Metallica

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.

Metallica

Not really my genre but I get the appeal

So much fun!

Lots of really great tunes on this album that even a non-metalhead can appreciate. Love the guitar work and drumming. Standouts: enter sandman, sad but true, nothing else matters

Production makes songs too samey

This was the first time I'd ever consciously listened to anything by Metallica, and I have to say, it exceeded my expectations. I was sort of ideologically opposed to some of the songs (The God That Failed in particular,) and I found some to be a bit boring (Nothing Else Matters,) but those are just personal opinions and in general, I really enjoyed the album.

Kirk Hammett talks about how they were going for a ZZ Top or AC/DC groove with this one, and they didn’t care if it was metal or hard rock. Nor do I. My favorite from Metallica and my all time favorite groove album.

Another previously familiar album was good fun today! Bit of a rock out. Some excellent tracks on here that deserve their fame

This album always has a soft spot in my heart, even if half the songs sound like Bowser boss music.

Loved it more than expected. The hits were only the beginning., Some okay fast, thrash songs, too.

At face value, The Black Album is Metallica’s clean break from their thrash roots—a sleek, mid-tempo monster built for arenas rather than underground acclaim. With its punchy production (courtesy of Bob Rock) and stadium-sized hooks, it’s no wonder tracks like “Enter Sandman” and “Sad But True” became metal radio staples. But for all its polish, the album often feels front-loaded and creatively restrained—until its final act. And this is my love letter to the last three tracks—“My Friend of Misery,” “The Struggle Within,” and the seething “The God That Failed”—where the album begins to shine with real depth. These songs pull back the curtain on something darker, more introspective. There’s more texture here. More space. Less of the lurching, mid-tempo groove that dominates the album’s first half. These songs feel like the band is allowing itself to explore again, not just simplify. “My Friend of Misery” builds from that haunting bass intro into existential bitterness. “The Struggle Within” is a rare return to internal chaos, driven by speed and snarl. “The God That Failed,” meanwhile, delivers one of James Hetfield’s most personal performances, grappling with loss and betrayal in devastating clarity. These final moments hint at the album that could have been—one less focused on mainstream dominance, and more invested in emotional complexity and sonic exploration. Rather than just streamlining their sound, Metallica seemed, briefly, to be cracking open their core and letting something raw leak through. For a lot of you here, The Black Album starts with a bang. But for me, it’s the final third that saves it—from mediocrity, from predictability, and perhaps even from itself.

more metallica? ok, i'll take it. HEEEERE COME THE LITTLE CYCLOOOOOOOOONESSSSSSSSS!!!!

Commercially it was outstanding. Sonically, it was like yacht rock for the longhairs!! Some good songs, but give me any of their earlier albums over this one!

Металика

I did not use a private spotify session as my algorithm could use some more metal. Mixed with the head-banging metal is some classic metal crossovers, crossovers so ubiquitous they can be made into the theme song for a Disney movie. Lots of love for some of the songs of the album, but some of it goes to hard for me.

A classic Metallica album, the one that changed the band forever.

Another album I played to death as a teen. Does it hold up? Kinda?...ish?... Brilliantly mixed - the album still sounds huge. Some classic riffs, memorable solos, and when it works it really works. I don't think any of the tracks are 'bad'. And yet, if I want to listen to Metallica I'd go for almost any of their other albums over this. Partly because I overplayed it, and partly because it just feels quite teenage. Compare it to MOP or AJFA and you can see the influence of Pantera and southern rock on their playing - and frankly, I prefer their thrashier stuff. A very high 4, but only a 4.

I thoroughly enjoy this metal album, every song is fire. The songs all do sound kind of similar though, a bit one-dimensional in that way.

