Reviews (page 7 of 14)
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
I'll still say(and defend) that Metallica is one of the most overrated bands of all time, but this is(probably) their best album. It has solid mix of headbangers, and slow metal. It also includes one of the greatest rock songs of all time. Favorite Song: "Enter Sandman". (P.S. Why have your FIFTH studio album your self-titled one?).
Fucking solid album
Кайфовала от гитарных соляков в нераскрученных песнях
I prefer their earlier stuff but there are some great songs here.
It’s not master of puppets but it does have quite a few bangers.
I loved this when it came probably because I was a 14 year old boy. Listening back objectively this was when Metallica starting to decline musically. Its good but not great
Favorite Track: Through the Never
4.0 Not my fave but very solid.
And Justice for All... better. Este está muy bueno igual 8.5/10
Provavelmente eu nunca iria ouvir um álbum de Metallica por iniciativa própria, mas preciso dizer que curti bastante da sonoridade desse álbum. Da pra entender porque é tão querida dentre as bandas do gênero.
This is their peak in my opinion. Still hard enough to sound like their early albums but far more accessible
I have never been a big Metallica fan. However, I've actually been going through their discography in the last couple weeks, slowly. I got in trouble when I was like 12 for borrowing a friend's CD of The Black Album, but I never ever bought a Metallica album or listened to them after that, only heard them on the radio, of course. There are one or two cheesy songs on it that I wish would have been cut (I think "My Friend of Misery" may be one of them). But, otherwise, I really do like the moody metal that it is, and I think it may become more a part of my rotation in way it really never was.
When this record came out, a guy who had been a Metallica fan since the start told me that they were no good any more because there was a love song on it. He told me James Hetfield had insisted that they would never do a love song and, if they did, it would be about beer. To that I said: 1) You're not listening to the words -- "never opened myself this way.... nothing else matters"; and 2) How do you know it's not about beer?
Tremendo disco. Un metal accesible para escuchas que no son fanáticos del género. 4 Referencia.
A bloody joy to listen to. I never cared for them back when they were doing their thing but in recent years, I’ve really come to appreciate their work. This is the album.
I have a mixed relationship with Metallica. Every demographic quality I have says that I should love them (white male born in the mid 90s, music educated guitarist, book lover and eager weight lifter). However, I have always loathed «Enter Sandman», while I love «Nothing Else Matters». I think what it comes down to is my love for dynamic song structure as well as responding well to melodic and harmonically interesting moments. Exploring different tonal or dynamic ranges, new textures and melodic passages is something a lot of metal bands skip out on, in favor of heavier riffs and angry delivery of lyrics. Metallica falls into that trap to often. That being said, this has a lot of greatness about it. «Nothing Else Matters» will always be close to my heart. I also enjoyed «My friend of Misery» a lot, with a really cool bass riff, the harmonic change into the chorus, and a atmospheric middle eight leading into a very non-Metallica solo that I love (Before Kirk turns Kirk again...). «The Struggle Within» is also a new found love. Short and sweet, but with an almost Maiden-esque intro and a solid chorus riff. «The Unforgiven» and «Don't Thread Me» are also great with their references to western soundtracks and musical theatre, respectively. «Don't Thread Me» together with «Wherever I May Roam» also has choruses that break away from the E minor riffing in such a satisfying way. The same goes for «Of Wolf and Man», which also has one of the better guitar solos I've heard from Kirk (That opening lick, MY GOD)! The solo on «The God That Failed» also has a really cool open string lick that I will definitely be stealing. Funny enough, I went back to «Enter Sandman» and «Sad But True» after finishing this. And I think the big thing I dislike about this, is that they rely to much on the same textures. Hetfield's angry lyrical delivery, bottom string riffing, back beat with crash cymbals, and lazily structured lick-based wah-wah solos. All of this makes them sound very Metallica and they've really honed down that aesthtic, so my criticsm is very subjectiv. Objectively speaking, this is a solid well-crafted album. I still like Metallica of the 80s far more than this, so there is that.
