...And Justice For All

A thrash classic but not one I particularly enjoy and weaker than the other meticallica I've heard. Very hot take but for me metal is a genre improved by modern production and a lot (but definitely not all) of modern metal is a lot more creative than this, although I respect its massive influence in providing a gateway and bringing metal to the mainstream.

Some great solos.

Not my style

Possibly the peak of Metallica coin flip between this and master of puppets.

OK, but none of the hits. And quite over stylised some might say.

Pretty epic and interesting lyrics but just can’t stand the vocals

There's no questioning that Metallica rocks, but their propensity for long instrumental breaks starts feeling self-indulgent pretty quickly. "Dyers Eve" is the *shortest* track at 5:14, and with the exception of "Harvester of Sorrow," the rest of the songs are no shorter than 6:45 (and two songs clock in at just under 9:50). But hey, this album's got "One" on it, which gets my vote for the most depressing music video ever, so yay? Bottom line: this album's good, but I would have enjoyed it more if they'd rocked approximately 1-5 minutes less on each song.

This is obviously a solid metal album, I'm just not a huge metal fan. I can appreciate it but I doubt I'll find myself coming back to this album to listen to it all the way through again. The run time was also pretty lengthy for 9 tracks, which means that the tracks start to get a bit repetitive to a first time listener of the album. Standout Tracks: ...And Justice for All, Eye of the Beholder, One

10th November 2022 Listened while working from home. Out for dinner at Stroud Italian place in the evening. Very loud, politically savvy metal with rushing drums and thrumming bass.

This is so extremely Metallica

This is the FOURTH METALLICA ALBUM ON THIS LIST and listen up, friends, it's the most generic one yet. It's metal for people who don't like metal! Or good music! Or thinking! Or breathing through their nose! I'm not going to give this a one. It's entirely inoffensive, and pretty easy on the ears. I'm also a fan, funnily enough, of the song "one", so that saves this from getting a 2. I'd probably go 2.5 but I'll round up.

As a teenager, this used to be my favourite Metallica album. An underrated gem that goes balls to the wall and works wonders when your exercising. And while it's still a great listen in my 20s, it's their 5th best album. Ride the Lightning should replace Justice on this list. Overall the production tarnishes the quality of ...And Justice For All which limits how often I listen to this. The live at Seattle concert on the deluxe is a highly recommended listen and a better experience as it captures the albums best songs along with needed bass. When it goes hard, it goes hard. Blackened and the title track make a great one-two punch start and showcases how progressive Metallica could be. Dyer's Eve is an electric closer while One is truely one of their best songs. I used to not care for Harvester of Sorrow as a teen, but it has since grown on me along Metallica's other slow heavy tracks like Sad But True. Frayed Ends of Sanity and Shortest Straw on the other hand were ones I used to hail as underrated gems, but now can see they were too long for their own good and don't fit well with the bone-dry production. To Live is to Die has it's moments and presents the only space where you can hear bass, but it's definitely not their best instrumental by far. Eye of the Beholder has a great intro but is a pretty week song following its first verse. To summarise, a powerful album but its production, lack of bass and a few songs needing editing makes it flawed.

Some cool riffs but overall not really my cup of tea. They call it ..and justice for all and probably should start with justice for bass since the bass guitar doesn't exist and the bass drum is squeezed so much that it sound incredibly tiny

My disposition regarding metal hasn't changed...rarely am I in a mood that I think "Oh, you know what would pair well with this...some metal..." However, on that rare occasion, it is mostly Metallica that I turn to, and this album does contain one track that has always drawn me in. That track in One. Other than that, it sounds much like other Metallica to me. So, I have no appreciation for what about this album is something I must listen to that others didn't already provide me. But now I have and I am all the better for it?

I found this hard to get through and skipped to other Metallica songs on other albums. Not sure what was revolutionary about this - they have 4 albums on this chart which makes me wonder what genres they all fall into. Maybe I need to spend more time with this on repeat mode?

Some classic Metallica songs but really lack any low end

Depending on who you ask, this is Metallica's last great album. This also happens to be the first Metallica album without founding bassist Cliff Burton, after his untimely death in 1986. By all accounts, ...And Justice For All spells out Metallica's transition away from their thrash roots into simply heavy metal. Compared to their previous albums, I can certainly start to hear the band slip a bit in terms of quality. While still similar to Master of Puppets in terms of overall sound, the songwriting here just isn't as good. Where it's good, though, it's phenomenal. Blackened proves that they've still go an ear for good thrash. One is easily the standout track though, with a slow and tender start that leads into headbanger that kicks ass. Perhaps one of their best songs that demonstrates Metallica's ability for range while still playing into their strengths for speed and catchy riffs. I dread discussing the mix but it warrants some mention. After Burton's death, a new bassist was brought in to fill some big shoes. Jason Newsted took the mantle, and while his contributions are appreciated, he is barely heard in this mix. The lower end is mostly dominated by Hetfield's chunky riffs, which leaves little room for proper bass tones from an actual bass guitar. What was once a foundational part of Metallica's sound has been stripped away. The end result is a drier, flatter sound that persists throughout the entire album. While I believe in listening to original album mixes when available, I would also encourage listeners to seek out the bootleg fan remix ...And Justice for Jason. Make your own judgements about the bass mix, see what you think. Regardless, a mix cannot always make the songs better. ...And Justice For All is a great album that is marred by unmemorable songs, bringing the whole experience down for me as a result. Unfortunately this marks a decline in Metallica's discography, making it all the more disappointing as we lose the consistent level of quality found on the first three albums. Metal was never the same after that.

Starts aggressive and urgent and doesn't really shift gears for an hour. Whether that's good or bad depends on the person and the day. Favorites Blackened and of course One. Honorable mention: The Frayed Ends of Sanity.

“One” is the bomb, and the rest is good.

Who isn’t at least a little bit familiar with Metallica? My familiarity mostly comes from a mix of Guitar Hero, and local bands covering Master Of Puppets when I was still a youngling. Song I already knew: One, Harvester Of Sorrow Favourites after listening: One, Eye Of The Beholder This started off pretty strong. I don’t think I was ever going to love it because it’s just not my kind of music, but I was enjoying the first half of the album. However, as it went on there seemed to be a lot of… well, nothing. Just chugging away on guitars with solos that didn’t really serve any purpose aside from “hey guy, look at how good I am.” Also, as much as I enjoyed Eye Of The Beholder, it is hard not to laugh at how James Hetfield sings. “Freedom of choice is made for you, my frienDAH!!” It’s kinda unintentionally funny for most of the album.

