Metallica

dated but still a classic

About a decade ago, a coworker told me there was only one good Metallica song, and I laughed it off. I never asked which song that was, but I'm starting to think she might have been right anyway.

An album that got me moving from the first bars.

Nah

The first time I ever encountered the concept of "selling out" was when I was probably 11 or 12. This kid in my Boy Scout troop wanted everybody to know that the Black Album sucks because "it sounds too good." Now, whenever I listen to this album, I picture a greasy-haired kid trying to look cool with his half-buttoned Class A shirt trying to think of reasons he hates it because he knows he's supposed to. I'm not trying to say that selling out or going commercial doesn't sometimes mean compromising artistic integrity, but the furor over Metallica making their music listenable is hilarious to me. This album owns. Best track: Nothing Else Matters

A very heavy and dark outfit from Metallica. It's probably their best and most well known album, having been number 1 in about 10 countries and a mainstay in the charts. It is the quintessential metal/heavy rock album. Its a heavier sound than the likes of the metal albums of the 80s, but does not disappoint. Best: Enter Sandman Worst: Of Wolf and Man

Not for me

Honestly, I did not have high expectations going into this album. I have never understood the fuss over Metallica, who are just a metal band. I have always imagined that Metallica would resuly if you were to devise the most generic metal band of all. So, I've never had any interest in exploring Metallica. And this album is... a standard metal album. That's it. It's not noticably bad nor noticably good. It is the most average metal album conceivable. Boilerplate, passable, run-of-the-mill, middle-of-the-road metal. They should have nicknamed this the Grey Album. Well, there are some points worthy of comment. Firstly, Enter Sandman is a very silly song. Call me a purist, but I don't think a metal song should have a chorus that ends, "We're off to Never-Neverland." Is that meant to be terrifying? Was he threatening to take his kids to Michael Jackson's ranch? Still, the lyrics originally referred to cot death, so I think we should be thankful for what we got. Secondly, the album occasionally alludes to other pieces of music, the odd snippet of melody, that sort of thing. Sampling Morricone's Ecstasy of Gold on The Unforgiven is acceptable. Opening a song with West Side Story's America steers the album into self-parody. So, the only time the album avoids being average is when it's risible. Finally, the effect of the album's style is counterproductive. The heaviness of the album isn't unsettling or invigorating; it's blank and quite deadening. The songs are overlong and the lyrics are insipid, so the listener is just bored. They should have nicknamed this the Grey Album.

In words of James Hetfield, YEAAAAAH

Love this as background, will listen again. 3/5 for concentrated listening, 4/5 background

My introduction to Metallica. As an 11-year-old and completely unaware of their earlier output, I had nothing to taint my view of this one. It was an entirely new sound to me and a very exciting one. I've still got a lot of time for it now.

Fantastic Album

classic

Enjoyed it but I'm not a fan of metal (which I'm iffy about using to describe Metallica), so it wore out its welcome after half. Didn't add but didn't dislike.

Complete classic. So heavy.

Apart from a few songs, I've always found Metallica to be musically uninteresting, and it's the same here.

Half good songs half sound the same as each other

Not necessarily my vibe but I have to admit that for an album that was released in 1991 it must’ve been huge and impressive. And „The Unforgiven” & „Nothing Else Matters” are undoubtedly both classics now :)

The only Metallica album I’m truly familiar with. Enjoyed on this listen much more than I thought I would.

Just never been a Metallica fan!

Great album, don’t love every song but has extremely high highs and no true lows. Perfect for when u just wanna bang ur head around.

iugh

Anspruch und Wirkung auf Kulturgeschichte seien dahingestellt. Aber das ist ein 5-Sterne Album Hörgenuss

Ich fand es deutlich besser als befürchtet, teilweise aber dann halt doch einfach nur Heavy metal

While it isn't my favorite Metallica album in their discography, I do really like. Some real classics on here, especially opening up with Enter Sandman. Nothing else matters, Sad but true, and the unforgiven. Whole thing is filled with really solid songs. Solid Album.

