Metallica

This is music for people to listen to while fantasizing about bench pressing 500 pounds, throwing the game winning touchdown, Eiffel-towering Pamela Anderson, and kicking some commie ass (does "Lars Ulrich" sound suspiciously European i.e. commie?). But then they open their eyes to discover they've smashed a family bucket of KFC and crushed a 12-pack of light beer while yelling at the television and telling their fat wife to try to look pretty every once in a while. If Flavortown had a soundtrack it would be this album. A goatee-fueled bomb-dot-com explosion of repressed sexuality. Lights out delicious.

“Metallica” by Metallica (1991) I’m very familiar with this album, which I first listened to on the recommendation of a good friend a couple of years ago 😁. This album is top quality in texture, production values, composition, and theology. Yes, theology. Instrumentals and vocals, well-produced and mixed, deliver a powerful and dark ambience, clean distortion and overdrive. Intense lead vocal and driving rhythm guitar by James Hetfield, with robust percussion by Lars Ulrich. Exquisite lead guitar with some fine solo work by Kirk Hammett. Explosive yet steady bass by Jason Newsted. “Enter Sandman” is a nightmare-inducing thrash lullaby, expressing the disturbing irony of a father’s loving and comforting bedtime words to his young son, which are compromised by the horrors that lie behind daddy’s own feigned verities. Set in a minor key (Em—the perfect key for soulful guitar), the song reveals radical disconnect between the soothing and encouraging things parents say to their children at bedtime and the terror and dread in their own psyches. It’s further accentuated by the lyrical suggestion that the ironic disconnect is intentional. It’s as if the father is telling his young son, “I’m here to give you assurance and security, but your fears are completely justified, heh-heh.” Why do we ask our children to declare each night “If I should die before I wake . . .”? What horrible and perverse suggestion. It’s probably the most terrifying use of the subjunctive in the history of English discourse. This song is one of the few Metallica songs my real-life adult son actually likes. A voice inside me says, “What the hell does that mean?” “Don’t Tread on Me” begins with a riff from Leonard Bernstein’s “America” (mixed meter 6/8-3/4) from “West Side Story”, hinting that a jingoistic anthem is on its way. And Metallica delivers, Yankee Doodle Dandy. America—deadly, war mongering, and all at once celebrating and threatening the Spirit of ‘76 as symbolized by the Gadsden flag (“Don’t Tread on Me”). If the lyrics are read without irony, the only thing that’s missing is “God Bless America”. Popular piety at its worst, but you’d better take it seriously. On “The Unforgiven” there seems to be a good number of references to Hollywood westerns, from the obvious title (same as the 1960 film with Burt Lancaster and Audrey Hepburn) to the lyrical theme of the classic western hero. It’s interesting that Clint Eastwood’s “Unforgiven” was released the year after Metallica’s “The Unforgiven” (Connection?). The percussion instrumentation and guitar arpeggios echo Ennio Morricone’s scoring of “The Good, The Bad, and the Ugly” and “For a Few Dollars More”. This merits further exploration. I think Eastwood and Metallica should collaborate on a western movie. I’d wear a mask to see it. Even if it situates inner moral conflict in the context of lethal one-on-one confrontation. Prepare to meet your God as “The Unforgiven”. Setting God aside for a moment, “Nothing Else Matters” is, of course, a rock classic. Anthem status. The musical composition is brilliant, with intriguing choices (for a metal band) in the instrumentals, including acoustic guitar with reverb and orchestral background throughout. Again, in the very guitar-friendly E-minor, the arrangement provides the perfect setting for this love ballad, demonstrating an expansive creative range for a band known for “heavy metal”. Interestingly, this song only charted at #34 in the U.S. (#1 in Poland, though—that says a lot about the political and cultural scene in 1992). “Holier than Thou”, a little toxic masculinity goin’ out to all the Elmer Gantrys of the world, is a well deserved rage against the righteousness that lacks humility. This song gives expression to a sentiment that justifies the whole thrash genre. With dizzying tempo, we hear great lead solos by Kirk Hammett, and Jason Newsted keeps right up on bass guitar. Two middle fingers up. “The God that Failed” an anguished and complex musical reflection by James Hetfield on the personal experience he had with parents whose intense religious ‘faith’ (Christian Science) collided with reality. Cancer is personified, rendering mom’s misplaced faith impotent. Where was dad? And where was Dad (the ‘God’ that failed) when mom piously rejected medical treatment and suffered an agonizing death? Great backstory to this, but what Hetfield does with it is musical genius. It pulls the empathy right out of the listener’s guts. Likewise, “My Friend of Misery”, a metaphysics-embracing lament that reminds us: redemptive suffering isn’t always what it’s cracked up to be. Pastoral Theology 101. The closing track, “The Struggle Within” is (obviously) introspective, but can’t even seem to find a time signature. Like my (your?) struggle within. How can drummer Lars Ulrich keep up? So much more could be said about this album, one of my personal favorites—a classic. 5/5