Probably too intense to be listening to mid workday but other than that good
One of many albums that I, when I was a young teen, refused to give a chance to, that turned out to be pretty good. Is “The Unforgiven” my new favorite song?? Maybe! Will I revisit this album in the future? Absolutely! Definitely sounds exactly like I expected it to, based on the few songs I had heard, but it is waaaayy less cheesy than I’ve come to expect from metal bands. Maybe that’s why it’s such a landmark album?
not really my thing, but i can recognize that the music is good
Pretty solid commercial metal album. Can see how it influenced much shittier bands tho
Enter Sandman goes really hard. It’s one of the best metal songs ever: just about everyone loves that song. It’s a stunning opener to Metallica’s self titled. The rest of the album is very good, if maybe a hair lackluster compared to Sandman. There are very good songs and it’s a cohesive album, probably highlighted by Nothing Else Matters in the back half. While this album is great and almost certainly the band’s best album that wasn’t made in the 80’s, it doesn’t quite reach the magic of Kill ‘Em All, Ride The Lightning, or Master of Puppets in my opinion (other than Enter Sandman).
As mentioned, I'm not really a Metallica fan but I believe this is what I consider their best album? Most of the tracks are good, a few are really good. I prefer the ones that are sung rather than growled. Fave Track: The Unforgiven Rating: 4
There are some real epic songs on this. Nothing Else Matters is my favorite - and you can see how that telegraphs S&M. This is the third album of this project that has sampled West Side Story. Apparently, I'm keeping track. I'm only 122 albums in, but the first two were: School's Out by Alice Cooper and Siembra by Colon & Blades. I guess I should expect WSS references once every 50 albums or so? Probably the best argument to add that cast album to the list if it's not already there.
I like that I can hear most of the lyrics, I struggle to hear through heavy music without the words in front of me. Love the Good the Bad & the Ugly vibe I got from The Unforgiven Of Wolf and Man comes in hot and hard after Nothing Else Matters, and it is sick
Sick riffs, pounding drums, with Hetfields voice carrying the energy. Forgettable lyrics but an hour of what makes Metallica so good.
Hell yea
A classic.
👍🏼
first half was better than the second. not their best work, but a really good one. this is where their discography starts to jump around in terms of quality.
There's a lot of good hard rock songs in this album. I don't feel right calling these songs metal anymore. I guess this would be the album that reinvented Metallica. This album has had many influences on other metal acts such at Trivium and A7X... And by influences I mean a lot of bands just blatantly ripped off a lot of this record off. This record was fantastic. My honest only issue with this record is Kirk's guitar solos. Someone needs to surgically remove the wah pedal from his foot. Every solo relies on the wah pedal and the solos are very similar in composition. That being said, The Unforgiven has one of my all time favourite guitar solos in it. My Friend of Misery has one of the coolest parts too. Not sure if that's considered the bridge. But when Jason comes in with that iconic bass riff, and then kirk comes in with some guitar swells... That first solo I'd just great. And then guess what? Can't forget the wah... And that's when I just roll my eyes. Of course this is personal preference... This album still holds up. Still some of their best work.
Most of my favorites from them on one album.
Metallica stans will argue this is where the band fully engrossed themselves into appealing to a mainstream audience, and that's completely true. And while I miss the heavy trash aspects from earlier records, there's no denying this is an absolute classic. I'll never say it's their best record; I don't care for the drums (Lars is a good drummer, that's not what I'm saying), I think each track goes a bit too long, and the production is safe and a bit dull. But these are all GREAT songs.
Probably the album that brought Metallica mainstream. Enter Sandman, Sad but true, the unforgiven, and nothing else matters, were all on rock radio stations at the time. They are now rock/metal classics. Overall a good album
This is as big, meaning worldwide, cross-demographic popular, that Metallica ever got, but it also paved the way for their entry into actual pop culture. Anything Metallica has done since this album has automatically been shoved to the front of the media so that they continue to remain relevant today. It doesn’t matter if “true” metalheads decry this album as being the beginning of the end, as their earlier albums were simply not as polished, well-written or replayable as their Black Album. Those earlier albums were simply very special moments in time, as well as windows into the development of the band we all know today. What do I think of this album, then? Well, I never actually play it, but I suppose I would compare it to the Pyramids of Egypt. They are iconic, you want to visit them, but you rarely go back. Instead, you wax lyrical to others about how great they are. This should be 5 stars, and may well be in the eyes of many, but I have to remove a star for the fact that I never play it.
