 Kill ' Em All is the debut studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica , released on July 25 , 1983 , by the independent label Megaforce Records . Kill ' Em All is regarded as a groundbreaking album for thrash metal because of its precise musicianship , which fuses new wave of British heavy metal riffs with hardcore punk tempos . Its musical approach and lyrics were markedly different from rock 's mainstream of the early Eighties and inspired a number of bands who followed in similar manner . The album did not enter the Billboard 200 until 1986 , when it peaked at number 155 , following Metallica 's commercial success with its third studio album Master of Puppets ; the 1988 Elektra reissue peaked at number 120 . Kill ' Em All was critically praised at the time of its release and in retrospect , and was placed on a few publications ' best album lists . It was certified 3 × platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America ( RIAA ) in 1999 for shipping three million copies in the United States . The album generated two singles : " Whiplash " and " Jump in the Fire " . 
