Metallica

Some classic songs on here. Impressive guitar and drums.

It's metallica. Not them at their creative peak, no way. But it's good. Probably won't return to the full album, but a few songs are legendary.

4 stars - WHAT MORE CAN I SAYYY CLASSIC METALLICA DAD ROCK

Ugggh I LOVE the electric guitars! I have heard some of the songs before and wherever I may roam is one of my favorites!! So maybe you can call me a rock lover now?

The hits rip and Enter Sandman is on any reasonable short list for most kick ass song, but I was bored with the rest by the end.

Listening session: january 27th, while commuting from and to internship Listened to before: listened to some songs before Thoughts: I have to admit this is a classic and while I do like most of this, it has its repetitive moments Favourite tracks: Enter Sandman, Holier Than Thou & Wherever I May Roam

I have a couple of Metallica songs on my favorite list but I haven’t listened to a whole album. Solid rock album all the way around. A great listen.

Lots of classics on this album

Good but not great Very consistent There are 3 or 4 better Metallica albums 7.2/10

my VT heritage demands "enter sandman" by my favorite off of this album, but so many bangers , best version of "whereever i may roam" i've ever heard

Yeah, this rocks. Though I still like S&M more

Metallica get bored of ruling the thrash metal scene and decide to take over the world. This is a cleaned up, shiny version of thrash. It's the metal album that even people who don't like metal know and for better or worse it changed rock music. Best Tracks: Enter Sandman; The Unforgiven; Nothing Else Matters

Surprised I’ve never properly listened before

I was pleasantly surprised that I liked this. Added “Enter Sandman” to my playlist.

Having never listened to a full Metallica album before, I thought it was pretty good. I didn't realize so many of the songs I know by them are from one album. I guess they are more accessible here than on some prior works, but I still thought they felt and sounded like their usual amount of heavy. Having more background catalog knowledge likely would have impacted my listen, I guess. I don't really love thrash, so the emphasis on slowing down appealed to me. I enjoyed the way they went with a few different styles over the course of the songs. There were quieter, acoustic-led moments on some tracks. There were orchestral string accompaniments that added nicely while not becoming too overbearing. Then, of course, there was the heavy metal riffing that makes the songs what they are. Hetfield's vocals can be a bit over the top, but it wasn't too noticeable here. The pieces came together to keep things interesting over its lengthy runtime (65+ minutes). Really, though, the runtime was too much. This didn't have to be 65 minutes long. Too many of the songs followed the same formulas to need them all on the same album. It just got tedious as it kept going. While there were a bunch of good songs on here, there were at least a few that could've been left off without losing much. Also, I kinda hate the artwork. It's Smell the Glove-esque black with a No Step on Snek-ish image slapped on. It just makes me think of all the middle age dudes with faded tribal or AmTrad tattoos, wrap-around sunglasses and leather vest/jean jacket. (I guess that kinda tracks, since I feel like I see plenty of people in that group who love Metallica.) It's probably a 90s thing that didn't age particularly well. Regardless, I thought this was a pretty good album. Aside from the length, I found it to be an enjoyable listen all the way through. I did find it a little less good than AIC's Dirt, which I got yesterday. Still, it's right around a 4 for me. Overall: 3.9/5

I grew up as a metalhead, so the accepted opinion around me was that this was the worst piece of music ever recorded, a crime against heavy metal and western civilization. This was Metallica’s selling out album, also their mainstream breakout. I mean yeah after they spent four albums making their songs more complex and longer this album does focus things. It features some of James’s best singing and they actually let us hear Jason’s playing and even let him write My Friend Of Misery which is possibly the best song in here. This is a great album, it makes Metallica’s sound somewhat simpler but very very effective and makes for some of their greatest songs. Some songs here are fillers though like The Struggle Within, something I can’t say for the previous three albums so giving only four stars.

Pretty good album. Understand why it was a classic Started off with a banger and held strong until about halfway through the album, when it kinda fell off in the middle of "Wherever I May Roam". "Of Wolf and Man" and "The Struggle Within" were two standout tracks, but everything after that just didn't do it for me. Almost feel asleep while listening to "Nothing Else Matters", don't know why that song even fits in with the album. Docking a star for the formulaic nature of the songs on this album, as well as the length of some songs. Overall, production was peak, and some songs really moved me. James Hetfield vocals were excellent, and Metallica is cohesive and talented as a band. However, this album may just be overhyped in terms of quality.

90s metal. Move away from trash metal to slower, heavier sound. Their bestselling album, contains tons of hits. Obviously very good.

4.8 too long

Some great tracks! Political things?

Had a few banger I’m familiar with like Nothing Else Matters and Enter Sandman. But everything else on this album is also amazing. The Unforgiven and Wherever I May Roam were both highlights for me. Excited to listen to more Metallica

Pretty bangin'

Great metal album

Ok, hear me out… this album is ridiculous, but it is also sooo nostalgic. If you were a teenage or pre-teen boy growing up in America in the 90s and you didn’t own this record and know it back to front, there was no hope for you 🤣. Metallica was to the 90s what Zeppelin was to the 70s- pure machismo butt rock that was so catchy you couldn’t help but bang your head to it. It had been something like 20 years since I’d listened to this album in its entirety. Probably not gonna go back and revisit it anytime soon, but ai appreciated this opportunity to hear it again and giggle at how much we all LOVED this band back then. Lars is still trash.

Daleko od toga da sam najveći ljubitelj Metallice i generalno thrash metala ali ovi odavde hitovi su vrhunac metala koji se probio u komercijalu. Nema nijedna loša pjesma na albumu, sve mi je barem ok a ništa nije pregenijalno. Nepopularno, meni je Wherever I May Roam najbolja pjesma.

Okay...I'm going to say something a little controversial depending on who you are...I don't love The Black Album. Don't get me wrong, some of Metallica's finest songs are on here. 'Enter Sandman' is probably their best-known song, and a classic 'first song to learn' for budding guitarists. Then you also have 'Sad But True', 'The Unforgiven', 'Nothing Else Matters', 'Wherever I May Roam'...they're all great songs; well-produced and catchy as all hell. But, I can't help but feel like The Black Album is a bit of a let-down after three straight albums of perfection in 'Ride the Lightning', 'Master of Puppets' and '...And Justice For All'. 'The Black Album' is clearly Metallica going for a more commercial sound, no ifs and buts about it, and it worked for them as it's not only their best selling album, but one of the best selling albums of all time (over 30 million sold). And the musicianship is perfect. James Hetfield's voice is ferocious as ever (as well as tender when needed for 'The Unforgiven' and 'Nothing Else Matters'), and he and Kirk Hammett's guitars crunch through the mix like wrecking balls, and they're solidly backed by tight rhythm section of Lars Ulrich and Jason Newsted. But is this album too perfect? The beauty of what came before The Black Album, at least to me anyway, is the noted imperfections to Metallica's sound. Kill 'Em All through 'Justice' are all their own distinctive beasts and have something unique and interesting to say, while also marvelling in the their raw, unpolished and chaotic sound. 'The Black Album' strips all that rawness away in favour of polished gloss and studio perfection, which to me dilutes Metallica's style and sound in a big way, and it's more or less been their style ever since, despite the obvious misfires in Load/Reload and St Anger. I don't find myself revisiting The Black Album as much as I do the three records that came before it, because to me, Metallica don't sound as inspired on it. It clearly sounds like an album they did purely for commercial success, and you can't argue with their reasoning. Bob Rock had just come off turning Mötley Crüe into megastars ('Dr Feelgood') so was the right guy to do the same with Metallica, and the success of The Black Album is the very reason Metallica merchandise is everywhere you look in society. But I like to think the greatest thing about 'The Black Album's' success is it made more people aware of the groundbreaking brilliance of Metallica's 80's output. Best songs: Enter Sandman, Sad But True, Wherever I May Roam, The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters

j'ai grave kiffé, franchement banger

quite fire prolly give it a 4

I knew some of them already unexpected. Bot a metal gal to it was a bit grating to listen to. Too much build for all the songs with too little singing. I'm not crazy on instrumental.

Não é um estilo que eu amo, mas deu pra entender quem gosta. É um ótimo album.

Es un disco que me apasiona y me satura a rachas. Debo reconocer la calidad de las canciones, pero soporto regular la voz del cantante. En cuanto a la producción, es realmente impresionante su sonido.

The first song on this album is Severance to me 😊. I can't tell how many songs I recognized from vaguely hearing them before and how many were familliar from my very late at night preliminary listen. Iconic but kinda drags.

