The day was August 12, 1983. The setting: Chicago’s legendary venue, The Metro. Headlining the show were heavy metal masters Raven. And the opener? Oh, just a young band called Metallica. They played their debut album, Kill ’em All, and in doing so, set the stage for 80s thrash metal domination.
Dubbed the Kill ‘Em All for One tour, the trek came amidst the release of Metallica’s first record, which had dropped on July 25, 1983. At the time, vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield was 20, drummer Lars Ulrich was 19, guitarist Kirk Hammett was 20, and bassist Cliff Burton was 21.
The set, which was captured on film, was evidence of metal’s turning tide. Thrash was here now, and it was going to reign supreme. Check out footage from the iconic gig below…