Mariano Rivera's entrance music....I don't love Metallica, but this song kicks ass. Half of their greatest hits are on this album. I never really got all the love The Unforgiven got....there are a number of better Metallica songs so far on this album. This album is impressing me more than I thought it would. Don't Tread on Me borrows a phrase from America from West Side Story...musicians are all musical dorks. Nothing Else Matters is the best song on the album. A lot of long songs on this for a metal album.

Doesn't have all of my favorite Metallica songs, but is definitely a heavy-hitter and highly influential imo

Most metal heads agree that this is when things started to go wrong for Metallica. Sacrificing their progressive thrash attack for a much more radio-friendly, much more straight-forward hard rock / groove metal sound, guided by Mr. Bob Rock himself. The loss of Cliff Burton screams loud and clear here, as it is well-established that he was the one who introduced a neo-classical bent to the band which gave them the musicality edge over their competitors. There are some classic hard rock tunes on the Black album, but this is not golden age Metallica. 3.8/5

A VERY STRONG guitar

This change of pace was a nice addition. I get why Metallica is one of the greatest bands in the world, it was a fun album to listen to. 4/5

great one, loved that the album is 12h long

I remember when I was a kid and loving this album how all the older Metallica heads at that time hated it and I didn’t understand why. Now that line has blurred and less people hate it and I understand the hate that it got. It’s an incredible hard rock album that completely isolated the fans who came to Metallica for thrash. This isn’t the best Metallica album but it’s the most accessible followed by if you make Load and Reload a 10 song album with the best of both. But for me and many others the best albums by them are Master Of Puppets and Ride The Lightening. But this is still a strong to quite strong album for sure especially when you dive into how hard the band and Bob worked at achieving the writing and recording of it.

This one got much play back in the day. My brother had the cassette. It was never really my favorite from them (I like their first 3 albums better), but I played the hell out of this. This is definitely a metal album made for mass adoption. It's an easily digestible album, and it won't blow anyone's head off, like their first couple albums. I always liked My Friend of Misery. This album still gets a 4 from me.

I remember my cousin having this album when it first came out (we were ten); that was the first time I had ever heard of Metallica. A bunch of classic bangers on this album.

This one takes me back to sitting in my room and trying to learn bass parts as a youngster. I always thought Metallica was an interesting band with all the guitar virtuoso stuff. As a teen I listened to all the early stuff and was fascinated with all the aggression and wildness in the music. The black album in a way is a bit of a departure from the early sound and a bit more straightening out and slowing down of the songs. All the instrument tones sound a bit bigger and bolder than previous albums. What's interesting is that with all the angst and aggressive sounds on this album I don't think James Hetfield uses profanity once. In fact I don't remember profanity being used on the previous albums either. Somehow that just crossed my mind today after all these years. I think this is probably their landmark album that they will be remembered by.

As much as I agree with the sentiment that this album marked the beginning of the downfall of Metallica's songwriting and a shift towards a more soft, "mainstream" sound, I wouldn't count this album as a part of that downfall as it is, not unlike their previous ventures, great. Despite the fact that the Black Album, in my opinion, has nothing on Master of Puppets or Ride the Lightning, it is still filled with incredibly catchy, groovy riffs and Hetfield's satisfying vocals. Nothing here is revolutionary or boundary pushing, but it's not meant to be. Similar to something like Painkiller (although, in my opinion, not quite as powerful), it goes for this simple, catchy, headbanging metal fun and achieves it with great success. Although something tells me that the thing that had prompted Metallica to drop thrash was how hard they got mogged by Megadeth's Rust in Peace in that department. But who knows. Also, why one of the tracks called Don't Tread on Me and the libertarian snake is on the cover? I'm not gonna google it just in case in means what I think it means... Rebellion is when you advocate for a system where corporations abuse people and the government can't do anything to stop them...

you know, it’s sad, but true

Dark, warm, and crunchy. Maybe I shoulda been a metalhead all along.

If I'm having some heavy metal, then give me Metallica every time.