...and justice for Jason. This album sounds bad. I feel asleep on the bus listening to it.

One!!

What is there to say? Even as someone who vaguely enjoys Metallica, I would've never sat down and listened to this front to back but happy I did.

I like it - I couldn't listen to it for too long in one sitting, especially as the songs are all quite long, but it's hard rocking, and some good riffs in there.

Not my favorite album honestly closer to a 2.5 but that’s my subjective opinion. I know nothing about art

This was a solid entry into the annals of metal, but certainly not Metallica's best. In-between Master of Puppets and Metallica, Justice for All feels like it falls a bit flat. Hetfield's vocals feel washed out, the guitar riffs don't quite speak to me, and the bass was not very present, but the theme of the album shines through strongly and the lyrics paint a vivid picture of corruption and injustice.

👎

Heard one, heard them all. No bass line left me feeling there was no soul in the music.

Okay album

Heavy but thoroughly enjoyable - the longers songs I would likely have skipped

I dunno, if you're going to go all in for power to the point where you completely forgo melody, you really oughta make sure your drums don't sound like *that*, and the bass guitar should do something other than be in complete lockstep with the rhythm guitar. Can you even tell it's there? What's left are chunky as hell guitars, some nice solos, some cool tempo and timing changes, and some very self-serious vocals. The songs are so long that I find myself liking parts of songs, but no individual song as a whole. I love the solo in the title track for example, but thats like 7 minutes into the song, and when it goes away, it's replaced by some sparse drums that, even if they sounded good, just don't do enough to take center stage, and are a pointless part of a song pushing 10 minutes. I reckon I could enjoy a Metallica album. The chunky riffs, the attempt at oppressive atmosphere, the unreasonable song lengths, and the self-seriousness that's constantly has you second guessing as to whether its parody or not. This album doesn't get there for me though.

Outside of a few big mainstream songs or hearing them at house parties, I've never sat down and listened to Metallica. There is a lot of awesome guitar and bass and some very nice passages and sections that I listened to a few times, but I just didn't enjoy much outside of that. The vocals don't do anything for me and often I was waiting for them to stop. I really didn't like the mixing of the drums, very sterile and thin, almost like a drum machine. I actually thought it was a drum machine, until reading up on the production of the album.

ok

I don’t see why I needed to listen to this before I died. I can appreciate hard rock / metal / whatever you want to define this album as. But I felt like it all kind of blended together and was just ok. Not bad music, that’s for sure. But nothing really struck me about it.

Long break, catching up.

Listened to on 8/10/22 3/5 Favorite song: Blackened 9 minutes is too long for a song where I’m just getting yelled at - none of their hits were on this album

loud and relentless, but that's on brand

Enjoyed it more than I expected. A few songs really slap and have a nice groove to them. 5/10

When I first picked up the guitar, I didn't know anything about technique. Early on I stumbled my way into palm muting and said to myself, "that's the Metallica chug-chug thing!" The riffs on this album have a harmony and beauty that isn't found as much on The Black Album. The production hides the lyrics a little better on this release, too, which is an overall benefit. (For what it's worth, I listened to the remastered version.)

Pretty classic heavy metal, good drums and guitar but I always find it hard to fully get into enjoying Metallica.

My least favourite Metallica album, due to the awful, awful mix. Fave track - "One". Mainly for having seen them do it live a bunch of times...

Hmmmm

I can appreciate the lyrics, the message, and the anger in these songs. My personal preference is just different from what Metallica and the metal genre as a whole is selling. Also, I believe that this is a feature of metal, but I cannot get behind multiple songs being close to 10 minutes in length.

Highlights: Blackened, One. Not my favorite Metallica album, but not bad by any stretch.

A good classic metal album. This one seems to have pretty consistent guitar riffs besides a couple songs. One is a fantastic song that makes this album a bit better. A majority of songs suffer from not being too much different. The 9 minute instrumental song isn’t bad but is weirdly placed at the penultimate song. This album is good but isn’t as good as their self titled album. 7.5/10

Metallica at their youthful, angry, energetic best. But as others have said this album could definitely use a remaster/re-mix. Guitars have the signature Metallica sound, but the drums are so flat and the bass is m.i.a.

First half is solid, especially since the remaster. The second half gets to be pretty boring.

Guitarists are so fragile. It was criminal when they mixed Cliff almost completely out of Master of Puppets. Who did the production for this album? Oh Metallica did. It sounds like sticking your head in a cardboard box. Thin and trebly. It deserves a new remix with some actual bass in it. Insecure little guitarists.

I like the songwriting on this album. ...but the mix is unforgivably terrible. Lars disgracefully turned the bass down to zero to get a specific drum sound. But it was a lose-lose, because the drums sound extremely terrible too; they sound so flat and lack oomph. It's such a shame. It perhaps could've been their best album otherwise. There's just so much good metal out there besides Metallica that I don't bother with this album much. Also it's hilarious how much fans seethe that Jethro Tull beat this album for a Grammy in '89

Alright

1988 kind of rocked from what I'm seeing as these albums keep coming. This is quintessential Metallica. Clearly they have lasted the test of time, but Lars and James are lights out on this, especially Lars. This was when they were probably wasted out of their minds though. One is a great track! If you love thrash metal and this genre, this is a 5/5. I, however, do not. That being said, this is as good as it gets to me, and so I"ll give it a 3.

One of those albums I can appreciate even if I don't really like it. This is definitely an album, and maybe just a band, for someone other than me, and thats okay. It wasn't hard to get through, but I didn't really like the lead singer's voice or the instrumentals. Still okay though.

Pretty sure I listened to this a while ago off my own bat and was surprised at how mellow it actually is compared to my teenage perception of angst fuelled rage driven guitar noise. Although it's far from a chillout album, it all just seems so much tamer nowadays.

\m/

Not my type of music, but One is an absolute BANGER. 6.5/10.

Not familiar with this one, more familiar with Master of Puppets because that's what some of my older friends were listening to when I was in middle school. I have trouble taking this music seriously, it's mainly the vocal delivery and the extravagant guitar solos.

I can definitely see why Metallica has a mass appeal beyond a strictly metalhead audience. They are at once the epitome of metal and yet they sort of transcend the genre in many ways. Although I ultimately find this album fairly exhausting, I definitely have a newfound respect for this output from their prime.

First thing I noticed is that the mix feels a bit sterile, like it was either over-engineered to be cleaner or wasn't engineered enough, not sure. I think the only song I like is "One". And it's just okay for me. It's just not my type of metal.