This is an easy 5 for me as I've listened to this album since it came out in 1991. While I like the older Metallica albums, this is just more accessible and I really enjoy it. Hits that sweet spot for still being metal and driving but doesn't drive my wife out of the room!

"Classic" album that brings back memories from my youth when Metallica were at the peak of their popularity. Some nostalgia here, but overall, this album has just a few hits while the rest of the songs blend together and sound the same.

Maybe I'd enjoy this more if it hadn't been played to death on the radio. I never need to hear "Enter Sandman" again in my life. Metallica takes themselves far too seriously to be anything other than an embarrassing joke.

Hab ich hier eigentlich je festgehalten, das Metallica die erste Band war, die mich zum Kauf einer CD motiviert. Es war „…and Justice for All“ aber dennoch war das Black Album irre wichtig fürs aus dem Kokon des Lego/Transformers-Zimmer hervorbangenden Metall-Kid. Und auch jetzt sitzt jede Melodie - war der Hippocamous damals recht aktiv beim wegsortieren. Bin also sehr, sehr, sehr befangen. Aber neben der Süße nostalgischer Note stimmt für mich auch nach wie vor die knüppelnde Härte der kompletten Rhythmus Sektion (samt Hetfield) und Filigranität Hammets. Natürlich war ich insbesondere dem Sellout Song „Unforgiven“ verfallen…verzeihlich und aus zeitlicher Distanz auch sowas von gerechtfertigt. Was ein Meisterstück - eingängig, melodisch, hart, bittersüßest in seinem narrativen Element reif und, ja perfekt. In dieser Balance aus deftiger Härte und wehmütiger Zartheit gelingt hier auf Albumlänge ein Meisterwerk. Neu entdeckter Liebling: „My Friends of Misery“. 4.4

Ah, als Metallica Pop, bzw. Stadion gingen. Joah, da ist jedenfalls ordentlich Druck auffe Düse. Aber natürlich auch Balladen, spätestens bei Stück 4. Steig ich als Nicht-Metaller ja direkt aus. Beim Titel "Don't Tread On Me" und der dazugehörigen Abbildung auf dem Cover steht mit dem Wissen von heute - 6. Januar und alles drumherum liegen ja keine 10 Monate zurück - natürlich sofort die Verbindung zur Gadsden Flag und und die dazugehörige Frage in den Raum: wie halten die Herren es denn eigentlich mit Patriotismus, muh Freedom und 'murica so im allgemeinen? Gibts da was miss zu verstehen? Und war das früher weniger asi als heute? Glaube nicht. Ja, und ach, ich weiß auch nicht. Schön trocken das ganze natürlich, aber Lars Ulrich konnte früher auch schon nicht trommeln. Hetfields immer gleich Stimme muss man mögen. Ich weiß schon, warum Punk und Underground mein Ding sind, und allzu offensichtlicher Metal eher nicht. Die Pixies gestern hat vollkommen zurecht mindestens einen Punkt mehr bekommen und die hier nur 2,3.

great pop metal

Enter Sandman = 5*, Other songs = 2* (at most) Production = 5*. Lyrics = 1*. Putting everything in a formula and doing some long calculations.. ..2.544334 * so just *** in the end.

This was my first proper introduction to Metallica (yes, I was late to the party) and really liked it at the time. Listening to it again after who knows how many years was a disappointment initially. However, around the half-way point I started to get more into it, and upon a second listen I was really enjoying it. It is not Master of Puppets of course, but nevertheless a well-produced album with solid songs that are compact and catchy.

Love Enter Sandman, meh about the rest

30 évvel később már kifejezetten könnyen hallgatható, veszélytelen, szinte unalmas. Sok részlet kicsit komikus ma már, pl. James Hetfield hangja. Azért tisztelem. Borító igénytelen, mégis badass.

Excellent metal album. Definitely their most popular and for good reason. From start to finish this album brings it hard and does metal to the point where it’s enjoyable for a wider audience. This is a must listen and is one of the best metal albums. 8.8/10

The album has been trendy lately due to it getting remastered and having a wide array of weird selections covering it. The album is good but not top Metallica.

Plenty of metal classics on this one - while the production is air-tight, the album does lag in its back half as the songs tend to fall into repetitive arrangements.

