Metallica

Fine. Not a particularly big fan of Metallica.

My review cannot be about this album, since it is one of my main reasons for loving metal in general. Metallica opened their music up to the public and asked artists from around the world to remake and revamp the songs from this album. This type of across the world collaboration and inspiration is mind bogling to me and the true gift of music and creativity in general. Not only is the blacklist, the title of the compilation of the remakes, but the metallica original album one of my top tier albums of all time

Amazing, this is the album that made me start my journey into metal. It will be forever in my heart

It’s a long album and while I like Metallica, too much of it is pretty brutal. If it had been about 30 minutes shorter, I could have gotten behind it. I like it, but will only take in the highlights.

Había una especie de promo en Rock FM en la que hacían una pregunta de ¿¿CUÁL ES TU ÁLBUM FAVORITO?? en la calle y las respuestas casi siempre eran Appetite for Destruction, alguno de los Rolling o el Black Album de Metallica. Pues bien, es la primera vez que oigo todas estas canciones quitando 3 o 4. Rock FMs aparte, me ha gustado. No excesivamente porque tampoco me gusta muchísimo Metallica, pero está bien. Seguramente sea el mejor álbum suyo que he escuchado en la lista (al menos, de momento).

Aw hell yeah 🤘

Repetitive and angry, not a fan at all.

Enter Sandman That is all

Classic Metallica album

Good album lots of bangers

I think I liked this one more than '...And Justice for All', but like many of Metallica's albums and due to its hour-plus runtime, my mind was numbed by the time I got to those last four songs. I think I was more conscious of that mind-numbing here though - I sort of enjoyed it. But all my general problems with Metallica, like my impartialness towards Hetfield's vocals, and the very cut-and-dry sound palate, are all present here - but they're sort of well masked behind the elements of this band's music that I DO enjoy. The ballads are still the highlights, obviously 'Nothing Else Matters' is great but I also really liked 'The Unforgiven' with its criticisms of oppressive religious organizations' stifling of free thought. The story behind this song is quite sad as well. The harder moments are solid too - I was never a big 'Enter Sandman' enjoyer myself but I get the song's appeal. The best moment for me was the entirety of 'My Friend of Misery', it came at a point in the album where I was already sort of tired - but it felt like an electric shock with just how varied, sharp, and twisted the guitar tones were alongside that ever-changing song structure. The wall of guitars of 'Hollier Than Thou' and Hammett's noisy solo on 'That God That Failed' are two other highlights that stuck with me. Once again, it's the album's length that got me. Some genuinely good music here nevertheless, and maybe I'm finally growing more accustomed to Metallica's music - 4 albums in.

I do not like metallica

One of the best metal albums ever

I can't overstate how uninterested I am in listening to Metallica for an hour, but here we are. "Enter Sandman" is a banger but its lyrics really take me out, which is generally true of Metallica songs. Thankfully Hetfield is difficult to understand most of the time. "Don't Tread on Me" is straight-up corny. "Nothing Else Matters" surprised me with its sincerity and relatively gentle arrangement. I really like the sonic embellishments in the latter half of "My Friend of Misery" and how the guitar textures layer over each other. The guitar solos are some of my favorite parts, which is unusual for me when I'm listening to metal. I liked it fine, so I shouldn't be so snide. I probably won't revisit in full again, but I do have to admit that this is great driving music. However, it is certainly redundant and could use some paring down. Highlights: Enter Sandman, Wherever I May Roam, Nothing Else Matters, My Friend of Misery

Parts of it just leave me stone cold, others I find just obnoxious. Really, really not for me.

I won't do it. I won't listen to an hour of this. I sat through all of S&M when the generator spit it out. No more, I won't do it. I'll skip through it a bit, that's the best I can offer: Skip Skip Skip Okay, this intro is actually not half bad. Tough-guy solo? Skip Skip Don't tread on me wtf skip Skip Another quiet guitar intro, I like those. Yeah, this one is super famous for a reason. Skip after first chorus. Of wolf and skip The God that skipped Ooh, My Friend of Misery has a nice bass intro. Oh, but other than that it's a SKIP Hyposkip ...aaand we're done. Thanks for listening to my TED talk.

So raw and yet so simple. Love it

heavy

I really liked Metallica in my teenage years, but after a few listens, it feels kind of meh. Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven, and of course, the overplayed Nothing Else Matters are hits, but the rest of the album feels pretty bland.

Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matter zijn top tier, maar rest van t album viel tegen.

A couple famous songs and nothing else notable

The hits were good, the extras were definitely extra. I get now why everyone says this isn't a great album. It's not, but it does have a few bangers.

Honestly, it’s a better album than their first album. But I feel like songs can be cut from here to make it better. There are some very skippable and forgettable songs, as well as I think some of their best songs as a group. Overall, I’d probably give it a 2. If some of the filler songs were cut, it’d be a 3

Absolutely fantastic album

Classic

is it illegal to say this is arguably my favorite metallica album highlights: enter sandman, holier than thou, wherever i may roam, the struggle within (oct 26 2024)

Ah, The Black Album. This was one of the first cds I ever got! I honestly haven’t listened to it at all since then for a while. This is the first time i’ve heard this all the way through, which is a little bit surprising. I’m glad to say that I enjoyed this quite a bit. The production is amazing here. The drums sound really clean. That guitar is so crunchy and yet so crisp, if that makes any sense, lol. There’s quite the bunch of classic songs to find here. “Nothing Else Matters” and “Enter Sandman” are legendary tracks in their own right. “Wherever I May Roam”, “The Struggle Within”, “Holier Than Thou”, and other songs are also great. James’ vocals are great, and are really just iconic. While I think this album can a LITTLE bit cheesy and a bit much sometimes, this album is still a metal classic, even if I don’t think this is Metallica’s best. This is a nice entry-level metal album, i’d recommend this one for new metalheads. There’s good stuff to be found here.

Not my speed but it was fine.

Iconic. Legendary. Timeless. Black.

Metal that isn't bad sounding, Metallica is definitely growing on me.

Great metal album. Some classic bangers and a solid enjoyable energy throughout. Doesn't become exhausting or grating even with my admittedly low metal tolerance.

4 stars because I know where they came from. Great album on its own

You can finally hear the bass after the very raw sounding 'And Justice For All' .Though it's probably not their best record in terms of songwriting and melodies, it's certainly their most influential to date. With it's thick production and a more melodic approach it stars a couple of their most popular songs like Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven & Nothing Else Matters. Other highlights for me include 'Wherever I May Roam' , 'The God That Failed' and 'Through The Never'.

It's Metallica. It's not as cool as early Metallica, and it portends later Metallica, but it's still Metallica. The hits are hits, and maybe its the amount of time they spent being played on the butt rock station when I was in high school, but I think they're great.

Yeah! Fine in a certain mood. Couldn't make it through it while working though.

A perfect album for anyone who likes METAL, METAL and nothing but METAL. Other than the lead 3 tracks there is nothing much happening on this album. Give me St. Anger over this any day!

Very repetitive for the most part. I know Metallica are known for a specific sound, but there’s too many songs with little variation to the structure and sound. The hits from this album are classics that I’ve always liked, and I quite liked Of Wolf and Man and My Friend of Misery, but the rest felt very much like filler. Also I don’t think I’ve ever noticed how boring Lars’ drumming is before.

Soft 4 - a bit too long but overall quite enjoyed it

Obviously the hits are the hits for a reason... This album just sounds so unbelievably good. Pretty much every song is a banger, and the production sounds so god damn good, even now. Such a great album.

I am tempted to rank this 5 stars but I think it doesn't quite make it. This is nonetheless a fantastic achievement for both Metallica as a band and for hard rock/metal overall. This is THE SOUND of hard rock from this point forward (actually I might argue things have gotten a bit out of hand with the compression and layering in recent years... but still). I wasn't overly impressed with the drum sound on this record but it is effective and consistent. The guitars though! BIG Marshall + Mesa Boogie energy there, hot hot pickups, tight palm muting and tons of chugging. This is definitely a less-thrashy version of Metallica - a bit more 'rock' sounding - but I think it was. a good experiment. This is a great listen.

Pure gold, 5 stars

First metallica listen I had a few standouts most of the same stuff I expected from a later metallica album. Need to listen to the other albums to judge.

I got so amped when this came up as the pick. I played my CD of this album so many times as a kid. So once I got home from an errand, I put it on full blast… Sorry neighbors. Album still rocks out and I was singing along as loudly as possible to many tracks. This album was peak Metallica for me personally, and nothing after was as good as this, or what they did prior.

Maybe this makes me one of those 'sellout Metallica fans, but this was pretty good. 4/5

4.5

Might be a grower but liked Master of Puppets better

Lyrics are kinda laughable but damn, the music is pretty heavy.

