Reviews (page 9 of 15)
Classic. The album that got me into Metallica and then hit me into their previous heavier albums. Really enjoyed listening to it again after many years of it being “too obvious” or over listened. Great!
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!
Classic.
Ekki alveg mín gó tú tónlist en hrikalega þétt og gott rokk. Smellirnir tveir standa enn fyrir sínu.
What do I need to say about the album that opens with perhaps the best Metallica song ever, "Enter Sandman"! I also really liked "Don't Tread on Me" and "Of Wolf and Man".
Ride The Lightning > Master of Puppets > Black Album 7/10
Never understood the appeal of Metallica. This shit wouldn’t be out of place at Eurovision.
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
2 metallica albums in less than 10 days from this website should not be allowed.
Shape-SHIIIIFT!!! 5/5
This album was a very nostalgic listen for me. Not my favourite Metallica era, more stadium dad rock at this point really, but it can’t be denied that these boys can write some great hooks and melodies.
LOVE
All killer, no filler.
To the bottom right hand corner of the all black front cover of Metallica’s Metallica sits a coiled timber rattlesnake. In early pressings of the album the snake’s made almost imperceptible by its dark grey colouring, but I promise it’s always been there. The snake design is borrowed from the 1775 Gadsden flag, a banner that gives the snake a thorny subtitle: “Don’t tread on me” (also the title of track five of Metallica, for the avoidance of any doubt regarding the snake’s provenance). Initially designed by Christopher Gadsden for use by the American Continental Navy (whose chief task then was intercepting British supply ships en route to arming their countrymen in the Revolutionary War), in its 250 year history the flag has seemingly meant something to everyone across the American political spectrum. Libertarians globally have stood under the flag’s bright yellow, appropriating it as their signature shade; abortion rights activists have twisted the snake into the shape of a uterus, a warning to anyone who thinks they have sovereignty over a woman’s body; Jan 6 rioters paraded it around the US Capitol as the world looked on, horrified. (My favourite “Don’t tread on me” fact concerns Nick Offerman. Both his Libertarian turn in Parks and Recreation, Ron Swanson, and his romantic survivalist at the end of the world in The Last of Us, Bill, are seen with Gadsden flags in their possession.) Having shifted millions of albums worldwide since its release in 1991, you’d have to say that Metallica has as broad a valency as Gadsden’s flag. People click with it; “Enter Sandman”, “Sad but true”, “Nothing else matters” – these are songs that the numbers indicate it’s safe to assume someone will like by default. And yet … Few records elicit as many groans for me as this. Time and again I’m left begging them to get on with it, assuring them I get it, willing them to play “Master of the puppets” instead. From the often turgid lyricism to the lame use of an orchestra (something they doubled down on in the utterly fucking woeful S&M) this is exactly the sort of album you’d expect a thrash band who want to make some money to make. (That they chose to do it under the watchful eye of Motley Crüe’s producer itself tells you plenty.) It’s profoundly big enough and profoundly bad enough, unfortunately, to bring us back to Gadsden’s flag. Shorn of any properly political dimension – seriously, just try to bleed any actual perspective or insight out of the macho fightin’ talk on this record – the snake’s nobly pugnacious sentiments feel only sneering. Bellicose. Stupid. And to that end, perhaps Metallica is a fitting final form for the plucky serpent. Maybe that revolutionary spirit embodied by “Don’t tread on me” has now turned in on itself for good – coincidentally, Hetfield has said this record was the sound of the band turning “in”. Maybe the aggressive-seeming-but-ultimately-nonsensical snarl we hear on tracks across this record actually anticipates American exceptionalism’s collapse into American isolationism. It’s a bloody minded mentality; and this is music for picking fights to. Revolution. Independence. Expansion. Petulance. Ostracism. Sad but true.
One of my favourites of all Rock albums and most favourite of Metallica. Back in 1992, in post Soviet Ukraine, my best friend's sister came back from America as exchange student and brought Sony Walkman cassette player and this Metallica album, which I have never heard before. That was a shock to the system, sound quality and type of music you couldn't think of. That memory will stay with me for the rest of my life.
I actually don't mind Metallica.
Ape music
First song starts nostalgic and epic. Classic known track by the band. 10/10 song and great opener to the album. Epic solos and vocals. Second song starts heavy with guitars, and slow drums. Sounds groovy. Sounds really nice and similar vocals style to the first track. Halfway enters an epic solo. Third song starts interesting with drums and guitars, epic solo. Only gets better as the song goes on. Fourth song starts really nice and nostalgic, considering I've listened to it before. Song is a really nice and epic power ballad. One of their best songs ever, in my opinion. Fifth song sounds hauntingly really good at the starts. Becomes heavy and epic. Really great solos! Iconic and great song! Sixth song starts off upbeat yet heavy. Nice growls. Really good progressions. Seventh song starts nice with heavy guitars and drums. Great vocals. Epic riffs! Eighth song is a very iconic and nostalgic power ballad. No words, one of their best known songs ever. Truly a masterpiece! Ninth song starts really aggressive and epic with the guitars and drums. Sounds dark, in a good way. Tenth song starts grungy and sludgy, very nice. Not the usual heaviness, I like the variety between the songs. Sounds epic and a tad edgy. Nice end. Eleventh song starts suspenseful and interesting. Sounds underrated and really great with great melodies, riffs and epic solos. From 3:25 it becomes one the best songs. Twelfth and last song starts interesting with the drums and guitars. Epic riffs, and really good vocals. Amazing solos. 9.5 out of 10 rating. 5 out of 5 stars rating.
fukyeah
Another good record from Metallica.