Phenomenal album. Some very high highs on here, those being Enter Sandman, Holier than Thou, and my personal favorite Nothing Else Matters. That song gets a 10/10 from me, love the melancholic sound, then slowly building into a sort of righteousness and then in comes this epic ballad of a guitar solo later in 🤘. The one thing I really liked about this compared to other Metal of the same genre and age is that Metallica knows how to push n pull, which makes those forceful driving guitar sections drive so much harder than if they were going at it for the duration of the album. Compared to someone like Judas Priest, where it felt like there was only one speed, a 40 lb boulder taped to the gas pedal sort of speed. Juxtaposition and range adds a LOT to an album, and this album had both, although, I was still wanting just a bit more range by the end of things. I think what's holding me back from giving this 5 stars is that lack of diversity, as some of the songs did seem to follow a similar formula. But I could potentially see this album growing into a 5 with more listens. There's something about the album art and song names that I also really liked. It all had an ominous vibe to it which added to the overall packaging of the album. 8.5/10

I've heard almost all these songs before, but somehow I missed out on hearing the album as one thing. It's so good, so well crafted and diverse for the genre. Easy listening today. It's written intelligently, performed well, and despite the long songs it doesn't struggle to maintain my attention. The tones are so good. The guitars have such a dynamic range and it works so seamlessly. Everything has the space to shine in the mix as well - very well produced. There are only a couple songs that aren't total bangers, and even those are still darn good and sound as good as anything else on here. I'd never heard Through the Never before and it surprised me, I love the melody in that song. 4.4/5

Chill af album already listened alot

I'm an old metal head & love Metallica. But because of commercial overplayed I haven't listen to this album in it's entirety in 20 years. I kept my "no skip" word & listened to it. & I'm glad I did. It's a great album. It still stands on its own. I was reminded that there are some hidden gems in here you don't hear anywhere like the god that failed, my friend of misery, Of wolf and man, Through the never. Plus Kirk Hammett kicks ass all over this record!!

When this came out it was a shock to those of us that were already Metallica fans, the long, intricate arrangements were gone - which sucked, but the album sounded so good. Ultimately, I think everyone came around to the greatness of this record - much credit to Bob Rock for the production.

Metallica

they hate when i talk about how metallica is my fav band... its literally called being a victim and i suffer from it

Favorite songs: Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters

Enjoyable but not mind-blowing. I like rock ballads and the soothing touches of this album. The themes and lyrics are interesting. Overall good stuff.

My least favourite of Metallica’s first 5 albums because of the popyness. I don’t like how it’s slower tempo and I don’t like the vocals as much. Nevertheless great to have something heavier as that isn’t that common with the list. I quite like the opening to Sad But True

Before listening: I think the only Metallica song I've heard before was in Stranger Things season 4. The one Eddie liked. 1. "Enter Sandman" - I've heard the title countless times before, but didn't think I'd know it? Maybe it was in a commercial or something cause it is familiar. I like it pretty well tho. When the vocals first came in it wasn't my favorite but it grew on me over the course of the song. I really like the production and the lyrics are fun. 2. "Sad but True" - Eh, this one isn't hitting for me. Just kinda boring. Sorries 3. "Holier Than Thou" - This ones fun, but not top tier for me. I like the guitars a lot 4. "The Unforgiven" - Really pretty intro, wtf? I wish the whole song was sung like the chorus. Interesting song, I think I like it. 5. "Wherever I May Roam" - This one is fun 6. "Don't Tread on Me" - I'm gonna be honest, this is cringe. Slay if it's your vibe and you can have fun with it, I guess. It just feels like what ICE blares as they assault yet another U.S. citizen and pepper spray babies, in a ironic kind of way i guess. It's just cringe. 7. 'Through The Never" - Oh, I like the intro. It's fun. This one is cool overall. 8. "Nothing Else Matters" - Oh, I really like this one! 9. "Of Wolf and Man" - This is really silly, but I think It's meant to be lol. It's kinda fun. I really like the instrumentation 10. "The God That Failed" - Fuck, dude. The story behind this is awful. Luckily my parents were never into that kinda of craziness, but wow. 11. "My Friend of Misery" Really pretty intro. This one is fine overall. 12. "The Struggle Within" - I don't care for the rhythm of this one :/ If the production was gone about in a different way I'd probably like it more. Even tho I didn't hate it, I'm kinda glad the album is over. I don't think I'm gonna come back to this too often, the vocals really aren't my vibe for the most part. I think I'm gonna give this a 4 instead of a 3 cause I get why it's on the list. I like the overall production, instrumentals, and lyrics. Change the vocals and remove track 6, I think I'd love this. My favorite is probably Enter Sandman, basic I know. 3.75/5

Listened to a bit of this at a friends house, really liked it, was very good

I’m sure at the time of release it really did seem like the band had sold out, but with hindsight you can see how important this album is. Metallica may have made this album more accessible to even non-metal fans, but I don’t think they sacrificed anything in the process. An interesting array of songs and styles with a couple tracks I don’t really care for, otherwise a very enjoyable and cohesive album.

An album I’ve listened to many times already as my husband loves Metallica. It’s not my favourite genre or one I listen to much but I can appreciate it’s a great album and enjoyed it as it brings back good memories.

Enter Sandman - 5/5 Sad But True - 5/5 Holier Than Thou - 3.5/5 The Unforgiven - 4/5 Wherever I May Roam - 4/5 Don't Tread on Me - 3/5 Through the Never - 4/5 Nothing Else Matters - 5/5 Of Wolf and Man - 4/5 The God That Failed - 3.5/5 My Friend of Misery - 4/5 The Struggle Within - 3.5/5 Normally I wouldn't think of an album that somehow sounds more mainstream while being a shift towards heavy metal would work out, but this album somehow does. A perfect gateway album into anything metal. Overall - 4/5 Favorites: Enter Sandman, Sad But True, Nothing Else Matters

Definitely an album id listen to on the regular

Very solid album. My favourite new finds were Holier Than Thou and My Friend Of Misery. Enter Sandman is probably my favourite Metallica song.

metallica always fire

Fun, fast, has the hits. Nothing else matters Enter sandman Sad but true

Really nice álbum i didnt spect whose was it like that.

There was part of me that just wanted to listen to the hits & scream 5 STARS at the top of my lungs but then I listened to the whole album. Its a 4 Star album mostly for the last two forgettable tracks. It just sorta peters out & even the last track ends abruptly, somewhat jarringly. That's my criticism, other than that, it's a metal masterpiece. 4

Metallica’s Black Album is one of those records whose reputation is fully earned, even if it isn’t something I reach for all that often. The big singles (Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters, Sad But True) are undeniable. They’re massive, perfectly produced, and still hit hard decades later. Its influence on metal (and mainstream rock as a whole) is unmatched. This album didn’t just expand Metallica’s audience; it reshaped what heavy music could be on a global scale, opening doors for countless bands that followed. The songwriting is tighter, the production is immaculate, and every track sounds huge. That said, as much as I respect it, I don’t find myself wanting to listen to the album front-to-back very often. Beyond the standout tracks, it can feel a bit too polished and mid-tempo for repeat spins, especially compared to Metallica’s earlier, more ferocious work. An essential album by any objective measure, and one I’m glad exists…even if it stops just short of personal classic status for me.

Some absolute classics, and well done... but it was a little exhausting listening to the *entire* album. This music wants you to maintain an energy, or even a level of outrage that is hard to do without some sort of related provocation.

Solid album

Solid metal

Brought them to a wider audience with Bob Rock’s slightly more ‘accessible’ production, with some hit singles in there. In some top audiophiles lists of best sounding albums.

The album that brought Metallica into the mainstream and saw their popularity explode. Massive singles, more commercial production, less-complicated songwriting but still a great 'tallica album 🤘🤘

This is the first time listening to an entire Metallica album. I like this album and some of these songs are classics.

So so good, i completely forgot how much i like rock. I rate it a 9/10

Classic

This was a great album. I enjoyed rocking to it.

Not too bad aged well

Great album!! 4 and 1/2 stars

The definitive entry-level hard rock album. The best songs are incredible, the weak just blends in

YEAH!

Great album, best metal album so far. Everyone knows Enter Sandman, but the other songs are consistently great and highlight their skills as musicians. So close to giving this 5 stars

Hate to be a basic bitch but this is in fact my jam. As a teenager I listened to the first half of this album on repeat over and over until the batteries on my CD player ran out. Only 4 stars instead of 5 because, in my opinion, the second half of this album is skippable.

Great rocking album. Metal made accessible to the masses. Musicianship spot on and lyrics well thought out. Amazing. Still, a 4.4 on my scale.

a little long but an amazing album, i used to not like this kind of music but after the past couple of albums i’ve listened to i think i might be a fan, or at least be in the mood to listen to it, amazing album

its been a minute since i listened to this one!

Tää onkin sit vähän kinkkisempi arvostella. Eihän tää omissa listoissa mitenkään yllä MoPin, Justicen tai lightningin kanssa samalle sivulle, mutta on tässä oma viehätyksensä. Monia radioralleja jotka on kyllä täysin kuluneita jo, mutta eikai yleisestä liikasoitostakaan voi hirveesti pinnoja ottaa pois. Jos tätä levyä ei olis koskaan tehty niin Metallica ei varmaan olis koskaan noussut niin suureen suosioon kuin tänä päivänä (jos genre olisi pysynyt trässissä loppuun asti). Ei tälle kolmostakaan voi antaa ja ei tää vitoseen yllä.

