The Four Horsemen

The sound of The Four Horsemen, which we hear on Kill 'Em All, has a particular history. Originally, this piece was called The Mechanix and had completely different lyrics. The main riff was born from the mind of Dave Mustaine, who composed it before joining Metallica, while he was in his previous band, Panic. When Mustaine left Metallica, he took this song for his own group, Megadeth, releasing it on their debut album, Killing Is My Business... And Business Is Good!, with the title shortened to Mechanix and a much faster tempo, retaining the original lyrics.

After Mustaine's departure, James Hetfield took the lyrics of The Mechanix and completely reimagined them, giving them the apocalyptic tint we know today. To this new version, Kirk Hammett added a melodic guitar solo that, curiously, is rarely performed live. The lyrics of The Four Horsemen are inspired by the biblical text about the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse: Pestilence, War, Famine, and Death. The title also arose because the band members, even when Dave Mustaine was part of it, saw themselves as those four horsemen. In Metallica's version, the horsemen are described as Time, Famine, Pestilence, and Death, an interpretation that deviates from the original biblical description, where Conquest, War, Famine, and Death are mentioned. During the song's bridge, Cliff Burton's voice can be heard doing backing vocals.