Shocked at how much I prefer this to S&M. Studio Metallica is surprisingly much more my speed compared to live Metallica. Fav Track: The Unforgiven

It's hard to separate this album from what time has done to it. Practically every hard rock and a lot of mainstream metal acts used this as a blueprint for 15-20 years after it came out. With that, it feels like the grit and the sound of how innovative it was at release have been rubbed off. The spikey edges are gone and it feels mainstream now. I think this definitely belongs on a "must listen" list for a number of reasons. It changed heavy music for more than a decade to follow, sent oodles of kids to the guitar store, made heavy music in general accessible to a general population that was extremely hostile to it before, and probably did more to change music overall than many more heralded "influential" acts did in their entire careers. This album was so big it basically ruined a genre for 20 years. Addressing the music itself, it's a weird album. Metallica didn't know who they were anymore, and to my memory (not a great one), I believe the reason this was such a departure was because they ran out of Mustaine songs to truck out as their own and had to kinda fully do their own thing for the first time. They basically invented the Metallica everyone thinks of today by doing so. In a lot of ways it's more simple and dumbed down. It's also more powerful and heavy because of that. There's also bass in the mix unlike their early work which is a welcome change from terrible 80s sound production. This album almost feels like a masterclass in being great in spite of one's own shortcomings. The songs don't flow in much of any way other than the next track starts after the previous. Some of it is a jumbling of trying to repeat their old sound, but those are some of the best songs. Feels like it should be 5/5 simply because of how well it was received, how impressive and new it was at the time, and the massive ways it changed music. It was an absolute catalyst. Too many flaws in my mind for that though and with that impact came 15 years of pretenders beating this sound into the ground. Overall, I think the music itself deserves a 4/5.

Trash (BLANEY, Emmet) 1. I tuck you in, warm within, keep you free from sin 2. I’m your pain while you repay 3. Burn your bridges, and build them back with wealth 4. The old man here is me 5. I’ll redefine anywhere, anywhere I roam 6. To secure peace is to prepare for war 7. On through the never we must go 8. Trust I seek and I found in you 9. Chill in the air, cold as steel tonight 10. The healing hand held back by the deepened nail 11. One man’s fun is another’s hell 12. Kicking at a dead horse pleases you

**Metallica (The Black Album) - An In-Depth Review** Released on August 12, 1991, *Metallica*, commonly referred to as *The Black Album*, marked a significant departure from the band's thrash metal roots, opting for a more mainstream, polished sound. With the production led by Bob Rock, the album aimed for mass appeal without compromising Metallica's intensity. This review dives into the lyrical content, musical composition, production quality, overarching themes, and the influence of *The Black Album*, alongside the pros and cons that shaped its legacy. ### Lyrics The lyrics in *The Black Album* reveal a shift toward more personal, introspective themes compared to the band's earlier albums, which often centered around war, politics, and existential dread. Here, James Hetfield explores themes like inner turmoil, personal struggles, and human emotion. For instance: - "Enter Sandman" dives into the world of nightmares and the fear of the unknown, conveying a sense of childhood vulnerability. Its lyrics, “Sleep with one eye open, gripping your pillow tight,” evoke a universal anxiety about the monsters that lurk in the dark. - "The Unforgiven" is more personal and introspective, tackling themes of alienation and a longing for redemption. It reflects Hetfield's struggles with his upbringing and societal expectations. - "Nothing Else Matters" breaks from Metallica's earlier material by embracing vulnerability, with Hetfield singing about love and devotion—emotions largely absent in thrash metal’s aggressive lyrical landscape. The song’s honest approach to the subject matter made it one of the most relatable tracks for a broader audience. - "Sad but True" addresses self-destructive behavior and the internal struggle of facing one's darker side, with lyrics like "I'm your hate when you want love" articulating the duality within us all. Overall, the album's lyrics stray from the fantasy and politically charged topics seen in previous Metallica albums, instead focusing on relatable human experiences and emotions, which resonated with a wider audience. ### Music The music in *The Black Album* is defined by a departure from the fast-paced, intricate riffing synonymous with thrash metal, in favor of a slower, heavier, and more accessible approach. Each song is characterized by a tighter song structure with a strong focus on groove and melody: - **Riffs and Song Structures**: The album is dominated by mid-tempo, groove-laden riffs rather than breakneck speed. "Sad but True" and "Holier Than Thou" showcase simplified yet powerful guitar work, marked by punchy rhythms and thick, down-tuned tones. While these changes alienated some thrash metal purists, they also expanded the band's appeal. - **Solos and Lead Guitar Work**: Kirk Hammett's solos remain technically impressive but are more restrained than on previous records. The solos on tracks like "Enter Sandman" and "The Unforgiven" are memorable, focusing on serving the song rather than showing off virtuosity. - **Drumming and Rhythm Section**: Lars Ulrich’s drumming adopts a more controlled approach, utilizing simpler patterns that complement the slower tempos. His playing on tracks such as "Wherever I May Roam" emphasizes groove over technicality, making the songs more rhythmically engaging for a mainstream audience. - **Bass Lines**: With Jason Newsted on bass, the album retains a full and heavy bottom end, though it is often overshadowed by the dominant guitar work and vocal arrangements. The bass plays a supporting role, laying down a solid foundation without taking the spotlight. - **Vocals**: Hetfield’s vocal performance is one of the album's strongest features, with a shift toward a cleaner, more melodic approach. His ability to blend aggression with melody gives songs like "Nothing Else Matters" an emotional weight that would have been hard to achieve with his previous vocal style. ### Production Bob Rock’s influence on the album's production is evident in the polished, radio-friendly sound. The production stands out due to: - **Clean and Polished Sound**: Unlike previous Metallica albums, which had a raw and unpolished feel, *The Black Album* features a cleaner, more refined production. Each instrument is given its own space in the mix, allowing for a well-balanced sound where every element can be distinctly heard. - **Guitar Tone**: The guitars are thick and powerful, contributing to the album's heavy yet accessible sound. The tone is more down-tuned and crunchier than on *...And Justice for All*, which had a more trebly and dry sound. - **Drum Sound**: Lars Ulrich's drums are one of the most prominent aspects of the production, with a deep snare and thunderous toms. The drum sound, while crisp, is criticized by some for being too polished and lacking the organic feel found in earlier albums. - **Layering and Effects**: The use of layering and effects, such as reverb and delay, adds depth to tracks like "Nothing Else Matters" and "The Unforgiven." Bob Rock's background in working with more mainstream rock acts influenced the decision to add these production elements, which contributed to the album's mass appeal. ### Themes The central themes in *The Black Album* revolve around inner conflict, fear, and personal experiences rather than the external political and societal concerns that had previously driven the band's songwriting. The album explores a range of human emotions, such as: - **Fear and Anxiety**: "Enter Sandman" addresses primal fears, drawing on the theme of nightmares and the loss of innocence. The eerie, hypnotic riff adds to the song's unsettling vibe. - **Alienation and Redemption**: Songs like "The Unforgiven" touch on themes of being misunderstood, growing up with rigid expectations, and the search for forgiveness. The song's balladic structure and emotive lyrics make it a standout track for its thematic depth. - **Self-Reflection and Struggle**: "Sad but True" delves into the darker side of the human psyche, exploring the struggle with one's own inner demons. This theme of internal conflict recurs throughout the album. - **Love and Vulnerability**: The ballad "Nothing Else Matters" defies heavy metal conventions by openly addressing love and emotional honesty. It serves as a unique inclusion in the band's catalog, broadening the scope of lyrical themes typically associated with metal. ### Influence *The Black Album* had a profound impact on the music industry and metal genre, becoming one of the best-selling albums of all time. Its influence can be seen in various ways: - **Mainstream Success**: The album's polished production and simplified song structures allowed Metallica to achieve unprecedented mainstream success. It introduced a broader audience to heavy metal, helping to break down genre barriers and establish metal as a commercially viable music style. - **Impact on Metal Subgenres**: The success of *The Black Album* led other bands to explore similar approaches, resulting in the emergence of subgenres like groove metal, which emphasized slower tempos and rhythmic groove over speed and technicality. - **Commercialization of Metal**: While *The Black Album* made metal more accessible, it also set a precedent for commercialization, leading some critics to argue that it marked the beginning of the genre's dilution. This shift sparked debates about "selling out" and the balance between artistic integrity and mainstream success. - **Influence on Other Bands**: Bands across multiple genres, from alternative metal to grunge, were influenced by the album’s production values and song structure. It became a template for how heavier music could achieve mass appeal without sacrificing intensity. ### Pros and Cons **Pros**: 1. **Broader Appeal**: *The Black Album* expanded Metallica’s audience by incorporating elements that appealed to mainstream rock listeners without entirely abandoning the band's heavy roots. This accessibility made it one of the best-selling albums in metal history. 2. **Memorable Songs**: Tracks like "Enter Sandman," "The Unforgiven," and "Nothing Else Matters" are among Metallica's most iconic. Their strong melodies and accessible structures helped cement the band's legacy. 3. **High Production Quality**: Bob Rock’s production brought a polished, clean sound that highlighted each instrument, making the music feel full and powerful. The depth and clarity allowed the band's sonic heaviness to reach a broader audience. 4. **Lyrical Depth**: The album's lyrics delve into personal themes and struggles, marking a departure from the politically charged and abstract topics of previous records. This personal touch resonated with many fans. 5. **Evolution and Experimentation**: The album demonstrated Metallica's willingness to evolve, setting the stage for later explorations in their career. **Cons**: 1. **Simplification of Songwriting**: The transition to simpler, more accessible structures disappointed some long-time fans who preferred the complexity and aggression of the band's earlier work. The songs are generally shorter and less intricate, sacrificing some of the technical musicianship. 2. **Overproduction**: Critics argue that the production is overly polished, losing the raw energy and organic feel that characterized Metallica's earlier albums. The clean production made the band sound more like a mainstream rock act, rather than a metal band. 3. **Drum Sound**: Lars Ulrich's drum tone has been critiqued for being too prominent and synthetic-sounding, with the snare in particular lacking the punch and rawness heard on albums like *Master of Puppets*. 4. **Commercialization Accusations**: Some fans and critics view *The Black Album* as a "sellout" moment, prioritizing mainstream success over the band's thrash metal roots. This accusation has lingered in discussions about the album's legacy. 5. **Inconsistent Track Quality**: While the album contains several standout tracks, others are viewed as filler. Songs like "Don't Tread on Me" and "The Struggle Within" are often cited as less memorable, not living up to the quality of the album's strongest moments. ### Conclusion *Metallica (The Black Album)* is a landmark album that redefined heavy metal's relationship with the mainstream, for better or worse. Its polished production, accessible song structures, and introspective lyrics allowed Metallica to reach new heights of commercial success, while also alienating some of their original fanbase. The album's impact on the music industry and its influence on the evolution of metal cannot be overstated. While it is not without its flaws, the album remains a pivotal moment in Metallica's career, balancing artistic risk with mainstream appeal. It serves as a testament to the band's ability to adapt and redefine itself, ensuring its place in the annals of music history.

