Sabbath, Motörhead, Diamond Head, Saxon, Thin Lizzy, Judas Priest, Iron Maiden and King Diamond.
As the band began to rehearse, they soon discovered their sound, and in 1982 they began to release demos and play in local Southern California clubs. After garnering an intense local following and perfecting their now-legendary stage act, Metallica tickets were offered for the first time in the San Francisco Bay Area. They soon gathered the same type of following in Northern California, and their reputation grew with each ear-splitting performance.
Album Success
In 1983, Metallica, on the heels of their rising live performance success, traveled to Rochester, New York to get to work in the studio. Their first release, Kill ‘Em All, was not a commercial success, but resulted in enough notice for the band that their next release, Ride the