As someone who has started a mosh pit watching Metallica, I feel like I'm very qualified to judge this. It's not very good. They were also not very good live, which is why we started a mosh pit to liven it up. I think they're incredibly uncool. 🤟🤘🤟🤘

After the muddled production and ultracomplicated song structures of ...And Justice for All, Metallica decided that they had taken the progressive elements of their music as far as they could and that a simplification and streamlining of their sound was in order. While the assessment made sense from a musical standpoint, it also presented an opportunity to commercialize their music, and Metallica accomplishes both goals. The best songs are more melodic and immediate, the crushing, stripped-down grooves of "Enter Sandman," "Sad but True," and "Wherever I May Roam" sticking to traditional structures and using the same main riffs throughout; the crisp, professional production by Bob Rock adds to their accessibility. "The Unforgiven" and "Nothing Else Matters" avoid the slash-and-burn guitar riffs that had always punctuated the band's ballads; the latter is a full-fledged love song complete with string section, which works much better than might be imagined. The song- and riff-writing slips here and there, a rare occurrence for Metallica, which some longtime fans interpreted as filler next to a batch of singles calculated for commercial success. The objections were often more to the idea that Metallica was doing anything explicitly commercial, but millions more disagreed. In fact, the band's popularity exploded so much that most of their back catalog found mainstream acceptance in its own right, while other progressively inclined speed metal bands copied the move toward simplification. In retrospect, Metallica is a good, but not quite great, album, one whose best moments deservedly captured the heavy metal crown, but whose approach also foreshadowed a creative decline.

'Ten', 'Achtung Baby', ' Dirt', 'Use Your Illusion', 'Loveless', 'Out of Time', 'Nevermind', 'Blood Sugar Sex Magik', 'Bandwagonesque', 'No More Tears'... and if that wasn't enough, this fucking blast.... Maybe those who claim 1971 was 'the year of music' should have been young 20 years later...

Saved Prior: Enter Sandman Off Rip: None Cutting Edge: Through The Never, The God That Failed Overall Notes: Me before listening to this album: :) Me after hearing Enter Sandman: :) Me after the next 4 songs: :|||||||| Me after song 8 seems to finally signal a change in the repetitive song structure: :||| Me after song 8 finishes as a sub-par song: :|||||||||||| Me after the album finally ended: :||||||||||||||||| I hated this. I have yet to give a 1 through 80 albums, this album has the incredible Enter Sandman, and I still gave this a 1. Through The Never and The God That Failed had their moments but came nowhere close to saving the immense pain sitting through this album put me through. I remember now why I always thought I hated metal. Shit like this.

Whether you like Metallica or not is irrelevant when it comes to this album. Five massive singles, all of them the biggest and most enduring songs of the band’s catalogue, came out of it. You have to give some fucking respect to that no matter what your musical tastes are. And I, for the record, love Metallica. Because of this album. Jesus Christ, it’s got Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matters on it. That is huge on its own, but then we also get Sad But True, The Unforgiven, AND Wherever I May Roam?!? That’s insanity! It’s just so fucking good. If you need to introduce someone to Metallica, you play this album and that’s it; they’ve been fully indoctrinated and converted to a life of badass high octane metal head banging from here on out. They’re the ones who take you there, fuck yeah! \m/

tedious and one dimensional. Remember hearing the album when it first came out, and not being overly enthralled then. As singles certain tracks stand up well, but the continuous one tempo power chords over the whole album just get boring after a while.

Prefer the earlier, thrashier, proggier Metallica.

One of Metallica's best albums, tons of bangers on this one. Definitely the transition point where Metallica went into the more mainstream rock, they're getting older and the Thrash has faded. Kirk Hammett is such a gifted guitarist. Excellent album, a lot of these songs were what drew me to learn to read a tab and play guitar.