I remember right before this came out VARA's Vuurwerk, the metal show on national radio in the Netherlands, broadcast the entire album. That's how big they already were before this album. They were already headlining in venues that were only slightly smaller than arenas. If you went into town, you were sure to meet some metalheads wearing Metallica T-shirts or patches. Still people say they sold out with this record. They didn't. It was a big risk to mellow out. They had a lot to lose. About the album itself: Contrary to a lot of 90s albums, it's not too long. It doesn't have any filler. But it's not my favorite album of theirs. It's a good gateway album to metal. It's heavier than the usual music you hear on the radio, but not all that heavy compared to modern metal. The singing is aggressive, but not over the top aggressive. To be fair, the singing is the weakest part. The singer has a range of about 3 notes. Favorite song: My Friend of Misery

I really enjoyed this album! I think this was my first time listening to a Metallica album all the way through and it was a great experience. They have a very distinct sound and vibe that automatically makes me go that’s Metallica! I don’t listen to much metal but this was a great album that I will be listening to again!

I liked the album a lot but I have to be in the mood to listen to it and I wasn’t. That being said I appreciate the complexity of the music and how it is different from their earlier work. Such good music. Oh and found out that The Unforgiven by Cage the Elephant is a cover… I like cte cover more

It's a solid listen, smooth sequencing. The only Metallica song I know and listen to often is No Leaf Clover. Never got into the band, but I enjoyed this album and ended up liking many of the tracks. My favorite is probably Sad But True.

Not my favorite, but my first.

Maybe controversial to give 4 (instead of 5), but a great album nonetheless.

I liked this more than Master of Puppets. Still a little same-y at times, but the production is spot on and the songs kick ass. Great introduction to metal to noobies like myself. This record deserves its place on the list.

It’s good… each song is just a little long.

#20 🤘🤘🤘

I've spent the greater part of my adult life chasing bands with pedal steel guitars, fiddler and banjos... sadly depriving myself of heavier music like this. Gotta listen to Metallica more often. Much more often.

One of the albums that heralded me towards my heavier proclivities. Not my favorite thrash metal band, and not my favorite album by Metallica, but there is a reason this is gateway metal music. It’s approachable and still maintains some teeth.

Great album! Though the remaster doesn’t scratch the nostalgia itch really well. Looked around for the original and enjoyed it again.

Melodic Metallica. Lyrics not based on novels or war. This was a pretty big change and the Kill ‘Em All fans didn’t see it coming.

Oh boy. I guess it’s high time, but I don’t anticipate liking much beyond the singles. I also wouldn’t be surprised if I was wrong and like a lot of this, though. — My second guess was correct. This is close-ish to rounding up to a 5, maybe a 4.3 or 4.4, but it does not round up in the end. I was somewhat surprised to discover that even today this kind of music is still considered “heavy” metal. This is like, barely one step heavier than Ghost, I’m sorry. I guess maybe I’m not as unable to enjoy the “heavier” stuff as I thought. Possibly the worst aged carelessly jingoistic song title ever, hah. But it’s also a good song. Overall a solid one and despite the ways in which modern metal has surpassed it in heaviness (if I even know what that term means, I’m not sure anymore!) the music standing alone from its genre tag hasn’t aged badly at all. Will definitely be returning, and not like my last 4-star (3+3 by The Isley Brothers) where I’d mostly put it on during sex or dinner or something. If I put this on during sex or a nice dinner party I’m a doppelgänger and you have to kill me. Thanks.

Metallica had taken as far as they could their sound, so the natural thing to do was to strip that thing down and it revealed that they have some great chops. Wish it was a bit shorter, some songs just go on for days(totally fine in some cases, others less so). The bass shines on this one, who would've thought that giving a bit of low end would work for them?

Classic.

When I saw this on the list I thought it'd be an easy 5 stars, knowing many of the songs before. And the first half sure delivers, with almost every song being a hit song. But then the second half comes. And apart from 'Nothing Else Matters', which might be one of the best metal ballads of all time, there is not much else to be excited about. 'Through The Never' sounds like a worse version of 'Master of Puppets', and the other songs just aren't interesting. Perhaps you've grown a bit too used to the formula at this point? Not sure. With that in mind, I have to say this has dropped to a 4 for me. When half of the album is really good, and the other half not, it's hard to justify it being a stellar album. PS. I just have to get it to writing that Metallica sure knows how to nail a sweet snare drum sound. Must be the juiciest snare sound I've ever heard on this record.

and another metal icon

4.0

This album is the single, clearest marker of the end of metal's 80s heyday and the beginning of its 90s decline. Still, the "Enter Sandman" video was my entry to a lifetime of metal fandom, and the black album tour was my first big concert. Young Me, however, quickly moved to the more extreme subgenres and took every chance to shit on this album and call Metallica sellouts. Now that some time has passed, I appreciate this over-produced, carefully written hard-rock monstrosity for the special entity it is.

Metal is not one of my favorite genres, but can’t deny the musical stylings of the black album. From the banger of enter sandman, to my favorite sad but true (revisiting the multiple muse of addiction for the band). The whole album, even the songs that aren’t well known are well made and are the most accessible metals ever been to me. Classic album worthy of its place in music history

Best: "Enter Sandman" Worst: "The Struggle Within"

I'm fighting against nostalgia for this one. At Virginia Tech (college I went to), the opening song for football games is the opening to Enter Sandman, and everyone in the stands literally jumps continuously during the opening. It's an exciting amount of energy (especially for such a mediocre sportsball team). Overall though, I think this is a 3/5 for me, but nostalgia is imploring me to push it to 4/5 just for the opening song.

This is one of my favorite albums. I would argue that it is THE thrash metal album. Many hits that are so iconic that they're still frequently used today. It's also a pretty complete album in terms of flow between tracks and distinct sound.

This is the soundtrack to my childhood. My 30 or 40 something parents are working out in the basement on Saturday and I’m trolling around lifting one pound weights like I’m Arnold S. Good stuff. Nothing else matters.

Actually enjoyed this one. Enough interesting music and lyrics

Another album I've listened to a bunch when I was younger, not as good as the first four albums in my opinion because I much prefer the thrashiness of those, but it's still really solid and has some great tracks, especially in the first half.

Listened to this lifting weights after a breakup

Metalheads criticize this album because it is too accessible. Fuck that. Punk is the appropriate genre for music is about attitude. This is a hill I'm willing to die on. This is just seriously great hard rock. It is a perfect pick for this genre and this project.

Fascinating. Been meaning to listen for a while but not sure it would’ve hit the same.

Nothing Else Matters ist genial. Ansonsten auch ziemlich gute Songs.

Ah hell yes here we go! Good to finally get to something heavy! Although their best albums were before this one, this is a pretty important piece of the puzzle regarding this band’s history. There’s no denying how fucking awesome this album sounds! Huge props to Bob Rock and his team for recording and mixing some of the greatest tones in heavy music history. The slower tempos really fit this new style and recording. It basically shows you how important Black Sabbath is to heavy music! It’s still a little disconcerting to hear how much they simplified thei riffs and songs but they knew what they were doing because this is the beginning of them becoming one of the greatest and most popular heavy metal bands ever. Although a bit long, because of the age of cds at this point in time, they really do a good job with each and every song on this album. They really learned from the last album how to throw in some good arrangement tricks in their songs and there’s definitely some good ones here to keep things interesting. The only thing preventing this from a perfect score is the fact that their best albums were before this, in a different style, so I hope those albums come up at some point on this journey. Otherwise, yes, this album is essential listening for anyone who considers themselves a music fan. And those who don’t know this band should absolutely check out all of their previous albums!

*Solid rock/metal album with some bangers- Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters, etc.

Good but not their best

Wonderful, good all the way through.

Like Abbey Road for Black Metal enthusiasts

Solid album

Haven't really been a big Metallica fan, but this looks like a good one. Enter Sandman - 10/10. Iconic guitar intro. I'll try to ignore the flashbacks to Mariano Rivera walking in to this intro throughout the 90's. Exactly the hard, uncompromising sound I expect from Metallica. Nice guitar solo in the bridge. Not my taste in music, but it is almost perfect. Sad But True - 8/10. Again, the hard, uncompromising, simple sound of Metallica, but with some interesting rhythmic refinements at places. Holier Than Thou - 6/10. Feels very generic hair metal. Well done, but generic. The Unforgiven - 10/10. A very different feel in the intro, and I like it. This has always been one of the Metallica songs I liked. Great musicianship. No notes. Wherever I May Roam - 6/10. Generic Metallica song about touring. Not bad, but not great, either. Don't Tread on Me - 7/10. I like the West Side Story callout in the intro. Little things like showing that the band is more than just knuckle-dragging hard metal players makes songs better. Through the Never - 6/10. Generic Metallica. Nothing Else Matters - 10/10. Great tune. Somehow Metallica doesn't feel out of place playing a slow, waltz-time Power Ballad. This, more than the thrashing of other songs, showcases how good the musicians are in this band. Of Wolf and Man - 7/10. More variety than the generic thrash metal of the worse tracks on this album. The God that Failed - 8/10. Good. I can hear some deep pain in the lyrics. I don't know what happened, but it elevates the song. My Friend of Misery - 6/10. Generic. The Struggle Within - 6/10. Generic. Overall Rating 3.75/5 (7.50/10). Nothing really bad on this album. Couple of real greats, but it was spotty (probably because thrash/hair metal isn't really my preference).