Basically an above-average heavier album from Metallica. Noticeable are the half-hearted riffs, the martial rhythms that repeat themselves ad nauseam. (5/10) FT: One

Kirk Hammett is amazing. One of my favorite guitarist to listen to. Don't love Mettalica as a whole but love that guitar.

Du métal, du vrai…Mais décidément je n’y adhère pas.

I dig it

I have listened to this album dozens of times and recently sold the CD I bought when I was maybe 14 so I thought it was funny I came across it now. I think I liked it better then. Overall solid metal title “Blackened” and “One” are my favorite tracks

Nunca he sido muy fan de ellos, tienen canciones buenas y muy buenas. Su actitud frente a Napster nunca me gustó lo que no ayuda a mi interés. Lo mejor las guitarras de algunos temas: Blackened o Eye of the beholder. Y por supuesto su punto fuerte de baladas como One.

It's not my music style.

Ok. I was pretty brutal to Metallica in a previous review, I think. So, clean slate guys. Slay me... The intro to the first song with the overlapping eBow guitars is a great way to lead into the pummeling. Love the guitars. Vocals are perfect for the music. Fuck Lars. Isn't that where 80% of people end up with Metallica? Haha. I don't talk a lot about cover art in these reviews, but it should be noted on this record. This album art hangs with some of Iron Maiden's finest, IMHO. And, that is to say, if you buy what's being sold, it's some great shit. But if you step back and squint your eyes, it also looks like something from "This is Spinal Tap." Both wins. So, I like this much better than the Black album. But it still has some Metallica hang-ups.

Not the best of the tallica

Technical ability 10/10 but wasn't for me. One is an obvious massive tune though.

First time I've listened to this specific Metallica one. Not bad but not really sure why it is on the list.

Not bad, but way too long.

1st album on this site. 1st time for Metallica. 1st heavy metal anything. Words & stories matter. I was surprised by To Live is to Die & how Cliff Burton influenced this album.

Was kinda waiting for it to be over by the end but I did enjoy most of it. One is a good track

Started but forgot to come back and finish 🤷🏻‍♀️ It's Metallica.

Not a fan of the band but some decent tracks..... needs more bass though

While I enjoyed this one about as much as the Norah Jones one (meaning not very much), I give it one extra star because there is one song that I genuinely enjoy on this album (ironically, the track called "One"). It'd be more of a 2 and a half if that was possible here. A lot of the songs just felt really similar to one another, and on top of that the songs are long with not much variety. Got nothing against long songs, Tool is fucking sick, but their songs have like a build up and a purpose, where a lot of these tracks just felt like "metal because it's cool" if that makes any sense.

I didn't like it all that much but the first one was fun. Didn't feel loud? Even though the whole vibe seems like it's gonna be.

This album has potential but the production and sound quality was poor. It needs to be remastered or something.

Appealing album for me even though the most metal band I regularly listen to is King Giz. It didn't have anything too memorable though so I doubt I'll listen to it again

Just not really for me

3.5 | Nunca lo había escuchado como disco completo. Para mi opinión y gustos bien podría llamarse "One, Blackened y Otras Curiosidades." Se oye quizá despectivo pero tampoco quiero hacer menos las otras canciones, en general el disco tiene canciones excelentes, thrash a todo lo que da.... taaaan a lo que da que el disco termina sonando medio de la cola. Parece que lo mezclo un niño de 15 años que solo se le ocurre "SUBELE MÁS A LA GUITARRA... MAAAAAS." Y no, no es que tenga un sonido crudo, ni violento, ni fuerte, nada más suena muy apelmazado ahogando por completo al 80% de la batería y al 100% del bajo. Hasta para hacer música pesada se necesita sutileza y mano fina. Canciones excelentes amarradas en un paquete que de verdad da pena la calidad; más comparando con Master o Ride the Lightning (que esos sí los he escuchacho antes completos) y darse cuenta que discos anteriores sonaban impecables. Composiciones de thrash metal en una de sus mejores posibilidades... album feo.

221125 20:18 3.5

Segunda vez después de muchisimos años que escucho este disco. Nunca fui un amante del trash pero esta vez lo pude disfrutar más que en mi adolescencia. Encuentro cosas muy interesantes en el disco pero lo que más me llama la atención ( y no siempre para bien) es la larga duración de los temas.

Genre-defining for me. I like the cleaner sound

The complexity of the composition is astounding, I don't know enough about the band to understand who the genius is, but it's clear that their music is akin to classical music in its form if not its aesthetic. I personally couldn't find a way in, as my own proclivity for synthesis between word and music was not fulfilled and left me wondering if it would have been a better album if it was instrumental (I'm sure that's sacrilege for Metallica fans, so that's why I've said it )

Overall good. Production and instrumentation excellent. Personal Opinion: A bit heavy Relisten? Yes

One is a tune. Rest of it is fine but never really hits the same heights.

It's Metallica, played on every continent and a solid album. Still like MoP better.

First of all, I can't believe I listened to a whole Metallica album! Though there are some fine songs on this album and I can understand the appeal of the band to their fans, I wished it would ended sooner as it became quite monotonous and repetitious. They take themselves far too seriously and for a band (more specifically, Lars) that tried to shut down Napster and file sharing, lighten up! Blah!

Not really my genre of music but its still very good for what it is. One and ...And Justice for All are the best songs.

I haven't listened to this one since I decided Metallica were greedy posers for wanting money from Napster. Times change. Here's what doesn't - Metallica still sounds silly to me, lyrically, but goddam these boys got some riffs.

Pretty good. Simpsons' stone cutters' theme on this.

A little better than the other Metallica albums but still very much not my thing

Not my usual taste, but quite enjoyed it. 3.5 / 5

Oh, starting with AJFA. I always thought that Lars' drum parts were very awkward, albeit technical. Oh, also, #releasethenewstedcut

Despite metal really not being my cup of tea, I did think this was a pretty good album. I found some of the songs really hard to take seriously, but there were some excellent moments as well. To live is to Die in particular was very good. Closer to a 3.5

I don't think I have realized this before l, but most of Metallica's are so long. Does every song need to be 7 to 9 minutes long? According to me this album did not have any iconic songs.

Good album. I love metal but thrash isn’t my favorite. So I won’t rate Metallica as high as most metalheads.

