10 Greatest Debut Albums In Metal

As the '80s wore on, the heaviest acts that were coming to the forefront tended to drop off around Iron Maiden and Judas Priest. While there was no doubting the metal pedigree on display there, the focus was still on catchy choruses that really sealed the deal for the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. When a bunch of kids from the Bay picked it up though, the entire metal landscape turned on its head.

Once Metallica hooked up with Johnny Zazula in New York, their debut with Kill Em All was the start of something entirely new for metal. Compared to the metal acts of old, these guys were playing crazy fast updates on acts like Diamond Head and Angel Witch, thrown together with the same type of attitude you would get from punk rock. Across every track on here, you can hear Metallica pioneering the thrash formula, from the mid-tempo Seek and Destroy to the tear-your-head-off intensity of Whiplash.

This album is also responsible with exposing Cliff Burton to the world, who absolutely wails on Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth) with one of the gnarliest bass solos ever recorded. Despite being just a tad rough around the edges, this was just the beginning of Metallica becoming one of the most dominant forces in metal (and rock) history.