Great album of aggressive but melodic rock! Apart from the classic songs, all the other tracks were good.

I loved metal back in 2021, now its okay, one of my favorites songs of all time is enter sandman 4/5

Je préfère ça à Master of Puppets… ce qui est surement une hérésie à affirmer dans le monde des métalleux. Mais j’aime beaucoup leur riffs vraiment lours ici, plus que le trash metal super rapide. Juste me suis même surpris à faire un « devil » avec ma main et à headbanger pendant Enter Sandman!

Pretty damn good metal, very accessible music in general. I couldn't say I'd listen to most of this again, as metal isn't really my vibe, but it's still admittedly great.

Classic

top 3: - enter sandman - the unforgiven - nothing else matters

Sandman never gets old. Very polished and even has a bass player. Would I listen to again? Definitely.

I still enjoy it, though not as much as 30+ years ago. 4.5*

Pretty good all round not quite as good as master of puppets, ride the lightning or justice

Good metal album; really have to be doing the right thing to be listening to metal

4- Stars (10/15)

Some great songs coupled with some classic Metallica heavy metal. A bit more melodic than previous albums.

Wow! I really enjoyed that, what I blast! I knew Enter Sandman obs but I didn’t think I would get into the whole album, but I did. I shall be playing this again and maybe even attempting to drum along!

This album felt long, but there’s plenty of crucial Metallica in there.

I have a hard time choosing between this album and Master of Puppets as my favorite Metallica album. Stylistically they're quite different, as the Black album isn't thrash at all, but has a ton of great tracks that are timeless.

4 de 5

9/1001 I played the crap out of this when it came out. Probably would rate it five stars then. Honestly hasn’t gotten a lot of plays in the 2000’s though. Still sounds great.

Interesting cultural influence with some experimental instruments often used throughout, although almost always joined by a familiar chug guitar. Overall a good album from a solid band. Nothing else matters an epic that must be listened to.

Classic tracks, and although more commercial than their earlier thrash days brought metal to a whole new audience so due some kudos for that. Sounds polished, feels a little long towards the end but a good listen to a band I don’t stick on often. Chugs galore.

Disclaimer: this band gave me life and ears when I was a kid, and still makes me shake like a mfer. So this one is personal. Probably the band that influenced me the most, and my taste. With that, I can NOT give it 5 stars, at least ehis album. Yeah, it's probably the most known. Yeah, it has some singles and Enter Sandman. But it lacks bite and irreverence. And comparing it to their earlier works only makes it worse. TLDR: 4 stars, and waiting for Master of Puppets to be sugested.

Really good. A bit long and a few songs didn't hit for me, but there are 3 or 4 amazing songs and another 3 or 4 really good songs. A bit of nostalgia for me too as I definitely listened to this album when I was a kid.

The sell-out album. The metal album for plebeians. I feel as though I can only say this as someone born after this album was released but I think expecting any kind of band to only release the same kind of music for their entire duration as a band is... a little grim. While I can sympathise with disappointed fans with the direction of Metallica (especially with the releases after this album!), I think there's a definitely place for digestible heavy metal albums like this - especially in the 90s. And I think Metallica achieved that incredibly well with this album. Honestly, I think Metallica will be one of those bands that people will listen to for years to come... both for this album and their previous thrash metal work. As for my own enjoyment of this album, I initially rated this a 4/5 but I really not sure I get the same enjoyment of it in 2025. It's a little bit too slow, maybe? or predictable? or, dare I say, pop-centric? Thinking about it a little more, I think it's because this is more like a hard rock album masquerading as a heavy metal album. Hard rock is the kind of sound that Metallica would focus on in their next two albums, and which haters would probably argue is exactly the kind of radio-friendly sound that sell-outs would go for. I think Enter Sandman is undeniably a good song, albeit cursed by the radio and dads forever. My favourites from this release are: The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam, and Nothing Else Matters. I think I'm going to downgrade this to a 3.5 but it remains an album, similar to Nirvana's Nevermind that I'm not going to judge someone for enjoying.

Альбом четко выверенный и сделанный по всем правилам, звучит хорошо! Не моя любимая музыка, но сделано все в целом круто и добротно

Acabo de escuchar el black album. Para alguien quien no está acostumbrado al Metal, es un disco amigable. Muchos clasicos, temas heavy pero no taaaan heavy. Riffs que son faciles de escuchar, sin solos virtuosos tipicos del metal que te ponen a dormir, la bateria siempre basica y simple de Lars. Buena musica en general. 4 por los mega clasicos

Excellent level of production. This is a very well-polished metal album, which is great because… it doesn’t always sound like metal. There’s melodies and ballads, and those are the highlights that made this an all-time classic.

This might be the finest heavy metal album out there. This self-titled album is longer than I traditionally like, but Metallica kept the bangers coming, one after another, so much that I didn't notice the length. I also usually enjoy albums with more of a variety; Metallica is very good at what they do, but their hits especially sound similar, but again I didn't mind it. The guitar and drums went so hard, and the arrangement was well done.

This is SUCH a great metal album. This album is chock full of Metallica bangers, so many of them with delicious guitar riffs that many know and love. This is a lot less thrashy then a lot of their work, and just leans into a heavier sound in general. Suffice to say that this strategy works well for them here, because this may very well be Metallica's magnum opus, and no doubt one of the magnum opuses of the entire metal genre.

Better than ...And Justice For All by a long way.

Undeniable classic with so many bangers! It starts so strong and then falls a way a bit I feel and loses my interest slightly but on the whole, great album. Favourite track: Sad but true

So many great songs

Lacks the ornate musicianship of previous but still absolutely slaps, and Nothing Else Matters is a beautiful song

While I think this is a good album with some absolute Metallica classics, I believe that RtL,MoP and AJFA are just better overall.

Good ablum. amazing few smash hits. Can compare to likes of Thriller but half songs are not that memorable and can not say that it was that influential comparing to the previous work of theirs.

This album slaps so fucking hard it makes me wanna go 50 mph in a residential area

frickin awesome

For a self titled album this certainly hits all the marks. Distinctive sound the set up a future of politically/historically charged metal. This is the Metallica people know and love, and it has good reason to be remembered the way it is.

Very great album Has the best Metallica songs on it

9,0

likeee . no se cuando lo escucharia pero me gusta, buen sonido y ritmos

Pretty good. I think Metallica might be my first rock band I am getting into. Some of the songs sounded a little samey, though.

Didn't have much time yesterday, so I listened to it on Tuesday. A fine album in my opinion. "Self-Titled" has some really cool songs. The first two tracks are the best ones. Imagine if the other songs were as good as these two. 4 stars for "Self-Titled".

God, Enter Sandman is still one of my favorite rock ballads of all time. It’s such a fun song and completely turns a left field from your expectations. Rest of the album is great but that one is definitely my personal favorite a highlight.

Metallica are a band I came to later than what most people would call their classic albums so I probably didn't hear this in full until the 2000s although would have been aware of the popular tracks from it. I probably don't need to hear _Enter Sandman_ again! I know that this has many purist fans divided as it was a lean away from their thrash roots into a more popular stadium rock area but tbh, it's those tracks, the Morricone inspired_The Unforgiven_, the eastern sounding_Wherever I May Roam_, and power ballad_Nothing Else Matters_ that are my highlights of this album. There’s no denying that this was a landmark album in the genre and full deserves its place here.

Good, not as epic as my childhood self remembers tho

Good, didn't finish.

Hard rock/metal isn’t really my thing, but this album kicks so much ass.

The point at which Metallica shift from a metal band to a stadium rock band? Some great songs (that have been overplayed to death) and some filler. Metallica lyrics are always pretty stupid but here it seems like they're trying to be deep but failing massively.

2 songs are absolute bangers, and the others fall just behind in quality, then a couple more are "meh". I didn't find the songs as a whole produced a 5/5, but its a solid 4.5/5 - 4/5 for me.

I finally got around to seeing these guys in my twenties while they were touring this album with Suicidal Tendencies and Dokken. Seemed like they’d been touring this forever by then, but it was still damn good!