It was alright. I enjoyed the slower sections in this album, but everything was fine. The main and bass guitars are fantastic; I just wish the drums added a bit more. The vocals do the genre justice, and the songs are oddly long. Favorite track: Harvester of Sorrow

Its definitely metalica

Some greats here.. alot of fluff, I find Metallica take ages to get to meat of song. One is a banger though

Classic stuff. Not my favorite Metallica album but really enjoyed it.

Is ok

Love a bit of Metallica but this dragged a little for me

obviously a classic band, not my kind of sound, but still pretty solid

Uhm, yeah. I still love most of this album, still bewildered by Harvester Of Sorrow as 1st single. Boring and a sign of the direction for the next album. But Blackened, Shortest Straw, Frayed Ends..., the epic To Live Is To Die. Driven by majestic thrash riffs which I think the production only enhances. The guitars are really fucking massive. No bass, for Shane, we knew that. Then there's the elephant in the room. Or rather the man behind the drum kit, Lars Ulrich. You....are the weakest link! He drags the overall score down on this one. His technical limitations, or basic lack thereof become increasingly obvious as you listen over the years. It took me years to realise that he was never good but on this album it shows. Clunky, stiff drumming that lacks any real groove. That ranted, it doesn't kill my enjoyment of this album when I occasionally listen to it. A lot of it is nostalgic feels but most crucial is the fact that Hetfield writes some fantastic riffs. At least did.

c'etait pas vraiment bien mais passer après Slayer a été très bénéfique

I think this album is too loud.

Felt exactly like Sepultura but better production.

Het genre en de groep kan mij wel smaken, maar dit is zeker niet hun beste album

Metallic met paar roestplekjes op

One' could score top marks on its own really. It is by far the stand out track on this album, the rest trailing behind in its wake. I wonder if it makes the rest of the album sound bad because that track is so superb. I only scored this 3, because I know Metallica do so much better. But still, what a track One is, faultless.

Better than the previously played more mature album. Hard all the way through. But, yet again, too long. Short, sweet and hard would’ve been nice as metal tends to feel repetitive after a few songs.

I not very into old Metallica

Mijn eerste kennismaking met harde muziek. Ik kan me vooral herinneren dat openingstrack 'Blackened' echt impact maakte, misschien nog meer dan 'One'. Verder vind ik het nu toch vooral opvallend dat ze zijn weggekomen met het wegdraaien van de bas. Dat mis je nu toch echt. En de overige nummers vind ik toch echt minder sterk.

It’s good

Levy löytyy jopa ihan CD:nä, mutta kuuntelin silti Tidalista! Ekana kuuntelin remasteroidun version ja sitten perään alkuperäisen. Alkuperäinen levy on tunnettu siitä, että bassokitara on miksattu tosi hiljaiselle, mutta remasteroidussa kuulosti minun korvaan, että olisi puolestaan käännetty basso tappiin. :D Itse levyn sisällöstä todettakoon, että sisältää hittibiisejä, mutta ei ole ainakaan nykyisellään kuulu suosikkeihini Metallican tuotannosta. Jotenkin kylmän, onton oloinen levy, ehkä se on se bassottomuus sitten. The frayed ends of sanity kuulosti tässä sessiossa parhaalta biisiltä.

6/10, not a bad metal album but it ended up feeling pretty formulaic and a lot of the songs did not need to be 7+ minutes

I thought some of the songs were too long and repetitive so it wasn't my favorite, but I still liked it.

5/10. I wish Metal albums weren't always so long. This has probably been the most enjoyable one I've listened to so far, but I still don't want to listen to it for over an hour. It just starts to feel so bland. Maybe I just need to listen to it louder?

Pretty cliche. 5

it's a classic, but the genre is so not my thing :(

Demasiado duro jaja

Aunque tiene algunos temas o partes muy buenos, se hace demasiado largo y machacon

Better than expected

not metallicas best

Loved the music. Not a huge fan of the lyrics, if you can consider them that. But damn is the music technical and awesome.

Good technical composition, I can appreciate this for what it is. I don't fine myself ever really getting into this type of music though. Highlights: -And Justice for All

Is ok

Even though the guitar tone remains constant throughout the full hour, it works surprisingly well with the brilliantly arranged tracks that make up this album. There's a bit of a slide into monotony near the back half, but still a strong LP nonetheless.

Very talented musicians. Not my cup of tea.

Decent Metallica album. I’m not their biggest fan but still a fine album.

Classic metal rock I suppose. A little heavier than I prefer, but not bad.

It's not bad, but I'm not the hugest Metallica fan. They are like AC/DC to me- they have a time in place, but they fall into sort of generic metal for me- not as hard as some of the bands I really enjoy in the genre. "One" is the obvious standout track

Не фанат Металлики. в целом ок

2.6

do NOT read description on YouTube Music before listening to the album itself=)

Не фанат)

Enjoyed the first 15 minutes, but then it went on for another hour

Good album.... but as the old myth goes; where the hell is the bass?? Tinny as!!

Caught in a transition phase between the rawness of their first albums and the smooth production of the black album. Better choices by the same band to include in this list.

I have not really listened to that much Metallica and was under the impression that they were better than their peers and the acceptable side of thrash metal that everyone can get on board with. Maybe this is true of their later albums - but I found this a struggle and only marginally better than Slayer/ Anthrax/ Megadeath and way inferior to Iron Maiden/ Deep Purple (recent listens ). Its all very repetitive - very mechanical drumming and chuggy guitars and pained vocals. There is no fun or theatre to it.

An okay album that overstays its welcome. Still just not a big metallica fan

I like Metallica but this it not my favorite

How is a record this loud, with some pretty technically impressive guitar solos, so… boring? It’s all so repetitive. This is my 2nd thrash metal album I’ve gotten for this challenge and the first (Megadeth’s “Peace Sells…”) had me smiling throughout and even laughing a couple of times. This record, I was anxious for each song to end.

Too much anger, not enough melody.

Haven’t listened to Metallica in years. Had a stretch when I would listen to more heavy stuff and some heavy metal but it’s been a while. I’ve listened to this album but don’t remember if it was a good one for me. Early on and this faster harder metal is definitely the type I normally liked less. Always some good guitar riffs and solos but sometimes this stuff starts to get repetitive sounding. The title track has an interesting opening. Overall this music just isn’t for me really these days. I know I would like their Black Album still as it’s a more regular heavy metal sound and has a lot of hits. This still feels a little too intense for me. One is the first song I’m legitimately enjoying and it’s a different sound with a better guitar sound and not as fast. Also enjoyed a lot of To Live is To Die as an instrumental. Overall don’t hate this, but doesn’t feel like the best of Metallica to me. But I’m admittedly a casual listener who generally doesn’t like this style of metal. This isn’t the worst version of it, just not for me. It’s also pretty long as a whole. Feels like a 2 to me. Maybe a 3. Metallica does have a weird distinct quality to them where they stand out from versions of this metal that I don’t like. Maybe it’s familiarity with his voice. Think I’m going 2.

