News 18 Feb 2016

Metallica announce massive box sets for their first two albums

By Paul Sinclair

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US heavy rockers Metallica‘s first two albums, 1983’s Kill ‘Em All and Ride The Lightning (1984), will be reissued as enormous ten and 11-disc box sets (respectively) this coming April…

Both albums have been remastered (as you might expect) and form but a small part of the deluxe box sets which take in live performances, unreleased demos and rough mixes, interviews, radio spots and more! Both boxes include CDs, black vinyl records, vinyl picture discs and a DVD along with books including rare photos and essays and other paraphernalia.

The Kill ‘Em All box includes the album on CD and vinyl as well as a 2LP vinyl pressing of Live at Espace Balard (Paris, France Feb 9th, 1984) and a vinyl picture disc of the Jump in the Fire single. All the vinyl comes with digital downloads.

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The four CDs (in addition to the album) include a disc of rough mixes and rarities, Live at J Bees Rock III, Live at The Keystone, Palo Alto, CA and a CD of interviews and Radio IDs. Finally a DVD of Metallica Live at the Metro in Chicago on August 12th, 1983 is included which is mostly previously unreleased.

The Ride The Lightning box follows a similar template, although is even bigger. As well as the remastered album on vinyl and CD, the Metallica fan gets to enjoy Live at the Hollywood Palladium (from 1985) on double vinyl and a vinyl picture disc of the Creeping Death single. There are five more CDs in this box (a total of six): an interview disc, ten unreleased rough takes/demos from Lars’ vault, and three live performances from Kabuki Theatre (San Francisco), Lyceum Theatre (London) and Castle Donington respectively.

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The DVD in Ride The Lightning box offers footage of the band Live at the Metal Hammer Festival in Germany in 1985, Live at MTV’s Day on the Green (California, 1985) and some early interview footage from Danish TV.

Both boxes come with a hardcover book. Kill ‘Em All also has a patch, while Ride The Lightning includes a ‘mini-book’ of handwritten lyrics and a set of three posters.

Both boxes are released on 15th April 2016. (Pre-order links will be updated to reflect wider availability).

Kill ‘Em All deluxe box (4LP+5CD+DVD+Book)

Ride The Lightning deluxe box (4LP+6CD+DVD+Book)

Kill ‘Em All Deluxe Box Set Track List:

Vinyl: Kill ‘Em All (Remastered)

“Hit the Lights”
“The Four Horsemen”
“Motorbreath”
“Jump in the Fire”
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth”
“Whiplash”
“Phantom Lord”
“No Remorse”
“Seek and Destroy”
“Metal Militia”

Vinyl: Live At Espace Balard, Paris, France – February 9th, 1984 (Two LPs)

Previously Unreleased

“The Ecstasy of Gold”
“Hit the Lights” (Live)
“The Four Horsemen” (Live)
“Jump in the Fire” (Live)
“Phantom Lord” (Live)
“No Remorse” (Live)
“Ride the Lightning” (Live)
“Motorbreath” (Live)
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth” (Live)
“Whiplash” (Live)
“Seek and Destroy” (Live)
“Metal Militia” (Live)

Vinyl: Jump in the Fire (Picture Disc)

“Jump in the Fire”
“Seek and Destroy” (“Live” at The Automatt)
“Phantom Lord” (“Live” at The Automatt)

CD: Kill ‘Em All (Remastered)

CD: Interview and Radio IDs

Previously Unreleased

Metal Forces Interview With Lars, January 1984
Radio IDs With Lars, James and Cliff From 1984

CD: Rough Mixes From Lars’ Vault, Bootleg Tracks and Whiplash Remix EP

Previously Unreleased except “Jump In The Fire,” “Whiplash (Special Neckbrace Remix),” “Seek and Destroy (“Live” at The Automatt)” and “Phantom Lord (“Live” at The Automatt)”

“Motorbreath” (Rough Mix)
“Hit the Lights” (Rough Mix)
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth” (Rough Mix)
“Seek and Destroy” (Rough Mix)
“Whiplash” (Rough Mix)
“The Four Horsemen” (Rough Mix)
“Seek and Destroy” (Not Live from The Automatt)
“Phantom Lord” (Not Live from The Automatt)
“Jump in the Fire”
“Whiplash” (Special Neckbrace Remix)
“Seek and Destroy” (“Live” at The Automatt)
“Phantom Lord” (“Live” at The Automatt)

CD: Live at J Bees Rock III, Middletown, NY – January 20th, 1984

Previously Unreleased

“The Four Horsemen” (Live)
“Jump in the Fire” (Live)
“Fight Fire With Fire” (Live)
“Ride the Lightning” (Live)
“Phantom Lord” (Live)
“Seek and Destroy” (Live)
“Whiplash (Live)”

CD: Live at the Keystone, Palo Alto, CA – October 31st, 1983

Previously Unreleased

“Hit the Lights” (Live)
“The Four Horsemen” (Live)
“Jump in the Fire” (Live)
“Fight Fire With Fire” (Live)
“Ride the Lightning” (Live)
“Phantom Lord” (Live)
“When Hell Freezes Over (‘The Call of Ktulu’)” (Live)
“Seek and Destroy” (Live)
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth” (Live)
“Whiplash” (Live)
“Creeping Death” (Live)
“Guitar Solo” (Live)
“Metal Militia” (Live)

DVD: Live at the Metro in Chicago on August 12th, 1983

Previously Unreleased except “No Remorse” and “Metal Militia”