I already knew almost half of the songs on this album. It's a very good album. I already liked the songs I knew, and the others were strong as well. I would definitely listen to this again.

You make that trash first album then you go and do this and totally redeem yourself.

Much better. Josh said it best - James got some vocal lessons and they found an acoustic guitar. The Unforgiven goes hard.

Album had incredible sound and production for being made in the early 90s. Some great tracks but overall not my vibe

Turns out I fuck with Metallica. Slightly better than Justice for All.

love metal hate metallica i think theyre stupid

Catching up. Fun but a bit samey.

Enter Sandman aside I do always feel Metallica brought the riffs but not the songs

The sandman has entered, he was a charming guest. Next to that, wherever I may roam was a standout. Pretty awesome headbangin rhythms as to be expected 🤘

Metallica is pretty bottom of the barrel for me.

It's crazy how many tracks from this album went on to be radio singles. This has never been my go to Metallica album, but it was certainly a big eye opening introduction to them and heavy music in general as an 11 year old. It still sounds pretty good, even if my tastes have gravitated more towards their earlier work.

Man, it's been forever since I listened to this. It's good, but I wish they had stayed as a thrash band. The non-singles are better than I remember, but the singles are super played out. I can't really say it's bad because I heard it too much though. 3.5/5

Pretty fine hard rock, basic heavy metal. The singles are overplayed, and the deep cuts are a mixed bag, but I can’t argue with its essential status. C

Not their best album but I like it.

Thought it was well done but I’m just not a fan of the music really

As a metal head when this was released, found it a little too main stream at the time. Now with a little age and a greater appreciation of the finer things in life can honestly say this album is brilliant. It’s still heavy enough to offer yet rocky enough to encourage others into the metal fold.

A horrible slough of an album. No progression, uninteresting song structures, tinny/grating instrumentals and annoying vocals that didn't change throughout the album. I'm super disappointed in this and am NOT looking forward to the other Metallica albums on this list. 1/5

Ubiquitous album when it came out, that shit was on the radio. About when teenage me had turned his back on not only Metallica but leather and rivets metal in general. Those songs are all very familiar still and for a brief moment, between Sad But True and The Unforgiven, I had a good time with them - a better time even, possibly, than today me had while going into ...And Justice For All (#262) just a week ago. But pfffft. Typing this as I go along and I just paused Of Wolf And Men - I'm past bored already. I think I'm gonna stick with my expectations of how I'd rate these. This may be the objectively better=more rounded album out of the two, but I - just like at 17 - simply don't care for it. It's great for a bout of Kirk Hammett appreciation, I'll give it that.

listeened previously 4 stars

Can appreciate it's good but just not really my thing

Solid.

The last listenable Metallica. Still, I'd sooner put on / recommend Ride the lightning or Masters of Puppets

Rating: 9.5/10 Metallica went "mainstream" and made an album most bands can only dream of making. Incredible production, fantastic guitar riffs and solos, and James Hetfield's best vocal performance up to that point. The Struggle Within prevents this from being a full 10/10 though. Favorite songs: pretty much all of them. Worst song: The Struggle Within.

I've listened to this album so much in my life I know every note. An all time classic where every song is perfect. I don't need to listen to this one again, so I'm going to the Deluxe Box Set to listen to the Day on the Green and Arco Arena shows. Two shows a much younger me attended and both were phenomenal concert experiences. Side note, there's a lot of pearl clutching in the comments. "Boredom sets into the boring mind" I'm looking at you 1 star reviewers.

This blockbuster was impossible to ignore when it came out, even with all the grunge, and it still sounds great 33(!) years later.

Listen, I consider hard rock/metal my favorite genres of music. Seeing artists such as Megadeth, Anthrax, and even Sepultura on this list peaked my interest. One of the things I’m a bit curious about is just how this list of albums treats such a heavy genre that is specifically made to be not very assessable to the general listener of music. Observing some of the reviews from some of the metal albums on here, most don’t seem to rate higher well, usually getting around about 2.5, with one of the lowest rated albums being Scum by Napalm Death, a grindcore. From what I see, most of those who partake in this album venture don’t seem to care for metal. It could be the metal bands doing their job; only making music that opposes mainstream tastes. But there is one band who crossed the picket lines and became something the metal genre seeks to resist; becoming mainstream. I have somewhat awaited the day to get a Metallica album. Of course the first Metallica album I get from the generator is the Black Album, the very album that gave Metallica their biggest success, for better or worse. Let me cut to the chase right now, this is not my favorite Metallica album at all for a few reasons. One, all the hits come at the beginning of the album. Save for Nothing Else Matters, the latter part of the album really doesn’t do too much for me. This is a problem when the album itself is a hour long, which makes the Black Album feel lengthy. Two, I feel that a lot of the thrash metal charm for Metallica’s earlier albums is not quite here. Being more broad in scope and commercial viability, it sort of lacks the edge of albums like Ride the Lighting and Master of Puppets. And third, this is where the band started to dip in quality. I mean, that feels like a common opinion, but like really, did Metallica do anything of much value after this? The closest things honestly are “Fuel” and maybe Death Magnetic. To me, this album feels like the point where Metallica reached that point of no return. The point where they became the metal band normal people listen to when they tell people they like metal. And that’s not very metal for Metallica. With that said, it’s incredibly difficult to hate this. The hits this album spawned are some of the band’s most diverse and it’s honestly impressive how well they manage to weave between mainstream rock and thrash metal and some of it really is among the band’s best work. Nothing Else Matters shows the band’s softer side with a very rare ballad. Wherever I May Roam powers the band into groove metal territory while Holier Than Thou and Through the Never keep the band’s roots firmly in thrash. And while it’s far from my favorite track, I somehow never get tired of Enter Sandman. The Black Album is a complicated album for me. This is not peak Metallica. That time was well past by the time this album came out. And even since it, some might say it was all downhill. But its success probably exposed many people to the genre of metal, making it a gray starting point to a polarizing genre. And getting to hear this in its entirety, I can see why. Favorite track: Tie between Nothing Else Matters and Wherever I May Roam Other Hits: Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven

Talented but this was a chore to get through

Known this album as a young lad and it was good...now my son listens to metal and I have found a new appreciation for this album.

Enter sandman can't fault it. And ofcourse Nothing Else Matters. Other tracks didnt grab me but pretty much all of them had cool solos. 2nd last track was very Satriani-esque.