10/10

i remember when this album came out - it was this huge thing, The Black Album. i just kinda didn't care much, and i'm not sure i care much more now. in fairness, i have always loved enter sandman, but honestly, that's because of the bosstones' cover of it. i do continue to appreciate lars' precision when playing slow, and james' voice and guitar sound are great, etc. but really, as metallica albums go, i could take this one or leave it, which makes me a little sad.

Jumping Jaysus my ears hurt, just make this stop. Every track’s the same - and they’re all sh1te

A classic - not my normal listening but very good when you need something a bit loud! I liked The Unforgiven, and Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matters of course

not my thing but fine

Surprisingly not as heavy as I expected. Some cracking tunes

ну ваще-то норм так-то альбум. Ракешник хорошо, хэтфилд орёт неплохо. Отмастерено плоско тока

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.

It's pretty fun I guess. 7/10

Classic/10

Amazing album. Hands down the best heavy metal band around.

godt håndværk, men lidt for rocket

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.

I'll equate this album with Revolver by the Beatles (previously reviewed) in the sense that they're both examples of bands who defined their respective genres really hitting their strides and delivering, perhaps, their best collective works and inspiring decades worth of other music. And, in both cases, it's ALL them - written, performed, and produced by. No real outside influence. Specific to Metallica, they prove that Heavy Metal doesn't have to be yelling over something loud and sloppy. It can be perfected. It can be clean, thoughtful, nuanced, and still make you feel like you got punched in the gut.

3 decent songs and a bunch of chugging guitar filler. Was waiting for it to be over.

Excelente disco

Not really the best but I’m not white so

No i hat trik zdublowanych zespolow zaliczony, tym razem zmiana klimatu na mocniejsze brzmienie, choc nie do konca tak mocne jak myslalem, bo album juz nie gra tak traszowo, a bardziej metalowo radio friendly, chyba cos w tym jest bo spoti pokazuje trzy traczki z tej plyty jako topowe kawalki, a przeciez kazdy wie ze metallica skonczyla sie na kill em all, chociaz sluszniejsze wydaje sie stwierdzenie, ze skonczyla sie wlasnie na tym czarnym albumie, bo tak tez mowi sie na te plyte, no bo czorna okladka jak u pana kejniego prawie, z jakims wenzem hamerykanskim, jak dla mnie zmiana stylu tej plyty jak najbardziej na plus brzmieniowy, ale mniej BPMow oznacza, ze lirycznie plyta jest bardziej zrozumiala i niestety meczy swym kontentem prawdziwie metalowym, czyli gimboteizm edycja kucerska pelna geba, jak to ludzie umieraja, czemu tyle zla, jesli nie religionowe kontenty to oczywiscie metalowe uwielbienie wlasnej ekspresji za pomoca agresji, jak na dont tread on me, jak dla mnie najwiekszym problemem plyty jest jej czas trwania, bo godzina dwie minuty na dwunastu trakach takiego grania, to zbyt wiele jak na moje uszy, bo obok radyjkowych ballad ktore jeszcze da sie przezyc sa kawalki jak of wolf and man czy throught the never gdzie darcie ryjca jest tak meczace, ze klawisz skip sam sie klika w kieszeni, na plejaka wrzuce dwa z trojcy tej plytyki, czyli otwierajacy enter sandman, ktory sam ma wyjatkowo dobre otwarcie jesli chodzi o kawalek, bo jednak gitarkowo jest to dobre granie, ale potem dochodzi wokalowanie, no i jest jak jest, kolejnym kawalkiem bedzie the unforgiven, ktory featuruje akustyczne brzmienia i najlepszy, albo najmniej slaby performens wokalny pana hetfielda, mam nadzieje, ze tym razem metallica skonczy sie na metallice, chociaz jeszcze wypadaloby posluchac ride the lightning, bo przeciez ky kiskowa referencja, przy czym tych referencji pewnie bedzie o wiele wiecej w dyskografii metalikowej

It was prey cool.

