Metallica will launch a massive catalog reissue campaign with multiple remastered editions of their first two albums – 1983’s “Kill ‘Em All” and 1984’s “Ride The Lightning” – on April 15.
Both projects will be available in three formats – CD, vinyl and as a limited edition deluxe box set that includes original source material from the band’s personal collection with many never before heard or seen recordings along with books including rare photos and essays from those who were there.
The deluxe numbered box set of “Kill ‘Em All” includes four vinyl records, five CDs, one DVD, a hardcover book including rare photos and a patch while the deluxe numbered box set of “Ride The Lightning” includes four vinyl records, six CDs, one DVD, a hardcover book including more of those unseen photos, a mini-book of lyrics handwritten by James Hetfield and a set of three posters.
The group’s debut album, “Kill ‘Em All” – which features concert staples like “Hit The Lights”, “Seek & Destroy” and “Whiplash” – sold 17,000 copies in the US by the end of 1983 and finally surfaced on the US Billboard 200 in 1986 after the success of the band’s third release “Master Of Puppets.” The debut eventually peaked at No. 120 on the Billboard album chart on its way to sales of more than 3 million in States by 1999.
“Ride The Lightning” – with classics like “Creeping Death” and “For Whom The Bell Tolls” – sold 85,000 copies in Europe in its first year as it increased Metallica’s profile abroad. The project hit No. 100 on the Billboard 200 and went on to sell 6 million copies in the US by 2012.
Metallica are previewing each reissue with an unreleased track: a live take on “Phantom Lord” from “Kill ‘Em All” recorded in Paris in 1983, and a raw, instrumental garage demo of the title cut from “Ride The Lightning.”
Full track listings for all formats are available at metallica.com
The deluxe box sets are available for pre-order now from the band’s Met Store ahead of the official release date in April.
“We’re excited to continue working our way through the catalog,” says Metallica. “This is just the beginning!”
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