Very enjoyable metal. I don't often enjoy metal, but this was really well made and I didn't dislike it despite not really being in the mood to listen to it.
Not fully my jam but I can recognize it’s greatness
Probably my favorite Metallica album, it certainly brought heavy metal to a wider audience, and did it with grace. It's not something I find myself listening to these days, but it the impact on Rock music is undeniable.
Not really my fsvorite genre of music but the one band I do like is Metallica so I rate it as 4 stars or B+.
LP
I didn't think I liked Metallica, but I enjoyed this way more than I thought I would. Maybe I do like Metallica.... I still think Rina Sawayama's cover of "Enter Sandman" is better though.
Me and my friends: idk why the other kids act so weird to us Also my friends: requested Enter Sandman from the homecoming DJ
Much better than the previous Metallica album I got on this list. Very good song writing and a excellent production.
I liked this album a lot. It definitely sounded more commercially appealing and I understand how it was successful in that
Classic
Solid. Not heard in ages...was fun
I get that Metallica got a lot of criticism for going “mainstream,” but this sounds more like a streamlined album than a compromised one. A little too long, but really heavy, tight, and memorable. Best song: Nothing Else Matters
4.5
Pretty good all the way through! 4/5
S&M is still my favorite album from them, but this is solid
Iconic album loved by everyone and for good reason. It's a little emo at times, but it hit just right in the 90's.
Stvarno okej i ikonican, samo mojem metalno laickom uhu dosta repetativno zvuci na prvo slusanje. Instrumental daleko zanimljiviji i slusljiviji od vokalnih sekcija. Fave: Nothing else matters
Metallica would be lucky to crack my top 50 favourite heavy artists, but this album stands tall above a lot of the other records on this list. I want to give this record a 5 but I think that's just my bias towards heavier music. Lots of great tracks and a great introduction for those unfamiliar with heavier types of music.
Metallica is a good, but not quite great, album, one whose best moments deservedly captured the heavy metal crown, but whose approach also foreshadowed a creative decline.
This would probably have been considered a little too polished and mainstream for Metallica fans at the time, but I think they pulled it off. Clearly commercialized for a broader audience, but that didn’t stop me from banging my head along. A few too many cheesy lyrics (never realized how corny “The Unforgiven” was until just now) and duds but still a great album.
Surprisingly enjoyed this album. Quite heavy but tasteful 7/10
To the dissapointment of my brother it confirmed something I'd suspected my whole life: all metallica songs sound the same to me—10 min of drums-guitar-wahwahdestructionoblivionangerblahblah. Anyway, the last couple of days have been a real snoozefest so I'm grateful for the change.
Just a really solid Metallica album, with some of their best riffs. I prefer 80s Metallica, but this is still a great metal album.
It's not the best Metallica album ever, but it is the best selling metal album ever.
Starting hot with Enter Sandman. Metallica is exactly what I think of when I think “metal” rock. There is a bit more diversity in the album than I expected. A few songs I hadn’t heard before that I liked: The Unforgiven, Through the Never, Nothing Else Matters Don’t Tread on me has a throwback to west side story. Overall pretty impressive, but can’t listen to this style for too long.
I mean this album is already at minimum a four just because of enter sandman. Just an amazing song. I knew a few others like nothing else matters and holier than thou but I was excited to listen to some of the album tracks. Like The Unforgiven, was super interesting starting out like a western and then bringing in their metal sound. Metal country? New genre? I liked the wiki entry talking about how that new producer came in and kind of refined their sound because it really shows on this whole album. The guitars are crisp and the lyrics are actually understandable. I could definitely be persuaded into a five on this one
Was pleased to listen to this. Definitely knew more of it than I thought I would. I’ve always been a “One” and done Metallica fan. The more we go through the list, the more it’s apparent how much familiarity factors in to how much I like something. It isn’t an end all be all, but it definitely softens me towards stuff that I know/is similar. The lead singer’s voice is another one that was originally off-putting to me, but now only adds to the overall sounds. A 3 or 4 for me. I gave Black Sabbath a 3 and I feel like this album is better, so we’re sending a 4.