I was in high school when this came out so I am condemned to know every single note on this thing. It's remarkable that every last track here got airplay where I live. But I never put this album on and I never really need to hear any of these songs. Master of Puppets is a 5 for me, so this has to be like a 3.
This feels like one of those albums that would grow on me on repeat listens, especially since that's what happened with the title track, "Enter Sandman."
Yup (5)
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.
Love this album. Total nostalgia
Hell yeah, brother
Not nearly as bad as people like to say it is. There are riffs here and the first few tracks really rock. But this is the far past their prime and there are way too many tracks on this.
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
“Enter Sandman” may be the best opening to an album ever. Afterwards this is just diminishing returns. 2/5
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.
5/10
was fiine
back again with another "what the hell, sure." I can admire that this album is sonically consistent and cohesive, even if it made me think that several of the individual songs were one big long one.
YESSS AT LAST!! The best Metallica album, with my favourite James Hetfield ad-lib, the iconic "YOHO" in Enter Sandman!! Perfection
Enjoyable, but I can't think of an album that's so ripe for parody.
Not my thing but I understand how this is an important album.
Classic Metallica! Easy 5 stars here. One of my favourite albums with so many absolute bangers. Nothing else matters is my favorite track
EPIC!
Really enjoyed it. They seem to have matured from thrash to more foot stompy riffs here. Not ashamed to give it a 5, and stand by my opinion that S&M is appalling
My favorite Metallica Album. Enter Sandman is still a classic.
Yeeeaaaheeaaaaggghhh
You hate this album because it’s too different from the earlier Metallica albums that you like. I hate this album because it’s too similar to the earlier Metallica albums that I also hate. We are not the same. Also, I’ve read a book before in my life. Which, I have to assume that as you are a Metallica fan is another way in which we differ.
My first album here! So appropriate!
7/10
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.
Already fond of this one.
Oh no, not more Metallica
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!
Bangers bangers bangers. Sett deg på en Harley Davidson og kjør gjennom midtvesten. Godt balansert album, egentlig alle de beste låtene til Metallica på en gang. Mega album, men litt repetitivt mot slutten
Why would someone like this
I really liked this - surprising!
Great album. Edging on 4, but metal/hard rock not really my bag anymore.
I remember when this album came out. I was in college and it was a huge release. One of the most commercial Metallica albums. I really enjoy this album.
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
Good album. Heard most of the songs before
LOVE THIS ALBUM.
I love how, if you walk into a musical instrument shop, there's nearly always someone playing the Enter Sandman riff to test out an electric guitar. If it's not a teenage customer, it's a staff member. It's a hugely satisfying riff, with a weirdly danceable rhythm. A bit like heavy goth, perhaps. Anyway. I've always loved Enter Sandman; it was love at first listen, and noone was more surprised than me, as my only prior feelings about Metallica were that I'd thoroughly disliked Master of Puppets when a keen boyfriend played it to me in 1987. Fast Metallica are still not for me. I'm much happier with the more measured, heavy riff stuff. Saying that, not all of this album is really all that good. Sorry. I found some of the songs a bit naff, despite the musical ability on display. Enter Sandman, The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters - they're all up my street. I guess I only like Metallica-lite, not that "lite" describes those songs very well.
When the best metal band in the world became the best rock band in the world. The black album is divisive for its departure in style from “classic” Metallica but its success is undeniable and well deserved. The songs become much slower and groovier while still having that Metallica edge to them. James’ vocals never stop cutting through the mix like a hot knife and the whole things just feels so good. There’s a reason Enter Sandman and Sad but True get played by even the most vanilla of rock n roll listeners. Metallica brought hard rock to the masses. This album is a gem of American music. All while having one of the worst professional drummers of all time.
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
There were many times in the album I was impressed by the writing and lyrics, but something internally in me just had a hard time taking a yelling man deeply seriously and earnestly as anything more than angry. Which is the reason I generally avoid metal anyways, but regardless I really liked a lot of it artistically because of the lyricism or musical riffs, I just wouldn’t listen for entertainment (such as holier than thou). Although overall I did like it more than I expected to. One favorite has got to be the unforgiven because it dealt with my issue with many of the other songs that there’s little to no variation in singing tone, and when he sings in the chorus of this song, along with a great guitar instrumental made it legitimately enjoyable for me.
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.
Great rock! Really got me in the zone.
I forgot what a great album it is loved it
Good
Their most accessible album…its metal with a pop side to it, but still classic Metallica. 5/5
Actually not bad, in some ways its got a folky vibe, pretty guitar riffs alongside driving rhythms. I didn't mind it!