I used to not mind some of the songs on this album, but now without the San Fransisco Symphony they’re just lacking. And even then I don’t want to listen to them all one after the other.

have listened to lots of metallica before. not really a metal guy anymore so this will be interesting. never really liked this album mostly because i don't care for metallica's releases after cliff burton died (not out of some kind of worship for him. just only like the first three), and i used to think the hits from this album like Enter Sandman are super overplayed and i was/am pretty sick to death of them. kind of fucking insane that there's apparently FOUR metallica albums on this list – i'd include maybe three at an absolute stretch. all the songs are in terms of composition good metal songs. james hetfield is a great vocalist. kirk hammett using wah-wah on every solo used to not really irk me much but for some reason this listen through it really started to piss me off — just turn it off for one fucking lick dude please. the way the drums are mixed kind of pisses me off too. the snare sounds like lars is hitting a mattress or something and the cymbals, especially the crash, are just fucking annoying. i guess especially because lars ulrich is pretty indisputably a shit drummer (he used to be good but by this stage in metallica’s career and onwards he definitely is as bad as popular vitriol makes him out to be and he's also a dick). lars makes so many of the songs drag on like borderline snoozefests because it feels like he’s constantly drumming in halftime. his fills (especially on Wherever I May Roam) also SUCK oh my fucking god. WHERE THE FUCK IS THE BASS IN THE MIX?????? the only way they could’ve gotten away with this absolute dogshit sound for a record was because of how notoriously bad And Justice For All’s (the album before this one) mix was. so many of these songs sound totally empty. i guess it’s worth considering this is metallica right as they decide to start pandering to more of a “hard rock” fanbase because they had already achieved most of the commercial success you can really get as a metal band (by releasing 3 [AJFA is composition-speaking a great album with great songs but fuck me what a terrible sounding album] great metal albums beforehand, so worth giving them credit here). not gonna get too into it but while the lyrics are mostly good (Hetfield is a good metal lyricist all around), there’s some fucking trash in here too — Don’t Tread On Me is a blatantly right-wing shitstain lyrically (“love it or leave it”?!!? are you serious cunt) and it’s also probably the worst, laziest, and corniest song on the album in my opinion. on the bright side, broadly great guitar work and vocals. i think i’m harsher on this album than most would be because i never got super into this album (it was probably a lot of millennials’ introduction to metal), so i don’t have any nostalgia to look back on it with. standout track is for sure Nothing Else Matters. also obviously better than the absolute shite metallica put out after this haha. maybe like a 3.5/10 if i'm being generous. sorry. i'll round up to 2/5 when i rate it to make up for it though.

I'm not much of a fan of metal, and though I appreciate the diversion from full-on thrash metal with this album, it hasn't won me over.

I like the earlier stuff better but this this at my 90’s heart strings.

4.5

still shit

Heavy but polished. I can imagine it would sound amazing blasted through massive speakers at a concert. There's lots of really pretty guitar lines I didn't quite expect going in, like the start of The Unforgiven and the interpolation of America from West Side Story at the start of Don't Tread on Me.

Hadn’t given this album a listen in 15+ years. Starts off really strong but the last few songs are the weakest on the album and so it fizzles out with four rather samey tracks. Dare I say that the spoke. Word style in the middle of ‘Of Wolf and Man’ is quite Mustaine-esq…

Significant album, you can hear its influence in so many bands that came after, especially in terms of production.

Listened to this enough times in my lifetime - not my favourite Metallica album but it has my favourite Metallica song on it, Through The Never, and some other bangers.

I hadn’t heard this whole album before. There were a lot of good album tracks that I’d missed. Particularly into the sound of hetfield’s voice at this time.

第一次认真听金属，听不出来好在哪里，以后还会继续听的

paar kopstoten.. ook paar wiegeliedjes zeker niet on par met hun eerste worpen

Not bad some good songs but pretty samey

Good album. Lotta very memorable tracks. No ones perfect but very good first album from them.

OHH I REMEMBER THIS ONE. It was AGES ago so I’ll be a coward and rate it three. The world knows you deserve better. Sos

Classic heavy metal banger album - Nothing else matters - Sad but true

# Album Name: Metallica (black album) # Artist: Metallica # Rating: 5/5 # Comments: For me, this is pinnacle metallica. An absolutely great album from them. The first 10 tracks are very good with several great tunes in there. # Top Tunes: Enter sandman / sad but true / nothing else matters / unforgiven # Would I listen to it again? hell yeah.

Going from Nothing Else Matters to Of Wolf and Men is like the juxtaposition of my two moods. I usually don’t like this kind of music but this shit bangs… 3.5/5

Forgot how hard this album rocks

Love it

wow i do not like metallica 1/5

This is a classic.

I much prefer the first couple Metallica albums. Raw. Thrashy. And feels more real. Are they technically better? Probably not. But to me, they were a hell of a lot less formulaic. It’s hard to deny the volume of insane hits on this album. I do enjoy those songs. With that said, it doesn’t take away that this is still peak cringe dad music. Thanks radio. I’m so torn on what to give this, because despite all of my grievances, this album slaps.

Heavy Heavy Heavy. This is perfect when you are in the mood for it. Starts so raging, and I want to punch a wall, then it takes a well-needed break. The unforgiven is just such a nice change of pace in the best way. Wherever I May Roam is the highlight, the sitar just takes over, and it just bleeds its influences and is unique like nothing I have heard. This album literally feels like roaming through the desert, looking for water, slowly searching for the truth and the vocals are so scrappy yet calculated.

2nd time listening 6/10

Big change in sound, but oh what a classic!

obviously this was cheesy and stupid and i would never in a million years listen to it again of my own volition. BUT it was not entirely unbearable and i can once again see how it would appeal to people who have had no exposure to other music, or people who do not value artistry or beauty. do i think those people have bad taste and do i look down upon them—nay, pity them—for thinking this is genuinely good music? yes. was i relieved when the album was over? yes. (because it meant i could listen to pavement.) however, i can understand its appeal. i would not throw a fit if somebody insisted on listening to it around me, but i would still sulk for at least five minutes and bitch about it under my breath periodically.

Sorry I only listened to one song

Sad But True

Heavy Metal not my bag but these are better than most and couple of excellent tracks on here

4 out of 5. There's a lot of nostalgia going back to middle school that's making my scoring what it is. Overall solid album but tame compared to other metal albums I've listened to since, and I know this was a big change for Metallica but I'm not familiar with their previous albums to really compare.

A great album by this so very important band in the history of metal. But not the best one. Some of their best songs are to be found here but too many songs which are average.

I think this is a great record. Sometimes I might think it's Metallica's best. But, in my heart I know it isn't. Still an easy 4.

Good intro to Metallica as I have not listened to a full album in the past. 9/10

probably *the* classic of its genre and so influential

Based on nostalgic memories alone.

Ok. This one gets a 2 for all the hits.

Solid album. Yes, it was a huge direction change from ...and Justice for all. Diehard fans were angry because this isn't metal. It's slower, more rock, and some of the rhythms even swing a bit. But, it opened them up to an entirely new audience that were able to digest it more easily than previous albums. I think it's their 5th best album, with the four before it claiming the top 1-4 in their discography. But, those first four are masterworks, and for my money, this is the only other Metallica album that's a must have.

Классика, но никогда фанатом не был

🪨

Holy shit I finnaly get all the Lars memes. I'm not an fan of this group inherently, although I've enjoyed the genere much more lately. These songs are really good, that is the song writing, the arrangement. The riffs are good, sometimes great. But the drumming.... the drumming. Why did they settle for the most basic riffs and fills at every turn, it boggles the mind. Also I never realized they were a Christian group. This combo of dumbed down 4/4 time signatures and leaning into Christian ideology explains this band widespread successes

This was pretty good. Not really my jam, but good for what it is.

3.7 stars rounded up.

A couple filler tracks, but still kick ass metal.

They only did two good albums and this isn't one of them. Having made those two great albums, they decided they should make a popular album... and that undeniably worked. I was just the right age for this when it came out (17) and having discovered Metallica in my teen years was keenly looking forward to the new album, and yeah I liked it at the time, it got a lot of plays. Listening to it now I really don't like much of it, seems a real retrograde step for the band. It's just soft and easy, and the longer tougher songs are a bit boring and aimless, and what's with all the redneck shit on 'Don't tread on me'? The production is horrible, sounds like an old cassette. This signalled the beginning of Metallica's decay into irrelevance and global success. Which seems to have gone just fine, but I never bought or listened to another thing of theirs after this really. I grew up I suppose. Saw them live at Reading in 2003. They were shit. Shout out to Kirk though, flawless widdly-woo guitar on this.

Not my cup of tea but I get it

4 - I struggled trying to justify a 5, but it’s honestly paced horribly and there’s at least 3 skips in a row in the second half

mane ion wanna listen to this shit this album is making realize how awesome nu-metal is i wish this was nu-metal. if linkin park made this album would be eating it up do not want to meet the person who favorite track on this album is don't tread on me. NO FUCKING WAY THIS IS THE ORIGIN FOR THE GADSEN WTF LMAOOOO. they created a monster thats so bad holy shit i feel so bad for them (after more research they became the anthem for the gadsen and it was just a coincidence, crazy)

I’m a big Metallica fan. This is probably my least favorite album. Though it’s still good and I get why it broke them big. It’s got baggage for me, 1991 and I had already introduced my friends to Metallica. Those same friends acted like they discovered them and I was the bandwagon fan. Plus my 6th grade recently ex girlfriend was talking about listening to them now. F all them. Haha. It’d be a 4 for me with or without the baggage.