Pretty good album. Not the best the band has done, but the songs are good and there aren’t really any misses. More of a fan of the earlier thrash stuff, but this is still a good album. 4/5 Probably will listen again
I've heard this album more times than I can recall, and it still hits just as good now
Enter Sandman Sad But True The Unforgiven Wherever I May Roam Nothing Else Matters
I have complicated feelings about this. I’ve heard the hits but never listened to them voluntarily. I liked it. But it gives very angry white man vibes. Like I feel it could be the anthem of storming the capitol. So I feel guilty liking it.
If you know me, you know that I am becoming a rock girlie. I loved this. Of Wolf and Man. Incredible.
This was pretty good. Enter Sandman was the best and will stand the test of time.
It's a well produced, well made album. Sad But True and Wherever I May Roam are flat out bangers. Of Wolf and Man and My Friend of Misery are underrated gems. Enter Sandman is way overplayed. Don't Tread on Me is forgettable at best. I still think Puppets is a superior album. They may have sold out according to some fans, but this album was necessary as it helped kill hair metal with a big help from grunge. So I'm cool with it even though it isn't perfect.
Not bad for a bunch of sellouts
Not really, my cup of tea, but it has a great sound and the heavier the better. When it slows down, it starts to border on comical in the second the last song is pure filler, but I won’t deny enjoying the fast loud parts.
Not a Metallica fan, but wow, I like this! What, 4 or 5 songs that were hits from one album? Will listen again!
Memories of Senior year in high school. This album, along with U2’s Achtung Baby, and the zeitgeist behemoth Nevermind by Nirvana were everywhere. I feel a bit of pride in knowing that I graduated during a peak year in music history.
The hits on here are some pretty awesome classics. Metallica rocks it! The non-hits were just so-so for me, but still a super solid album.
I really don't like metal, but this has the two Metallica songs I actually like.
Better than earlier Metallica albums! I'm glad they slowed it down. It lets the differences in each song stand out more, so the album doesn't sound like one continuous song. Favorite Song(s): Enter Sandman, The God that Failed
The first Metallica album I brought, not knowing this is the one where they "sold out". The usual heavy hitters (sandman, n.e.m) aside, this is still a really well produced rock/metal album. Each song hits pretty well for me. As with many Metallica albums it does start to run out of steam towards the end but overall, decent
I think I made my Napster joke on their last album, so I'll just say it's good music for when I'm feeling a certain kind of way. And it reminds me specifically of that show from MTV Spring Break when they sang karaoke and the song was selected by spinning a wheel. 3.5.
Day119 - one of the best hard rock albums whether your a metallica fan or not. all the people who trash this one are mad this album introduced metallica to the mainstream. on a side note what a bunch of d-bags.
Classic shit
I don't consider myself a part of the core Metallica Fanbase, even though I like a great many of their songs and albums, and I'm too young to have any particular animus towards the thrash metal equivalent of Dylan going electric. Like Dylan, Metallica took a huge chance in expanding their sound and songwriting and reached a career peak. Good for them.
its really grown on me over the years, may be a little slower but some of these songs are still heavy as fuck
Some great tunes, but Lars is the most timid metal drummer of all time.
Yeah, I was surprised by how much I enjoyed this. I’d always thought of this as the softer, kind of lame Metallica album, but it still goes hard when it needs to.
I’m stuck between and 3 and 4. But I’d say it’s at least a high 3 so I’ll go 4
It's big, dumb, rock, but it's a hell of a lot of fun. somewhere between a 4.5 and 5 for me as it defined a portion of my youth.
Lots of hits on this, but it’s not my style.
This album for sure belongs in this list. It’s solid, but not one I will be listening to any time soon. Maybe because it’s so well known and I heard a lot of the songs already too much. Still it’s a classic and I did enjoy it. Best songs: - Enter sandman - The unforgiven - Nothing else matters
01) Enter Sandman - 10,0 02) Sad but True - 10,0 03) Holier than Thou - 7,0 04) The Unforgiven - 10,0 05) Wherever I May Roam - 8,5 06) Don't Tread on Me - 7,5 07) Through the Never - 7,0 08) Nothing Else Matters - 10,0 09) Of Wolf and Man - 7,0 10) The God That Failed - 8,0 11) My Friend of Misery - 8,0 12) The Struggle Within -7,0 TOTAL: 8,33 (83/100) I listened to "...And Justice For All" a few days ago and the maximum I could give it was two stars. This one is much more to my taste, and I know it's because of the monster songs "Nothing Else Matters", "The Unforgiven", "Sad but True" and " Enter Sandman". If not for those, it would be a lower mark, but still better than its predecessor.