Can’t go wrong with classic Metallica when the situation is right (and when isn’t it?)

sorry but a banger

It’s amazing how the same album can have a song that’s unintentionally funnier than Spinal Tap (Don’t Tread On Me), and a fair shout for one of the top 10 songs ever (Nothing Else Matters).

Really quite tough to rate this one really, with all things considered. If I was rating this compared to my normal tastes it'd probably get a 2/3, but compared to the albums on this website I've already rated it feels like it deserves higher. The album itself is mid. The first 5 tracks are great, even if they are very overplayed (saying that listening to Enter Sandman for the first time in a while made it kinda good again). The rest after that - barring Nothing Else Matters - is just filler. I reckon there are definitely 4 - possibly even 6 counting Death Magnetic and Load - Metallica albums that are better than their self titled. This doesn't have the same energy as their previous four. Also, I know it's said a lot but the drumming on this album fucking sucks and the solos aren't great either. On the alternative though, Jason finally gets his bass heard, and very deservedly so he's a phenomenal bass player. James' vocals are arguably the best of the first 5 albums too. It gets a 4, just. After a fair few minutes of consideration

Starts very strong and goes down from there, especially second half. But first half worth it.

Capolavoro

Pivotal metal album - accessible and fun

Good.

I expected to give this 2 stars but it was pretty good actually

Overplayed this back in the day… was great to revisit with distance, a few fillers but that is neutralised by the absolute 100% classics… I would give 4.5 if I could!

Ekki alveg mín gó tú tónlist en hrikalega þétt og gott rokk. Smellirnir tveir standa enn fyrir sínu.

I don't like metal but this album is undeniable

one of the first albums i ever heard🔥 this got me into metal along with linkin park Unforgiven + wherever I may roam 🔥

A formative album of my childhood!!! Almost every track on this is good, especially for the metalheads. BUT!!! It's very commercial and palatable for the radio audience, which is how this album was marketed at the time. Big departure for Metallica from their previous releases. I don't even need to listen to the album to rate it. My Rating: 4/5

LOVE

Another good record from Metallica.

I had heard of Enter the Sandman before but had never finished the whole album. I enjoyed the heavy metal shredding. This is for a specific mood but very cool.

Hell yeah, brother

Pretty big album in my youth. I've heard this 1001 times (lol).. Funny though, I never owned it, but it was everywhere (and all my friends had it). It’s still metal, just way more polished. Less speed, more weight. Radio-friendly Pantera? Every song feels built to shake an arena. A little too smooth? Maybe. But it still slaps. Spins: 2 Playlist Additions: - Enter Sandman - Sad But True - The Unforgiven - Nothing Else Matters

There are things I dont like about this album. It's very one tempo at times. A lot of the songs seem to have that really standard 4/4 timing beat lars used up until st anger. It can make things a little dull. But generally the album is pretty darn good. Classics like sandman, unforgiven and nothing else matter. Kind of hate Sad But True but its fine.

My favorite Metallica Album. Enter Sandman is still a classic.

First time listening to this album as a whole, though I've listened to many of these songs before. I get the hate, outside of their timeless hits, the rest all sounds the same, vanilla metal. 4* Highlights: enter sandman (badass opener), nothing else matters, the unforgiven

Wherever I may roam and Enter sandman are solid bangers that saves this album which was a bit of a disappointment to a 20 year me. Still worth 4 stars.

I owned this album back in the day and listened regularly. It truly rocks from start to finish and is by far my favorite Metallica album. That being said, Metallica is not my favorite band and not one I reach for regularly.

