Metallica - "Load"

Metallica - Load
1996, Blackened

1. Ain't My Bitch
2. 2 x 4
3. The House That Jack Built
4. Until It Sleeps
5. King Nothing
6. Hero of the Day
7. Bleeding Me
8. Cure
9. Poor Twisted Me
10. Wasting My Hate
11. Mama Said
12. Thorn Within
13. Ronnie
14. The Outlaw Torn

I think time has been pretty good to this album. I confess I was one of those that were originally aghast that the band had cut their hair and "sold out." Time has proven that they made the right move here. They'd pretty much done what they could do with thrash as a genre. Where do you go after Justice? Where do you go after the Black album? They had to branch out and do something else and the more hard rock, swagger of Load keeps all the aggression but allows the band do dabble in other sounds. And when that swagger works - man, it WORKS! "King Nothing" and "Bleeding Me" are prime examples. The main strike against this album is the length. At fourteen tracks and almost an hour and twenty minutes of music... well... that's a bit too much swagger for me. I think they could have lost two, three, or even four tracks off this and made a much more compact (and better) album. As it stands I really appreciate and enjoy it now. Though I still hate the cover art. And the title.

Useless Fact: If I remember correctly Load and Reload were supposed to be a double album. Which is WAY too much swagger if you ask me.

Metallica - "Hardwired...To Self-Destruct"

Metallica - Hardwired...To Self-Destruct
2016, Blackened

DISC ONE
1. Hardwired
2. Atlas, Rise
3. Now That We're Dead
4. Moth to Flame
5. Dream No More
6. Halo On Fire

DISC TWO
1. Confusion
2. ManUNkind
3. Here Comes Revenge
4. Am I Savage?
5. Murder One
6. Spit Out the Bone

DISC THREE
1. Lords of Summer
2. Ronnie Rising Medley
3. When a Blind Man Cries
4. Remember Tomorrow
5. Helpless (Live)
6. Hit the Lights (Live)
7. The Four Horsemen (Live)
8. Ride the Lightning (Live)
9. Fade To Black (Live)
10. Jump in the Fire (Live)
11. For Whom the Bell Tolls (Live)
12. Creeping Death (Live)
13. Metal Militia
14. Hardwired (Live)

When this album was nearing release I'd read an article saying the band was "getting back to their roots." Naturally, I rolled my eyes so hard I got a headache. Usually this means nothing. I expected it meant nothing in this case. Then I heard "Hardwired" as was like..."Well... maybe they are going back to their roots." While this is far from Kill 'Em All II they definitely dip deep into that well. "Hardwired" and especially the masterpiece closer "Spit Out the Bone" are fast, heavy, but relatively simple. They definitely remind one of the band's debut album. The rest of the album is a pretty solid continuation of what they accomplished with Death Magnetic - hearkening back to their old thrash roots while still injecting more melody. Some tracks, like "Am I Savage?" and "Murder One" lean toward the Load/Reload days. My only problem is that this album is a bit too long. I think if it was one disc with nine tracks on it, it would be stellar. As it is it's two discs and the second disc definitely has some filler - here I'm thinking of "Confusion," "ManUNkind," and "Murder One." They're songs that aren't bad, but not quite the quality of the first half. Though I really like "Here Comes Revenge," and "Am I Savage?" Oh, and let's not forget "Spit Out the Bone" which I already mentioned. It's probably one of the best songs they've ever written. Not kidding there. Actually, most of the first disc, too, is full of great songs. I think a shorter album would have made it a bit tighter and more unified.

Now I can't complain too much because it's been eight years. I get the sense that the band wanted to reward fans for waiting so long. I mean, the deluxe edition (which I think is the only edition) has three disc. Disc three is several B-side type tracks and what would amount to an entire live album. Also, the packaging is stellar and it's only like ten or eleven dollars. I do hate the cover art though. It looks...weird...not a fan.

Useless Fact: I guess this album contains no riffs from Kirk Hammett as he reportedly lost his phone with all his riff ideas on it.

Metallica - "Metallica"

Metallica - Metallica
1991, Blackened

1. Enter Sandman
2. Sad But True
3. Holier Than Thou
4. The Unforgiven
5. Wherever I May Roam
6. Don't Tread On Me
7. Through the Never
8. Nothing Else Matters
9. Of Wolf and Man
10. The God That Failed
11. My Friend of Misery
12. The Struggle Within

After the band hit it big with "One" I think they decided to court MTV fame for all it was worth. Metallica (aka The Black Album), is far more commercial than anything the band had done before. They made several videos from this album and they were all in heavy rotation back in the day. I usually don't respect any person that says "Enter Sandman" is their favorite Metallica song or that it's their best song. Because seriously, that's just silly. That being said, even though the band's self-titled album eschews the more progressive tenancies of the past it's still just as heavy. In fact, I'd say this album was responsible for bringing truly heavy metal into the mainstream. I realized the other day that I didn't have this album in the vault and I was all, "Why don't I have this?" So in it went.

Useless Fact: I believe "The God That Failed" was about James Hetfield's mother. His parents were Christian Scientists and when his mother took ill, they refused and medical treatment and she died. I can understand where he's coming from with the song, but I still can't say I'm wild about it.