Starts great but last few songs are more filler than anything
nice to listen entirely
First half is a stonking 5/5 but everything after Nothing Else Matters is meh.
Would be a 4.5
Sandman is one of my favs but must be getting old…a lot of the songs sounded the same…
Enter Sandman sounds like a perverse lullaby, love it WIMR bangs, tho libertarian 😔 I love Metallica (1991) equally I don't care for Don't Tread On Me 🚬 Through the Never is Ok but the solo slaps
I heard of them but never heard their music.
Alpha male metal. songs about Gods, beasts, monsters and religion. Awesome riffs and playing and not brought down by Lars Ulrich being one of the worst people in the world
Not amazing, still decent
The Black Album might be the breakthrough point for thrash and speed metal coming out of the hair metal 80s. Wide popularity of the album of a changed Metallica changed their success and careers. Many people considered this to be a bad thing. Most Metallica fans would cite one of the previous four albums as their best. The truth is that this album always lingers below that surface for it's influence. Their self titled helped to create new metal bands and new metal sounds. Without being the best or the favorite, it is radically important.
I am a fan of metal so I will try and temper my review of one of the albums I have listened too the most. Though I prefer their earlier thrash sound. For those who don't know the overall sound of the album was it's most controversial aspect as it marked Metallica and Metal's movement into the mainstream. The first song enter sandman becoming a major hit on the radio as a single. Personally This album also important because it gave rise to a conversation with an old guitarist that explained why I like surf rock and metal so much. If you play metal without the distortion and effects it sounds pretty close to surf rock.
In an attempt to capture a more commercial audience, Metallica arrived at a air guitar-ing, power chord-chug-chugging, “YEAH-HEYAH!”-inducing hour and 2 minutes of badassery. Though not as complex or unique as, say, Master of Puppets, The Black Album was the perfect gateway drug for fledgeling metal fans — accessible without being antiseptic.
pre sigma
Some absolutely legendary songs on this album. Loses a star for sounding too clean and a bit over-produced at times.
Got some real bangers here, but I'm not really a Metallica fan.
A true rock classic that can either sound incredible, or like pumped-up cartoon music on steroids, depending on one’s mood. But no denying the ongoing influence this record has had.
My fifth favourite Metallica album and the last decent one
While not in the conversation for “best metallica album”, this is still a very good album with quite a few iconic songs.
Of the three Metallica albums I've had so far, this is by far the best. A few of the songs here are screamers, to be sure, but most of them have really good melodies and catchy hooks. If you have heard Metallica's music strictly over the radio, you will still recognize most of these songs, as they are the band's most popular.
A surprisingly great album. Was familiar already with most of the songs (I didn't know this). Would be a 4.5.
A classic of Metallica's newer sound and a critically important album to Mr in terms of how it shaped my taste in music.
Lots of bangers on this album, this might be one of Metallicas best.
Yep, Its Metallica.
Man, this really is a great metal album. There are a ton of songs on here that I really enjoy, including Enter Sandman, Sad but True, Wherever I May Roam and maybe my favorite Metallica song of all time, The Unforgiven. It's hard not to headbanger along to the entire album.
Some songs are too long but this is great metal music.
A very good album from (one of) the greatest metal bands of all time.
I mean, what’s there really to say? One of the most popular albums ever, if you listen to any alternative rock radio station for a day you will likely hear half the songs on this album. I’m not a huge Metallica fan and I personally prefer their earlier thrash metal albums but this is still fantastic.
fantastic album!
General Metallica take: miles ahead of slayer and megadeth, but they have a problem where their stuff always goes on too long. As for this album specifically, “Enter Sandman” is an all-timer, even despite being such a planet fitness playlist staple, and it's such a good album opener that it took several more songs than usual to decide I was getting bored
There are some bangers on here and there are some average songs. Not as good as master of puppets which is basically perfect.