I heard this at a friend's house as an early teen and it blew me away. Still had fragments of the songs going around in my head days later. This was the album that prompted me to start seeking out music proactively and build up a collection of cassettes, rather than just passively listen to whatever the TV or radio offered. So yeah, 5 stars for personal significance alone. Fave track - "Sad But True", let's say, but I have a lot of faves on this album even today...

şişirilmiş bir balon bir iki şarkı dışında kırk beş saatlik işkence gibi geldi

Äh, det är inte så himla bra alltså. Saknar råheten från tidigare (och senare) album.

Don't even have to re-listen. This is a five-star carved into stone.

A good but not great album, my least favourite of the three Metallica albums I've listened to in full. Sandman is a fucking banger though.

It’s an easy five star - a band taking their sound in a new direction , an album where the bass player has been given room to play, one of a handful albums where I still remember where I was the first time I heard it, an album where I know at three minutes into sad but true there’s gonna be that two second pause before it goes off. A pure fucking joy of a metal album where I just have to sing NOMAD VAGABOND CALL ME WHAT YOU WILLLLLLLLLLLL no matter where I’m listening (just now in the gym) ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Burnt out by Metallica at this point. Enter Sandman must have been wild to hear for the first time though.

Not a fan. A few decent riffs here and there, but I find the tracks quite bland and uninteresting. For me, a lot of the tracks from this record are not too far removed from Nickelback. High praise indeed! Boring, uninspired drum parts, and the actual drum sound is pretty terrible - overpowers the mix and is abrasive. Kirk needs to lay off the wah pedal. Prefer their thrashier, heavier stuff, though still not by much.

Landmark album in a career full of great records. So many great songs, with outstanding production by Bob Rock. Rock’s focus was to polish up the band’s sound, while also tightening up the songs. He and the band accomplished both tasks with flying colors. A must hear from one of the greatest bands of all time.

One of the best albums ever

I have a confession to make. Before reviewing this album, the only version of "Enter Sandman" I had ever heard was the cover by...wait for it...Pat Boone. You haven't lived until you've heard Pat Boone cover heavy metal tunes. Anyway, suffice it to say that I'm completely unfamiliar with Metallica's catalogue. Before I get into my opinion of Metallica's "Black Album," let's get a few things out of the way. There's no disputing the musicianship on display here. This is not simplistic three chord metal headbanging by ham-handed clods. The arrangements are intricate. The playing is pretty much flawless across the board. Some of the songs are catchy, certainly Enter Sandman. James Hetfield's vocals don't move me, but technically, he's an excellent singer--the way I see it, it's my problem and my loss. The guitar playing on the other hand is a minor revelation. Kirk Hammett may not be my favorite metal guitarist, but he's really good. He has taste, a great sound, and chops to spare. With that out of the way, here's my opinion of the album. While there's nothing in particular to complain about, it's just not my thing. I mean, I plan to put their albums in all of my Spotify "year" stations, and I definitely plan to check out the earlier albums, and I wouldn't turn off one of their songs if it came on, but I can't see myself putting on this album and listening to it all the way through again. Why? I find the singer unappealing--it's just personal taste or lack of it. I don't care for the songs, which is oddly enough, where this album is supposed to excel. Again, why? Hard to say. There is little to complain about. There is nothing lazy or unintelligent about the ways these songs are constructed. And clearly some of the songs are hooky. Again, my loss. Actually, this album makes me feel inadequate as a reviewer. Usually, I have damned good reasons for criticizing an album. I hate it when reviewers slam a record for no good reason. And yet here I am. Sigh. Wait a minute. I just figured out what bothers me about this music. It strikes me as cartoonish but with zero sense of humor (now I get why they were used as the model for Spinal Tap). Okay, I feel better now

5/5. Perfect for the genre. Love it.

Decent music but really not my taste, DNF, 3/5 mainly for that first iconic song.

Great album; a perfect example of Metal.