I've been a long time Metallica fan, although I haven't listened to the band as much in the last years. If we look at the album in the context of their previous releases, then this is for sure a step down and a simplification of their music. On the other hand, if we look at the album on it own, without any other context, this is a damn good album with a bunch of really great songs on it. The genre can be categorized as thrash 'n' roll and heavy metal, more than the thrash/progressive metal Metallica is known for. The songs aren't than complex for their standards, but are very much so speaking in general terms. They still stay true to their style of detailed song structures, massive riffs and nice solos are all over the place. There are no bad songs on here, some stand out as really good, but the lesser known song aren't bad by any means. Some bands are happy with 1 or 2 hits on a single album, there are at least 5-6 on here. Considering what I've heard so far, I can't but give this album 4 stars. This is an objectively great piece of music, no matter what you listen to. Considering the aim of the album was to commercialize and mainstream their sound, I think they accomplished just that, without sacrificing too much.

Always been a fave! Nice first album choice for me!

I really liked this - surprising!

Len’s wives all nicknamed him The Sandman - he used to sleep walk a lot! Not in a funny way. A very scary way. 3.5

First half of the album is near-perfect, and the end is kind of slower than I remembered. Love Metallica and love this Best Song: Enter Sandman Rating: 8.0/10 4 Stars

стандарт

This is an incredibly entertaining album from beginning to end. Exciting guitar riffs, Hetfield’s rough and angry voice, all coated in a beautiful simplicity combine to make a record that is really quite enjoyable. I honestly didn’t really know exactly what metal was before listening to this album and I’m very glad my horizons have been expanded because this was hype (after reading up a bit more on it apparently this is quite a change of pace for Metallica who were pioneers of the thrash metal genre, something quite different from this, but I’m still excited to experience that as well). Will definitely return to this and continue to enjoy it. Also despite its immense popularity I actually didn’t really love Enter Sandman too much.

Good

Actually not bad, in some ways its got a folky vibe, pretty guitar riffs alongside driving rhythms. I didn't mind it!

4.1 2x some classics here

Apparently they just simply do it the best.

I was pleasantly surprised, lots to like. This may be their sell out album but they sound great!

Ook weer een classic, wel minder metal dan hun eerdere albums, iets meer mainstream Maar Enter Sandman en Nothing else Matters zijn eeuwige classics Sad but true ook nice, en the unforgiven Rest ook wel aardig, was op een gegeven moment wel klaar met de gitaren haha

Ah, this might be the best Metallica album out there. It has a few of their hits and I have jammed to these songs numerous times throughout the years. I would definitely recommend this and I really enjoyed listening to the whole album. I would give this 5 stars but there are a few songs that bring it down by half a star and because we round things down, otherwise the rating would always be 4 for the albums that we get here - this is a 4-star album, but in reality, it is almost perfect for me - at 4,5.

NOT my genre but this album opens with one of the best heavy metal tracks in existence-Enter sandman is SO AWESOME. This album is an accomplishment - how to somehow become 'mainstream' in the metal world, and pick up fans like me along the way. Too much of a menacing sound for me to listen to for more than 2 tracks, but I appreciate nonetheless and admire them and their longevity as a band. Mad props !

This album is great. Even if you don't like metal, it's sophisticated and, yet, has a growling force.

Much nostalgia

One hour of Metallica is a lot of Metallica.

Sick riffs, shame it's so long. This is definitely an album which outstays its welcome, the songs are too similar sounding to listen to for an hour straight (except for Nothing Else Matters, which breaks things up a bit but is also a snoozefest)

Classic album

8.5/10. Ok well I already knew I liked Metallica, it's basically a rite of passage to anyone who has played (electric) guitar to learn riffs like Enter Sandman and The Unforgiven and it brings back some good memories of playing with the boys. I was tempted to go straight for a 9 because of these iconic songs and their eerie riffs (let's not forgot about Nothing Else Matters!) but I think it does suffer slightly from an issue I think a lot of albums have which is that the lesser known songs are a liiittle samey and kinda blend in to one. Fantastic album nonetheless.

I really wasn't looking forward to this album, since I've always thought about this album as the point when Metallica stopped making good music and started making music that would make them money. Upon reflection, I think this album is better than that. It sounds good overall. The lyrics are kinda stupid, but I never really came to Metallica albums to hear their thoughts. Overall, this album doesn't reach the heights that Master of Puppets did, but it doesn't sound generic either. They moved in a different direction here, but I think that some of the albums that came after this were coloring my perception of this album 4/5

First half phenomenal; second half tolerable. But damn, what a first half.