This was a great album. I enjoyed almost every single song on this album, plus there were so many iconic songs on this album. I think this is Metallica at their peak. I do admit it is a bit of a front heavy album. Cutting a few songs from the album probably would’ve been beneficial, but it was an amazing album for what it was. 4.5
A classic Metallica album. Not my favorite, but still really good. 4.5/5
The music is great, but I can’t get into the cheesy angsty lyrics. Some classics on here though and undeniably a classic album in its genre. 3.5/5 goes up to a 4.
Ein Klassiker für mich. Hör ich immer wieder.
Since I got this album’s predecessor “…And Justice For All” a couple of weeks ago, I feel obliged to compare the two. Firstly, and perhaps most obviously, the music itself is a lot less complex and prog-y here than it was on the last album, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing because it made this album a lot easier to digest for me. Secondly, the lyrical content is a lot less political here, with the band instead focusing on more personal matters like childhood fears, religion and death, so, while the lyrics may have less of an impact, its not like the songs don’t have any meaning at all. Overall, this album is a fun time that also tones down a lot of the aggression from the previous album in the hopes of reaching a wider audience. Favourite tracks: Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam, Through the Never, The God That Failed
Lo reconozco, es un placer culpable.
Probably the album that most people think of when someone says Metallica. Lots of good stuff on here and I did enjoy going back and listening to this one all the way through again. Say what you will about Metallica, musically or otherwise, there are a lot of great songs on this record. I get that thrash metal isn't exactly for everyone, and there's a valid argument that this album isn't exactly thrash metal anyway, but it's undeniably solid. I think where this album is lacking most is in production. It's not bad but I think the balance between the low and high frequencies is off a bit. Maybe it's sort of scooped? I'm not sure. I listened to the original, not a remaster, so maybe that's something they fixed later on. I've never been a huge Metallica fan but I really like this album. I probably wouldn't go out and try to find it at the record store but I would play it again for sure. And maybe pick it up if it happened to be at the record store and I didn't want anything else. 4/5
I've never listened to this album in its entirety before, but it's obvious that this album was very influential in the space. Feels quite ahead of its time, like it wouldn't be out of place if it had been released 10 years ago.
þetta er auðvitað bara .... black album
Opens pretty strong with Enter Sandman, can’t go wrong there. Doesn’t really let up from there, Sad but True, The Unforgiven, Wherever I May Roam all excellent. The drop in a ballad with Nothing Else Matters and this is a really good album. Yea, there is some cheese for sure but Metallica sticks it with their self-titled. I’d argue the only stinkers on this release are Don’t Tread on Me and The God That Failed. Overall though, no issues. 4 stars
Not so much into heavy/metal. But this one I really like. Guess it’s iconic
Proving that I'm no metal-head, my first thought was that Metallica is one of those rare bands that became better when they sold out. The engineering and production on this album are gorgeous. The guitars are as full and rich as anything since Eddie’s Brown Sound and it finally sounds like Lars is playing drums instead of slapping wet cardboard with wooden spoons. By Holier Than Thou I started thinking that, like REM, Metalica’s music is maybe more enjoyable when you can’t understand the lyrics. But that's not entirely correct either. Some of the lyrics are pretty damned good. It’s still a Metalllica album - which means it gets pretty monotonous pretty quickly. But it sounds amazing and the riffs are outta this world. The riff of Enter Sandman is worth 3 stars all on its own.
Goes hard
I've never been very deep into metal but Metallica seems to speak to me a lot of the time, as does Iron Maiden. While I think I prefer Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightning, this is a great release.
1001 Albums 1: This is my first time rating a project on here and it is Metallica's self title. I think this album is pretty good. There are quite a few classic tracks on this album including my personal favourite \"Enter Sandman\". The main downside is that this doesn't stack up to Metallica's releases prior to this in my opinion. It serves as Metallica's last truly good project and as a step into the mainstream and one out of the thrash scene. Rating: 8.5 Fav Tracks: Enter Sandman, Sad But True Least Fav Track: Don't Tread On Me
Classique également, mais beaucoup plus inégal que ses prédécesseurs.