Classic album though not a frequent listen for me. I know the hardcore fans didn't love the heavily produced sound, but I think it suits their style extremely well. They are the big budget action movie of rock music.

dundundundundDUNUDN

I hate Metallica. Enter Sandman is worth two stars on it's own, though. All downhill from there as far as I am concerned, it just drones on and on and on.

The fact that this album is on here proves that it was made by a redditor. Definitely a foot tapper/head banger of an album, Lars Ulrich’s drums sounding like artillery abd machine gun fire, James Herfield sounding like a 6’2” cigarette butt. Gotta keep in perspective that this was 30 yrs ago and set the stage for metal. But 30 yrs later, it sounds a bit nerdy, though I bet at the time it was amazing. My complaint: this album is heavy as fuck, but it could be heavier, it’s over produced, the voice dubbing/layering, sound effects, multitrack shit. If the production was pared down to the 4 essential instruments—with their effects—I think it would sound better, harder, the over productions softens the sharp edges. Their older stuff isn’t as well produced, I’d say underproduced, but there’s a happy medium to find in there. Fun album to listen to. Metal can be so repetitive and one note I think I tuned out after about song 6. They slowed it down a couple times, but it still didn’t help, always the same equation. Lastly, there’s an egregiously long fade out on track 1.

Gods of rock, we are not worthy. Every single track is majestic, stellar, magnificent.

Enter Sandman - 5/5 Sad but True - 5/5 Holier than Thou - 5/5 The Unforgiven - 5/5 Wherever I May Roam - 5/5 Don't Tread on Me - 4/5 Through the Never - 4/5 Nothing Else Matters - 5/5

Legendary and it holds up

Vous qui fréquentez ce générateur connaissez très bien mon être sous ses traits les plus intimes. Vous savez donc à quel point j'aime dégueuler sur tout ce qui se rapproche du heavy metal ; style que je considère comme une véritable fausse route dans l'histoire de la musique. Néanmoins cet album est très bon, il faut le reconnaître. Pour tout vous dire, à la fin du projet, je portais fièrement un tee-shirt tête de mort, des bottines ainsi qu'un clébard dégueulasse.

I kind of feel like this is basically a Motley Crue record, just heavier, more beefed up and sans eye shadow.

Man, listening to this album brought up a LOT of memories. Not all of them good. It's a really powerful metal album, one of Metallica's last good albums. But lyrically there's quite a bit here that feeds a bit of an incel mentality, and I can really only see that with some serious hindsight and separation from the material. There is a 'victim of society' mentality present here that I think can really burrow in to someone's mind, and I wonder what impact this may have had beyond the album. Whether it's giving a false sense of injustice, a need to prove oneself (in some ways as better than), or facing rejection with anger - there's a lot on display here that just isn't healthy. But musically holy shit. What a great album full of incredible tracks. Mark's absolute cruising here with insane solos and this becomes less thrash and more power metal, but you can also hear Metallica's sound evolving from here.

It's briliant. I found myself trying to justify not giving it 5*. But I couldn't so I did.

Stunning record. I know that metallica fans like to denigrate it for transitioning from a thrash sound to more of a heavy metal sound, but it worked so well. The instrumentals are timeless, the lyrics are deep and dark - I heard this album caused 3 of the band members to have divorces they worked so hard on it. Literally every song on the album is good. It ranks up there with Pink Floyd's the Wall or the Beatles Abbey Road.

The black album is a great album, It's fairlly increidble to have all these metallica hits in the same album.

The best album by Metallica by far. This was the CD with which I got to know Metallica in detail. One of the best metal albums of all time in my opinion.

Perfección

I grew up on this album so I'm biased but crank that shit to 11

This is the first Metallica album I've listened to completely through and I enjoyed the music. I recognized a few songs on this album and knew the words. I could see why people become metal heads, it was an enjoyable experience and it may join my regular listening.

Doesn’t get much better than this. James Hatfield might be the coolest guy alive

Best produced album of all time in any genre. Just classic solid songwriting & playing, can't fault it in any way at all. Would have been a great time to be in your early 20s with a mullet. 5/5.

YUS While not my favorite Metallica album, there's a reason this is included. A huge tonal shift from their previous album "...And Justice for All." "Wherever I May Roam" is still my favorite track on this album, followed by "The Unforgiven" and "Sad But True" to round out the top three.