“Hit the Lights” (Live) (Video Only/No Audio)
“The Four Horsemen” (Live) (Video Only/No Audio)
“Jump in the Fire” (Live) (Video Only/Partial Audio)
“Phantom Lord” (Live)
“No Remorse” (Live)
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth” (Live)
“Whiplash” (Live)
“Seek and Destroy” (Live)
“Guitar Solo” (Live)
“Metal Militia” (Live)

Ride the Lightning Deluxe Box Set Track List:

Vinyl: Ride the Lightning (Remastered)

“Fight Fire With Fire”
“Ride the Lightning”
“For Whom the Bell Tolls”
“Fade to Black”
“Trapped Under Ice”
“Escape”
“Creeping Death”
“The Call of Ktulu”

Vinyl: Live at the Hollywood Palladium, Los Angeles, CA – March 10th, 1985 (Two LPs)

Previously Unreleased

“The Ecstasy of Gold”
“Fight Fire With Fire” (Live)
“Ride the Lightning” (Live)
“Phantom Lord” (Live)
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth” (Live)
“For Whom the Bell Tolls” (Live)
“No Remorse” (Live)
“Fade to Black” (Live)
“Seek and Destroy” (Live)
“Creeping Death” (Live)
“Am I Evil?” (Live)
“Motorbreath” (Live)

Vinyl: Creeping Death (Picture Disc)

“Creeping Death”
“Am I Evil?”
“Blitzkrieg”

CD: Ride the Lightning (Remastered)

“Fight Fire With Fire”
“Ride the Lightning”
“For Whom the Bell Tolls”
“Fade to Black”
“Trapped Under Ice”
“Escape”
“Creeping Death”
“The Call of Ktulu”

CD: Metallica Interviews

Previously Unreleased

Metal Forces Interview with Lars, November 1984
WUSC Cleveland Radio Interview with Cliff and Kirk, February 1985
Metal Madness Interview with Lars, March 1985

CD: Demos and Rough Mixes From Lars’ Vault

Previously Unreleased

“Ride the Lightning” (Studio Demo)
“When Hell Freezes Over (‘The Call Of Ktulu’)” (Studio Demo)
“Creeping Death” (Studio Demo)
“Fight Fire With Fire” (Studio Demo)
“Ride the Lightning” (Garage Demo)
“When Hell Freezes Over (‘The Call Of Ktulu’)” (Garage Demo)
“Fight Fire With Fire” (Garage Demo)
“Ride the Lightning” (Boom Box Demo)
“Blitzkrieg” (Rhythm Track Rough Mix)
“Am I Evil?” (Rhythm Track Rough Mix)

CD: Live at Kabuki Theatre, San Francisco, CA – March 15th, 1985

Previously Unreleased on CD

“Fight Fire With Fire” (Live)
“Ride the Lightning” (Live)
“Phantom Lord” (Live)
“The Four Horsemen” (Live)
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth” (Live)
“For Whom the Bell Tolls” (Live)
“No Remorse” (Live)
“Fade to Black” (Live)
“Creeping Death” (Live)
“Guitar Solo” (Live)
“Am I Evil?” (Live)
“Motorbreath” (Live)

CD: Live at the Lyceum Theatre, London, UK – December 20th, 1984

“Phantom Lord,” “The Call Of Ktulu,” “Creeping Death” and “Guitar Solo” Previously Unreleased. All Other Songs Previously Unreleased on CD.

“Phantom Lord” (Live)
“The Four Horsemen” (Live)
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth” (Live)
“For Whom the Bell Tolls” (Live)
“No Remorse” (Live)
“The Call of Ktulu” (Live)
“Seek and Destroy” (Live)
“Whiplash” (Live)
“Creeping Death” (Live)
“Guitar Solo” (Live)
“Metal Militia” (Live)

CD: Live at Castle Donington, UK – August 17th, 1985

Previously Unreleased on CD

“Creeping Death” (Live)
“Ride the Lightning” (Live)
“For Whom the Bell Tolls” (Live)
“The Four Horsemen” (Live)
“Fade to Black” (Live)
“Seek and Destroy” (Live)
“Whiplash” (Live)
“Motorbreath” (Live)

DVD: Metal Hammer, Day on the Green and Danish TV

Live at the Metal Hammer Festival in St. Goarshausen, Germany – September 14, 1985

Previously Unreleased except “The Four Horsemen,” “Fade to Black” and “Seek and Destroy”

“Creeping Death” (Live)
“Ride the Lightning” (Live)
“Disposable Heroes” (Live)
“No Remorse” (Live)
“(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth” (Live)
“For Whom The Bell Tolls” (Live)
“The Four Horsemen” (Live)
“Fade to Black” (Live)
“Seek and Destroy” (Live)
“Whiplash” (Live)
“Fight Fire With Fire” (Live)
“Guitar Solo” (Live)
“Am I Evil?” (Live)
“Motorbreath” (Live)

Live at MTV’s Day on the Green at Oakland Stadium, Oakland, CA – August 31, 1985

Previously Unreleased except “For Whom the Bell Tolls”

“Creeping Death” (Live)
“Ride the Lightning” (Live)
“For Whom the Bell Tolls” (Live)
MTV Day on the Green Interview with Lars and James

Danish TV

Previously Unreleased

Lars Ulrich When He Was Young (Lars’ first television interview)
Spot – Lars Ulrich

Kill ‘Em All deluxe box (4LP+5CD+DVD+Book)

Ride The Lightning deluxe box (4LP+6CD+DVD+Book)

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