden, but it still slaps you around the face and reminded me of the first time I heard Kill ‘Em All as a young teenager. The one thing that struck me immediately was that although this track is now over forty years old, it still sounds fresh and contemporary having more that stood the test of time of time. The Almighty follow on paying tribute to The Four Horsemen making it their own, smoothing the edges and sounding far less abrasive than the original.

RAUCOUS KARAOKE!

Unfortunately, Swedish prog metallers Soen’s take on Motorbreath doesn’t click with me, sounding messy and like raucous karaoke, although the guitar work is spot on! In contrast, Tygers of Pan Tang deliver a great version of Jump in The Fire. Nowhere near as aggressive or caustic as the original, the band put their own spin on it while keeping it true to the original. Ex-Megadeth bassist David Ellefson (I’m sure the irony of this will not be lost on anyone reading this) delivers his version of Anaesthesia (Pulling Teeth) which is technically very proficient but sounds a little too polished, losing some of the soul and authenticity of the original. 

Motörhead take on Whiplash making it sound like it could be one of their own tracks with Lemmy’s distinctive voice snarling out the vocals, and even tweaking them at points. It takes some confidence to do that to a classic Metallica track! Saxon take on Phantom Lord, giving it a decent NWOBHM make over before Diamond Head take on No Remorse delivering a powerful rendition that is close to the original and is one of the highlights of the album for me. 

Fellow Bay Area thrashers Testament deliver their version of Seek & Destroy. The music is close to the original but Chuck Billy’s gruff vocals make this sound heavier than the original, and this is another highlight of the album. Finally, the tribute album is brought to a close with Raven’s interpretation of Metal Militia, giving their own edge to the track with their distinctive vocals. 

HIGHS AND LOWS

There are some highs and lows on this album, but it was great to hear these re-workings of such an important album and it was great to hear new bands being involved as well as more classic bands whose histories intertwine so closely with Metallica in many cases. This was enjoyable and if nothing else reinforced exactly how good Kill ‘Em All is, and how important it is to the evolution of heavy music. 

Here’s Seek & Destroy by Testament:

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