Not super my vibe

It's cool they can play like this with all the wild solos and everything, but I find metal so monotone and lacking in subtlety. It's less shouty and thrashy than some of their other albums I've had, but I still won't ever be choosing to listen to this.

I'm not a fan of metal music, and it felt like I was listening to this album just to say that I did. I'm sure that metal fans would enjoy it and appreciate the influence this band has had on the genre, and I think that's great for them. However, personally, I didn't find it enjoyable or relatable. That said, there were a couple of songs I did like, such as "One" and "To Live Is to Die." I wasn't particularly fond of the singer's voice or lyrics; maybe I just couldn't understand what he was saying. Regardless, I probably wouldn’t choose to listen to any of these songs again.

Wasn’t helped by this being my album for a lazy Sunday morning

OK WE GET IT

Gutes Metall album, aber muss nicht nochmal 2/5

Hm

Demasiado Heavy

actually a bit too mcuh for me at least when i'm working

i don't like metal

Not a fan of heavy metal 🥀 but I respect Metallica so hard

I've always found their mixing a little weird. They always sound like they're floating a few floors above me, in a tin can I'm sure its very technically impressive but it just doesn't connect with me. 'One' kinda slaps though.

So heavy metal bands are really folk bands in disguise! Monotone shoutiness. Can't stick to a groove - unforgivable. Same problem as Beach Boys!

Painful for my ears

Not really my cup of tea, prefer punk

Eye of the Beholder was alright. One was the only one that felt fresh. It was singular song with a different sound on the set off. Every other track ran together as one run-on guitar trill. So much guitar and only guitar. I like it but I don't want to, just a basic thrash metal album.

I do not enjoy Metallica.

Why are all the songs so damn long and repetitive?

Found it a bit repetitive tbh and the vocals we're a bit too quiet.

Lots of sturm & drang but not much music

Well, I didn’t expect to fall down a “where is the bass?” rabbit hole this morning. I’m team Justice for Jason. Once I noticed the lack of bass, it was all I could focus on. Thrash metal just isn’t for me, especially without bass to make it more interesting. “One” has enough complexity and melody to make the whole song feel more engaging, but otherwise this album is a miss for me.

There are some gentle quiet sounds on this album but only to lull you into a false sense of comfort before the thrashing and howling begins. Heavy metal, screaming guitars and nasty shouting (it's not singing) doesn't do it for me.

Tampoco tenía taan altas expectativas, pero muy decepcionado. Tiene todo lo que no me gusta en las canciones y mismo la canción a la que le tenía más fé, porque es de las mas conocidas que es “one” no pude entender que tiene de bueno. Espero que cuando toque otro disco de la banda lo pueda entender y disfrutar algo, pero en este no.

Not my thing but respect it

Before listening, I really didn’t expect to like this album. And I was absolutely right. The sound is fine in parts, but the over-the-top growling vocals and endless guitar solos really outstayed their welcome.

This was one of those albums I enjoyed less and less the longer it went on, so that by the end I can only give it 2 stars. The notoriously dry and bass-less mix certainly didn’t help, and neither did the fact that by far the best track, ‘One’, came less than halfway through. James Hetfield’s growling also really started to grate after a while. Most tracks (indeed the album as a whole) were too long for me. Like Iron Maiden, this is a sound I occasionally enjoy in small doses, but over an hour of it is too much.

Not for me

Another Metallica album. I listened to it, and made too many notes, so I stop and think, who might read my review? If you're a Metallica fan, wondering why I rate this lower than you do? Most of the tracks don't work for me as songs (the riffs don't come together), also I really don't like Hetfield's vocals. There are bits I do like (eg the thrash bits of Dyers Eve) so I gave it two stars rather than one. If you're future me, wanting to be reminded what's distinctive about this album and how did I arrive at my rating? The band put in as many riffs as they could - it could be considered prog metal, some music critics acclaimed its depth and complexity. What didn't I like? The vocals, the lyrics, the "full intensity all the time" approach, the weird mix, and the incoherence of the songs as individual songs. I don't like Hetfield's tone whether he's singing or declaiming, his vocals also lack rhythmic variety. The subjects of the song are reasonably meaningful but the actual words are not interesting. Lack of dynamic range is never good. But the biggest problem is that the riffs don't come together as songs for me. Occasional sections where something cool is happening (guitar 'tricks') don't make this an album I could enjoy listening to. For me, it's Pretty Poor, 3/10.

nu nez

Nope.

Ulrich really is one of the worst drummers in rock and metal. People gave Meg White shit but that's what she was meant to do, it feels like they kept downgrading the drum patterns until a monkey could do it. The issue with this and the fact there's no bass, means you're left with Hetfield's growl. Pass. Never liked them, a relisten does not readjust my feelings. One is decent, the rest is just a dud.

Not outstanding

FOUR? FOUR FUCKING ALBUMS BY THEM? 2/5

Most emphatic "This one just wasn't for me" album so far which is a bummer because I always liked Metallica's most famous song, and I've actually liked most metal from other bands people have shown me. I think I like the idea of it more than the experience of a whole album's worth unfortunately. However I'm not blind to the obvious craft on display, and even if the songs do all sound very alike to me, I wouldn't consider that a knock if it was in a genre I could listen to all day (see my rating for Fatboy Slim). Also, and this is maybe the one thing that made me certain that my 2 star rating over 1 isn't just a sense of obligation but my own personal enjoyment: To Live Is To Die is breathtaking. This was another gym listen for me, ending with 15 mins of treadmill running that coincided with that track. And it's ironic that it's the slowest, most meditative one on the album, that basically any other song would have fit my usual uptempo running requirements better, but it completely gripped me and had me in a trance. I only looked up the background for it afterwards but i absolutely could have guessed that song is driven by real grief.