"Enter Sandman" was the riff we all learned in our highschool "I'm gonna learn guitar phase!" and then became the song blasting out of every dorm room freshman year of college. This was the last hurrah for hair and thrash metal's broad popularity before Nirvana jumped in. It was a fun time. I don't know if I love this album. But I am having some fun listening to the forgotten tracks on here. I think they held up way better than the singles did.

Enter sandman: 5 Sad but true: 4 Holier than thou: 3.5 The unforgiven: 5 Wherever I may roam: 4.5 Don’t tread on me: 4 Through the never: 4 Nothing else matters: 5 Of wolf and man: 4 The god that failed: 4 My friend of misery: 3.5 the end saves it The struggle within: 3.5 same as last

The Black Album is a landmark record for Metallica, and for good reason. About half this album comprises of very well known songs amongst their catalogue; most notably, of course, the first track on the album: Enter Sandman. I won't say this album's perfect, as some songs just kinda didn't feel like they had a notable individual impact compared to others like Unforgiven or Nothing Else Matters. However, I think this album is worth your time to experience why it pushed Metallica into the limelight.

Great listen, falls off a bit towards the end

listened to this hundreds of times, don't need to listen to it again

Plenty to love and hate here. Kind of impossible to think about objectively with all the after-the-fact knowledge of what this album represented & led to. Sad but True is still an absolute monster.

Saved Enter sandman and Through the never. The rest of the album sounds very same-y sadly. But at least it's a good kind of same-y so the album is actually fun to listen through!

Classic. Certainly a bit less thrashy and more radio-friendly than their previous albums but still goes pretty hard. Monster riffs and ripping solos on pretty much every track.

I bought Metallica the day it came out. I still have the cd. I played it a lot and it was an important album to me. Sonically it was a monster. However this record has steadily faded over time. It was supposed to sound more live, but I don’t hear that. Never have. The lyrics are terrible, and Hetfield continues to write self help songs with weird grammar today. Unforgiven stands out as kinda dumb. But, the musicianship here is great. I actually like the two elements that tend to get the most criticism by metal heads, namely the drums and lead guitar. I don’t understand why they get so discussed. Lars’ parts are integral to every song. More than just a groove. Kirk’s solos are so melodic and full of fire. Overall a flawed album but a rocker nonetheless.

The first time I’ve listened to this whole album, I really liked the songs they liked while the other stuff was just good.

I may not like Metallica, but I gotta give props to this album from their long-haired past. It's some solid rock from beginning to end.

Obviously a slapper

Yeah this rocks pretty damn hard

It's a difficult one to rate as nothing else matters, enter sandman and friend of misery are some of the best songs they've ever recorded. Unfortunately though quite some of the other songs really mesh together and don't stand out as much. I can see myself regularly returning to songs from this album, and I enjoyed my time with it, but I don't see myself wanting to listen to the whole album again.

Much maligned “sell out” album. I feel like if this was released by a different band, it would be better perceived. I have to admit that I miss the thrashier sound of their older albums but there are undeniable songs here.

Listen to get pumped

good record, some absolutely bangers on, strong opening and it doesn’t get bad at all, awesome stuff

7.5/10 Highlights: The Unforgiven Wherever I May Roam Enter Sandman Sad But True My Friend of Misery

Æ trodde kanskje ikke æ likte Metallica, men æ tror det e riktigere å si at æ ikke bryr mæ om Metallica? Det va på ingen måte fornærmanes, og det fikk mæ til å lese mæ litt opp på det teite «don’t tread on me»-flagget, men det va alt.

On second listen I did really enjoy this, it still feels really formulaic though.

Yes boy! Big, proper riffs are in. Riffs to rock you. Riffs to shake you! Riffs to pick you up off your feet and slap you round the chops. There's lots of big tunes in here. Enter Sandman. Sad But True. The Unforgiven. Nothing Else Matters - My God! It's such an accomplished album. Even if you took away all the big big hitters, the rest of the songs are, at worst, still good. 4.5 rounded down.

🗯 Sometimes selling out means levelling up. And who cares when it’s a monster like this? After a decade of thrash dominance, Metallica stripped things back, slowed things down, and made an album designed to conquer arenas — and it worked. Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam, Nothing Else Matters — these are songs so woven into the fabric of rock radio that even people who don’t know Metallica know Metallica. That’s an achievement! It’s divisive for diehards: too polished, too mainstream, too much Bob Rock gloss. But in hindsight, it’s the record that made them the biggest metal band on earth. The riffs are still heavy, the grooves punishing, and James Hetfield’s bark had never sounded bigger. Driving with this cranked still feels dangerous in the best way. Love it or loathe it, The Black Album is the moment Metallica bent metal to their will and dragged the genre into the mainstream. For this guy, it meant a little dude behind big drums trying to master these songs, thinking Lars was the consummate drummer. That was then….. 🤣 Verdict: Essential (not just for metal, but for rock as a whole) For fans of: Megadeth, Pantera, Guns N’ Roses, shouting “YEAH!” in a Hetfield growl

I am not particularly into metal because I often find it overwrought, self-important, gibberish. Any day of the week, give me punk. But this was better than most, which is usually somewhere in the middling range. I will listen to this again.

I understand all the true believers' arguments as to why this album was such a sellout/disappointment. I like RTL/MOP era Metallica better too. But damn...it is pretty hard to argue that this album is anything other than a hard rock masterpiece. There are only a few clunkers scattered among a lineup of absolute bangers (including the criminally overlooked The God That Failed). I first bought this on cassette tape and I vividly remember riding the school bus and listening to it on my Sony Walkman, just rocking out inside my head.

This is instantly better than And Justice For All. This music has way more variety, and I’m surprised to say I liked it.

78/100 my introduction to metallica, very good, still ill asf and cant write a proper review to save my life

Interesting but now really my music. Also nothing to listen to late night on a train

Metal fans say this isn’t Metallica’s best album, I know. But it’s the most approachable. I’m no metal fan, but I sure do love “The Unforgiven” and “Nothing Else Matters.” The album probably, erm, lingers longer than it should….

unfortunately this was amazing and if i had been in the gym while this was on i would have pushed 3 plates easily

Pretty good album. It was pretty popular when it came out. Hadn't heard some of these in ages.

"Enter Sandman" is a great opener, and the rest is good but doesn't quite rise to that level (although I also quite enjoyed "Nothing Else Matters" as a bit of a change of pace.

These songs don’t thrash so much as strut and lumber along, which understandably threw off some of their early fans. But this is the album that made Metallica what they are today, with a number of their most recognizable songs, than even people who don’t listen to metal would recognize.

I thought this was pretty good. Maybe I'm a poser

This is where Metallica started to really go to shit, but commercially really started to land. It's cliche to say it, but this is the sell out album. It made them gajillions, spawned a ton of radio hits, but it feels so much less intense and raw than all the previous albums. I know Bob Rock had a lot to do with it, but they ultimately wrote the songs and they kept writing these songs, so it's not some producer's curse or whatever. I still like "Enter Sandman" and "Don't Tread on Me", but I've been soured on the other singles. "Unforgiven" is just "One" but less interesting. "Sad But True" and "Wherever I may Roam" are too complicated for the supremely (relative to his peers) untalented Lars to keep up with, and they can't even get him to play in time in the studio. The more I listen to the drums on the songs that aren't just four/four headbangers the more I notice that he's slightly off beat nearly everywhere. It's infuriatingly inconsistent because everyone else is really crisp. Maybe it is that oversaturation that gives me a bad opinion of the more famous songs. The non singles still go pretty hard. "Through The Never" sounds much more like the old Metallica, and I didn't remember it at all. "The God That Failed" is similar. I dont' hate this album, I just don't think it holds up to expectations. Teenage me was way more in to this when I first listened to it 7 or 8 years after it came out. It was a bit ahead of it's time when I think about it. When "Load" came out I could say that the "old" Metallica was better, and they were. I'm going to give it a four because I've given much worse albums a 3 but it's really a 3.5.

This Album is great for 3/4s of it but then he last few songs just seem like filler. Lots of great powerful songs on his , though

I don't like metal but they rock pretty hard

Some good

Great album, one that reminds me of my youth. Redefined Metallica and got me in a metallica mood, I listened to them all afternoon after this record.

Metallica is formative in my music taste development. I was 13 when their first EP came out, so... Listened to everything they've done and seen them a few times in concert over the years too. The Black Album is epic for so many reasons - sonically, production, thematically, etc. - BUT, it is not, IMHO, their best or most coherent work.

personally not /as/ big of a fan as court of the crimson king, but i definitely like this more than king crimson's stuff that straight up just sounds like a medieval soundtrack. breezy listen, a lot of fun.

With the two big singles from this album being the main highlights in Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matters, generally this is a high energy album and a good entry point for those listening to Metallica for the first time. Just a shame about Lars really...