I've never been a huge metal fan, but Metallica has always been a blast. Especially after yesterday's junk metal album, this was a treat. The guitar work in these songs is incredible, just a total romp from start to finish. Kicks off with the banger Enter Sandman. Continues on to more good songs, with breakouts The Unforgiven and Wherever I May Roam. And then Nothing Else Matter comes on, such an incredible song. Metallica is a great metal band, but if they ever got tired of that, they could totally make bank on power ballads. The rest of the album keep going strong. Not a bad song on the entire thing. Best song: Nothing Else Matters
4.1 2x some classics here
Well, I expected a bit more from this one. 'Enter Sandman' is amazing, such an iconic banger, but the rest of the album is a bit lacking. It's quite catchy, and not 'bad', but it just doesn't do enough for me.
finally growing beyond leaning on the ride the lightning tracklist as a structural crutch, metallica proceeds to replace it with No Structure At All aside from "well we should probably space out a couple ballads in here." tbf im not sure if there Is a structure that would allow for a more flattering presentation of such one-note material...all big stompy riff rockers way more mid tempo than they arent. i never thought of metallica as a super good proggy band but that level of ambition at the v least ensures that theres always a variety of distinct ideas. if i found all this fun or exciting it would make up for all this ofc, i like plenty of one note fun records, but whether thru overplay or just my disinterest in mid tempo stompers its just a big shrug from me. on a lot of levels this is genuinely a kind of artistic progress, they probably could not have escalated on their current path beyond what and justice for all offered and so cutting open a new path that takes advantage of the fact that metallica's songwriting sense has always had some amount of populist rock star appeal even when hung on something ambitious makes a lot of sense, beyond what the Selling Out narrative would necessarily imply. still, the exchange was not worth it for me, and im not even a big metallica fan to begin with. i accidentally wished for something stephen sondheim related on this list, and the monkey's paw gave me the west side story interpolation on the no step on snek song
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!
not the best metallica album
Fine
Would probably be more into this if I hadn't just heard all the hits from it two days ago on S&M. It's fine, it's Metallica. I'm always impressed with how technically proficient these guys are on their instruments.
Heavy Metal Rock, 1991 -> 3
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.
This is more like it. Classic album.
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.
Opens strong with riffs galore and wah powered solos flying in from every corner. Runs out of steam by the end of the album as the growls never cease. A lot to like but shave off 4 songs and things improve.
I never got the hype with Metallica.
Much nostalgia
A few good tracks but there's too much of the same to go higher than a 3
Reminded me of how, when I’m on a run, I’ll check the time every 20 seconds because I just want it to be over
A great album I never need to hear again since the radio and I played it to death in the 90s. The hits are amazing but there's a lot of sludgy chugging but decidedly not thrashing filler to go with them. This and, even more so Appetite for Destruction, are the pinnacle of hard rock and it's been radically diminishing returns ever since.
Fueron un hito, innegable mente en momentos difíciles del genero
One hour of Metallica is a lot of Metallica.
Not a fan. I have liked some of Metallica's earlier output, but this does nothing for me. Even worse, it actively puts me off. The singles -- Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters, The Unforgiven -- are the worst offenders, and feel responsible for the next 30 years of bad rock music.
7 year old me waiting by the TV to see the the "Enter Sandman" music video was super stoked to see this album pop up. My preference is thrash Metallica but a transition to more mainstream hard rock doesn't get much better than this. Absolutely classic album.
This era of Metal has always been the epitome of "I want to be a cool guy" music in my mind. When the spandex and leotards of Hair Metal stopped being cool, the cool guys wanted to be tough and flocked to Metallica. When Hip Hop became thoroughly mainstream, the dorks who were masquerading as tough guys suddenly tried to bite that and made the mistake of Nu Metal. This record, (aside from Limp Bizkit maybe), is the pinnacle of faux-cool-guy-music. I'm sure in its time this album was super cool. But, listening to it now, I only see PUG sunglasses, spiky hair gel, Tapout t-shirts, and my friend's weird dads that reeked of cigarettes and cheap beer. I don't dislike metal by any stretch. I love bands like Sabbath, Death, and a lot of death metal and hardcore of recent years - currently, I think the genre is in one of the best states it's ever been. This record has some solid performances (except for Lars) and good songwriting. However, the whole hour runtime just feels like a joke. They're playing characters, trying way too hard. It's pop music in black leather and chains pretending it isn't pop music. In conclusion, Lars sucks. 6/10
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)
Metal bias but so good. Pounding hard rock with some slower melodic tunes to show they aren’t just loud and shouty
Classic album
Not a fan
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 hated this. It just stinks alcohol-fueled racism and "she looked older than 13" . I just can't stand this vibe. It's not a 1 star because it's still an influential album.
I tried listening to this before 8 am. That was my mistake.
Охренеть. Какая же база! Да тут все треки могут залетать в топ-1001 трек за всю историю! Такого драйва, уничтожения я, наверно, никогда до этого не слышал! 6/5
Fine. Sandman and unforgiven. Feels pretty formulaic.
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
I got 3 songs in but it's just too much. I know this is good metal but even good metal to me still isn't very good. Too angry, too much shouting. The exact opposite of the type of listening experience I'm trying to have. 4.25/10 (2.125/5)
Ok, men gillar inte metal så mycket.
Just wrote a long review and lost it. Summary - my uncle listened to this in his nice car and it sounded great. Great production on this. Not into depressed rocking or spooky/death themes. Angry works (see RATM). Classic Rock generally is my kind of rock. Metallica is good gym music in spots. Throw a dumbell at someone in a heavy metal frenzy. I may have been wrong about Sitar on Screaming Trees, but there is for sure one here on Where I May Roam.
Even though whether something rocks or not is a big part of my evaluation rubric, Metallica rocks and I still hate them. I think it's because they are usually rocking about how mad or frustrated they are - which just isn't something I want to rock about. I want to rock about hot chicks or Lord of the Rings or deaf blind pinball players or even the Devil as a proxy for my frustrations or aggression. I don't want to rock about emotional problems so directly. To me, Metallica is emo for mad dudes. Giving an extra star because Enter Sandman rocks the way I wanna rock.