What more can be said of such a well-known and loved album? It's packed full of heavy riffs with a fine balance between melody and slabs of metal guitar. An instant classic, synonymous with the middle period of the band's career as they went through the gears to transform into the metal behemoth the world knows today. Favourite songs obviously include Enter Sandman, Sad But True and the Unforgiven but honourable mention go without doubt to Of Wold And Man for a change up in rythmn

Trip down memory lane for me. Some really good songs on this album. Love the sound. 3 stars

Top 3 1. (1) Enter Sandman 2. (8) Nothing Else Matters 3. (4) The Unforgiven Bonus: (5) Wherever I May Roam

Not my type of music... at all. I feel like I can't give 1 star simply because it's not to my taste, because I'm sure that Metallica is, objectively, great and everything. So 3 will have to do.

tbh ik i won’t be able to finish this album in the time i am given but it’s good i’m on “Sad But True” it’s super good ngl i didn’t think i would like it

Brilliant album. Brings back a lot of memories from my teenage years. 'Enter Sandman', 'Unforgiven' both are songs that are etched in the collective memory of me and my friends

Not my thing.

Enter Sandman is one of the greatest walkout songs ever. Sounds like heavy metal driving in the right lane.

bruh its the black album

Si me gustara el metal, esto me encantaría. Pero como no me gusta, las canciones son muy largas y algunas muy raras

Awesome album. The last great album from Metallica.

I've been dying to have a platform to say this for a long time: Enter Sandman is a dumb song. There's a reason why a good half of existing Metallica fans bailed after this album. Call me when Ride The Lightning is on.

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.

Album Ranking: Enter Sandman Through the Never Of Wolf and Man The Struggle Within Nothing Else Matters Wherever I May Roam The God That Failed My Friend of Misery The Unforgiven Holier Than Thou Sad But True Don't Tread on Me

Another famous band I had never really listened to. Enjoyed this a lot on a rainy Monday drive to work

Metallica's most famous album, and the album that ushered in the 90's Grunge era, as well as elevating Heavy Metal to a mainstay genre in the public eye. A lot of Metallica's most famous songs also exist on this album. All around, this is an amazing album and a must listen-to for any fan of music - especially Heavy Metal or Rock genre enthusiasts.

It's a great album. But it's carried by three absolutely insane epic tracks, and the rest is like I guess... OK metal? Idk, it's why I'm hesitant to give it 5 stars

A classic to start off with. Haven’t really listened to much Metallica outside their most popular songs so it was nice to hear some of their other stuff. ‘The Struggle Within’s’ guitar solo was a particular highlight.

I understand why its a classic even if it's not my taste

Classic

Metallica make a turn for the commercial side of metal and came out of it very well off. The songs have lost their aggressive thrash edge to them, however this is made up by having harder riffs.

Je comprends désormais un peu mieux tous les geeks trentenaires aux cheveux gras, qui utilisent le smiley ":3" pour communiquer avec de jeunes filles. Cette description s'applique d'ailleurs a la moité des utilisateurs de ce generateur, ces gens qui vomissent la musique commerciale pour se la jouer marginale, et qui ont par conséquent descendu la muse Mariah Carey. Je n'oublierai pas.

My expectations were low. Very low. But this album cleared the bar with ease. Good album.

Good & heavy with some great guitar riffs

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.

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.

Every song sounded like it could be in a cutscene from Smackdown vs Raw 2008, much better than I expected!

O Black álbum era melhor na minha memória, as músicas mais famosas já cansam, mesmo sendo boas, as músicas mais desconhecidas são só chatas. No geral é um bom álbum mas não tao bom como tinha na minha memória. Nota 7/10

It's Metallica. Nothing hugely surprising.

Very enjoyable. First heavy metal album I've ever listened to. Hi-Tempo, excellent guitar solos! Head bangin' in the shower!

could it be? is it this one? was this the album to get me in to metal licker and modern metal? not really. it was way less offensive than previous listens to them but it didn't really get my juices going. all in all i think its pretty fuckin cheesy.

NODDERS

Was always a huge fan of Metallica, but started to fall out of love with them after Master of Puppets and never listened to the whole of this album. Glad I have now, very good :)

Sarah used to listen to this album in the 1990s it prompted a request to see more baby pics. Sarah doesn’t have them but does have her early gymnast’s certificate when she was extremely white. :-)

Kinda a grueling hour-long listen. An album pretty much carried by its singles (which, in the case of Sandman and Nothing Else Matters, are pretty damn good), but everything else blends together. If it was 20 min shorter, it might have been more bearable, but I can't listen to this whole thing without zoning out. Low 2

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.

