Metallica: 10 Most Brutally Heavy Songs - Ranked

10. Hit The Lights

Where else to start than with the riff that started it all? This was the first song that James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich first jammed on and the song that initially got the band their first recorded material on the Metal Massacre compilation release.

For a band that was still in its infancy, "Hit the Lights" is surprisingly tight with its fast syncopated riffs and tasteful construction. At this point, Hetfield was already on the top of his game when it came to pumping out some of the most maniacal sounding riffs the metal world had ever seen. This is also one of the clear examples of the punk influence of the band, with much of the track being just three riffs at different fast tempos.

The song also became the jumping off point for their record Kill Em All, with therecord starting with the opening crash of guitars before the pick slide reels you into the riff's sharp descent. For all OG Metallica fans, it's debatable whether Kirk Hammett or Dave Mustaine played a better solo on this track, but Hammett's wailing on the studio version is the perfect mix of precision and a chaotic barrage of notes.

We're a long way from "Master of Puppets," but this song really cemented the core sound of Metallica going forward.