Not really my cup of tea

I don’t love Metallica but the hits are the hits. One is a great track that brings me back to guitar hero days and instantly failing on expert when the solo hits.

klinkt als migraine

in de oneindige queeste om gitaren zo min mogelijk als gitaren te laten klinken is Metallica hier voor mij de mist in gegaan. Zowat ieder nummer heeft een gitaar die overproduced is tot een soort gemuteerd versie van white noise, met als begeleiding drums die iets vaag weg hebben van de potten en pannenset die bij ons thuis in de lade ligt. Verder dan dat zijn er ook geen andere instrumenten te vinden in dit album, ik neem aan dat deze ergens op weg verloren zullen zijn geweest. Metallica is goed in gitaarriffs, maar op dit album blijft het daar bij.

Maybe if it wasn't mixed/mastered so god damn flat and quiet I actually be able to enjoy this. They got good riffs once they turn the distortion off. "One" has the best intro, absolutely beautiful. Other than that, I don't like the vocals. However I will give them an extra point for being my mother's favourite band. 2/5

I have never liked Metallica and after this album i still dont. Track 9 To Live is to Die is typical of the album which is it is boring. Just plods along nothing to say or do. Other tracks have the plincity plinc played quickly. Not for me.

Honestly? You remaster the album and keep the drums tinny and the bass non-existent? Come on. There's One good song on this album and the rest... I get it that Metallica is one of the fundamental thrash metal bands (at least, its early stuff) but the songs should have been half the length, at least. This album is like the thrash metal equivalent of a tiresome jam band where they just go on and on and nothing interesting happens.

Now, I'm 25, but I get a feeling like a parent on this one. Like, the same impulse to be like, "don't get a tattoo, please don't get that nose ring, can you buy jeans without rips, please don't die your hair black. You look so nice in that shirt I bought you, please wear it." It's like I had a really nice kid that started getting dark and I'm trying to be understanding but it's really difficult and I'm a little concerned. The song "One" really brought this out of me. It is so clear that they are insanely talented but I struggle to understand just why they want to sound like that so unrelentingly, and for so long. It's perplexing and I'm probably wrong for asking them to sound more like something palatable to me. I can see how influential this is, I can see it, and yet I cannot enjoy it. I feel like art should not be so overtly negative and angry, that some levity is required, some mind toward hope, some range of human feeling. The lyricism is not grating because it sounds like that, but rather because it feels so immature in its sweeping condemnation of everything. Again my kid feels like they are performing 'anger' and I'm wondering if he should see a counselor. That said, their arrangements are impressive. I think you need to be moving to enjoy this, reserve for workouts, driving fast, and angry subway rides. In a crowd of other angry people, I can see it. But just sitting with a mind toward listening, its a bit difficult to stomach all together.

If there was justice for all, these guys would be tried for killing off blues-based heavy metal. I gave them two stars instead of one because at least they know how to play an instrument.

i wanted to like this, but it's really just not for me. i didn't find any of the songs particularly musical. the shortest straw was okay.

Not my genre. Not my preference. Instruments are played well, but I just don't want to be thrashed today.

They are better than most metal to me but that's not saying much

One is a really great song, and I am all for the protest nature of their lyrics. But neither of those things could save this from me generally disliking it. The songs feel pretentiously long, and aside from the one song I like, everything sounds so much alike. I know there’s a lot more nuance to their music than that, but it’s hard for me to pick out. This mostly just felt like headache material.

did this one need to be on this list? like i get master of puppets or the black album. or ride the lightning? i mean, i dont need this one. fucking a is it long. also these dudes are shills. get the fuck out of here cornballs.

mir zu heavy

Wat jelle zegt

Boring album, all songs sound the same...

Behalve one klinkt het allemaal hetzelfde en het duurt vreselijk lang

One is honestly pretty good, I just can never see myself throwing this type of music on.

Det er altså ikke lige mig det her. Der er dele af numre, som jeg synes er ret lækre, men overordnet kigger jeg ret meget efter skip-knappen.

Utilgivelig og uværdig mixing af bassen. Derudover synes jeg egentlig bare ikke, at det er særlig godt. Det er lidt kedeligt, lidt teenage edgy, lidt ligegyldigt. Men 'One' var selvfølgelig med i Guitar Hero III, så det trækker rigtig meget op, for den kunne jeg nappe på ekspert-niveau. 2.4

album #49 bit disappointed, to be honest! felt very two dimensional in comparison to their other works. if you like bass in your metal, I would avoid this. enjoyed it a bit, but not enough. ꩜ favourite track(s): to live is to die ꩜ least favourite track(s): ...and justice for all ꩜ album rating: ★★☆☆☆ ꩜ number of albums left to review: 1,040 ꩜ number of albums from the list that i agree with being on the list: 29 ꩜ albums from the list that I would consider on my list: 11 ꩜ albums from the list I won't include on my list: 38

Maybe it's because this is the third Metallica album I've had, maybe it's because I just want something else from heavy music, but I was really bored by this (yet I remember liking this in my teens). Zero bass and the drums sound just awful. One is at least somewhat interesting musically, but I just don't think Metallica are for me anymore.

There's some potentially interesting ideas buried in individual tracks - some promising riffs, experimentation... but it's all realised better elsewhere and feels generally unfocused.

I can't deal with this album. It doesn't do it for me AND it doesn't sound good.

Malheureusement ce n' est pas mon style musical

At the start of this project, I didn’t fully understand jazz, but after the umpteenth album, it started to click. I might not be a “jazz guy”, going around wearing a trilby, snapping my fingers and whispering “yeah”, but I don’t audibly groan or roll my eyes when a jazz album comes up on this list anymore. I look forward to learning more about the genre. Unfortunately, I can’t say the same about thrash metal. This is the third Metallica album that’s come up in this list for me, and I’m definitely not a “thrash metal” guy yet, and I’m doubtful I ever will be. To repeat myself from an earlier review, I just don’t understand the appeal. The hardcore fast-picked chugging guitar strum patterns, and the double-time thrash beats of the drums feel repetitive and boring. Each to their own, but it’s not for me. The best moments in this album, the moments that have saved it from a 1 star review if I’m honest, are those moments when Metallica deviated away from the mindlessness of thrash, into something more interesting. “One” is the obvious example. It’s a really good song. I actually know it best from hearing Rodrigo y Gabriella perform their brilliant flamenco version on acoustic guitars. The central riff is great, with some really nice harmonies between the two guitars in the first half of the song. The sudden changes in tempo and style work really well in this song too. Even when it goes full thrash in the second half, it doesn't fully lose me like other songs did. It’s likely due to the juxtaposition between the first and second half, a sort of evolution of the song over time, rather than just being full thrash from start to finish. “To Love is to Die” is the other song that stands out to me. Again, predictably, it’s the other song on the album that leans the least into thrash. Metallica are showing here that they can actually write some pretty great riffs and melodies when they want to. It feels like a sweeping cinematic, almost fully instrumental, break in the middle of all the thrash. Sure, it dissolves into thrash too, but like “One”, the sweet and sour mix of the two work quite well. There are glimpses of other moments that get my attention too, like the riffs that appear at the start and end of the title track. But unfortunately the rest of the 65 minutes of the album are largely thrash metal. Reading up on the background of this album, it’s absolutely mad that they lost out to Jethro Tull for best METAL performance at the Grammys! Yes, Jethro Tull, the prog rock band with a jazz flute front-and-center, beat Metallica for best METAL performance. What a strange time to be alive. I can appreciate that there’s substance here for sure. But when it comes to the actual listening experience, besides the moments I mentioned, it’s a chore to get through. And that’s just my own reaction to thrash metal. I guess I’m just not a thrash guy yet. If I’m honest, I'd prefer to be listening to Jethro Tull.