3/5 There are some iconic songs in this album, but ultimately I don't really like their style.

Het feit dat ik minstens de helft van het album kan meebrullen is al voldoende om het een 5/5 te geven

A classic one. Reminds me of being a kid

I like it!!!!!!

I was recently watching Jeopardy reruns and the prompt was "The Big 4 of thrash metal are Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth and this quartet with a murderous name". Anyone who knows the answer gets an iTunes gift card good for downloading The Black Album (and replacing the mp3s they got for free off Limewire). When it popped up on 1001 I thought "this is not what I'm looking for on this Friday morning". When Sandman kicked into gear I was psyched up-ah. Somewhere between Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters I was tenderized into a trance-ah. The last third of the album was a tune out-ah. They're doing their thing. C-

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.

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.

Energetic vibrant and great! Metallica is an unbeatable classic.

Classic!

New appreciation for Metallica now...

Even as a non-metal fan this is just a great album. The Unforgiven - Wherever I May Roam - Don't Tread on Me is an underappreciated trio.

.

Production: 6/20 Songwriting: 3/20 Innovation: 5/20 Bangers: 5/20 Emotional response: 4/20 =23 only reason they didn’t get one star is that I can’t deny that Enter Sandman is a banger. The rest of it was a load of old bollocks.

Decent album. Got to my limit before the end.

So so

Tuurlijk, heeerlijk

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. 🤟🤘🤟🤘

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.

Arse biscuits.

Veel geluisterd, weet dat het goed is, maar vandaag was helaas geen metallica-dag.

Classic! Wat een wereldplaat! Zag gister nog de docu Some Kind of Monster en daarna de plaat toevallig al geluisterd. Hetfield rules!

Ik ben geen grote Metallica fan, maar dit album vind ik geweldig! Een van de eerste hardrock albums die ik als tiener kocht en grijsgedraaid heb.

Eerst dacht ik: ha, lekker stevig. Na een paar nummers dacht ik: teveel van hetzelfde.

IMO this was when Metallica took the turn to become more mainstream (if that is the right term) ~ This is NOT the "Kill 'em All", "Ride the LIghtning" or "Master of Puppets" Metallica of my youth. A lot of my friends and fans called them sell outs when this album came out. Say what you want, this album, on the back of "And Justice For All" made Metallica the biggest heavy metal band in the world. and I fucking LOVED this album back in the day..... I wore that casette tape out! LOL

I always enjoyed this album. Wasn't much of a metalhead at 14, but this is pretty much my access point for appreciation of it.

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.

Good, but listened to far too early

Needs a 4.5 option tbf

4/5

Soft rock metallica. I prefer the heavy stuff

Soy especialmente irracional y tontamente parcial cuando se trata de metal porque género favorito. Con Metallica también lo soy, pero en el sentido negativo: he despreciado (quizás sin una buena razón) a Metallica por famosos o porque es lo único que se piensa de inmediato cuando se menciona el metal, me salen ronchas de lo molesto que me resulta que tengan "metal-" en el nombre de la banda (es como si unos dudes de jazz se pusieran "jazzy", o una banda de rock se pusiera, "los rockeros"), también porque me cagan sus fans. Los integrantes de la banda como seres humanos individuales me dan igual básicamente porque no sé quiénes son. Habiendo desahogado mi hate, sí disfruté el álbum negro, aunque me siguen pareciendo algo corny algunas de las canciones más celebradas como The Unforgiven y Nothing Else Matters, y me dio hueva Don´t Thread on Me, pero también he de admitir que no me desagradó en general y a pesar del prejuicio, es más, "Enter Sandman" esta vez me pareció que tiene una ondita padre que no había apreciado, y bueno... tiene unos que otros momentos emocionantes y whatnot. Canción favorita: My Friend of Misery porque de hecho sí me gustan algunas canciones in crescendo larguísimas de estos dudes, y con algunas me refiero a solo un par de Death Magnetic, disco que por alguna razón, que no comprendo, tiene muchos haters de su propia fanbase. Mood: Cara de Pikachu sorprendido.