I was beginning wonder if I wasn't going to get any of an artist's most noteworthy albums or if it was all going to be the more obscure ones. Because that was the case with the first few big name artists I got, including Queen, David Bowie, and Beck. But within 4 days I got Van Halen "1984" and this one. I'm sorry to say, but much like back when it came out, there are a few songs on this album that I really love and the rest I could take or leave. The track I dug the most that I wasn't previously familiar wot was "Through the Never."

Every note of this is burned into my cortex.

- unerwartet groovy! - headbanging riffs, zwingt zum kopfnicken - Die Gitarrensoli sind mir manchmal ein bisschen too much - super energie geladen - kann das album extrem gut hören obwohl nicht mein geschmack - irgendwie richtig rundes album fav songs: Struggle within, the unforgiven

Back half felt repetitive

Bit same-y after a while, also sick ass guitar riffs. Enter Sandman really is best here.

Takes me back to my youf.

ensimmäinen biisi Enter sandm... trollface vääntyy naamalle..... kuitenkin maata järisyttäväkö sensaatio naamavärkin kelloon saa kielen ulos ja posket värisemään ja silmät kauhusta kankeana välillä suljettuina vlillä äimän käkenä auki.. Rumpujen pauhu iskee kuin pahaenteinen ukkosenjyrähdys, ja Hetfieldin ääni tuo mukanaan lupauksen pimeyden juhlista, joissa ei jaeta käyntikortteja, vaan puukot. Tämä ei ole vain musiikkia; tämä on fyysinen kokemus. Muistakaa kun sanoin Kielinvärkki työntyy ulos, posket värisevät, silmät aukeavat ja sulkeutuvat kauhusta. Sanoin sen tosissani. Hetken aikaa olet pelkkää sähköä ja lihasta, ja sitten,.... ITSE SAATANA astuu kuvioihin. Häntä edustavat sormet nousevat pystyyn, ja yhtäkkiä olet juhlimassa paholaisen PERKELEEN kanssa. Tämä ei ole normien maailma. Tämä on METALLI. Tämä on ROCK. Tämä on METALLICA. Ja sitten: POEKA. POeka... POEkA... Tämä rauta työntyy suoraan läpi... poikittain.... toisesta päästä ulos...naama vääntyy vieläkin irvokkaampaan trollfaceen. Tämä on sitä musiikkia, joka sukeltaa suoraan selkärankaan ja jättää sinne metallisen jälkensä. Rokataan ja rullataan. Tämä on rautaa. Ja se rauta kuuluu perseeseen – tai korviin, valinta on sinun. Kjehjjjjj.

Surprisingly good slower songs. Nice variety

I mean, it’s Metallica. Absolutely epic sound.

really enjoyed the variety of tempos on this album. think Metallica shines best on some of the slower tempo tracks-Sandman, Anywhere I Roam, and especially Unforgiven. lyrics have depth to them which is what sets them apart from lots of other heavy metal groups 4.5 stars

Wijs metal album. Ik had vroeger niks met Metallica, maar ben ze door de jaren heen leren appreciëren. Ze hebben geen 5 ster albums, maar dit komt toch misschien het meest in de buurt. 3.7

Classic headbanging music. I love most of it, some of it's a bit much.

The album that got me into heavy metal music when I was in middle school. Relistening to it, there's some elements left to be desired, particularly in the rhythm section, but overall a very solid album. There's a reason it has been so many metalhead's introduction to the genre. Favs are Enter Sandman, Hollier Than Thou, Through the Never, Of Wolf and Man, and The Unforgiven.

