Silver Lining Music’s ‘No Life Til Leather’ Is A Solid Tribute To Metallica

By: Philip Sayblack

Metallica is one of the most important, influential acts in the hard rock community.  There is no denying that.  Over the course of more than four decades, the band has become a leader in that community, as a matter of fact (and not just for its music, but its outreach efforts, too).  Now later this month, a new tribute to the band’s legacy will be released as Metallica’s contemporaries (established and newer) in the form of the new record, No Life Til Leather: A Tribute to Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All.  Set for release Nov. 14 through Silver Lining Music.  The 10-track record follows the original record’s track listing precisely and the performances themselves are outstanding from one to the next.  This is the case right from the record’s outset as Tailgunner takes on ‘Hit The Lights.’  As the record continues, the cover of ‘(Anesthesia) – Pulling Teeth’ proves to be yet another impressive take on another of the original record’s tracks.  Testament’s cover of ‘Seek & Destroy,’ which serves as the record’s penultimate entry, is yet another notable entry in this tribute record.  All three songs are their own wonderful examples of how much this tribute record has to offer.  When they are considered alongside the rest of the album’s entries, the whole therein makes No Life Til Leather: A Tribute to Metallica’s Kill Em All a fun presentation that Metallica’s established audiences will appreciate just as much as casual metal fans.
Silver Lining Music’s forthcoming Metallica tribute record, No Life Til Leather: A Tribute to Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All, is a positive way to honor the record that started the career of one of hard rock and metal’s most influential and respected acts.  That is proven from the beginning to the end of the 48-minute record through the blend of established and up-and-coming acts whose covers have come together to make this presentation happen.  Right from the outset, Tailgunner, one of those up-and-coming acts, gets things going solidly with its cover of ‘Hit The Lights.’  The band, which was formed in 2018, stays true to the source material here, with its take of ‘Hit The Lights’ clocking in at four minutes, 15 seconds, which is the exact same run time for the original song.  From beginning to end, every aspect is the same in the “translation” with the result being a fully energetic, fist-pumping work.  Vocalist Craig Cairns’ delivery is spot on even with his more power metal style approach alongside the full throttle vintage thrash/punk instrumentation.  The whole is a great way to open the record that also helps build Tailgunner’s name in the hard rock and metal community.
As the record continues, bassist David Ellefons (ex-Megadeth) pays wonderful tribute not just to Metallica but to its beloved late bassist, Cliff Burton, as he takes on Burton’s performance of ‘Anesthesia.’  Even in such a short life and career, Burton made such an impact on the hard rock and metal community (including on Metallica’s music), so it is only fitting that someone of Ellefson’s experience take on Burton’s work here.  Ellefson’s take on the song is only seconds shorter than the original, clocking in at four minutes, three seconds versus the original’s run time of four minutes, 14 seconds.  To that end, he stays largely true to the source material here.  From the contemplative mood that the arrangement sets early on to the heavier moments that also feature drums in the second half, the whole becomes another welcome presentation in part of the record’s whole.
Testament, which has always been considered one of the big names in thrash, alongside Metallica, presents yet one more welcome presentation as part of the whole as it takes on one of Kill ‘Em All’s big hits, ‘Seek & Destroy.’  Testament pays full homage to its thrash brethren in this song, which clocks in at six minutes, 55 seconds, one second longer than the original song.  In other words this cover stays wholly true to its source material while just amping it up and giving it Testament’s own unique touch.  Front man Chuck Billy’s gritty vocal delivery in the choruses actually makes him sound almost exactly like Metallica’s James Hetfield.  If one did not know it was Billy, they would think it was Hetfield.  The similarity in sound and style is that close.  The instrumentation throughout the song is just as powerful and impressive.  It is just as certain to have audiences singing along as the original composition.  When it is considered along with the other impressive covers examined herein and that whole with the rest of the record’s works, the whole makes No Life Til Leather: A Tribute to Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All a work that established Metallica audiences and casual hard rock and metal fans alike will appreciate.
Silver Lining Music’s forthcoming covers presentation, No Life Til Leather: A Tribute to Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All, is a strong entry, even essentially being another covers collection.  It impresses because instead of just being a bunch of covers of songs from the record, it is the entire record covered and not only that, but covered by acts young and established alike.  This in itself shows the reach of Metallica’s influence on the hard rock and metal community.  The covers examined here do well alongside the rest of the record’s entries, to make the record in whole more than just another covers set that is certain to engage and entertain plenty of audiences.
No Life Til Leather: A Tribute to Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All is scheduled for release Nov. 14 through Silver Lining Music.  More information on this and other titles from Silver Lining Music is available at:
Website: https://sl-music.net/en
Facebook: Silver Lining Music