Metallica - "Kill 'Em All"

Metallica - Kill 'Em All
1983, Elektra

1. Hit the Lights
2. The Four Horsemen
3. Motorbreath
4. Jump in the Fire
5. Anesthesia (Pulling Teeth)
6. Whiplash
7. Phantom Lord
8. No Remorse
9. Seek and Destroy
10. Metal Militia

So I may have shared about how my cousin and I would Christmas shop with my grandparents. They would give us twenty bucks and we were supposed to buy presents. Naturally, we'd buy lots of cheep things so we'd have enough money for tapes later. The first ever time we did this I got Metallica's Kill 'Em All. My grandmother's reaction was, "Oh my..." in that sort of huffy-sigh she always does when something out-of-sorts happens. I was like, "Um... they mean kill all the bad people.... yeah...." Anyway, I got this after getting the other ones. Naturally, it's a classic. The band was young and hungry and it shows in every note. They were a little less thrash and more speed metal/punk here - clearly showing their Motorhead influence (in songs like "Motorbreath" and "Whiplash"). They're lyrics weren't quite as sharp either, often dealing with violence, fast living, and how awesome metal is. Several songs have Dave Mustaine in the writing credits. Most people know "The Four Horsemen" is also Megadeth's "Mechanix."

Useless Fact: The first printing of this album had two extra tracks on it. "Blitzkrieg" and "Am I Evil?" (a Diamond Head cover) were two covers that were left off subsequent printings. I know this because they tape I bought had those two tracks and I've never seen another edition with those two tracks. It makes me sad.

Metallica - "Death Magnetic"

Metallica - Death Magnetic

2008, Warner Bros.

1. That Was Just Your Life

2. The End of the Line

3. Broken, Beat & Scared

4. The Day That Never Comes

5. All Nightmare Long

6. Cyanide

7. The Unforgiven III

8. The Judas Kiss

9. Suicide & Redemption

10. My Apocalypse

Metallica is finally getting back on their feet, I think. After the disastrous St. Anger the band returns with one of the most proficient, technical and heavy albums since Justice. The songs are fast, heavy, and dense compositions - most of which clockin at 7 minutes or over. I'm not sure that's necessary but as long as the songs are good I'm okay with it. "That Was Just Your Life" is a ripping opener that proudly proclaims its metal-ness. "All Nightmare Long" has an awesome adrenaline fueled chorus that makes me want to throw my fist in the air! "Suicide & Redemption" is one of the finest instrumentals the band has done. No, that's not a typo. I will say that they could have dropped "The Unforgiven III" because it's a very mediocre song and really doesn't have anything to do lyrically or thematically with the other "Unforgivens." While I think Megadeth still trumps them in terms of consistency, I think Metallica is well on their way to getting back on their feet in the fans' eyes.

Oh... one last comment. Some people have commented on the poor mastering. I admit that there is some distortion in the recording, but it was never anything I really noticed that much and it wasn't a deal-breaker by any stretch.

Useless Fact: Hey, look... they're not punishing their bassist anymore. Poor Jason... his only crime was not being Cliff Burton.

Metallica - "...And Justice For All"

Metallica - ...And Justice For All

1988, Elektra

1. Blackened

2. ...And Justice For All

3. Eye of the Beholder

4. One

5. Shortest Straw

6. Harvester of Sorrow

7. Frayed Ends of Sanity

8. To Live is To Die

9. Dyer's Eve

This is my favorite Metallica offering to this day. ...And Justice For All is technical, brutal, majestic, and beautiful. Thick chunky riffs dominate this record and the band is at their most serious. I know that when some one claims "Blackened" as their favorite Metallica song, that they are a more sophisticated fan than the average "Enter Sandman"-tard.

Useless Fact: This is the last album to contain riffs written by Cliff Burton.

Metallica - "Master of Puppets"

Metallica - Master of Puppets
1986, Elektra

1. Battery
2. Master of Puppets
3. The Thing That Should Not Be
4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
5. Disposable Heroes
6. Leper Messiah
7. Orion
8. Damage, Inc.

It goes without saying that this is a masterwork of thrash. If you like metal and you don't already have this then you probably still need help tying your shoes in the morning. Puppets is a genre defining album no metal-head should be without.

Useless Fact: This was the last album featuring Cliff Burton on bass. He died tragically in a bus accident.

Metallica - "Ride the Lightning"

Metallica - Ride the Lightning

1984, Elektra

1. Fight Fire With Fire

2. Ride the Lightning

3. For Whom the Bell Tolls

4. Fade To Black

5. Trapped Under Ice

6. Escape

7. Creeping Death

8. Call of Ktulu

Metallica (along with Megadeth, Slayer, and Anthrax) pretty much invented thrash in the 80's. Just about every metal band out today owes a debt of gratitude to those four bands. Ride the Lightning shows a lot of improvement over the debut mainly because they've really embraced the whole "writing riffs" thing. Whereas in Kill 'Em All is seemed like the speed part was definitely more punk it doesn't feel like that here. It just feels like metal! "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "Creeping Death" remain fan favorites to this day. "Escape" sounds almost like it's a little out of place being more melodic and having James Hetfield try to actually "sing" a chorus that's not acoustic. It's hard to believe that there was music with this kind of intensity being made in 1984.

Useless Fact: This is the last Metallica album to have Dave Mustaine listed with writing credits.