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Seek And Destroy

MetallicaView all Metallica tabs

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Seek And Destroy by Metallica

Seek And Destroy is Metallica's blistering thrash anthem from their 1983 debut Kill 'Em All. The song quickly became a live essential, fueling crowds with its relentless tempo, shouted call-and-response vocals, and razor-sharp riffs. The writing captures the raw energy of Metallica's early years, with James Hetfield laying down thunderous rhythm guitar while Kirk Hammett rips into blistering lead lines. Over the years, the track has become one of Metallica's most recognizable live staples, often closing shows and igniting moshes around the world. Its impact helped cement Kill 'Em All as a cornerstone of the thrash metal movement and inspired countless players to pick up the guitar.

The track's cultural footprint extends from the club scene to stadiums, and it remains a marquee anthem that new generations of players learn to shred along to.

🎸 Want to know the techniques, practice tips, and lesson details? Scroll below the lesson!

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What You'll Learn

In this lesson you'll learn the song's iconic riffs, start-to-finish: the aggressive intro/main riff, the driving verse/chorus rhythm built on power chords, and the blistering lead lines. We'll focus on tight palm-muting for percussive rhythm, precise alternate picking for the fast passages, and building a strong rhythm section feel so you can lock in with drums. We'll also cover song structure and how to practice each section at a controllable tempo before bringing it all together at full speed.

Intermediate — helpful if you already know basic power chords, palm muting, and fast alternate picking, plus comfortable precision with fast tempos.

🎸 Techniques Used

Power ChordsPalm MutingAlternate PickingDown-Picking

Practice Tips

💡Break the song into small sections (intro, verse/chorus, solo) and loop each at a slow tempo with a metronome before increasing speed.
💡Practice palm muting with a steady, percussive attack: rest the edge of your palm near the bridge and keep the muting consistent across riffs.
💡Start with strict alternate picking on the fast riffs, then gradually incorporate down-picking on the heavier sections to preserve feel and aggression.