Metallica Ride the Lightning LP vs Metallica Kill 'Em All Vinyl

Both are 2016 Blackened remasters of early Metallica on 180gm vinyl, so the pressing quality is comparable. Ride the Lightning is the more ambitious record: acoustic intros, the instrumental The Call of Ktulu, and Fade to Black give it more range, and its 4.7 rating edges out Kill 'Em All's 4.6. Kill 'Em All is rawer and faster, and the Walmart exclusive comes on red vinyl, which matters if you collect colored pressings. Buy Ride the Lightning for the stronger album and the more consistent pressing; buy Kill 'Em All if you want the debut's speed and the red variant.

• Choose the Ride the Lightning LP if you want the more varied, mature Metallica album and the standard black 180gm pressing.
• Choose the Kill 'Em All vinyl if you want the band's raw debut and prefer the red Walmart-exclusive pressing.