So many classic songs, with kick ass riffs. Sometimes all you need is a James Hetfield chugging power chord. Lyrics are a bit cringy though. Kirk’s wah drenched solos are a guilty pleasure. Lars’ drumming is plodding but suits the style of the band. I’m also happy that you can hear the bass here unlike … And Justice For All Second half kind of dips in quality. Highlights: Enter Sandman, Sad But True, Wherever I May Roam
I mean, if I have to listen to Metallica...
So many hit songs.
Great album, lots of all-timers but its a little too long and gets a bit repetitive
For some reason the whole album reminds me of that spoken word part in Thriller. Solid album tho
I was debugging code, this gave me the strength to continue. Slightly geared towards pop, not too harsh which is also nice. Strong album with a few hits.
4 stars because they fought Napster
Ironically dark and slow, Metallica made a big shift in the direction of metal with this one. Some of their most iconic tracks were born from this album and this is what I think of when I talk about their sound. They get so into the new style that it can be a bit dense, but if brooding, angry, and a little bit powerful is what you're feeling this is the album for you.
Not a big fan of Heavymetal, but Metallica and some of the songs are a classic, Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matters of course.
J'aime mieux la version acoustique de plusieurs chansons, mais c'est parce que c'est avec celle-là que je les ai découvert. Reste que c'est du bon stock.
Enter sandman is such a fantastic song. That with nothing else maters makes this album great. Also I have seen them live and was so blown away.
Not to my taste but I powered through.
Alright, so I went into this expecting to give it an obvious 5/5. It's Metallica's magnum opus and it created a hits machine for the band. I love so many of these songs and was happy to discover some new ones. HOWEVER, as I was jamming out, I realized that every single song takes waaaaaaay too long to get the the lyrics. Every song pretty much has a minute or more lead up. Now a lot of people probably credit that about what makes it so great. The musical talents of the band. But I've always been a lyrics man, which is the only reason I can't give it a perfect score. 4.8/5
Copypasta from Master of Puppets... I was never a "fan" of Metallica due to all the tryhards of the world, but as I grew up I realized that these dudes rock. There are certainly things left to be desired with the band and with this album, but overall it was a fun album. I knew most of the tunes, but never listened to the album in it's entirety.
How much more black could this be? the answer is none, none more black. A good album that I enjoyed a lot when I was a teenager. My guitar teacher told me to start on Master of Puppets, Ride the Lightning, and Justice for All over the black album. But this still holds up and definitely made them into the mainstream band they are today.
That’s tough, I loved this in 7th grade but was way too cool for it in 12th. I guess I’ll just have to try to give it an honest listen 30 years later. It pretty much holds up! The instrumentation is top notch, but the lyrics are dumb and boring. It would be a five if it were in a language I don’t understand.
Soundtrack to my Jr high.
its metallica
Just an amazing album, not much to add to an absolute classic
Unreal this was their debut. Can’t imagine listening to this for the first time in the early 90s
ah Guitar Hero, I remember ye well
Klassisches Metallalbum, das ein paar Must Hears beinhaltet, jedoch heutzutage nicht mehr hart vom Hocker haut
Was in high school when this came out and it was on everywhere. I’m more of a Master of Puppets guy but despite the over exposure of this album and it’s loathing by grassroots Metallica fans, it’s not an awful album.
Nothing else matters is my fave track! This album also didn’t do it for me as I am not a metal fan, I can see how it was so integral to the genre though! Definitely worth the listen but also definitely not my cup of tea.
Very hype album. A few mediocre songs in the middle but overall I really enjoyed it. Also Lars you suck and held the band back.
This is a great rock record. It’s sort of the start of a lot of popular “metal” music, but it still feels very rock, nonetheless. It’s a great album to vibe out to with a few real standout tracks, but a few boring songs hold it back from real excellence.
I honestly don't care about all of the critiques about when and if Metallica sold out. This was a profound influence on my musical tastes when I was young, so it gets a bonus start for that!
I was impressed at the number of songs I actually liked. Enter Sandman and Nothing Else Matters are classics, but there were some other fun bangers!