If there is a hard rock/metal band that is critically acclaimed and has found mainstream success while still being respected in all circles, its Metallica. This album is damn good. I skipped Enter Sandman because its a meme now. The rest of this project is freakishly perfect. Nothing Else Matters and The Unforgiven are all timers and definitely deserve their place in the greatest songs of all time. One tidbit: Only one of my friends in grade school had parents that were cool enough to be hardcore christians and Metallica fans. Gloria’s minivan was my early exposure to this music One last tidbit because this was our weekend album and that inherently makes me care more to write it I went to Oracle Park for the Napa valley wildfire benefit show. Dave Matthews opened for Dead and Co who opened for Metallica. One of my favorite show memories of all time was the sound check before Metallicas set. The dude testing Lars’ drum equipment was having so much fun teasing the crowd
As a fan of the 1990s-2000s New York Yankees, Enter Sandman gets me fucking jacked up. 3 stars on the board right out of the gate. MARIANO RIVERA IS COMING TO TURN OUT THE LIGHTTTTSSSSSAAAAAHHHHHH Otherwise, their run-of-the-mill metal songs (85% of the album) just feel like noise to me. (One exception: I liked The Unforgiven as a nice change of pace from the DUNDUNDUNDUNDUNDUN guitar on pretty much every other song). For my metal money, I'll take a wailing Iron Maiden over a growling/snarling Metallica. At least Iron Maiden feels whimsically fascinated with the devil. Metallica just feels self-serious in a pathetic way. Stop trying to impress me with how tough you are Fun fact: Lars Ulrich's son is my wife's patient and she says he's a really nice guy [sorry for violating HIPAA but it's just braces]. I also just love that this fuckin METALHEAD lives in beautiful Marin County. Hey Lars!
Metallica definitely rocks but also kind of sucks (by my taste). The music is okay, though all kind of feels the same rhythmically. Hetfield’s singing grates on me big time, adding an extra grunting syllable to words, I don’t get it.
Quintessential Metallica (if you weren't a thrash metal fan). Departing the thrash metal scene, they turned their attention to Hard Rock (Heavy Rock etc), and boy, did they deliver on this album. Definitely their best non-thrash album and this album again helped change metal/hard rock into the 90s.
Very generic and mainstream
Classic. Brilliant heavy metal album
-I’ll preface this by saying I don’t think I’ll ever really be able to get THAT into heavy metal, especially the more mainstream / ever so slightly corny stuff like Megadeath (sorry) -this has some great highlights though. Enter Sandman absolutely fucks, and the other songs are pretty consistently good across the board even if not many of them spoke to me -Favorites are Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters, and My Friend of Misery
First half phenomenal; second half tolerable. But damn, what a first half.
I mean, it's Metallica... I'm not in high school and I wasn't born yet in the '80s so they don't really do anything for me. It's fine, and I did like some of the songs back when I was in high school (Unforgiven, Sandman, etc.), but I'd never listen to it now. It gets a 3.
Meh. Nothing special here. I could understand it feeling a little more cutting edge at the time but I think this is pretty generic and bland as metal goes. Favorite track: N/A Saved songs: Nothing Else Matters
Enter Sandman, Nothing else matters… what a great album! Still love it.
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."
Thank you album gods for listening to my plea for more metal. We got one of the best. Wasn't into Met Alicia originally..using that spelling because that's how I thought you pronounced it in 7th grade...but I sure jumped on the bandwagon here. And I'm ok with that.
Favorite Metallica album: Ride the Lightning. Most exciting album and live show: Metallica Black Album I was ride or die for Jason Newstead and the magic he brought to the band. The Black album showed their complexity and ability to be more than garage dwelling head bangers. The last great hard rock album by a classic band.
Classic metal. Nice.
9/10 This is among the first albums I owned as a kid. I don't know music without it. I don't listen to it daily anymore, but I still love it. 1-24-2025
Metallica good.
Now this is real music right here.
Every note of this is burned into my cortex.
Best metal album of all time!
6/10
One of my favorites and the first album I bought on tape to listen to on my walkman
Fucking awesome
- 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
NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO enter sandman- 3 sad but true- 3 holier than thou- 3 the unforgiven- 2 or 3 where ever I may roam- 3 don't tread on me- 2 or 3 through the never- more like nether. my bad. 3 nothing else matters- 3 enough I can't do this yall
2/1089 - Not a fan of Hetfield's voice or Metal in general. Can cut 30 seconds off the start of many songs without losing coherence. However, the Enter Sandman riff is cool and the music is overall well produced/competently made. Solos are alright.
Bit same-y after a while, also sick ass guitar riffs. Enter Sandman really is best here.
Heard this album before and again today but I still am really ehhhh on Metallica.
Awesome album. Loved it. Made kaitlyn listen to it
Wow - a Milestone
Takes me back to my youf.
3/5 Listenable; more melodic that I had expected.
one of the best metal albums
Favs were nothing else matters, of wolf and man, and struggle within
Solid.
This is what having a can of Monster Energy as your stepdad sounds like
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
after so many years of listening to rock radio in the car with my dad I don't know how much metallica I've listened to, I love metallica tbh and enter sandman top 10 songs of history
*very little music. Mostly noise and screaming.