Sellouts? Yes, but decent enough sellouts (at least for this album, it was really their last good one) 80/100

savrsena glazba za ciscenje ali i jako dobro in general, sadrzi neke apsolutne klasike👍

Not a massive fan of Metallica but a good album none the less

Well well... good ol Metallica again. I grew up in the 80s worshipping this band. The Cliff Burton years were incredible and they became the kings of underground metal. By 1991 I was in college and my love of all things thrash metal had faded a bit and I was more into punk, indie, and what we would later call grunge. But I still had a ton of respect for Metallica and marched right to the Northridge Mall like a good little metal soldier and bought this cassette when it came out. I didn't get into CDs for another couple years. I dropped the tape into my Walkman and spent the next hour puzzled about what the hell had happened to this once cutting edge thrash band. "SELL OUTS!" I cried and damn near tossed that tape in the nearest waste receptacle. Many years and many musical phases later I revisited many of my old metal favorites and fell back in love with the genre again. But was I ready to revisit this stinking heap of sellout butt rock? Maybe? Maturity has a way of changing one's hindsight and that is definitely the case with the "Black Album" as it is colloquially known. I have come around to this album in a way I never thought I could. Sure I would have loved a Master of Puppets pt. II or a better produced redux of AJFA. But man, if I just stop worrying about what Metallica was NOT anymore, I can appreciate what this album truly is. A solid commercial metal album from the godfathers of thrash. For all the name calling and finger pointing, all their peers wish it was them that came up with this commercial gem of a record. Maybe not Slayer, but certainly Anthrax, Exodus, Testament, and especially Megadeth wish it was them whether they'll admit it or not. As far as I am concerned this is the last great Metallica record. And it's popularity helped carry the genre for many years through the grunge and indie 90s. 4/5 #148

Quite heavy again but enter sandman is just a banger. Couldn’t really top it with the rest of the album unfortunately. Specific rating- 4.0 Fav song - enter sandman Least fav- the unforgiven

A great listen. Powerful and complex while still being accessible. The riffs hit hard, the production is massive, and the balance between heaviness and melody makes it easy to see why this album became such a landmark in metal and beyond.

The swan song of Metallica, before they became an average garage rock band... And yet a great album in my opinion : it’s the perfect balance between metal and mainstream hard rock. People used to give them shit for "selling out", but let’s be real... Without this album, Metallica would only be remembered by a handful of nostalgic metalheads endlessly talking about the same 3 great thrash albums. Metallica allowed metal to enter popular culture, and I’m pretty sure this album was a gateway drug into metal for millions of teenagers – that can’t be a bad thing ! So yeah, it’s not thrash anymore, the production is a bit too clean, it somewhat lacks agressivity... but it’s still a very good album with at least three powerful hits and half a dozen very good songs. The "slow but heavy" riffs tend to become a bit repetitive towards the end, but I still enjoy this album.

The singles were enjoyable. The whole album sounded the same.

A turning point of an album if there ever was one. After churning out three genre-defining records of indisputable quality in four years, Metallica pivoted hard from thrash into a more "refined" form that cast their thrash tendencies aside in favor of more radio-accessible metal. The result marks an inflection point in their career, where the likes of Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters, and The Unforgiven propelled them into superstardom with massive reach (and proceeds). While its hard to listen to this album and not feel a certain sense of "selling out" in the change in tone, it is undeniably an important work and its own stands quite well on its own merits. This isn't one that I've spent much time with since I was a kid, but it was the first Metallica album I was exposed to (like probably not a few others). As I listen to this, it is becoming apparent to me that so much of this album is carried by the strength of Kirk Hammett's guitar. Songs that could easily have fallen into corny territory with their lyrics are rescued by his prowess on the fret. E.g., The Unforgiven and Wherever I May Roam. Enter Sandman is an all time metal anthem guaranteed to be on every stadium's playlist. Love this song, though I have always felt like the mixing is overly compressed -- the drums sound like such shit. Sad But True is built around an exceptionally muscly riff. Solid song. NGL I love Holier Than Thou -- especially the little section of isolated bass. Through the Never is another driven jam that feels a bit closer in heritage to the earlier Metallica than the rest. Another of my favorites is Of Wolf and Man. For whatever reason, I always forget that My Friend Misery is on here. Not among my favorites though I do enjoy the bassline. I'll say that this is a second-tier release from Metallica, but still an undeniably strong record in its own right. For me its a solid to high 4 / 5 that I can pull out and listen to pretty much any time and teleport back to simpler times.

Classic Metallica rippin' it up. This one had some of the definitive songs that are eaten up with Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, and Nothing Else Matters. Some songs I lost focus on a bit but damn if this isn't great. High af 4.

It might be their most mainstream album, but whatever. This album rocks. Enter Sandman might be the best intro song to an album. This is the Metallica I knew

One of the best opening duo of songs ever. Not every song hits, but the ones that do hit really hard.

Hard to deny the influence and reach this album had. Metallica was more relevant in the 90s than the 80s because of this album. We had 15 years of butt rock because of this album. All jokes aside, it's a very successful record for a reason. It was made in a lab to bring hard rock to the forefront of the musical conversation and it did that. The lyrical themes and content were very tuned in with a lot of American men. Songs like Don't Tread On Me resonated so strongly with young men in the 90s that we had armed militia groups storm our own nations capital building. Can I directly blame Metallica for Jan. 6th? No, but I can try. It's basically Five Finger Death Punches fault, but Metallica gave them the idea.

Jam.. And takes me back.

Good. Nearly very good. I've heard their first 3 albums. Each is a 5 star classic in my eyes. I feel they traded some fury for something more palatable for this one. It still rocks and I can't deny the quality of most of the songs, but I miss the furious speed of previous albums.

Black album. Just great heavy metal. So many famous tracks that I really enjoy. Starting with Enter Sandman, which I don't think I've liked as much as I should before. Then great song after great song. I think the vocals match the music good, but could be better.

I was twelve years old when Dy-Na-Mi-Tee was released and it was such a massive hit, it gives me so much nostalgia-as does It Takes More and Put Him Out. These are three songs that really dominated my playlists of that year, I remember the video for the second song always being on MTV Base in the morning when I got ready for school. There are a few filler tracks in my opinion but they all have a good beat to them. My notable mentions added to the two songs mentioned was Kandy Krush which really got me moving about and Too Experienced which featured Barrington Levy which was fun. This album had a lot of reggae influence which made it really easy to listen to. The last song that had the secret bonus track at the end, was a real treat. The rapper in this track is her brother Akala who is also a writer and activist, his song Shakespeare is worth a listen if you liked this track. I’m glad I got to listen to this album and revisit some songs as an adult

Последний более менее хороший альбом Металлики. Как по мне.

Yea

В целом альбом хорош. Есть две выделяющиеся песни, сами знаете какие. Но стиль не по мне.

Metallica fan and this is the 5th best album in their catalogue in my opinion. I don’t listen to it much. It was the album that launched them into mainstream. However, even the worst Metallica album is better than 10% of the albums that made this list.

Pretty good, hadn’t listened to much Metallica before. 4 stars for Enter Sandman alone. The rest were good but not super remarkable imo. Best song: Enter Sandman Notable(s): The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam

I hated Metallica until hearing this album. This took me by the hand a softly popped me into the chaos. Kirk is excellent on guitar throughout, James vocals are fantastic it is littered with great songs unforgiven, Through the never, enter sandman all amazing so is sad but true and where ever i may roam even the ballad Nothing else matters is a great song. Good stuff thatstood the test of time a gateway into the heavier stuff and pionners of the rock mainstream cross over.

The last really excellent Metallica album. Definitely more commercial but I don’t think that’s a bad thing. Less thrash metal and more elements of grunge and sludge imo. Enter Sandman and Unforgiven are classics. Nothing else matters is so un-Metallica but just a stunning song. The last 4 songs peter out but still very few skips on here

Solid throughout. Best track - The Unforgiven

Good album with two great songs.

Really liked the guitars in this one

85% Best: Enter Sandman; Sad But True; The Unforgiven; Nothing Else Matters; My Friend Of Misery Must-Hear? Sure

What a great album, featuring not one, not two, but three! highly influential masterpieces (Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters). It brilliantly showcases that metal music doesn't need to be repetitive or always sound the same - every song just brings it on in a different, engaging way. Bangers left and right, although it does lull ever so slightly towards the end. Unknown (to me) standout: Sad But True. Made me feel quite powerful. Thoroughly enjoyable listen.

Oddly enough this album opens with the classic Enter Sandman with a riff that is almost grunge (it was 1991, after all), but quickly settles down into familiar heavy metal territory with a heavy, doom laden song about being scared of nightmares. Apart from that, The Unforgiven plays with a spaghetti western vibe and Don’t Tread on Me gleefully nicks a riff from the song America from West Side Story. Metal-tastic!