This album...*sigh* First off let me just say that I HATE Enter Sandman. It's so corny which is a quality amplified by the fact that through most of my life (I'm 39) this song has been the go to for every non-metalhead to act like they're some kind of "wild person". As in, they listen to adult contemporary 90% of the time but they'll let you know that they like to put their hair down sometimes and go a little wild when they put on...Enter Sandman. It's your lame uncle's favorite song and he wants you to know that he likes it so you won't think of him as the lame uncle anymore. That said, I liked this album when I was young and hadn't acquainted myself with the bands 80's work yet. Even then I saw some faults with this album though. Of Wolf and Man always irked me. It's so corny. I never could stand it. The Unforgiven isn't very good either. I actually think part 2 from Reload is much better (fight me) Nothing Else Matters can kick rocks too. The best song on this album in my opinion is Through The Never. It needs more recognition. Wherever I May Roam isn't too bad either. It's easily the most tolerable of the hits. Look, I get why people really like this album. I just think it's really watered down and completely overhyped. I don't have a problem with a band changing their sound some of my favorite bands did it often (Ween and Cave In come to mind) but man, no, I don't want my Metallica sounding like this.

Dentro del metal son buenos, pero no encuentro el momento de escucharlos.

A lot of filler for a classic album, but the hits are essential

Enter Sandman is a great track and they knew what they were doing by making it the opener. All the rest of this album feels like filler.

OOH. YEA-HEEH. DAD GUM THEY DUN HIT THE PENTAGAWN!!!! Hard to beat this shit when ya just wanna get fuckin mental, even tho it's not my favoured Metal licker album.

Too many YEYEAHS, not enough OHWHOAS Let me ride on James’ moustache

Lard best drumma HYEAYEAAAAH

Album 519 of 1001 Metallica - Metallica (1991) Rating : 4.5 / 5 Great album. Some excellent tracks. Awesome debut.

Not a metallica fan. However, good rock with some classics mixed in. Got a bit repetitive but didnt lose me. Kids reckon this is 5/5 😂

There is something soulless about Metallica and I’ve never warmed to them

I'll still say(and defend) that Metallica is one of the most overrated bands of all time, but this is(probably) their best album. It has solid mix of headbangers, and slow metal. It also includes one of the greatest rock songs of all time. Favorite Track: "Enter Sandman".

I really don't get why some Metallica die hards hate this album so much. This is heavy as fuck and Metallica is as good as ever here, if not as fast. Lars is underrated as a drummer and contributor to the band. His fill selection is great and a little odd. Still not sure if I like this or Master of Puppets more but it's real close

If this were just a little worse, I would hate it. But as it is, this is amazing. What Metallica’s (many) imitators don’t get is that these are actual songs, with actual music and actual singing. I think I’m a legit Metallica fan. Who knew?

Fucking solid album

Кайфовала от гитарных соляков в нераскрученных песнях

I prefer their earlier stuff but there are some great songs here.

Great album- listened to it a ton in my day

It’s not master of puppets but it does have quite a few bangers.

It's not one of the best albums from Metallica but still decent 3.5

I loved this when it came probably because I was a 14 year old boy. Listening back objectively this was when Metallica starting to decline musically. Its good but not great

Favorite Track: Through the Never

Wanted to get into this one but I just don’t think I’m ever going to be a Metallica fan. Enter Sandman is a hall of fame opener to an album though and is worth an extra star.

4.0 Not my fave but very solid.

The point where Metallica started to transition from the pre-eminent heavy metal/thrash metal band of the 80’s (and possibly of all time), to a bunch of washed-up country rockers. There’s a lot of filler here, but there’s also plenty of flashes of the old magic. ‘Enter Sandman’, ‘Sad But True’, ‘Holier Than Thou’, ‘The Unforgiven’ and Wherever I May Roam’ are all big, anthemic hard rockers, while ‘Nothing Else Matters’ is a power metal ballad up there with their best one, ‘Fade To Black’. While Metallica’s change of direction to a more mainstream hard rock sound generally works here, for me, this album is just not as cohesive or satisfying as their previous records, even if it is their most commercially successful.

Il live album interminabile di qualche mese fa era meglio

volevo davvero che mi piacesse più di così, ma il live me l'ha rovinato.

Boh avevo bassime aspettative ma mi è piaciuto Ringrazio Michi per averlo messo nella ruota

One of the best and most influential metal albums of all time. This baby holds up really well. 4.6 stars

Just a great album start to finish

Ride the lightning better pero sad but true y the unforgiven vale como por 3 puntos, 9/10.

And Justice for All... better. Este está muy bueno igual 8.5/10

Really good album, I am honestly flabbergasted that I had never listened to this masterpiece before, it’s honestly so good, this made me love metal even more, love Metallica. 9.7/10.

Fav: The Unforgiven Least Fav: Don’t Tread On Me

Okei...

Provavelmente eu nunca iria ouvir um álbum de Metallica por iniciativa própria, mas preciso dizer que curti bastante da sonoridade desse álbum. Da pra entender porque é tão querida dentre as bandas do gênero.

Not a huge Metallica fan. A lot of the songs sound the same to me. Favorites were The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam, and Nothing Else Matters.

I'm not really a Metallica fan, but I enjoyed this album. The singles are the standout tracks, I also enjoyed Sad but True.

Nothing that I didn't expect, the singles enter sandman and nothing else matters are welcome breaks as the rest is normal service. The occasional pleasant fret work but the constant thrash and strained vocals were as routine as a quo album.

A lot of the songs sound the same. But Enter Sandman goes crazy hard and so do most of the riffs. Good workout album, definitely well put together, requires a little love of the band. Also what's up with the America riff from West Side Story in Don't Tread on Me lol.

This is their peak in my opinion. Still hard enough to sound like their early albums but far more accessible

listened to this bc im studying and its not as metally as I wanted it to be and also im so fkn grumpy because I forgot to turn in a homework that I know I did good on because I literally sat in OH doing it and double checked my answers. thats besides the point but I wasn't in the mood to enjoy this. the hold school has on me is so stupid and dumb and whoever said no late homework is a poopy head. grrrrr

4/10 - Don't tread on me has the theme from America from West Side Story in it. its a metallica album, it sounds like the rest of them

I guess I’m just gonna go my whole life without ever understanding why people like this

I have never been a big Metallica fan. However, I've actually been going through their discography in the last couple weeks, slowly. I got in trouble when I was like 12 for borrowing a friend's CD of The Black Album, but I never ever bought a Metallica album or listened to them after that, only heard them on the radio, of course. There are one or two cheesy songs on it that I wish would have been cut (I think "My Friend of Misery" may be one of them). But, otherwise, I really do like the moody metal that it is, and I think it may become more a part of my rotation in way it really never was.

When this record came out, a guy who had been a Metallica fan since the start told me that they were no good any more because there was a love song on it. He told me James Hetfield had insisted that they would never do a love song and, if they did, it would be about beer. To that I said: 1) You're not listening to the words -- "never opened myself this way.... nothing else matters"; and 2) How do you know it's not about beer?

Tremendo disco. Un metal accesible para escuchas que no son fanáticos del género. 4 Referencia.

A bloody joy to listen to. I never cared for them back when they were doing their thing but in recent years, I’ve really come to appreciate their work. This is the album.

Metallica at their most accessible. An instant ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐‼ I own this album for years and it still bangs like at first time. 🤘 The album is packed with Metallicas all-time classics. And none of these songs sounds aged. One hour of excellent power-metal!

I have a mixed relationship with Metallica. Every demographic quality I have says that I should love them (white male born in the mid 90s, music educated guitarist, book lover and eager weight lifter). However, I have always loathed «Enter Sandman», while I love «Nothing Else Matters». I think what it comes down to is my love for dynamic song structure as well as responding well to melodic and harmonically interesting moments. Exploring different tonal or dynamic ranges, new textures and melodic passages is something a lot of metal bands skip out on, in favor of heavier riffs and angry delivery of lyrics. Metallica falls into that trap to often. That being said, this has a lot of greatness about it. «Nothing Else Matters» will always be close to my heart. I also enjoyed «My friend of Misery» a lot, with a really cool bass riff, the harmonic change into the chorus, and a atmospheric middle eight leading into a very non-Metallica solo that I love (Before Kirk turns Kirk again...). «The Struggle Within» is also a new found love. Short and sweet, but with an almost Maiden-esque intro and a solid chorus riff. «The Unforgiven» and «Don't Thread Me» are also great with their references to western soundtracks and musical theatre, respectively. «Don't Thread Me» together with «Wherever I May Roam» also has choruses that break away from the E minor riffing in such a satisfying way. The same goes for «Of Wolf and Man», which also has one of the better guitar solos I've heard from Kirk (That opening lick, MY GOD)! The solo on «The God That Failed» also has a really cool open string lick that I will definitely be stealing. Funny enough, I went back to «Enter Sandman» and «Sad But True» after finishing this. And I think the big thing I dislike about this, is that they rely to much on the same textures. Hetfield's angry lyrical delivery, bottom string riffing, back beat with crash cymbals, and lazily structured lick-based wah-wah solos. All of this makes them sound very Metallica and they've really honed down that aesthtic, so my criticsm is very subjectiv. Objectively speaking, this is a solid well-crafted album. I still like Metallica of the 80s far more than this, so there is that.

