I like to say the 80s was, musically, largely insipid, and I think there is merit to the generalisation, though I know it is punctured constantly by remembrance of bands/music I like firmly from that period.
I had no idea about Metallica in 1983 and I'm not entirely sure why. This album isn't insipid, though I clearly prefer latter work. It is far from uninviting - obviously - and has strong elements of punk informing its heavy/thrash metal beginnings. Jump in the Fire, for example, doesn't do a lot for me, but opener Hit the Lights does in its frenetic energy, this quality probably the significant factor of the album: those Hetfield guitar rhythms at lightning speed. And this is quite punk-infused in its spitting pace. [Anesthesia]-Pulling Teeth is interesting for its instrumental bass lead and is positively experimental in the context of the whole. When Whiplash whips in immediately at the point of tooth extraction, that frantic guitar thrash rhythm asserts its wake-up call. Intriguing how two thirds into Phantom Lord and the song slows to what becomes a familiar later Metallica motif.
Hey, I'd marked 10 before listening to this as a post-work morning slaparama ready for the next small batch: feeling revived.
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