This shits ass lmfoa

Its fine. Better than master of puppets

Some underground shit, if you consider yourself a metal head and you haven't listened to this then you are a poser. Go back to wearing your attitude era wresting shirts. Loser.

few good bits but nothing noteworthy

Why are the songs so long? I feel like I've been listening to this album for forever.

i find metalica kinda boring.

I hate when a band only writes lyrics in the style of an advice column. Everything is directed outward with no introspection. Deal with your own shit and stop telling me what to do.

I mean points for the fact that this might have been really controversial at the time -it might still be. I appreciate the sentiment of anti-establishment and the critique of it. However, the lyrics are written as if a 14 year old just found out the world is unfair and corrupt. Plus, at first I was excited about the use of that thing when the song starts slow and the it explodes, but to my disappointment that happens in most songs. Most songs have the same monotonous structures, I felt that instead of listening to a mature project, I was listening to one of those one hour lofi YouTube videos to study, but for metal. Points for ‘One’ because the first two minutes are actually sonically interesting.

Listened to before? No Context? Follow up to Master of Puppets and first album after the death of Cliff Burton; complex musically and a break away from a lot of the "pop" songwriting formats seen on the likes of Master of Puppets. *Reviewed in a holistic format.* Man. Okay. The mix of this album makes me feel like I'm trying to spread cold butter over stale bread. I do not understand why they would make that choice. I don't even care about the light bass or anything—whatever. But what were they thinking with how dry the mix is. It made it genuinely painful to listen to at times. I don't understand how these bands have millions of dollars and access to the very best producers around yet still end up messing it up. This record was very high-concept, from the album cover to the over-an-hour-long runtime. That said, I didn't feel like it said much. Obviously, it's a very political album, and the lyrics tackle those sorts of topics—primarily, the subject matter of false freedom and false justice. But I can't really say that it said anything that made me think of things in a new way, or that it told a story that presented an interesting emotional or philosophical angle on anything described. Looking at other political albums, there's always a very specific angle. American Idiot is from the perspective of a young working class couple and their struggles with mental health, survival, and agency under the Bush administration. Fresh Fruit For Rotting Vegetables satirizes those in power through absurd lyrics and attitudes mixed with harsh and unsettling descriptions. To Pimp a Butterfly tells a story interconnected by the formation of a poem and the struggles of Black music industry figures dealing with the ramifications of racism even after gaining cultural power. Rage Against the Machine mixes call-to-action with lyrics that go so in-depth into the nuances of issues that they can nearly function as history lessons. And in this album, Metallica says...there's no justice? Okay. I understand that, due to the genre, there aren't going to be as many lyrics, but I feel like that should just mean that each line carries even more weight. There are exceptions, of course. Parts of the title track are pretty good, such as the lines "Lady justice has been raped/Truth assassin/Rolls of red tape seal your lips." There's some pretty potent imagery and metaphor here, but moments like those are few and far between. I'd say that the only songs I thoroughly enjoyed were "One" and "Dyers Eve", and then "Blackened" was pretty good, too. "One" actually cuts to a pretty great emotional core, and with "Dyers Eve", the anger in his voice seems to be actual anger instead of just generic metal vocals. Then "Blackened" just has good riff and melody, but I don't like it as much because the lyrics just follow such a typical Metallica-cadence in the rhyme and flow. If this album had a better mix, I feel like there could have almost been an excuse for the lack of substance, because it would've given the songs more character. The dry mix makes all of the riffs sound like copyright-free metal. All the riffs also sound pretty similar, anyway. And yes, before anyone says anything, I do listen to metal quite frequently. The mix also makes the solos sound super out-of-place, and it just makes the vocals boring. It becomes very one-note. It's disappointing, as I do really like Metallica, and the idea of a political album from them should be very exciting. Sadly, the execution was way off. What I did like was the unconventionality of it. I appreciate the odd song structures as well as the longer songs. It would also work well as background music for a movie, and I mean that in a good way. It's heavy. It's dramatic and dark. In terms of mood, there isn't much improvement that could be made.

I’m hungover and the sound of this made me sick however I can appreciate the instruments when no vocals are involved

This is probably good heavy metal. But it is simply not something I enjoy.

Non il mio

Per me è veramente impossibile ascoltare metal, non fa per me. Il problema non è questo disco in particolare, è proprio il genere. Non mi coinvolge emotivamente

I have not really listened to that much Metallica and was under the impression that they were better than their peers and the acceptable side of thrash metal that everyone can get on board with. Maybe this is true of their later albums - but I found this a struggle and only marginally better than Slayer/ Anthrax/ Megadeath and way inferior to Iron Maiden/ Deep Purple (recent listens ). Its all very repetitive - very mechanical drumming and chuggy guitars and pained vocals. There is no fun or theatre to it.

As with much Metallica I get flashes of brilliance before it immediately falls to the default of chug n thrash. Technically great but emotionally empty soloing. That's where Blackmore or Slash provide a bit of nuance. The opening track 'Blackened' is perfectly illustrative, starting with an excellent fugue-like synth intro before ceding to muted power chords; then tempo change to allow for lightning fast solo, interchangeable between tracks. It's a very similar story to 'Master of Puppets' where they rose above the crowd with 'Orion' but otherwise fell back to a morass of distorted power chords, and a vocal with very little nuance. Metallica has written some enduring classics - Orion, Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters amongst them - and when this albums at its best it explores that side of their songwriting - alas the gravitational pull is back to the formulaic pentatonic distortion.

meh

Good album

Not a big fan of this album at all. The songs are repetitive, but i mean the guitar solos were great, thats the one thing that i enjoyed.

i feel like this is objectively good music but omg is it boring to listened to, the start and ending of each song is fine to listen to (in some places even good/great) but the 3 minutes in the middle of each song is so samey sounding it made getting through this album such a chore. Somewhat ironically One is the only reason I'm not giving this one star.