Probably too intense to be listening to mid workday but other than that good

It's Back in Black for the 90s. It's the beginning of METALLICA--not the Diamond Head cribbing beer mooks roughly becoming becomingThrash Kings--but authentic Cocaine Jet Set stadium draws. Outside of a select few, the work always suffers, and the suffering starts here. Basically, I recognize this is a lot of people's face, so good on that . Me, I didn't give a fuck then, don't give a fuck now. I mean, it's not like they're Anthrax.

starts out strong, gotta give it up for Enter Sandman, despite its overplayedness, then Sad But True is good and later on Wherever I May Roam kinda goes... besides those you're left with 45 minutes of forgettable to serviceable music

All time classic I grew up on

One of many albums that I, when I was a young teen, refused to give a chance to, that turned out to be pretty good. Is “The Unforgiven” my new favorite song?? Maybe! Will I revisit this album in the future? Absolutely! Definitely sounds exactly like I expected it to, based on the few songs I had heard, but it is waaaayy less cheesy than I’ve come to expect from metal bands. Maybe that’s why it’s such a landmark album?

I'm not sure we're ever going to see another one like em. Masterclass of an album.

not really my thing, but i can recognize that the music is good

Rated August 4th 2024 It didn't do anything for me. If I had to say something, 'Nothing Else Matters' was my favorite track.

Pretty solid commercial metal album. Can see how it influenced much shittier bands tho

Enter Sandman goes really hard. It’s one of the best metal songs ever: just about everyone loves that song. It’s a stunning opener to Metallica’s self titled. The rest of the album is very good, if maybe a hair lackluster compared to Sandman. There are very good songs and it’s a cohesive album, probably highlighted by Nothing Else Matters in the back half. While this album is great and almost certainly the band’s best album that wasn’t made in the 80’s, it doesn’t quite reach the magic of Kill ‘Em All, Ride The Lightning, or Master of Puppets in my opinion (other than Enter Sandman).

As mentioned, I'm not really a Metallica fan but I believe this is what I consider their best album? Most of the tracks are good, a few are really good. I prefer the ones that are sung rather than growled. Fave Track: The Unforgiven Rating: 4

There are some real epic songs on this. Nothing Else Matters is my favorite - and you can see how that telegraphs S&M. This is the third album of this project that has sampled West Side Story. Apparently, I'm keeping track. I'm only 122 albums in, but the first two were: School's Out by Alice Cooper and Siembra by Colon & Blades. I guess I should expect WSS references once every 50 albums or so? Probably the best argument to add that cast album to the list if it's not already there.

I like that I can hear most of the lyrics, I struggle to hear through heavy music without the words in front of me. Love the Good the Bad & the Ugly vibe I got from The Unforgiven Of Wolf and Man comes in hot and hard after Nothing Else Matters, and it is sick

Sick riffs, pounding drums, with Hetfields voice carrying the energy. Forgettable lyrics but an hour of what makes Metallica so good.

Every Metallica album will forever get a 5 from this guy

I can understand why this album was so massive and continues to be considered a classic in the metal genre. It just does nothing for me. The drums are always maxed out (on speed and volume), the guitars chug along in much the same way on every song and there's nothing particularly interesting about his voice. I do get it but I'm not feeling it, personally.

Hell yea

A classic.

There are some good songs

The Black Album. Ok. Yeah will Metallica finally break the 3 ceiling? Or will it be another boring album with the occasional banger. This has Sandman on it. Sad But True is alright. Holier Than Thou is boring as fuck. The Unforgiven is melodic and alright. This is an hour long and I need to mow the lawn before it rains. Wherever I May Roam is a good recognisable riff but I'm bored. Don't Tread on Me is another boring one sans good riff. When is Nothing Else Matters on? Next track completely forgettable. Ah good here we go, a decent song. Maybe they've saved all the good ones for the end? Oh, it's finished. Without another notable song. Well, Misery was ok. 2 great songs and 4 alright ones in total. This is worse than Justice for all.

👍🏼

So much better than my expectations

first half was better than the second. not their best work, but a really good one. this is where their discography starts to jump around in terms of quality.

I preferred the dynamic of S&M over this studio recording, but it’s still alright.

There's a lot of good hard rock songs in this album. I don't feel right calling these songs metal anymore. I guess this would be the album that reinvented Metallica. This album has had many influences on other metal acts such at Trivium and A7X... And by influences I mean a lot of bands just blatantly ripped off a lot of this record off. This record was fantastic. My honest only issue with this record is Kirk's guitar solos. Someone needs to surgically remove the wah pedal from his foot. Every solo relies on the wah pedal and the solos are very similar in composition. That being said, The Unforgiven has one of my all time favourite guitar solos in it. My Friend of Misery has one of the coolest parts too. Not sure if that's considered the bridge. But when Jason comes in with that iconic bass riff, and then kirk comes in with some guitar swells... That first solo I'd just great. And then guess what? Can't forget the wah... And that's when I just roll my eyes. Of course this is personal preference... This album still holds up. Still some of their best work.

It brought metal into the mainstream, and for good reason. Great songwriting and music, riffs and hooks!!

I have a guilty pleasure with this record. I love it, although it is utter pretentious pop gone metal. It is bad though, and I had to suffer Lars Ulrich two times in a festival setting. That was a revelation. I do not think any drum track on this record was close to being played in one take. And the drums just sound shit. Two for the guilty pleasure

Most of my favorites from them on one album.

9/10

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

It's too clean. Too polished. It's a bit ... whiny? If this is the Devil's music, it's when he's decided to go corporate and do his work from shiny City skyscrapers. Which is probably about right. Enther the Sandman is a great pop record, though.

Bangers

As a girl who loves post-black album Metallica as much as pre-black album Metallica, I will die on a hill for this record. Also I love winding up men about this album, it's only fair since they give me their unsolicited opinions. There are no skippable tracks, all perfect (some are just more perfect than others, love u lots of wolf and man, wish they made a twilight werewolf spinoff just so they could have used u for the trailer). Faves: - <3 <3 of wolf and man <3 <3 - <3 sad but true <3 - holier than thou - wherever i may roam - the unforgiven

Nope…1/10

Definitely not for me!

Metallica stans will argue this is where the band fully engrossed themselves into appealing to a mainstream audience, and that's completely true. And while I miss the heavy trash aspects from earlier records, there's no denying this is an absolute classic. I'll never say it's their best record; I don't care for the drums (Lars is a good drummer, that's not what I'm saying), I think each track goes a bit too long, and the production is safe and a bit dull. But these are all GREAT songs.

Thrash dudes love to trash this classic metal album’s perceived lack of heaviness, as if they haven’t lovingly memorized every iconic riff, solo, and shitty Lars fill top to bottom.

Probably the album that brought Metallica mainstream. Enter Sandman, Sad but true, the unforgiven, and nothing else matters, were all on rock radio stations at the time. They are now rock/metal classics. Overall a good album

This is as big, meaning worldwide, cross-demographic popular, that Metallica ever got, but it also paved the way for their entry into actual pop culture. Anything Metallica has done since this album has automatically been shoved to the front of the media so that they continue to remain relevant today. It doesn’t matter if “true” metalheads decry this album as being the beginning of the end, as their earlier albums were simply not as polished, well-written or replayable as their Black Album. Those earlier albums were simply very special moments in time, as well as windows into the development of the band we all know today. What do I think of this album, then? Well, I never actually play it, but I suppose I would compare it to the Pyramids of Egypt. They are iconic, you want to visit them, but you rarely go back. Instead, you wax lyrical to others about how great they are. This should be 5 stars, and may well be in the eyes of many, but I have to remove a star for the fact that I never play it.

To me, this is the last of Metallica's classic period. I'm sure there's quite a few diehard metal heads who would love to debate me on that (among other topics, like if Metallica even had a classic period to begin with)—but look. This thing is full to the brim of amazing songs. And not just the singles, although let's not forget how incredible "Nothing Else Matters" is for being a 3/4 love ballad from Metallica of all bands. I'm talkin' the deeper cuts as well: "Holier Than Thou", "Don't Tread On Me", "Through The Never", "The God That Failed"... This is consistency up there with MASTER OF PUPPETS, you ask me. Sure, it's a more traditional "heavy metal" sound and not as thrash as some would prefer it, but like that even really matters. I doubt it'd bug most people while "Wherever I May Roam" is playing. Even the over-played stuff, too: they're played as much as they are for a **reason**, after all. So, big surprise, Metallica gets a second 5 from me. And if you ever have the time, check out Wax Audio's mashup of "Sad But True" and "Superstitious"; it's really good.

