After their innovative but hamfisted debut Kill "Em All, Metallica shocked fans and critics alike with the virtuosity of their playing and songwriting skills on theis album. It marked the start of their association with producer Flemming Rasmussen, who channeled the ferocious speed of their tunes (make no mistake, this may be refined, technical music, but it remains thrash of the highest order) as well as acting midwife to the band's first rock ballad, Fade to Black. In the lenghthy instrumental The Call of Ktulu, Metallica hinted at the prog-riffery of later songs such as Orion. At the time, seminal

8 out of 10.