I’m not typically a fan of heavy metal because I think there’s a time and place for most music, but I have not been able to find that for heavy metal. However, I do think there is a time and place to be able to sit down and truly listen to a critically acclaimed album, which is exactly what I did with Metallica’s self-titled. I adore the iconic guitar and drum riffs that are so quintessentially “Metallica”, and I especially adore their more chill (at least for Metallica!!) music, ESPECIALLY “Nothing Else Matters”. What a FABULOUS song, from the vocals, to the lyrics, to the instrumentals. Favorites: Sad But True, The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam, Nothing Else Matters (MWAHHH SO GOOD!!!), and The God That Failed Least Favorite: Holier Than Thou Rating: 7.5/10

Några riktigt bra låtar :)

I ended up spending all day listening to this album so I guess you could say I liked it, though I mostly liked it because it was sort of like white noise.

4/5 stars

Good stuff

great great album

Rock on \m/

Enter Sandman Sad But True The Unforgiven Wherever I May Roam Nothing Else Matters

4.5

This is maybe the apex of metal? Metallica deciding to tighten the thrash up and getting a bit more commercial is brilliant and somehow still sounds and feels like Metallica. It's a bit too long, but would probably go 4.5 if possible since there are so many classic hits here that still bang.

I know this album marks the first crack that becomes a large schism between Metallica fans, and all I can say is, "Too bad. Their loss." Yes, the album has some forgettable filler, and as much as I love James' voice I think the filler may be better as instrumental pieces because the lyrics didn't work for me. And yes, the album doesn't flow as a singular piece of work, which is a departure from pretty much all of their earlier work. However, this album is just about 50% full of some of the most masterful music ever made, and that deserves recognition and preservation throughout the rest of time.

The gateway drug album to metal.

This is my first Metallica album from this collection, but the last of the collection's four Metallica albums, which is kind of a shame, as it's usually more interesting to listen to a band's evolution rather than devolution. But I'm also bummed to find out there are four Metallica albums at all in this collection, especially since they're all within 7 years of each other, and frankly they're not really known for having a lot of range in their music. I had a friend in high school that was a *big* fan of them, especially James Hetfield's furious rhythm guitar and Kirk Hammett's blistering solos, but even he had kind of moved on from Metallica by "...And Justice for All" (three years earlier than this album), and I had never matched his interest or passion the whole time. I also developed a serious dislike of Metallica when they became the face of all the Napster-related lawsuits, even if they themselves didn't actually sue anyone. Regardless, this is certainly a very solid Metallica album, and possibly their finest. It certainly has a *lot* of their most enduring hits, and it still keeps enough elements of their earlier thrash style to avoid seeming like a transition to a more "friendly" style (although my friend undoubtedly would have vehemently disagreed, if he'd even cared by that point). I'd never seen the videos to their singles form this album, and a couple of them--"Enter Sandman" and "The Unforgiven"--are definitely worth watching, although I'm not sure they help clarify whatever it is that Hetfield and Ulrich were trying to convey. That kind of applies to all of their songs, not just on this album but in general: I don't think they're nearly as insightful or profound as they think they are (not to mention as intelligible as they might have thought they were). And a number of tracks on this album feel a bit recycled, sadly (e.g. "Don't tread on me" sounds a lot like their earlier "Master of puppets"). But this is still a great exemplar of Metallica; and it probably should have been the only Metallica album in this collection (although I would have been very bummed not to get to hear "Fade to black" again as part of this project).

Not not normally my go-to for ;listening music, but Metallica never fails

Staple of teenage years. Great album with a lot of unforgettable songs up front. It always lost steam for me near the end

I would give this 4.5 if I could. Loved hearing this again. First time I listened to all the tracks as I’d skip the ones I didn’t like. Sound of my youth, sad but true!

Good guitar, innit. Favourite track: The Unforgiven.

