Seek and Destroy

[1983]
Album: Kill 'em All


"Seek & Destroy" is the first song Metallica recorded in a studio and was featured on the demo "No Life 'til Leather". Described as "the first great Metallica standard", it has been frequently played in concerts over the years since its live debut in 1982 and has been the band's closing song since the Madly in Anger with the World Tour.
The song is about feeling the urge to kill. It can be inferred from the lyrics that it's not senseless killing but as revenge to someone that very much deserved it. During the Kill 'em All for One Tour, Hetfield would jokingly say that it was about hunting. It is said to be heavily influenced by the Diamond Head song "Dead Reckoning". The first three mini solos are derived from the song "Princess of the Night" by Saxon. Metallica added the final solo. Since the song's debut on Kill 'em All, Hammett has apologized for the unusual pitch of the string bend which occurs at 3:47 to 3:48, during the solo, is in fact a mistake or "bum note."
“ If 'Seek And Destroy' is borrowed from any Diamond Head song, it's 'Dead Reckoning'. It greatly inspired 'Seek And Destroy', shall we say... ” – Lars Ulrich, June 1993
The song has become a fan favorite and has been played at virtually every Metallica concert since the band's inception. It is sometimes played as a closing number for their live performances, with Hetfield often asking the audience to sing along with him; he shouts "Searching," and they shout: "Seek and destroy!" During the "Wherever We May Roam Tour", "Seek & Destroy" was played with Jason Newsted singing vocals; however, at the end of the song, the band would commence in a jam for nearly 7 minutes until Hetfield took the microphone and continually had the audience sing the lines "Seek and destroy!". He also went to the edge of the barriers holding off the crowd and got them to sing the lines individually. The song length went from an average of 7 minutes to an average of 16 to 20 minutes for the elongated concert version of the "Black Album" tour.
During the "Shit Hits The Sheds Tour" of 1994, the song would be introduced as a new song that Jason wrote, and would include an extended jam, that would include one of the main riffs of "The Outlaw Torn". Since 2004 it became a regular closing song at the end of the band's set. However, instead of it being played in E standard tuning, it is played in D standard tuning. It was also played in E flat tuning during the years 1995–2002. When played live, Hetfield (in the past also Newsted) often changes the beginning lyrics "in the city tonight" by replacing "the city" with the name of the town in which they are performing.
A performance of the song with Burton on bass in 1985, is available on the DVD "Cliff 'em All" Newer live versions can also be found in the "Live Shit: Binge & Purge" box set (with Newsted singing the lead vocals on the Mexico City CDs and the San Diego DVD) and the "Cunning Stunts" DVD when played in the Kill/Ride Medley..