The album that made Metallica a household name also happens to be a kickass album when you go beyond the big songs of Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matters. Easy 5.

That’s an easy 5. I am completely exhausted after listening to that – what a whirlwind 62 minutes of pure energy. That’s my first proper Metallica album, outside of the live one we got a while back, and I am nothing short of stunned. Apparently, this is a more commercially friendly sound, but I kinda don’t care; I thought all 12 tracks here were fucking great. James Hetfield’s screams somehow sound melodic, but when he actually sings, he somehow manages to glide pretty damn well on these tracks. These have some of the most heavy percussion and ridiculous guitar solos that I’ve ever heard – trust me, I’ve heard a lot of insane solos on some of the other albums, and the ones on this album stack up with the very best of them here. I don’t really have the energy left to gush on and on about this, but I just know that it is one of the most satisfying 5s I get to give yet. I’m so glad this album wasn’t just Enter Sandman and a bunch of mediocrity. What a fucking stunner of an album. 10/10, at least to me.

'Enter Sandman' is a blast, the rest is ok. Plenty of people in the world seem to love Metallica. I'm not that fussed about it.

First album I bought with my own money 🤘

The one song is pretty cool for that alone 3 stars the rest pah.

Couple of crowd pleasers, couple of generic tracks, couple of duff ones.

Very enjoyable metal. I don't often enjoy metal, but this was really well made and I didn't dislike it despite not really being in the mood to listen to it.

The nostalgia hits pretty hard when relistening to The Black Album. 🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘

should've been Lars

This is either a 5* or a 1*. You love it or hate it. I don't understand the 2* reviews. This is Metallica at their strongest. They could have retired with "Enter Sandman", but they blast through this album. It's a classic.

Not fully my jam but I can recognize it’s greatness

I have a new respect for the solo in Unforgiven”. This album was listened to a lot in the high school football weight room

Probably my favorite Metallica album, it certainly brought heavy metal to a wider audience, and did it with grace. It's not something I find myself listening to these days, but it the impact on Rock music is undeniable.

Wow this sucks

Not really my fsvorite genre of music but the one band I do like is Metallica so I rate it as 4 stars or B+.

If the guitars were actually heavy the riffs could be cool I guess, until he starts singing and it just turns to shit. But good job on learning your scales for those terrible solos my dudes. Nothing else matters takes me back to a time where I wish the US and the USSR started bombing each other. At least no one would have to listen to this shit. The song formula always repeating around some stupid scooped mids riff is also shit. Bro, metallica sucks, bunch of assholes, bring back napster, steal their music. This is the first album I have to actually skip tracks,. Fuck metallica.

My opinion of Metallica hasn't changed much in 30+ years. Meh. But I will give this one point each for Sandman, Unforgiven, and Nothing Else. Mostly for Sandman and the Mariano.

It’s enjoyable enough. It’s kind of worse as an album than if you were to listen to any of the songs alone, though, since most of the songs are in the same key and the instrumentation generally shifts between one type of heavy and the occasional soft. Still fine, though.

LP

The singles are super familiar to me from rock radio, but I had never heard this entire album. The album is extremely consistent, but personally I don't need such a large dose of those riffs and that singing. I can hear in it some qualities that later music I really liked would pick up and play off. Lyrically .... laughably obvious rhymes and clunky constructions abound. If I gave it a 4 it would be for Enter Sandman ... I think I'm giving it a 3 though.

An all timer. A really masterful turn by a band trying new and interesting things, and managing to keep their familiarity at the same time (something they would more (St. Anger) or less (Load and Reload) fail at for their next 3 albums. Opened the flood gates for a wider audience to get into heavy music without the gatekeeping or high barrier to entry of most metal. Launched the superstardom of one of the best touring acts in history. Full of hits. Culturally relevant. Also provides (via the making-of documentary) the first glimpses into what a bunch of turds those guys can be.

I didn't think I liked Metallica, but I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. Maybe I do like Metallica.... I still think Rina Sawayama's cover of "Enter Sandman" is better though.

i am always shocked by how comparatively normie metallica sounds compared to what i have in my head. i think i hang out with too many metalheads with niche subgenre tastes

Me and my friends: idk why the other kids act so weird to us Also my friends: requested Enter Sandman from the homecoming DJ

Eu já ouvi mais metal quando era mais novo e achava impressionante, mas hoje, com mais maturidade, posso afirmar: Metal é paia. O Metallica tem um grande papel no meu gosto musical porque foi por causa deles que comecei a gostar de metal. A primeira vez que eu ouvi Enter Sandman de verdade, de pensar "que música foda", foi vendo alguém tocando essa música no Rock Band. Isso, por si, é paia. Mas ver os instrumentos decupados naquelas fileiras com tracinhos coloridos me fez entender como a música ia crescendo até começar de fato. O riff de guitarra quase sem distorção começando sozinho, cercado de silêncio; a bateria com os tons e surdo entrando junto com o baixo, dando corpo à música; a guitarra rítmica na sequência tocando com power chords um riff que lentamente ganha um pouco mais de complexidade; até, enfim, estourar com a entrada dos pratos da bateria. Poder visualizar isso através de um videogame que me fez parar pra ouvir a música mesmo e aprecia-la. Enter Sandman é a música que abre - em grande estilo - esse álbum. Por esse motivo, é um álbum que já ouvi muito, mas que à algum tempo não havia parado para escutá-lo de novo. Achei que minha impressão, agora que metal já não elenca meus gêneros musicais favoritos, seria de acha-lo fraco, datado, brega, música de "homem querendo parecer mais homem". Em resumo, achei que minha impressão seria de achar paia. Ao contrário disso foi uma experiência muito foda poder ouvi-lo com uma cabeça mais madura e entender melhor as composições e a conexão entra as músicas. É um álbum energético com momentos melancólicos, bem produzido, e instrumentalmente muito cativante. Com certeza mais comercial que os anteriores, mas o suficiente para ser acessível sem perder a essência do gênero. O Black Album não só é um álbum relevante para a história da música, como muito cativante e bem construído, que vale a pena ser revisitado de tempos em tempos, apesar de achar que ouvir metal é algo paia.

Sigh I really want to like metal. I really want to like Metallica. But man I just do not care. I’ve said this with previous metal albums (Metallica, Iron Maiden), but the stakes are always high with metal. Musically it’s as loud and as intense as it can be. Lyrically it’s all about the end of the world, monsters, dying, descriptions of demons or monsters and why we should be afraid of them, or some combination or derivation thereof. Of course this is an over generalization coming from someone who has now only listened to four complete metal albums in his life. But this is what I’ve heard so far. And I just cannot bring myself to give a damn about it. This album is no different. Even when they do slow it down, lower the stakes musically, and make it less intense on “Nothing Else Matters,” it’s still high stakes because, well, it’s called “Nothing Else Matters.” “Enter Sandman” is the clear winner here. Everyone knows it, it’s transcended metal as a genre and is in the popular culture. It also happens to be the best song on this album, if you ask me. I won’t be seeking out any metal on my own at this point. Which is a bummer because the genre clearly has many talented musicians. If this project hits me with a metal album/band I can get into, great. But at this point I’m starting to get the gist and it just isn’t for me. Two stars. Not even “Enter Sandman” could save this.

Я как будет работать Napster при Металлике? 7/10

A band getting their big breakthrough is always great. But when they have to sacrifice the part of themselves that made them desirable in the first place in order to achieve that level of fame, it’s unfortunate. Metallica’s entrance into the 90s after leading the charge of the growing movement of thrash metal during the 80s isn’t their best effort. Not by any means. Any die hard fan would agree with that. And this album marked the fall of the band. It’s basically only been downhill from here on out. But this isn’t completely worthless. There are still some redeeming qualities about these songs that make them worth coming back to. From a production standpoint, this is one of their best efforts ever. They probably had a bigger budget than ever before backing them up, and they put it to good use. The biggest change is that, yes, you can in fact hear Jason’s bass. But the guitars and drums also sound very punchy and full. And this is still a Metallica album. So you still have the same songwriters behind it. And these are people who know how to write very catchy hooks and choruses. Songs like Sad but True, or the massive hit Enter Sandman, are instantly recognizable, and could probably be considered classics at this point. Although I could probably go the rest of my life without ever hearing the latter song again and be fine with it. Where the issues with this album arise is when you get into the actual meat and potatoes. When you look at it from a songwriting perspective, and you compare it to the rest of their catalog up until this point, these are some of the least interesting songs they ever made. And not nearly as ambitious and creative. Basically all of the powerful and speedy heaviness that made them an icon of thrash is absent. Even the heaviest songs on this album don’t come close to some of the highlights of their early career, like Battery or the second half of One. Those last 3 songs alone is probably some of the most generic music I’ve ever heard from these guys. There is also some silly lyrics here and there. Like, saying “You are holier than thou” doesn’t make much sense. Because he’s basically just saying you are holier than you. Is he talking to more than one person? I don’t know, I found it silly. The way that I see it is that they were already like one of, if not the biggest metal band in the world at this time. Did they really need to go any more commercial? But clearly it worked, so who am I to judge? And this is purely my opinion. Because people love this album for what it is, which is great. But when I want to listen to Metallica, this is probably the last of their first five big records that I would go to. Rating: 6/10

A flawless 90s thrash metal album. It has 3-4 of my favourite Metallica songs on it, and it's been that long since I listened to it all the way through that I'd forgotten how good the rest of it was.