Is this their best album? No. Is this album fantastic? Yeah. This record is truly deserving of the hype. However, it feels a lot more poppy than traditional Metallica, which I understand - but I don't think this is deserving of a 5. It's close, but I really do enjoy the speed metal aspects of Metallica more, I think James Hetfield's voice synchs to it a bit better.

I was originally going to write some derisive review about how this album represents Metallica selling out, Lars Ulrich being a shitty person and a worse drummer, the band themselves being a bunch of belligerent alcoholics, this being their last good album, or make a bunch of juvenile puns based on “Metallica if they were gay” videos (exit wife, enter guys) And while a lot of that may be true, this album is still great. It’s definitely not Master of Puppets or Ride the Lightning but this is still fantastic if a little front loaded. It’s also probably the most accessible metal album out there and its influence in the genre and in music in general can’t be understated. The hits here were commercially successful on release and are still just as good more than thirty years later. While the filler here is serviceable, it’s just not quite memorable in the same way that the non hit songs were on the earlier albums. I don’t really see something like Struggle Within being as relistenable as Disposable Heroes or Harvester of Sorrow. But the main reason this album is good is because unlike the album that Harvester of Sorrow is on, they didn’t kill the bass in the mix here (Justice for Jason Newsted) Highlights: Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam, Through The Never, Nothing Else Matters, The God That Failed, the second half of My Friend Of Misery

Some amazing songs here that really differentiated Metallica from just "metal". Gets a little repetitive toward the end unfortunately.

Great album. Metallica do this well. Never went much further than this album of theirs. Takes me back to the early 90s

Absolute classic. Probably should be 5/5 but not quite maybe? Second half of the album loses a bit of steam. So like 4.9???

Απιστευτα guitar riffs. Ενα αλμπουμ που εχει μεσα τα μεγαλυτερα hit των merallica. Αν δεν ηταν σε καποιες στιγμες μονοτομο και repititive θα επαιρνε 5 αστερια. Μια πολυ καλη παρουσιαση μου στους Metallica σε καθε περιπτωση.

Bob Rock's production and the move to simpler song structures is such a double-edged sword. On the one hand, the band has never sounded better sonically, before or since, especially on the 2021 remaster. Hetfield manages to channel emotions other than rage in his lyrics and vocals. Hammett made his first solos that don't revolve around tapping (still couldn't avoid the wah, though). Newstead is audible! Lars is... Lars! They implemented strings in a love song and it doesn't want me to pull my teeth out like rock ballads of the previous decade do! The band could break through to radio and MTV in a way they never could've before. (I don't want to hear that they sold out, this still sounds like nothing else that any hard-rock or metal band were doing in America at the time). On the other hand, it means the album doesn't feel like an album in the way that all their prior records did. And I feel like their simpler is better approach starts to hinder some of their songs in the 2nd half; My Friend of Misery should have stayed an instrumental and The Struggle Within feels like it it's about to shoot off like Sanitarium or One before they end the song and the album abruptly.

Classic album from one of the best years of music ever. I’m more at the ‘Nothing Else Matters’ and ‘The Unforgiven’ end of the Metallica scale, but an all round solid album.

An interesting learning from doing the 1001 list is that I actually don't mind metal as much as I thought I did. We may share differing views on Napster, but this was pretty banging - highlights were Nothing Else Matters and The Unforgiven.

I never actually listened to the back half of that album. Glad I did now!

Love Metallica. This is not their best album, but it is certainly still great imo.

Yes, their earlier stuff is better - more varied, technically impressive, powerful- but this album introduced me to Metallica and it still rocks.

I feel I can get into it more. I definetly found it quite groovy minus the rock aspect. But it was a good entry for me into rock music and I want to know what the future has.

Some 5 star songs.

The strength of this album lies in a few tracks like "Enter Sandman," the Morriconesque "Unforgiven," and the excellent "Wherever I May Roam." Much of the rest is fairly forgettable ("My Friend of Misery") or worse, cringeworthy ("Nothing Else Matters"). Overall, it makes for a good, but not excellent, album.

pretty good!