Discazo

One of my favorites when I was younger. Much more mainstream than their other work, but still damn good

Enter Sandman" Released: July 29, 1991[1] "The Unforgiven" Released: October 28, 1991[2] "Nothing Else Matters" Released: April 20, 1992[3] "Wherever I May Roam" Released: October 19, 1992[4] "Sad but True" Released: February 8, 1993[5]

Played half of this album in my high school band and I'm heartily sick of it. Metallica are a band that just never got my blood pumping.

“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

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A classic album with iconic songs. Almost every song is at least great!

Not to bad. Some great hits are in this album.

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.

Didn't even need to listen. Permanently downloaded in my brain.

8/10 Tiene muy buenas canciones pero después de nothing else matterzzzzzzzzzzzz

A staple heavy metal album. 8/10, I always thought the album cover was plain black.

More

Nunca me ha emocionado Metallica. Quizá tampoco el metal, pocas veces. Y bueno, lo escuché y no sé, hay algo en mí que no me deja emocionarme (?). Fuera de eso, pues siento que muchas canciones se parecen unas con otras. Su clásico "Enter Sandman" me gusta. "Through the Never" y "Nothing Else Matters" serían las otras con las que congenié un poco. Ansori. 7/10

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

Perfección

Didn't even need to hear it to know how good it is

I discovered I really like hard rock

I love a few of the songs on this album but not all of them. Mostly nostalgia...

The best songwriting of Metallica’s career and the album they are best known for. While not the most ‘Metallica’ of their discography given the change in sound, but a great rock album.

Solid album. A good listen, but not anything mind blowing Favorite tracks: “Enter Sandman,” “The Unforgiven,” and “Nothing Else Matters”

I thought a popular thrash metal band would have a bit more umph to their sounds, I was quite underwhelmed

You can tell this is the point at which Metallica really got mainstream. I suppose it’s “metal for the masses” in a sense which sounds really pretentious and douchey, but hey, at least I admit it.

enjoyed absolutely blasting it

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There's a very, very good 30 minute album here, the only problem is that "Metallica" runs over an hour. "Enter Sandman" is a great track, but the rest of the album has trouble reaching those heights. The lowlights drag on for so long that by the time you get to the end, you've half-forgotten about the highlights.

Classic, forgot how good Enter Sandman was

Bängeri! Metal Metallica

I can’t really hate this album. It came out when I was a freshman in high school in a small town, so the band may as well have dedicated it to me personally. But the adult me cannot fathom how many steps backwards Hetfield took lyrically from this moment forward. “And of things that will bite!” is one of the most lazy, vague lines ever sung all in service of a rhyme that sucked to begin with. I still dig “Sad but True,” “The Unforgiven” and a few others, but yeah… I’m not a freshman in high school anymore. Also, has there ever been a band as big as Metallica that has made as many wild, dumb swings with how their albums are mixed? How does one even make a hi-hat sound like it does on this record? Is that even a hi-hat? And sure, you can hear a bass presence unlike “Justice,” but can you actually make out what Newsted is playing? Is he doing anything other than doubling the low note of Hetfield’s chords? It’s like they all went shopping and bought new ears. I prefer their old ears.

Dull

Love it. Great for anything

Some classic singles from childhood, but metal has never been my thing. Lead vocals sound the same in every song

Very good, can hear the inspiration they had on avenged sevenfold

this album continues to be classic metal, and inspiration for countless bands, and one of my favorite albums (despite thinking Lars Ulrich is a huge piece of shit).

A couple of standout songs with enter sandman, nothing else matters, and sad but true. Other songs felt very similar and like filler material.

More enjoyable than I expected. Definitely saving some tracks

Enter Sandman

Haven't heard this in a while. This was the album that got me into Metallica soon after it came out.

Was looking forward to this, not as good as I remembered.

Yes it's a great album, and pivotal in my musical experience early on... but man is it way over-produced. There's no room in the sound, it's like they just punched the loudness up to 11 and walked out the door.