This is the third Metallica album that has popped up for me in my first 20 days. The first two were beyond awful, sounding more like a cliched attempt to spoof Spinal Tap itself rather than a good-faith attempt to make interesting music. This album's actually pretty good. It has some standard heavy metal numbers, but it also has a lot of variety, and it held my attention. I'd listen to it again.
Less bad than the previous Metallica albums. Still bad.
Childhood me was excited to listen again. Unfortunately, it doesn’t hold up. I know it’s cultural importance and all that, but this just might be the last time I listen on purpose.
I understand they are a big band and loved by many.... But I struggled to get past the 4th song. Guff.
I mean, it’s Metallica. Absolutely epic sound.
Classic
Legend
I should have given Metallica a try before now. This album was so good. Lars’ percussion is amazing. The technical skill of all the band members is amazing.
I enjoy Metallica but not adore it. This album encompasses all of their high abilities of playing guitar great, singing great, and having great lyrics.
This album is just straight bangers. Some of their most famous songs on here. I mean "Enter Sandman" is just such a great way to open an album, such a phenomenal song. I've said it before and I'll say it again, James Hetfield is one of the greatest rhythm guitarists of all time and really shines on this album. So much of this album is done so well, the instrumentation fits so well with the lyrics and the feel. Phenomenal album with riffs that hit concrete hard.
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
Quintessential metal album. My introduction to metal and a big bonding album between me and my father
Very good singles and deep-cuts, but God, Metallica is overrated af. I love The Unforgiven and Sad But True, but Nothing Else Matters sucks tbh.
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.
In retrospect, listening to this while answering Slack messages was probably not the best environment for this album
Awful
Rips
Iconic album, but I can't really get past the gravelly screechy style of vocals for this genre. Most songs sound similar to me...I considered whether I should give up on the album early, but I think I need to stick to listening through the full albums.
Great instrumentation. Could not take any of the vocals seriously. Nothing else matters saved it from a 2 star
Sandman is cool, the rest is Metallica at their mediocre best.
Iconic tracks. Was never that into Metallica during my long haired days but there are some of their songs on their earlier albums I really like. This one doesn't have any standouts for me and can be a bit one-pace for large periods. 2.5
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.
Absolutely brilliant album
10/10 forever
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
Sick
Några riktigt bra låtar :)
Not bad. Not for me. I like Metallica in smaller doses. After 5 songs I'm tired of it
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.
Kind of boring overall
I'm shocked that I didn't hate this.
4/5 stars
esta ok
Legendary classic! This one is awesome top to bottom, and has got some great singles. One of my all time favorites.
It's THE metallica album, I've heard it before, of course shit slaps
Super
Never been a Metallica fan :/
Good stuff
I used to play this one a lot back when. I didn't listen to it when it came up because I have overplayed it. It's nice now and then for a song on the radio, but I don't know that I could sit through another Metallica album. I used to be their top fan... and went to this concert actually. :P
I owned that one back then. It's much slower and less aggressive than their older releases, but still undeniably Metallica. There are many great and classic Metallica hits, but the rest are also excellent.
Wow. It was alright, but nothing too great. Enter Sandman was easily. the highlight. I am so sick of rock man :'}. Dear 1001 Album Generator gods, STOP GIVING ME ROCK ALBUMS. Anyway, tomorrows the last day of 2024, lets hope its a good one. 3/5
Je suis un grand fan de Metallica depuis 'Kill 'em All'. Mais j'ai été terriblement déçu par '...And Justice For All' (mixage mauvais mais surtout énergie des albums précédents totalement perdue). 'Metallica' m'a fait totalement abandonner le groupe : les racines trash ont presque totalement disparu, et c'est exactement ce qui m'avais attiré dans les albums précédents ! Cette nouvelle écoute n'y a rien changé ... =>2/5
great great album
Not a fan of Metallica. Saw them at Bonnaroo about 12 years ago. Not my jam. I suppose with a gun to my head this would be the album of theirs that I'd listen to. I did enjoy the reissue they put out a year or two ago with other artists covering tracks from it. Highlights included Jason Isbell's "Sad But True" and Phoebe Bridgers "Nothing Else Matters".
Rock on \m/
Haven't listened to "my favorite" Metallica album in years. Don't quite know if it exactly holds up. I'll admit it lost my attention mid way through. But the speedy songs at the end were pretty solid and got me back in, it's still really good honestly 6.5/10 . Solid riffs
+++ wherever i may roam, of wolf and man --- the unforgiven, nothing else matters i’ve never been in love with metallica’s sound. everything is showy and impressive, but because they have inspired so much and ARE so foundational im a little bored by them because i’ve heard so much of the same thing. despite that, i’ve always loved their lyrics and despite how much i don’t click with the music it is like. objectively impressive. i do enjoy the heavier stuff quite a bit more.
Enter Sandman Sad But True The Unforgiven Wherever I May Roam Nothing Else Matters
Starts off with a great classic song but then feels like a very one tone album. They have a fast song and a slow song and the guitars always chug in the same rhythm and it's all very samey.
4.5
Perfectly awful.
Turns out I know more Metallica than I thought I did
Favourite songs: Of Wolf and Man, Holier Than Thou, Nothing Else Matters, Enter Sandman, Sad But True, Wherever I May Roam, Through the Never, The Unforgiven, The God That Failed Least favourite songs: none 5/5
Me niego a escuchar a estos mword
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.