Some of the heaviest music you'll get that manages to stay fairly mainstream. The tracks are (mostly) catchy foot-tappers, and a few are compositionally great too. The main issue is the rest of the tracks. Most of the songs on "Metallica" are heavily riff- or atmosphere-based, and hardly vary in terms of structure or texture. Nothing Else Matters is the album centrepiece, the breath of fresh air, that momentarily makes you believe that songwriting is one of the band's strengths. Nah, man. Nearly all 55 remaining minutes in the album are a bit too invariable for my taste. It lacks creativity. And, especially in the latter half, it lacks punch. The instrumentation, though, is about as good as you can get. Hammett's piercing guitar tones, shredding solos, and memorable solo lines definitely make him a contender for one of the best rock guitarists of his generation. Hetfield's vocals are solid and an excellent instrument for the thrash metal genre. The drumming, performed by Ulrich, is in near-perfect sync with the guitar and bass (Newsted). The absolute tightness and synchronicity in the rhythm reminds me of Nirvana, or earlier music greats like EW&F and Tower of Power. I'll also shoutout a few tracks of interest. Enter Sandman is solid, and probably the catchiest of the simple, raw songs on the album. Holier Than Thou has a fun, memorable chorus, and I was a little surprised it hadn't been released as a single. The Unforgiven is my second-favourite track after Nothing Else Matters. It's texturally lush and musically complex - and its placing near the beginning of the album means I haven't yet tired of the relentless onslaught of guitar noise. The four tail-end tracks (Of Wolf And Man, The God That Failed, My Friend Of Misery, The Struggle Within) are indistinguishable in my memory. My conclusion: it's good, but not *that* good. Legacy is nothing without substance. 3/5 Key tracks: Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters, Sad But True

I hate Metallica. Their earlier albums were irritating, this is just boring one-note ponderous tedium. The singer sucks, the lyrics are amateur schoolboy crap, and the production sounds better with the '80s Phil Collins material it was developed for. Please no more from these shitheads [edit: downgraded further as the whole thing is fucking terrible. Just noticed it has the stupid Karen flag snake on the cover to warn right-thinking people away from this heap of shit]

Metallica's black album, right? That's what this one is referred to? I have no personal relationship with the music of this band. And, I honestly didn't know anything about them until their subsequent Load/Re-Load albums. And, from what I understand, those records are reviled by "true" Metallica fans. That's fine. I hated those records too. All that being said, this is a good record. It sounds dated. Like, in a bad way. Heavy bands just sound heavier now. I hate Lars Ulrich - not for the Napster thing. Because he's a tool that thinks he's a good drummer. Ha. Ringo could have played this shit. And his Ludwigs would have sounded like actual drums. It's hard to imagine anyone would have ever thought this kick drum sound is good. But, let's get to some positives. I really like the guitars (great use of harmonics) and the vocals are still interesting (none of that OOH! WOW! UGH! WUOAHAH! BOOM! horseshit). People I know say that "Master of Puppets" and"Kill 'em All" and the other early Metallica records are good. I hope they are, because this shit fucking sucks.

Oddly enough, I had a dream last night that today's album would be a thrash classic. Sadly I dreamed of Slayer - Reign In Blood not this limp lettuce of an album.

100%!!!!!!!

Okay, stay with me for this one. Is this Metallica's best album? No. Is this a great thrash metal album? No. Is this one of the best metal albums? No. Is this one of the most important albums ever? Yes. The Black Album is forever the gateway album to other things. This was the album everyone got into (thank you Enter Sandman and The Unforgiven). It was the album everyone owned and everyone had to own. For some, maybe it was the heaviest thing they'd ever own. For many, many others though from The Black Album we learned about Master of Puppets. And from Master of Puppets we learned about the Big 3 (though truth be told, it was probably just Slayer because Megadeth was just as big with Symphony of Destruction) . And from the Big 3, we learned about Flotsam and Jetsam, Anthrax, Testament, Sepultura, Overkill. This isn't Abbey Road, or The Wall, or Kind of Blue. It's musicality will surely be in question by many. But it's importance in the culture of 1991 and the metal world in general can not be understated in the ability to bond wayward youth together into something larger. And for that it earns every one of its five stars.

I didn’t have a single song that I even thought to skip on this album. One of my favorites on this journey.

Awesome album. The last great album from Metallica.

A cracking Friday album. Kirk seems to always table a calm lick of the guitar to set off any track. Iconic drum track

One of the greatest so far.