Massive album. Extremely well produced and written. Sooo much groove and swing in the rhythm section. Down picking riff master Hetfield outdid himself on this one. All the riffs are classics at this point. They have punch, power and they hook you instantly. Solos are melodic and well thought out never too much and always complement the songs. Ver very well put together piece of music. Some filler (eg Holier than thou or The struggle within), but even that doesn't detract from the overall quality.

Kende m al, oud goud natuurlijk. Best hard, maar niet binnen mijn huidige smaak (jan 2021)

Rough round the edges but a solid rock album

this wasn’t for me was kinda bored🐍

Legendary and it holds up

Enter Sandman

One of the greatest so far.

I prefer the instrumental parts

Surprised me.

Overall a ton of classics Standouts include Sad But True and Nothing Else Matters

Very smooth transitions and excellent musicianship. Some of the songs blend together and sound a bit repetitive, but that could be my inexperience with metal. Super solid!

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.

One of their best !

Solid stuff.

Enjoyable metal, have heard several of the songs before. Overall I would go back to this album sometime in the future

Metals most accessible offering to date catchy choruses and scintillating guitar.

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.

I have tried so many times to like them and I just can't.

Vill inte gilla, men det är ändå mäktigt. Unforgiven är ju grym.

3.9 never used to like Metallica (could’ve been the Napster thing), but they’re growing on me.

YUP.

what a tremendous masterpiece

It's metallica.

Starts strong, Metallica fs it up halfway through

Too hard for me

Enjoyed it, definitely a classic, but not my cup of tea. The weird miss of slow, grand songs with acoustics really threw me off, especially with something like Nothing Else Matters. Of course, Enter Sandman is a classic, and the guitar riffs and solos throughout the album are spectacular, but it wasn't really what I was looking for. 4/8

Enter Sandman is very funny imo

It was ok. The vocals are not for me but the actual music was good. All sounded quite similar. Really enjoyed nothing else matters which was less shouty

Nice tempo and a certain energy that flows through the album. Interesting to hear the way Metallica steps from one part of a song or album to the next. It makes it very dynamic overall. I only saved two other songs "Enter Sandman" and "Through the Never" to my library (besides "Nothing Else Matters") but will try to listen to more Metallica soon.

Quite a good sound, but kinda samey tbh. Unforgiven was good

A great album with some huge hits. Unfortunately the other songs cannot hold the high quality of the hits which keeps this album from reaching 5 stars

Some fantastic songs and some boring heavy songs. Overall just to heavy for me

Not my style of music but I appreciate its place in history

Super zestok ali kvalitetan album

Have owned this album since 1991

Kyseisen soitinyhtyeen varmasti paras levy. Kuuntelee helposti muutaman kerran putkeen ja yksittäiset biisit toimii aina, mutta ei silti ihan viiden * leiskautus.

Great tunes but pretty poppy sound

It really holds up. Maybe because it’s 30 years later but it doesn’t sound so innovative today

This was worse than Willie!

Probably my favourite Metallica album but also their foray into the mainstream. Some classic songs

Metal ok

Quality this one

Seems fine. Not my style of music at all.

Enjoyable nostalgia.

Start of the decline, maybe it would have gotten stale but more thrash Metallica would’ve been dope

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

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*

Rageeeeee

Seminal album from my teenage years

1991. Key Songs: Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters

and NOTHING ELSE MAAAAATTTTEEERRRSSSSSSS this is the album that got me into metallica so i appreciate it for that. i like sad but true and (obviously) nothing else matters lol. sure i could see why metallica fans dislike it as its very commercially accessible but if it gets people into the band then hey! i ended up listening to more of their music after this and loved it.

2/1 Speaks to the soul.

Not really my taste in music, however this guitar is amazing. I would probably listen to it again just to hear the guitar.

2.75/5. Gets old fast, and makes me think of the scene in 21 when Channing Tatum is having a happy trip and Jonah Hill is having a depressing trip. This album would be playing in the depressing trip. Some songs are decent, I just cannot listen to them back to back

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.