METALLICA!!!(Yelled out in an Otto the Bus Driver Impression). This album rocks so hard! While not my favorite Metallica album, this album still has some killer tracks that still get radio play to this day. Songs like Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matters are staples of classic rock radio, and for good reason. Kirk Hammet’s guitar riffs are incredible on songs like My Friend of Misery and The God That Failed, his presence really brings the heaviness of the album to new heights. Lars Ulrich and Jason Newsted make up a strong rhythm section, and James Hetfield’s vocals are some of the most recognizable in rock history. I’d recommend checking out Master of Puppets or Ride the Lightning first on your Metallica journey, but this album certainly has lasted the test of time. Rock on!

Really Really good album, but a bit too long. Should have ended with Nothing Else Matters.

I first heard this album at my cousin's place when I was 13 or 14 in the 90s. Back in the day, this album got a lot of hate as it seemed to represent Metallica softening up for a wider audience. While it certainly started off a trajectory that ended up in a terrible run of albums in the 90s before they got back to some semblance of form, I'm not sure that the criticism of this album holds up over time. Looking back, it seems to fall more on the side of the previous albums, with the dividing line between sell-out 90s bad Metallica coming right after this and before Load. The Unforgiven and Enter Sandman are classic tracks. Wherever I may Roam is classic Metallica thrash, and for me, the best on the album. Sad but True is just OK for me, but Nothing Else Matter is a decent track. Many of the rest are mostly forgettable, but that was always true of Metallica albums--there is nearly always filler. Nothing here still hits the high points of the previous four albums, but it's still a pretty complete piece. Even the softer ones are good songs, even if pure thrash fans hate on them sometimes. 4/5

Classic. “Selling out” never sounded so good.

Yes

Ich bin definitiv kein Metallica Fan, von daher war ich bereit, dies Album scheiße zu finden, aber hat mich überraschenderweise richtig überzeugt. Dabei stechen natürlich die Singles raus. "Enter Sandman", "Sad but true", "The Unforgiven", "Nothing Else Matters" sind geile Banger. Aber bitte lass mich mich in Frieden mit Quietsche-Quietsche Gitarrensoli

As it goes on you kind of know what to expect, but it's still a cool album and Metallica has aura First half wins though

8/10 - a great introduction to metal and a lineup of songs that are great in their own right. Incredible guitar playing, however lars is a poopy drummer, hence a 4*

Going into this album I already knew that enter sandman and nothing else matters were timeless tunes, so I was very interested to hear what else this album had in store. The songs on here that are good are timeless classics. but there are a few duds. Metallica have a sound that I do not particularly enjoy. The God that failed is a good song

I’d forgotten how many hits were on this album, which at the time of release was all I had heard on the radio because Metallica wasn’t my jam in high school. Interesting listening to the other tracks with fresh ears. This album rips.

This marks the era of the "Metallica guy"

Better than I was expecting

I've heard it a million times already. It's probably a 4/5 album or even a 5, but I'm so tired of it so today I feel a 3, but I know it's a legendary album that deserve 5

I didn't know it was possible for there to be a good Metallica album. Mixed well, actually enjoyable. Lars is still the most boring drummer on the planet, but maybe less is more.

Have historically listened to loads of their stuff, knew the singles/hits but enjoyed listening to it all. A classic for a reason.

haven't heard this since high school, used to play the hell out of it though. let's see how it aged Enter Sandman - 5/5 Sad But True - 4/5 Holier Than Thou - 3/5 The Unforgiven - 4/5 Wherever I May Roam - 4/5 Don't Tread on Me - 5/5 Through the Never - 5/5 Nothing Else Matters - 5/5 Of Wolf and Man - 3/5 The God That Failed - 4/5 My Friend of Misery - 3/5 The Struggle Within - 5/5 Average score: 4.1/5 songs are about as good as i remember, aside from a few mid songs. teenage me would've given this a 5 for sure, but this is a solid 4 in my books today 👍

As much as I do enjoy this album, it does mark the beginning of the end for Metallica to me. It's still jam packed with amazing riffs and all around solid metal tracks, but the departure from the iconic thrash sound that they became so associated with in the 80s is what ultimately became their downfall to making decades worth of mediocre and sometimes even downright awful music. But hey, at least this is still a great album on its own, even if it was their last great album.

Take the band names and about 5 of the songs that have been played 4.8 billion times out, and it’s a solid hard rock album. Rack the name on, it’s divisive as hell. ‘Holier than Thou’ though is an underrated banger

the first two songs made me feel a bit meh as you hear them so many times. but then Holier than thou and the unforgiven kick in and you remember how good they can be

I mean yeah it’s great but we knew this

Random Thoughts: * I remember either owning this album on cassette tape or borrowing it from someone for an extended period of time in 1991-1992. I was 14/15 years old at the time. * I really liked this album when it came out and re-listening to this album brought back a ton of nostalgia. * Of course, "Enter Sandman" is a classic and still rocks out today but several of my other favorite tracks were fun to revisit: "Sad But True", "Wherever I May Roam", and "Nothing Else Matters". * I'm interested to see how my metalhead friend rates this one. * I don't want to really get into the whole Metallica sold out thing. * This album is still a fun listen and has some great songs. You should definitely listen without prejudice. My guess is that you will also find this album fun and rocking!

As classic rock as it gets... the heaviest music I can stand, even feel like headbanging

Love this album. All the big tracks are still great. Standout track: My Friend of Misery. Weak tracks: Holier Than Thou, Through the Never, Of Wolf and Man, The Struggle Within. These 4 really drag the album down.

Makes me wanna punch my neighbour’s baby through my bedroom wall

I mean. It was certainly Metallica by Metallica. I can see where GGST got its inspiration! But its not super my thibg.

The hits are still hits. Some of the lesser known songs (to me). Are meh.

Pretty good. Could probably lose 2 songs and be even better

Man, what a hot mess of an album, in both good ways and bad. This album marked the band moving away from thrash metal, and towards a notably more marketable, streamlined, and simplified metal sound. While die hard metalheads will likely never forgive this transition, history will likely view this evolution as a good thing - all one has to do is to look at how much of a juggernaut Metallica continues to be in the realm of public consciousness all these years later. That likely never would have happened if they had continued to stick with their 80s thrash sound... just look at Megadeth (no disrespect!) On the one hand, this album produced arguably the most iconic and popular heavy metal song ever made ("Enter Sandman"). On the other hand, "Sad But True" is without a doubt the cheesiest and laziest song on the album (that they ever wrote??) and is a rather unpleasant monument to the band's decision to shift away from their heavy/thrash roots.

\THIS IS TRUE MUSIC/ so there's finally something almost proper for my 202nd album. im not sure wether i should listening to this before taking a nap. enter sandman will probably give me a nightmare. it's a 4.

Clearly not my favorite one from the band … but yet. It’s one of the landmark rock albums of the ’90s, which helped bring metal into the mainstream by taking Metallica to an unprecedented level. Saw them twice on that tour: unforgettable live memories with my buddy Jerou in 91, …and 1,6 million Russians awakened to freedom with this album when Metallica played live in Moscou. Wherever I may roam is a personal favorite and Nothing else matters is one of the best song ever written according to Elton John. Not trash anymore, but quite a rough rock gem.

This album is so good. And was so seminal in my music discovery as a kid. But now all I head is "wahhh Napster, waaahhhh". So a 4 instead of a probably deserving 5. But damn this album still slaps.

Enter Sandman is the goat of this album, and really carries the whole gig. The rest of the songs aren’t offensive to listen to, but they don’t stack up - they play all of their cards on this one right from the start.

not what I expected lot of variation interesting, even though I wouldn't call it my genre

Dope

- i think i thought metallica was more metal than rock. a wonderful discovery for me personally. they are critically acclaimed for a reason! - such a solid album. love that it’s referred to as ‘the black album’. funny to contrast metallica with the beatles. - would love to see them live. that would be pretty crazy

Listened mostly in the truck and then the last two tracks on the phone via YouTube Music. Half of the tracks are classics and ubiquitous with being alive in America. The other half are still very solid jams. Enjoyed the lesser known tracks Of Wolf and Man, The God That Failed, My Friend Of Misery, and The Struggle Within that closed out the album. Don’t step on snek.

awesome sauce

Cranked it. Windows down. Excellent. Hell yes!

Metallica doing Metallica things. Which are: taking a genre of music im not a usual fan of and injecting enough tune, musicality, light and shade and production quality to make it enjoyable.

I was somewhat divorced from heavy music in the 1980s so I missed all the thrash bands and this was probably the first Metallica album I ever heard. Even then, with the exception of "Enter Sandman" and "Nothing Else Matters", I didn't properly listen to this until the turn of the century. It is good. The production is excellent and it is commercial without sacrificing power. There are a lot of excellent songs on here with only a slight dip in quality around the middle. I'm never going to be a Metallica fan, and when I listen to them it will probably be Master of Puppets, but this stands up.