YUP.

Ei ehkä kolahda enää yhtä paljon kuin aikoinaan liiallisen radiosoiton takia, mutta klassikko ja ensimmäisiä levyjä inspiroimassa omaa musiikinkuuntelua ja sillon tätä tykitettiinkin. Ilman muuta ansaitsee 5*

Seminal album from my teenage years

Metallica? like, from Fortnite? (7/10) favs: The Unforgiven, My Friend of Misery, Enter Sandman

Pretty awesome - the fact that a lot of these songs are all on the same album. Probably uneducated sacrilege but I still couldn't help but feel, however, that overall we could lose a couple of songs and it'd be stronger overall.

I detested this album when it first came out. It felt like a sell out after the first four albums, a slowed down, radio-friendly album. It didn't help that this was the first proper album that didn't have the influence of Cliff Burton on it. I stopped listening to Metallica for a decade or so after this was released, and with good reason, as they released a series of really bad albums (St Anger I'm looking at you) in this period. It wasn't until 2008 that they released something I considered worth listening to again, 20 years in the wilderness! However, any attempt to avoid this album was doomed to failure, as just about all of it would be played on the radio, in clubs, everywhere I went. I think I might have played the entire album from start to finish once before, but most of the album is on constant rotation somewhere. Hell, I even learned to play the opening of Enter Sandman on guitar when I was learning. In retrospect, it's not a bad album at all, just a disappointment after a run of exceptional early albums. I'm torn between a 3 and a 4 star rating, but I'll give it 4 because I know it's one of my daughter's favourites.

A classic of the genre. I just don't love the genre.

I have listened to this album, this is Metallica, when they were most famous. It is not their best album, not even close to "Ride the Lightning", "Master of Puppets" or even "...And Justice for All", in justice for all production is bad, but still as album it is better than Black LP. This albums is moment when they decided to become more radio friendly, the fact that their two most famous hits are on this album, Confirms that. It is good listen for metal and hard rock fans, but some tracks here are very weak and too soft for Metallica. It's like, here they lost their own self in becoming more mainstream and because they wanted to sell more records. This record needed to be for more people, so that's the reason why it is softer. "Master of Puppets" is not for everyone, and self-titled, aka Black album is more likable for music listeners.

Couple bangers, the rest just okay rock.

In Holland, I saw an array of bronzed supine beach bodies lift dumbbells in synch to Enter Sandman, the trainer at climax instructing “Enter night… exit light…keep it slow... SUPERSLOWWW” in a Dutch accent as heavy as the riff. Wildest moment of a stag weekend in Amsterdam, so thanks for that, Metallica. Lyrically, James Hetfield minus Noel Gallagher equals Thom Yorke, so to those who deny that Metal is the conduit of the real, living Devil I say: you are fools. I wonder if James Hatfield writes down his lyrics. If he does, does he read them? I’m familiar enough with the Metallica genre to state that this is strong Metallica. The songs are short for Metallica, but long for normal mortals, so: Misery! Took me a weekend to get through this, though I’m sure I thought it was fine back when it and I were shiny. Nowadays, I cannot abide chores. Two.

Listened to Enter Sandman and actually quite enjoyed it. Briefly worried I might have missed out on 30 years' enjoyment. Further listening reassured me that wasn't the case. Relieved.

Never understood the appeal of Metallica. This shit wouldn’t be out of place at Eurovision.

Reminded me of how, when I’m on a run, I’ll check the time every 20 seconds because I just want it to be over

My experience with Metallica has been fleeting, listening to some of the biggest and best from them over the years, but never have I given an entire album the attention it possibly deserves. Beginning with that sinister and mysterious guitar riff, swiftly backed by drums and additional heavy guitar, "Enter Sandman" is one of those incredibly memorable tracks and a strong track to start an album with. "Sad but Trues" intro is really fun, with the power chords slamming in time with the cymbals. The epic chorus elevated this one for me, something that feels great to sing along to. What I find apparent with Metallic (at least in this album) is that they are very lyrical and the lyrics are easy to hear and follow, without sacrificing the anger in delivery so typical of this genre. "The Unforgiven" helped me to realise this. Other tracks I loved were "Don't Tread on Me", "Nothing Else Matters", "Of Wolf and Man" and "My Friend of Misery". Overall, this was a great album. Will definitely be listening to it again in future.