One of the nice things about this list is that it isn't ranked; it's just a bunch of albums that have been deemed influential or noteworthy or whatever. While I have some quibbles about what is and isn't on the list, at least I can't argue with the ranking of any particular album. Another nice thing about this project is the Wikipedia blurbs on here, which tell you that according to Rolling Stone, this album is only the 235th best album of all time which, quite frankly, is bullshit. Yet another nice thing about this project is it helps me appreciate the fact that I'm not a professional music critic, which allows me to maintain sane opinions on music. Yeah, I'm not going to give you detailed descriptions of why certain songs are great, and I don't have every album ever made as a comparison point in my mental catalog...but I can very easily tell you that this album fucking rocks. 235th? Get outta here. I know Metallica is not for everyone and we all spent a few years shitting on Lars for the crime of wanting to get paid for a living, but this album is unassailably great. 5.0
It is very difficult to not give this a 5. I listened to it twice. The first time was at work in the background and it was a wonderful tardis that too my back to the old days. The second time was in the dark, with headphones, after a few, and I was bored to tears by Holier Than Thou. With 33 years of history with this record being my gateway into metal, I have hear way to many higher quality performances and would rather be listening to any of those. I will never forget how important this record is. But some members of the rhythm sections should not be in charge of the mix, and more creative in their job.
This is certainly not the Metallica of the previous four albums of fast and furious thrash metal. This is certainly a more hard rock effort, but it's the perfect blend. It's not quite heavy enough for people who hate heavy metal to dislike it, but it's just heavy enough for metalheads to enjoy. It's a head banger of an album. Lars Ulrich’s drums sound like artillery and machine gun fire, James Hetfield sounding fantastic as usual. I've always loved his vocals. Every riff is good, every solo is good. The singles are brilliant. 'Enter Sandman' and 'Nothing Else Matters' being the most popular and for good reason. They are a solid hard rock song and a really nice ballad respectively. 'Sad But True' and 'The Unforgiven' are slow and plodding but in the best way possible. I have to say though, there are a couple of tracks that could have also been chosen as singles and they would have been up there with Metallica's most played. 'The Struggle Within' is very catchy with a great solo and 'Don't Tread On Me' is a heavy one that chugs along really nicely and probably has the catchiest chorus on the whole album. People say Metallica sold out with this album. In my opinion, if you stick with your signature sound, people will call you stale and you write the same song over and over (Motörhead, AC/DC, Slayer) but if you try and change your sound a bit people will call you a sell out, so you can't win either way. You write what you are feeling at the time and this is what came out, and I for one think it's a brilliant album, thrash metal or not.
The gateway drug album to metal.
Enter night.
Not a fan but appreciate Enter Sandman, especially as someone who lived in NYC when Mariano Rivera was the Yankees' superstar closer and would walk on to this song.
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 a fan. Some of the songs were fine but nearly all of them went on a bit too long.
Has more creativity and ideas than many metal albums I will rate higher than it, so I have to commend it for that, it just doesn't have songwriting or production good enough to match, guitar should be louder. B
Not my kind of music.
Enjoyable.
Not not normally my go-to for ;listening music, but Metallica never fails
Absolute classic in the hard rock genre. Great songs in enter sandman and the unforgiven
By pure coincidence I had "... And Justice for All" two days ago. Two very different Metallica albums but I liked them both a lot. The "Black Album" is less speed/trash and more accessible, with even a metal ballad (of which I'm not usually a fan, but Nothing Else Matters is good). Lots of stonkers/classics on this album. And unlike "... And justice for all", this album is beautifully produced, it sounds great at all volumes with a solid rhythm section and powerful but not shrill guitars. Stunning album.
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!
A couple of classics, but a bit slow
Good guitar, innit. Favourite track: The Unforgiven.
ну да круто.. но никогда не чувствовала металлику хз.. может щас получится. для меня это какой то рок для подростков и мужиков хз нет не хочу это час слушать…. 3 песни послушала и достаточно
Fucking amazing 🤘🤘🤘
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.
Metallica - Metallica (1991) I wonder if there is a method to the madness of musicians when it comes to deciding where and when they will simply do their self-titled album? Is it an unmistakable mission statement of the band and its style? Does it come later on in a career when a group wants to return to its roots? When you want to make a cheeky Beatles reference? Or do you save it for a rainy day when you can't be stuffed thinking of a cool name for your album? Coming out of listening to this, I wasn't any closer to understanding the answer to the previous question. But I certainly had a good time with what I heard. I'm not really a Metallica fan, I hadn't grown up with them. My exposure to them was usually through their big hits, as well as pop culture and cultural osmosis. While some of the tried old bits about them being bland or safe metal felt a bit appropriate at times while listening to this. I don't think I can really diss an album where the most negative feeling I had coming out of one of its songs was 'eh, that was kinda good'. There are some really awesome tracks on here, with all of my highlights having some segments (particularly with the guitars) that I just loved. If I had any real negatives to say it would be that my least favourite song was also the closing song of the album. Not exactly the best to wrap up with in my opinion but at least I can always just ignore it on repeated listens. I also can't hold that against the rest of the albums quality. Highlights: The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters, Enter Sandman, The God That Failed
HI ITS DAVE AND FUCKO IN THE MORNING HERE ON TRIPLE M THAT WAS THE FOOEYS WITH THE BEST OF YOU TO KICK OFF YOUR MORNING ON THE JOBSITE TODAYS TOPIC OF DISCUSSION - HOW EARLY IS TOO EARLY TO GET DRUNK CALL IN AND LET US KNOW NEXT UP IS METALLICA WITH NOTHING ELSE MATTERS, ONE OF THREE METALLICA SONGS WE PLAY EVERY FUCKING DAY
A couple good singles, even a good album at times but it fails to come together 6/10 Fav tracks - Sad but True, The Unforgiven, the God that failed
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
First listen. Heard the big hits before. The rest was kind of just ok. Regardless not a bad album.