Classic heavy metal work I had heard before , it has a very strong start but I’m not a a fan of the B side Unforgiven and nothing else matters are some of my fav side and the upbeat tracks like sandman compliment it well

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 very good commercial success, but not quite great, album, one whose best moments deservedly captured the heavy metal crown, but whose approach also foreshadowed a creative decline. 4⭐️

Powerful. This played a lot in my friends' cars when we were younger.

Objectively a more commercial venture than their previous decade of work, but that doesn’t make it kick less ass. First 75% of this album is nothing but bangers, and though the quality wavers a bit with the last few songs, I think the experience of listening is absolutely worthwhile even if you don’t love metal.

music for a 58 year old defense contractor that fills out spreadsheets all day and just bought a dodge challenger to listen to after getting divorced still hits though

I just don't enjoy metal but I understand why this is the album that crossed over.

Overall: 7/10 While I agree that this album was "the beginning of the end" for Metallica, it's actually a pretty good album in it's own right and I have a sense of nostalgia for it as it was my first Metallica album. James sounds vocally at his best here, you can actually hear Jason's bass (!) and Kirk gets some great solos! If anything my biggest issue with this album is that the songs get overplayed. It's pretty great and I recommend it. Fav Song: Wherever I May Roam Least Fav Song: Of Wolf and Man

The Black Album marked a turning point that divided fans of Metallica, but ultimately broadened the band’s legacy. While the hardcore fans may have been jarred by the shift from the thrash-laced chaos of Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets, there’s something genuinely compelling about the more restrained, deliberate sound the band embraced here. As someone who appreciates their early work - the speed, the ferocity, the rawness - I still find this album’s tighter focus and more measured pacing to be a refreshing and welcome evolution. What stands out most is how confidently the band scales things back without losing their power. Tracks like “Sad But True” and “The Unforgiven” groove instead of gallop, and the slower tempos allow the riffs to breathe and settle in, creating a brooding atmosphere that’s just as heavy in mood as their earlier material was in speed. The production - polished but still punchy - makes every crunch of the guitar and snap of the snare feel deliberate, like every note has been chosen with intent rather than fury. That sense of control is, in its own way, just as intense. Of course, “Enter Sandman” became a cultural monolith, but its overexposure shouldn’t diminish what it represented at the time: Metallica proving they could write a massive, arena-ready anthem without abandoning their edge. And throughout the album, James Hetfield’s vocals carry more emotional weight than ever before. There’s a sense that the band is not just performing but communicating — stepping out from behind the wall of technicality to meet listeners face-to-face. That said, some of the album’s midsection can feel a little samey, and it’s fair to miss the unpredictability of their earlier records. But rather than see this as a compromise, I see The Black Album as a bold recalibration - a chance to explore heaviness not just through speed, but through atmosphere, groove, and dynamic restraint.

4 not my favorite Metallica album but there’s some undeniable mega hits on this record

"Metallica sold out!" This phrase was probably uttered so many times since this album came out. But I wasn't even born then so I come to this album in a completely different context, in which Metallica were already the biggest metal band of all time. I couldn't care less if something is trve metal or kvlt or whatever, all I care about are if there are great songs, and there sure are great songs on this album. Key tracks: Enter Sandman Sad But True The Unforgiven Wherever I May Roam Nothing Else Matters Of Wolf and Man

Definitely some huge hits on this one. It does drag a little later though. Still solid.

This is just a good album.

listened to again i recognize it's a classic but i still struggle to like it

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

Aw hell yeah 🤘

Good album lots of bangers

Classic

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

4.5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Not their best album but I like it.

listeened previously 4 stars

Solid.

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

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

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

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

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

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

第一次认真听金属，听不出来好在哪里，以后还会继续听的

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Based on nostalgic memories alone.

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

3.7 stars rounded up.

A couple filler tracks, but still kick ass metal.

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

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

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

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