I never listened to much post-80s metal/rock until this album came out. Changed me. I'm not a Metallica fan, but I love this album.

Amazing

Just a great album start to finish. I've listened to it once before and honestly it was better this time around. Not Metallica's best work but definitely their most iconic 8.5/10

Amazing album. Really good lyrics with meaning behind them and very melodic for metal. Definitely exceeded my expectations and was a very enjoyable listening experience. Favourite track- The Unforgiven

OHHHYEAHHAAAHH!!!!

One of the great albums of 1991! Classic!

Oh my, I'm so happy to get this here! One of my favourite albums, and among Metallica's greatest - and they have lots of great albums. Love every minute of it. True classic.

play it loud

This album was part of the suggested to my teen years. Unfortunately, the ratings are artificially lowered by people who think it's cool to hate on Metallica - bitter at their success in an era and genre defined by defiance.

The quint essential Metallica album. It's doesn't get better than then even for someone who doesn't listen to metal. Certified bangers.

Did not expect to like this as much as I did - I knew I liked Unforgiven and a couple others, but really don't like Master of Puppets. However this album really resonated with me

If I would have gotten a tattoo when I was a teenager. It probably would’ve been a Metallica tattoo. Well I’m glad I didn’t do that. I still really enjoy their music. The black album is full of classics that I found sent me back in time. I owned this album on CD and would have played it on my school bus with my friends with my disc man and portable speakers many times. Personally I’m a bigger fan of their albums that were released before this one. But you cannot deny the mass popularity of practically every track on this album. I look forward to listening to the other three albums Metallica has on this list with you all.

If I was eating the music, this would be a solid 4. It's good, but I don't know about 5 good. With that said, this is arguably the most influential album in metal history. The talent is there and it shows a side of metal that was well ahead of its time.

Metal is not my favorite genre, but for me this feels just like the type of rock I usually listen to. It's not so metal that it's unlistenable, but it is distinct. I already knew a few songs and they are as good as ever. The album as a whole is amazing. The singing is really good and the instrumentals are amazing. Just a really good album.

Album #24: Metallica Genre (W): Heavy metal Singles: Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters, Wherever I May Roam, Sad but True I have heard ES, TU, NEM, WIMR, SbT, and Of Wolf and Man, but I have not listened to the full album. Thoughts?: What an iconic album to listen to, I can’t wait to hear the deeper cuts on it. Enter Sandman is one of the greatest metal songs of all time! One of my favorite parts about Metallica is their riffs and solos, plus the tight and intricate compositions behind their music, especially heard on this album. Even though it’s softer than their other albums, I feel as though that was for the best, because as a result, they gained more knowledge about their music. Wherever I May Roam has the best intro, by far. This is one of my favorite albums so far! On top of the others I gave a five star. Favorite songs: All of it!!

This album still works simply because I love it. Which actually made me wonder why I haven’t listened to it properly, front to back, in years. I did consider knocking off a star out of pure habit—the idea that albums you played to death back in the day should be punished for it. But honestly, that logic falls apart the moment this thing starts playing.

Så var det denne da. Meget sterk, men ikke topp 5 av 'tallica for meg. Øverste sjiktet i 1001... Holder Wherever og TGTF høyt.

Do they have flaws? Yes. Do I care? Fuck, no. 🤟🏻

A classic of the grnre

Simplesmente o melhor album de Trash Metal do planeta terra, não tem como, é DEZ!

This one was big as it was released. Still a good catch to listen.

Overhated by fans at the time. Yes it’s more streamlined and mainstream, but there is so much greatness here. Their last stand as a genuinely world class and as good as mainstream metal gets.

Yet another nostalgic trip back... Legendary Hard Rock album, and yes I said Hard Rock rather than Metal. I really wish they stayed with their 80s sound, but this is classic for a reason. Probably quite easy 5 stars, not surprisingly.

Probably their best album

Love everything about this. The energy and the instrumentation are a key standout. Easily the best metal album I've ever heard.

Great for cleaning my closet, it's fun yet not too crazy

The best

Amazing throwback to an album I have already listened to multiple times. Never gets old.

Only eclipsed by Dark Side of the Moon for second longest charting; the GOAT of metal.

5/5 - this was my first Metallica album when I started listening to the band so maybe that's why, but I don't get the hate that some people have for this. Every song is a banger imo

9.0/10 This was a huge album for me growing up...

Almost didn't need to listen to this one. What a classic.