Perfect for Monday mornings

89/100. Metallica's self-titled album, often called the "Black Album," is one of their most iconic records. While some might debate whether it's their best work, there's no denying that it features some of their most memorable tracks. For me, listening to this album brings back a lot of nostalgia. Songs like "Nothing Else Matters," "The Unforgiven," and "Enter Sandman" were staples of my younger days, and they still resonate today. The album delivers a strong heavy metal sound and maintains a consistent energy throughout. Its mix of powerful riffs, catchy melodies, and introspective lyrics has made it a classic in the genre.

Obviously I have already given Metallica the coveted "canon" title for metal. They are either the go to metal band or sit at the head table with a couple of others, and have earned that place in music history. I personally am not a big fan of either metal nor Metallica (it is to do with their specific underlying beat and groove (non-technically speaking).) Their "riff" if you will. So it is hard for me to be objective with bands like this. Yet I am both impressed with this bands dedication to their fans and the musical craft itself, so I will not put my own bias out there and go with what may reflect a more universal truth to Metallica's level of musicianship.

não sei se é pra mim

Still don't have a clue what the video for "The Unforgiven" was about.

A great album, possibly their best for being the most rounded of their better known albums. Kicking off with Enter Sandman, it’s undeniably good and elevates thrash metal to a higher form than it usually reaches, emblematic of the rest of this album. The ‘cleanness’ of much of this and great use of pauses/silence creates more of an edginess compared to some albums in the genre (including their own work). Beyond that, further highlights included Sad But True, Wherever I May Roam and The Unforgiven. All in all great.

Au seuil des années 1990, Metallica n'était déjà plus une promesse mais une certitude sismique de la scène metal. Forts d'une ascension fulgurante depuis leur formation en 1981, les Californiens s'étaient imposés comme les architectes incontestés du thrash metal, un genre qu'ils avaient largement contribué à définir et à populariser avec des albums comme "Master of Puppets" (1986) et le techniquement complexe "...And Justice for All" (1988). C'est dans ce contexte qu'émerge an 1991, leur cinquième album studio, sobrement intitulé Metallica. Rapidement et universellement surnommé "The Black Album" en raison de sa pochette d'un noir quasi intégral, ornée seulement du logo du groupe et d'un serpent discrètement embossés, cet opus allait marquer une rupture radicale avec leur passé et s'imposer comme un véritable phénomène culturel. Le "Black Album" marque une inflexion stylistique majeure dans la discographie de Metallica. Le thrash metal rapide, aux structures labyrinthiques et aux riffs frénétiques qui caractérisaient leurs quatre premiers opus, cède la place à un son résolument plus lent, d'une lourdeur tellurique, et axé sur le groove. Les compositions gagnent en concision et en immédiateté, abandonnant les longs développements instrumentaux au profit de structures couplet-refrain plus traditionnelles, mais non moins efficaces. Parallèlement à la révolution sonore, le "Black Album" témoigne d'une évolution significative dans l'écriture de James Hetfield. Les thématiques sociales, politiques ou inspirées par la littérature et la mythologie, qui dominaient les albums précédents, laissent place à une exploration plus personnelle, introspective, centrée sur des émotions et des expériences universelles. Ce virage vers l'intime a paradoxalement conféré aux textes une portée plus universelle, permettant à un public plus large de s'identifier aux questionnements et aux sentiments exprimés. Le paysage sonore du "Black Album" quant à lui, est dominé par une clarté et une puissance sonore inédites pour le groupe, où chaque instrument trouve sa place avec précision. Cette production léchée, fut un facteur indéniable de l'accessibilité et du succès phénoménal de l'album. La place du "Black Album" dans le paysage musical des années 1990 est particulièrement intéressante. Sa sortie coïncide avec l'explosion du mouvement grunge, venu de Seattle, qui balayait alors une grande partie du hard rock et du metal des années 1980, jugés excessifs ou superficiels. Pourtant, Metallica, avec cet album, n'a pas seulement survécu à la vague grunge ; il a prospéré, coexistant avec des groupes comme Nirvana ou Pearl Jam. Alors que le grunge était souvent perçu comme une réaction anti-metal des années 80, le "Black Album", tout en restant fondamentalement metal, partageait avec ce mouvement une certaine forme de "retour à l'essentiel" et une introspection lyrique marquée. Au final, l'album éponyme de Metallica, par sa production révolutionnaire pour l'époque, son orientation musicale audacieuse et ses thèmes à portée plus universelle, n'a pas seulement propulsé le quatuor au rang de superstars planétaires. Il a profondément redéfini les contours du heavy metal pour le grand public, l'extirpant de sa niche pour l'exposer à une audience mondiale, tout en suscitant, paradoxalement, un débat passionné et durable au sein même de sa fanbase originelle, débat qui continue d'animer les discussions plus de trois décennies après sa sortie. Un 4 sur 5 pour un Monolithe Noir qui a changé la face du Metal.

This album has some all time bangers on it. Worth re listening to.

Great stuff, absolute classic. Could be a little shorter and more condensed.

Tight. Accurate. Controlled. Creative. Occasionally melodic. It can feel a bit robotic/relentless. There are tiny touches that inject a bit of humanity … the odd string bend, a little bit of blues influenced guitar in a solo. I think it’s a little long. It’s not something I’d choose to listen to, but I can appreciate it as an accomplishment.

Fairly classic album, with an all time track one. I guess I remember this album going a little harder sonically than it actually does, but still great.

Not a Metallica fan but can't deny this album has some classics

Metallican ensimmäinen pehmeämpi levy, vaikka rokkaakin jykevästi. Levyltä löytyy ne singlet, jotka kaikki on joskus kuullut. Levyllä on paljon muutakin hyvää, mutta ajoittain kappaleet tuntuvat pitkästyttäviltä. Muutamien kitarariffien varassa viisi minuuttiakin voi tuntua pitkältä. Hyvät puolet lyriikoista lähtien jättävät kuitenkin huonot puolet varjoonsa. 4

En oo ikinä lämmennyt itseään toistavalle trashmolotukselle mutta täytyy myöntää että tällä levyllä on kyllä paljon helmiä ja hyviä riffejä.

I don't think I've listened to this album very intensely often. It's quite a good album, it's got a number of strong songs. Most of them are very well known, but my absolute favourite is the very strong 'Wherever I may roam'. But there are also quite some pretty mediocre songs. Nothing's really bad, it's just not happening in for example 'Holler than them', The struggle within'' and a couple of others. Oh, and, well: it's not really the Metallica from the eighties, is it? But that's their choice, it isn't forbidden to change your style. It's just not as good.

They say if you listen to this album while watching the first FACES OF DEATH on VHS and rolling your eyes back like the Undertaker that your dad finally comes back from the store with cigarettes and milk.

Amazing but kinda boring

Solid album. Wears on you by the end but has some all time classics! Great listen.

Pretty good album. I get why it is so famous. Enter Sandman is the best track but Wherever I may roam is my second favourite. I liked the energy of the album.

adore this record, need to listen to it more and let it stick

Somehow have never listened to this album, it was really good

Pretty pop centric metal album but to create the energy of Metal in an accessible package and not only that creating an album of a consistently high quality through the tracks is impressive. That aside have been a fan of Metallica since being hooked on their S&M album so have bias built in. I can see why this might divide opinion, but they can’t be horrendous to become one of the biggest bands ever and that’s before the fact they are a metal band.

Listening to this is a good reminder that sometimes you need to revisit old assumptions. I have always identified as someone who doesn't like Metallica but now I actually listen to a whole album, I'm unsure where I picked up that opinion. This album rocks! Kicking off with 'Enter the Sandman' which is an absolute banger and a classic of the genre, the album has a good balance of heavy guitar riffs, solos, and also some more melodic motifs and softer tracks like 'Nothing else matters'. I sometimes found the vocals came across as a bit overly stylised, but I think some of that is the American accent which he can't reasonably be criticised for. Highlight of the album was 'The Unforgiven' which contains the variety of the whole album in one track. So yeah... It turns out I'm a Metallica fan and this will be added to my collection.

Probably one of the best opening tracks to an album?!

I remember this being one of the more approachable/gateway albums. I Spotify-liked 6 of 12 songs, which is really solid: Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters, Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam, Don’t Tread On Me, Nothing Else Matters. Basically the front half of the album.

I think it's a tribute to Metallica's earnest commitment to rocking the fuck out that in 1991, when grunge broke and pretty much destroyed the careers of 90% of the hard rock and metal bands that had been playing before then, Metallica released this monster of an album that would go on to be the most successful of their career. It looses my interest a bit in the final third but comes out of the gates swinging.

Black Sabbath and Metallica remain the only metal bands I can fuck with. Recognizing for the fans this was when the band went mainstream/sold out, there are undeniable bangers on here (Enter Sandman, Sad but True, the Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters.) I can easily hear the through line/adjacency to bands like Rage and Queens and even At the Drive In. Kind of hilarious tho that the singer must feel beholden to singing in that growly voice, and only gives it a rest on ballad/sad songs like Nothing Else Matters and The Unforgiven.

Metallica are unstoppable when they get it right but over the course of this album I found my attention waning towards the end. Always have.