The institution of thrash metal – review of “No Life ‘Til Leather – A Tribute To Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All”

There are albums that you don’t just listen to: you experience them. They introduce you to a new way of seeing the world of music, abandoning melody to embrace dirty palm-muted riffs and anger against the system that oppresses you! Metallica‘s “Kill ‘Em All” is one of those records that changed the way we understand metal forever. It is the explosive blow that ignited the engine of thrash, the manifesto of a generation of young people thirsty for speed, anger, and freedom. Thrash metal originated in the United States, from hardcore punk and heavy metal influences combined with a desire for rebellion and as an alternative way of seeing this genre compared to the hair/glam wave that had also originated in America shortly before! And those four guys from Los Angeles laid the foundations with this work released in 1983, which was destined to influence the whole wave of musicians of the same genre and beyond! Remember what the reviews said at the time? “There are four of them and they make more noise than Motorhead”! That was enough for metal lovers to buy the record or go to one of their concerts. 

With “No Life ‘Til Leather – A Tribute to Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All“, several bands pay homage to that primordial sound, taking us back in time to when all it took was a worn-out amplifier and a sharp riff to make the garage walls shake.

A cover project organized by many bands, from veterans such as Saxon, Diamond Head, and Motorhead, the three bands that Metallica themselves loved and took inspiration from and to whom they lovingly reciprocate, to giants such as Tygers Of Pan Tang and Testament, to prog talents such as Soen!

From the very first notes of Tailgunner‘s “Hit the Lights,” it’s clear that this tribute is not meant to be a simple carbon copy: it’s an act of love, of devotion! The bands involved play with their hearts on their sleeves, respecting the spirit of the original but adding a personal touch. The guitars are ferocious, the drummers don’t hold back, and the vocals oscillate between wild screams and controlled fury, just as a young Hetfield would have wanted with his guitar clutched to his chest.

Each piece is a dive into pure adrenaline: “The Four Horsemen” is a breathless ride by the hard rockers The Almighty, “Motorbreath” still retains its punk DNA, a courageous effort for a band like Soen, accustomed to playing prog metal but who also manage to excel at these more galloping sounds! “Whiplash” remains an uncompromising lesson in headbanging, as does the bass solo in the hands of former Megadeth bassist David Ellefson. But the most surprising thing is how fresh these versions sound: the production is more polished, of course, but not an ounce of the glorious grime that made “Kill ‘Em All” immortal has been lost.

“No Life ‘Til Leather” is more than a tribute: it’s a declaration of loyalty to the old school. It’s proof that metal, real metal, never gets old. Every note sounds like a thank you to those guys from Los Angeles who, forty years ago, decided to push everything beyond the limit and, over time, ended up playing on every continent in the world!

Listening to it is like going back to your bedroom with your headphones on full blast, dreaming of getting on stage and shouting “Seek and destroy!” to the whole world. And that’s what I wanted to focus on a little, since it’s my favorite! Another great band from the thrash scene pays tribute to Metallica in the best possible way with the song most loved by fans, intensifying that raw and angry scream even more! Raven, another great pillar of the NWOBHM, known for having taken part in Metallica‘s first tour in 1983 with “Kill ‘Em All”, close with “Metal Militia“.

For those who have “Kill ‘Em All” in their blood, this album is not just a tribute: it is a flame that continues to burn. In this version, where each band plays a song from Metallica‘s first full-length album, I can’t say at all costs that it’s a truly pretentious project, since they are still cover songs, but it’s up to us to interpret it in the right way: I see it as a great tribute and an act of love towards a band that has now become immortal! And “Kill ‘Em All” isn’t just an album! It’s an institution! And we’re still here, with our fists raised, shouting: No life ’til leather!

Tracklist:

1. Hit The Lights (Tailgunner)
2. The Four Horsemen (The Almighty)
3. Motorbreath (Soen)
4. Jump In The Fire (Tygers Of Pan Tang)
5. (Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth (David Ellefson)
6. Whiplash (Motörhead)
7. Phantom Lord (Saxon)
8. No Remorse (Diamond Head)
9. Seek & Destroy (Testament)
10. Metal Militia (Raven)