Najlepsza piosenka: Enter sandman Fajna solówka w połowie my friend of mistery. Cudowny cudowny teskt do Sad but True Ogólnei dobra muzyka, ale trochę zbyt mało fun dla mnie w tym momencie, słaby dzień na hard rock. 6/10 na dzisiaj
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???
Personally I like their earlier work. The later work doesn’t have the same grit. This album is considered the midpoint for me. I can’t deny the greatness of it but it represents a more mainstream version of the previous music from them. Still 5 stars tho.
Love Sandman. But rest is ok
I won't sugar coat this, I do NOT like Metallica! There are so many reasons to hate this band. Their music is a compromised combination of a bunch of long haired rockers trying to continue to be..."hard rocking" and making music that appeals to confused and naive people that think this is cool and actually hard rocking. I hate their singer, never did and never will and Lars Ulrich is a entitled twerp, not only for being the driving force, along with the band to take down peer to peering sharing because his "livelihood was at stake", but mainly because he sucks as a drummer. I have nothing against the other guys in the band, but overall the music is shitty (I'm guessing the 16.4 million people that bought this album will disagree, or not?) and overrated and even though it has that unfortunate ear-worm, "Enter Sandman" on this record, it is not hard to hate. The ultimate sellout band.
Definitely a 'have to hear'. Even if you don't like all the songs, deserves a 5 for production/sound.
One of the besrt albums!
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.
отошли от трэш метала, сделали продукт для масс. даже баллад насували сюда. но я никогда феномена металлики не понимал
First heard of and saw this lot as a support band in 83. Really didn't rate them. They have however come on in leaps and bounds since then. Either that or I have mellowed in my opinions. I have seen them since at a fans only gig in the dome where they were quite reasonable. This album, known as the black album, is quite a decent one. Kicking off with probably their best known song Enter Sandman. Other than that there are two bright spots, Sad But True and Nothing Else Matters. The rest was mediocre. It's worth a high 3, but doesn't quite rate a 4.
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.
The heady days of 1991 when grunge had become a thing in the public consciousness with 'Nevernind', so what does the masters of metal do? Go commercial! Just to put it out there, I hated metal, it's culture, it's clothes, all of it at the time. So what did I make of Metal lite? Its very good, listenable, tuneful, with a bite. I hate that odd metal vocal thing they all do, but apart from that it's a low 5. Yes I'm giving a Metallica album a 5.
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!
When this album came out, I disliked it immediately. Mainly due to the fact that Enter Sandman was being played NON-STOP on every medium available to assault my ears. Granted, it's a good song, but overexposure caused me to really dislike this whole album. I was big into Metallica and especially thought their Cliff Burton works (Kill 'Em All, Ride the Lightning, Matser of Puppets) were brilliant and probably their best work. I did like And Justice for All a lot as well, and thought it was their most polished piece of work, and they finally got attention from MTV with their video for the song "One". When the Black Album came out, it was non stop hype. I bought the CD the first day it was available and listened to it all. I was impressed with a couple of tunes, but overall I hated it compared to their older works. Over time, I've listened to this album more and more and have grown to appreciate all of it. It's not their best, nor is it ground breaking in anything other than putting a heavy metal band in the mainstream media's eyes. Can't Miss Tracks: Sad But True Wherever I May Roam Of Wolf and Man Nothing Else Matters 3.25/5 which translates to a 3/5 on this scale.
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.
There are some classics in here, but it also feels a bit samey and cringy. You can see why this appeals to 12 year olds
Can’t have sex to it
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.
I fail to understand why this album is here. Awful.
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.
Now THIS is metal at its finest. I haven’t listened to much metal, but Napalm Death left some pretty bad first impressions on me. But THIS is incredible! Can’t believe I’m doing this. But I’m rating this a 5. Great album.
¡VINILAZO!
The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters ...aún así ...
Best thing about this is that VT uses Sandman before every home game. Wherever I may Roam is great, but there are too many ballads and slow songs here. Not my Metallica of old. I get it, bands evolve but they evolved off my turntable.
Put off listening to this to re-listen to Getz/Gilberto. This is no doubt a great album, even though I'm not really in the mood for it.
pretty good!
not my thang
Enter Sandman just about ok. The rest is just noise
Alright, I’m glad to finally knock this one off the list and put it behind me. I’ve been avoiding it forever because I’m absolutely sick of it. Yes, I know Metallica is talented, and yes, this was a groundbreaking album that sold a ton of copies. I agree with all of that, but none of it changes the fact that this album annoys the hell out of me. After hearing it a thousand times over the last 30 years, 990 times was just too many! Oh, and if we count this listen, make that 991 too many times!
It's hard not to see crowds of fans in my head when hearing this album. It's good artistic work, but I really don't like what it created.
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.
The Black Album. The album that catapulted Metallica into the mainstream, but also alienated a lot of their fans due to the change in sound. I'm one of those weird people that was already a fan (I came on board with the Justice album) yet still loved this album.