Much better than the previous Metallica album I got on this list. Very good song writing and a excellent production.

I have probably heard songs from this album thousands of times. Blasting from shitty car stereos, sports stadiums and boomboxes. You have too. We all know these songs. Either you like them or you don't. I'm on the side of liking them. I like their earlier, thrasher stuff better, but this still mostly kicks ass. It's hard to imagine this album NOT existing, so maybe that does mean it's essential?

Definitive Metallica -Enter Sandman -Of Wolf and Man

The beginning of the end for Metallica...? An exaggeration to some and a spiteful declaration to many. This is the record where Metallica opt for trying to make radio hits because they were either bored of their sound and wanted to head in a new direction or they wanted money and mainstream success, or perhaps a bit of both. With that being said, they definitely ended up succeeding. The songwriting overall is solid and the tracks are all expertly produced, the hits here really are worthy of their renown. The divisiveness that this record is (in)famous for seems to arise mostly from the divergence of their original sound (and the deluge of mediocrity that followed). This 'divergence' is certainly felt at times, the album is on the whole less creative and much safer than what came before. On its own however, the record still manages to stand on its own two feet. Sure, It's definitely not mind-blowing. It certainly lacks some depth and can be basic at times, but it accomplishes what it set out to do; make bangers that'll enter the mainstream, much to the chagrin of those who would bestow upon them the title of sell-out.

Fly, of course.

Everything sounded like enter sandman, I’m sorry.

They’re talented musicians and good at what they’re going but man are these lyrics dumb af

I liked this album a lot. It definitely sounded more commercially appealing and I understand how it was successful in that

Don’t usually like metal but this one is decently mainstream and accessible. Helps that it has a couple recognizable hits.

not my vibe

yet another heavy metal hall-of-famer. come on now, the album literally opens with enter sandman. despite what a newcomer may think this album isn't all loud and fast and crazy, with quite a few tracks slower and emotional. nevertheless there's no overstating how wickedly amazing these shreds are. metallica is... metal.

A great moment in time for music. Not to my ears but deserving of appreciation.

Classic

Solid. Not heard in ages...was fun

I almost lost my friend to the Metallica tribute mosh pit

Thrash has been completely abandoned on this album for a generic heavy rock sound. Still a great album, but things predictably went off the rails for Metallica in subsequent releases.

probably my favorite Metallica album

Klassikkoralleja ja ei-omaan-makuun-istuvia muista kappaleita

I get that Metallica got a lot of criticism for going “mainstream,” but this sounds more like a streamlined album than a compromised one. A little too long, but really heavy, tight, and memorable. Best song: Nothing Else Matters

4.5

some storming tracks, but some dull bluster too.

The gate that opened Metallica’s world to me. More structured than its predecessors, with a more likable sound, it’s a perfect album for me. The song lyrics, riffs, gigantic drumming and solos… did entertain me for quite a while back in the day. My special song is Wherever I may roam, followed by Of Wolf and Man and The God that failed.

People tell you about darkness. This will occur. Music will try to do the same. Sometimes. This album walks the line of both of these occurrences. It is somehow a black album and also not at all dark. Nothing this popular could ever be dark really, not the way really moving music might be. The songs might be quasi great, I really have no idea, but the album blows. Because look at it. Look at it in the 21st century. Metallica is lawn mower music.

This album was a letdown to me when it first came out. It's since grown on me a little but hard to compare it to the feeling of listening to Master of Puppets or Kill 'Em All for the first time.

Amazing album. Pretty much every song is great. Will listen to over again

One of the best!

The GOAT

Pretty good all the way through! 4/5

This is gonna be a tough one to be unbiased about. I loved this album as a kid and listened to enter sandman and unforgiven endless times in my formative years. As an adult, I think it still holds up and strikes a good balance between the thrashier stuff Metallica is became known for and the lame alt stuff they would (rightfully) be reviled for later on by slowing things down while still being energetic and interesting. I get that a lot of purists consider this their “sellout” album which is probably fair but if the music is good who cares. And the music fucking slaps. Sure there are some repetitive song structures here and there but it never stops being fun to listen to. Along with the two I already mentioned, nothing else matters, wherever I may roam, and holier than thou are also my favs. Hardcore metal heads can hate on this all they want but even for all its faults I think it’s a great time.

Iconic instrumental work. Songwriting and vocal work leaves something to be desired honestly. I’d find myself dreading when the solos ended.

Took a while to sink into but started to like it by the end. Trying to get more into metal. One thing about the genre is a lot of songs sound the same.

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

Ik ben geen \m/ metal \m/ persoon (nu-metal telt niet) en Metallica vind ik echt een stuk minder cool dan hun fans denken. De eerste review op deze site vat het bijzonder treffend samen. Desondanks is dit album natuurlijk gewoon een terechte entry op deze lijst. Als je anders beweert laat je jezelf redelijk kennen, en zet je jezelf eigenlijk een beetje buitenspel. Binnenkomen Zandman, Verdrietig Maar Waar, De Onvergevenen, Waar Dan Ook Ik Mag Zwerven en Niets Anders Is Van Belang zijn voor mij genoeg redenen om zonder schaamte op de vijf sterren te kunnen drukken. Dat er met de andere nummers ook niet zo heel veel mis is, is alleen maar een bonus. Zo'n Nothing Else Matters kennen zelfs alle oppas-oma's inmiddels van buiten en heb ik lange tijd een wat overrated nummer gevonden. Maar als je er echt voor gaat zitten hoor je pas echt hoe ontzettend veel laagjes er stiekem gebruikt worden. Geniaal.

Well-composed with ripping guitar, bass, and drums. Add strong vocals and semi-biblical lyricism and you have the black album. Iconic to be sure. Not my cup of tea, but iconic.

S&M is still my favorite album from them, but this is solid

Obviously a banger, but I've just never liked Metallica.

Iconic album loved by everyone and for good reason. It's a little emo at times, but it hit just right in the 90's.

probably the best metal album i’ve tried

4.8. What can you say great album.

Metallica is never really going to be my favorite, but you can't quit on an album that has 'Enter Sandman' and 'Nothing Else Matters'. both are ICONIC songs, and just incredible listens all around. i think this album as a whole is a fine listen.i think the Wikipedia description sums it up perfectly, they they moved away from thrash metal, and went for a refined, melodic style. i dig that more than thrash metal as a whole, so all in all it was an enjoyable album

Stvarno okej i ikonican, samo mojem metalno laickom uhu dosta repetativno zvuci na prvo slusanje. Instrumental daleko zanimljiviji i slusljiviji od vokalnih sekcija. Fave: Nothing else matters

Partly heard before Saved 3/12 Top track: Enter Sandman

Metallica would be lucky to crack my top 50 favourite heavy artists, but this album stands tall above a lot of the other records on this list. I want to give this record a 5 but I think that's just my bias towards heavier music. Lots of great tracks and a great introduction for those unfamiliar with heavier types of music.

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.

sandman’s coo…

Je comprends les qualités mais j'ai pas full de plaisir à écouter ce style malheureusement.

Classic heavy metal

One of the greatest rock albums of all time. After the dodgily produced ‘And Justice…’ album, Metallica needed a big hitter and they don’t come much bigger than this. I remember being at university, buying the cd single for ‘Enter Sandman’ and having my mind blown! (I’ve got a feeling that the ‘B’ side was ‘So What?’ - a punk romp through expletives. Love it!) And Sandman was played at full volume across the campus!! When the album came out, it was even more mind-blowing. It cemented even more my fanatical devotion to heavy rock. Brilliant.

If Metallicas earlier albums were a solids 4 or 5, this one’s a solid 3.

This would probably have been considered a little too polished and mainstream for Metallica fans at the time, but I think they pulled it off. Clearly commercialized for a broader audience, but that didn’t stop me from banging my head along. A few too many cheesy lyrics (never realized how corny “The Unforgiven” was until just now) and duds but still a great album.

An absolute classic still remember queuing outside tower records at midnight to buy it. They’ve descended into farce now but this was Metallica at their prime

Sounds impressively heavy. Besides the hits, not much here.