I wasn't able to do an in depth review of this album because I was busy :( Enter Sandman 10/10 Sad But True 10/10 Holier Than Thou 9/10 The Unforgiven 10/10 Wherever I May Roam 10/10 Don't Tread On Me 10/10 Through the Never 9/10 Nothing Else Matters 9/10 Of Wolf and Man 10/10 The God that Failed 10/10 My Friend of Misery 9/10 The Struggle Within 8/10 I did listen to the whole album though and it was awesome, Metallica is good

classic

Raised on this record. Can’t believe it was my first one! Crazy!

Really struggled with whether to give this a four or a five... in the end, I'm going with five. Why: the good moments on it are extremely good and created a portal that brought the whole world into metal and metal into the whole world. For that it deserves eternal glory. My reservations... I always feel like I get kind of lost in the last third of the album. The worst moments make you say, "Great, a Metallica song like every other Metallica song." And even though I like the song, I'd be happy if I never had to hear the phrase "don't tread on me" again in my life. Still... look at The Blacklist. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Metallica_Blacklist ... look at the artists who took this album so deeply to heart. It's in all of us. When I pulled it at 10 p.m. last night, I put it on to go to sleep, because even though it's metal, it's as familiar and soothing as a lullaby. "And nothing else matters..."

Banger

Noniin, tätä levyä tuli kyllä ysärillä aika paljon kuunneltua. Levy, joka toi bändin tutuksi suurellekin yleisölle. Menohan on aika paljon aiemmista levyistä muuttunut, ja tämän jälkeen alkoikin sitten menemään enemmän ja enemmän huonompaan suuntaan. Mutta tämä oli vielä kovaa kamaa ja toimii kyllä edelleen. Ei yhtään huonoa biisiä joukossa ja saundit on mehevät. Larssin rummutkin on saatu levyllä kohdilleen. Selkee viis kautta viis.

Ну це легенда

Ah, the album that enraged most Metallica fans. If only they knew that St. Anger would come 12 years later. Whatever anyone says, this record is the one that made metal appeal to the masses and made Metallica be one of the greatest bands in history. Yes, you can say they sold out, but that doesn't mean that the album is bad. It's packed with hits! Some of the best songs ever are on this record. And I am saying that while being a fan of the early days of Metallica. This is an undeniable masterpiece and it definitely deserves to be on this list.

Great memories! ★★★★★

i saw them live twice this year incredible

So close no matter how far… Countless bangers throughout. Such a huge fan of this album! They have the perfect rock song on this album with Nothing Else Matters but other incredible songs with The Unforgiven and Enter Sandman! Everyone should admire the greatness here!

Fantastic Easy listening. If you like the concept of riffs listen to this.

Oh boy, here is this divisive album. Before I ramble too much further, I want it to be known that I enjoy Metallica's self-titled, as well as "...And Justice for All," as well as their earlier albums too. I know, it's heresy. Maybe they "sold out," whatever that means. It's not like they pulled a complete Maroon 5, stopped writing their own songs and became essentially a karaoke band for other people's material so they can make money. I look at the Black Album this way. Would I ever have heard any of Metallica's music in-depth should I have never purchased this album? Probably. Would I ever have listened to Metallica's other albums if I had not purchased this album? Probably not. This album was a gateway drug into harder music. So rather than be angry Metallica "sold out," I'm happy they produced something that was still hard rock but still digestible for 12 or 13-year-old me. It opened my eyes to another type of music that wasn't the music I was listening to at the time. If I had to nitpick, I would say 1-2 songs could be cut, just to reduce the run time. Yet, there is not a bad song on this album and so I don't hear too much fat that needs to be cut. The closest would be one of the last 3 songs. It's not they are even bad songs but the cut would only be for run time purposes.

Such a strong start of a record with “Enter Sandman” and “Sad But True”. I remember learning guitar and trying to play multiple riffs from this album. I found the tabs and video lessons on someones personal homepage which filmed the riffs from 4 different angles. Here that kids?! There were other places than youtube before! Anyway, as mentioned, strong start, classic Metallica. It continues with the ok “Holier than thou” before another strong hit in “The Unforgiven”. Somewhere during the next few tracks I realized that the songs are getting samey and not quite as good as I remember. Is it the 90s that are back and ruining rock music?! Who knows. Luckily “Nothing Else Matters” comes on and cements its five star rating. Not Metallica’s strongest album but one of their best still.