The Black Album!! been a while since i got a 5 star one recently Favorite track: nothing else matters other picks: Enter Sandman, sad but true, unforgiven, whereever i may roam
Good Stuff
Metallica slow down (mostly) and simplify, trading their thrash metal sound for more of a big hard rock sound with greater mass appeal and more introspective lyrics. Some solid riffs and still plenty of intensity, just a different type of intensity that's subtler and more internal. It’s a good album but I also find it to get a bit boring, as there’s not as much variety (riff/tempo/rhythm changes that existed in previous Metallica albums) to hold my attention completely. Perhaps it was influential to metal bands to show they could have a broader, non-thrashy approach. Sometimes the results are strong but also sometimes unimpactful. It just doesn’t rip as hard as their earlier stuff.
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
Couple bangers, the rest just okay rock.
Epic album! What an opening as well with Enter Sandman! The heaviness of the drums and the guitar riff. 100% platinum headbang material. And the guitar solos... damn... flawless.
Being in the middle of raising teen boys, I was familiar with this band. Although it wasn't my kind of music, I can enjoy it now, especially since it is not their earlier loud and obnoxious music. This album is tamed in comparison and listenable.
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
Tämä on musiikkia ihmisten kuunneltavaksi samalla kun haaveilee 500 kilon penkkipunnistelusta, pelin voittavasta touchdownista, Eiffel-korkeasta Pamela Andersonista ja pommituksesta (kuulostaako "Lars Ulrich" epäilyttävän eurooppalaiselta eli kommilta?). Mutta sitten he avaavat silmänsä ja huomaavat murskaneensa perheen ämpärin KFC:tä ja murskaneensa 12 pakkauksen vaaleaa olutta huutaen televisiolle ja käskemällä lihavaa vaimoaan yrittää näyttää kauniilta silloin tällöin. Jos Flavortownilla olisi soundtrack, se olisi tämä albumi. Vuohenparkin polttoaineena pommi-piste-com-räjähdys tukahdutettua seksuaalisuutta. Valot sammuvat herkullisesti. heh. lihava vaimo heh. minun ''favorite genre'' osioon kuuluu: indie, punk sekä pop. tämä henkilö on ainutlaatuinen yksilö jolla vähän oudompi musiikkimaku heh... my friend of misery
I don't care if this album *partly* abandoned the speed metal / thrash metal style found on all previous Metallica LPs. It's true that if you really love that particular genre, the handful of songs that follow that old template here are not as good as the ones included in *Master Of Puppets* or *Ride The Lightning*. The thrash metal stuff is only here to energize the tracklist. It's with the slower cuts -- both *each and *every* heavier number and *each and every* ballad that this record made a lasting impact. To be more specific, if only for *Sad But True*, *The Unforgiven* and *Nothing Else Matters*, this album should be in the list. And then you have the absolutely *iconic* opener, "Enter Sandman", whose main riff is up there with Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water" and Led Zeppelin's "Whole Lotta Love" in the podium of the most significant heavy riffs of all time. Under that light it doesn't really matter if the last two songs of this admittedly lengthy album are a bit of a letdown--thereby preventing me from giving it a perfect grade. The Black Album could have ended right before that, with the confessional, yet also angular and tough "The God That Failed" (pretty moving if you know Kirk's very personal source of inspiration here), and still manage to be equally impactful. Besides, Bob Rock's shrewd and glossy production, along with Metallica's more streamlined and adequate music writing, quickly managed to erase the tragic memory of *And Justice For Jason Newsted*, er, excuse me, *...For All*, from most fans of good music -- except from a subset of die-hard fans of the very bizarre genre that "progressive metal" is. Won't listen to a metal album where the bass is indiscernible, that's for sure. Here, for this album, every instrument, and each instrumental touch, slaps as they should, at least .. I've used the word "impact" or "impactful" on two occasions in my paragraphs up there, and this shouldn't hide the fact that this historical record also marked the start of a downward slope in the band's trajectory, very ironically. Embracing your full commercial potential is sometimes a dead end on an artistic level. Yet the Black Album's influence should never be underestimated. Without the melodicism of "The Unforgiven", or Kirk Hammett's stellar vocal performance on "Sad But True" (maybe heavily edited by Bob Rock?), you wouldn't have System Of A Down a decade later, for instance. But I guess that's a story for another time, kiddies! 4/5 for the purposes of this list of essential albums. To which, exceptionally, I will add 0.5 points for "Enter Sandman"'s iconic riff. And as usual, I will round up my 4.5 grade to 5 9/10 for more general purposes (5 + 4) Number of albums left to review: 11 (plus the 80-ish extra LPs listed on this app, included because different past versions of the book have mentioned albums that have since been dropped in subsequent editions) Number of albums from the list I find relevant enough to be mandatory listens: 426 (including this one) Albums from the list I *might* include in mine later on: 254 Albums from the list I won't include in mine: 313
5, няма какво
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
Not really my thing but totally fine. Some catchy enough bits and pieces and I imagine that if I spent more time with it I’d probably get into it a bit more.
The first half is actually pretty strong...I surprisingly found myself enjoying it. Metallica can write surprisingly catchy tunes. 3.5/5
Not for me
"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.
Absolute classic!
listened to again i recognize it's a classic but i still struggle to like it
Fine. Not a particularly big fan of Metallica.