Metal Militia

With its overflowing energy and a duration of 6:06, *Metal Militia* closes Metallica's debut album, *Kill 'Em All*. This musical piece, born from the collaboration between Dave Mustaine, James Hetfield, and Lars Ulrich, presents itself as an anthem of the 'metal militia,' a direct allusion to all heavy metal followers. The lyrics evoke an idea of global dominance led by this community of fans, with the band itself acting as the core of that force. It is one of the fastest tracks they recorded, and its title even inspired other Metallica tribute projects.

The recording of *Kill 'Em All* featured production by Paul Curcio and Jon Zazula. The album was released in 1983, a key year for the band, which had already established its base in San Francisco since February of that same year, after having been founded in Los Angeles in 1981. In its early days, Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield were joined by other musicians before the arrival of Dave Mustaine and Cliff Burton. Mustaine's career led him to found Megadeth after his departure from the band. Later, the tragic loss of Cliff Burton in 1986 made way for Jason Newsted, who in turn was succeeded by the current bassist, Robert Trujillo.