Surprisingly boring, especially the heavier sections. The more melodic parts sounded better.

did not really enjoy or finish.

Growing up, I was a huge fan of Metallica and would listen to them almost religiously. However, now that I’m in my 40s and going back and listening to this album, I realized that it’s just not good. Lars drumming is abysmal, the songs are 5 minutes too long, the overall feel of the album is just bleh. They’re absolutely one of the fathers of modern American metal, but this album, just doesn’t do it for me anymore.

not the one

The shortest song is over 5 minutes long and I don't think any of the songs have enough good content to make them worth being that long. Started to all sound the same at some point. Favourite song: One Least: Eye of the Beholder

This is some kind of nightmare. Sure, Metallica has a couple of popular and cool songs. But when you start listening to their albums in their entirety—it’s just THE SAME SONG playing over and over and over again. I just can’t tell if a new one has started or if the old one is still playing. They’re all exactly the same. And on top of that, they’re all equally boring. The same old tricks, the same song style, pointless solos thrown in at random moments. I really don’t get what’s so popular about this. Maybe it sounded fresh in the ’80s, but now it sounds awful and boring.

i’ll call this one “hissy fit.”

Mix bad. Hurt ears.

not my thing

I still maintain that this band would be vastly improved with the removal of James Hetfield. Instrumentally, I like it. Hetfieldly, I hate it. I nominate “Harvester of Sorrow” as a theme song for my mom (passive aggressive martyr, but I love her, lol).

Was expecting an amazing album, but this... this dragged on. Surprised I powered through it

Meh, I like iron maiden better, this takes itself a bit too seriously

5/10, son pref =To Live is to Die

Hmm

I just find Metallica to be so incredibly boring. There is no melody to be had. I could like the drums, but they overpower most of the songs, or maybe the rest of the instrumentation isn’t matching the drums?

Ugh

Minder grote hits dan self-titled en tegelijk niet zo energiek en spannend als Master of Puppets. Ook deze is het nét niet.

Nah

All tracks sound the same , hasn’t passed the test of time

This is all just a bit too much for me. Relentless. Not enough variety. And I just don’t like this style of rock music it seems. Not enough to want to listen to it again.

4/10

It either gave me a headache or made it worse. I respect the artistry but it’s not my jam

Una merda

'One' is great. The rest is plodding, overlong and dull.

Old dude rock

Monotonous metal

The mix is honestly a mess because the total lack of bass makes the whole record sound thin and irritating. The technical drumming and repetitive structures feel super detached from the songs and it just turns into an exhausting and boring listen.

🫤It’s OK. I think they’re better than their contemporaries. But this shit gets boring after a while. Turn up the bass! These boys need to step into some funky stank!

One of the things I expected from this challenge is to get further into metal but for now it has not been the case. 7/10 [SWAP]

It has one good song. One.

I've never understood the draw of Metallica. They have 5-6 great songs and the rest is formulaic and weak. My college roommate introduced me to them, I was a metal guy but this new incessant beat, angry voice and angry lyrics weren't my thing. I saw them live in '87-'88, opening for AC/DC, and went and got a beer halfway through the set. This is just more of the same. Their sound is repetitive and overly heavy handed and he was still an immature vocalist back in '88. I can't follow his lyrics, perhaps they speak to the masses and are enlightening to some, but I just find them irritating and buried beneath a wall of repetitive chords and power drumming. The listener counts are ridiculous ("One" has 805M listens!?), I cannot imagine sitting around listening to this repetitious drivel. This got on here for "One" which never struck a chord for me. I thought the video was dumb too but it was always on MTV. Every song sounds the same, except "One" which is why it was a hit. The Black Album deserves a spot on here, even "Master Of Puppets" for bringing this "sound" to a wider audience, has more merit. "Hold my breath as I wish for death". I guess I was just never angry enough to get into this so I don't consider it a must-listen or a T1001 album. 2 stars

This is the third Metallica record I’ve listened to now. And I think I can pretty confidently say I don’t get the hype. Most of their songs just aren’t that good. Many sound like the same repetitive riff and singing for far too long. Why are these songs 7+ minutes? Production is terrible. One guitar tone , no bass, and a metronome drum kit for an hour. One is awesome. Always liked that song. Amazing what a little dynamics will do for a song. Would skip everything else on this record. 2/5.

I don’t get this I think. The songs are far exceeding their interest in length and frankly it’s pretty boring. Some interesting sounds here and there maybe?

Never heard a Metallica album before and I was very disappointed. Bad production aside , it was so difficult to listen to the monotone delivery of the singer and the drowning double bass style thrash on every fucking track. Track 4 showed they do have the ability to break it up and play something good and it's why I gave it a 2

Not my thing.

2,5

-definitely not my favorite Metallica album -the guitar sounded the same for every song

Risible, au mieux. 2.49 étoiles pour Metallic A

Some great riffs that are only used once then songs that drag on too long. Also no bass but there’s still a couple of tracks so it’s not a 1.

This gets a 2 because I recognize they’re very talented. Not my jam though.

Besviken. Till och med One är ju lite tradig.

"The bass is out of order! The drums are out of order! The WHOLE MIX is out of order!" - James 'Metallica' Hetfield, probably

Alright, I have definitely heard this album but I don't remember anything about the songs (minus the ubiquitous "One"). I know it's infamous for having very little bass in the mix, and it's the first album with Newsted on bass after Cliff Burton died. In my head, the album's not much of a departure, if at all, from what came before it. I don't know, maybe it's the mood that I'm in, but I'm just not really feeling it. I'm not a huge metal guy, so maybe that factors in. I can hear the riffs, and I'm bobbing my head to them. It definitely grooves. Songwriting-wise, it doesn't feel like they've missed a beat here (and I honestly probably like it more than Master of Puppets). I think it's mostly the production. It's like ALL treble, no low-end at all. Is there a remaster of this that improves on it? Is this pretty common for thrash? It's honestly just really hard to listen to. I think I would like it more if it sounded better. Probably could have just been eight tracks as well, this thing is over an hour. Well, at least I always have "One".

4/10 Was not in the mood for this. Too long, monotonous. Chugga-Chug-Chug-Chugga-Chug-Chugga. GAH! Make it stop. Takes itself far to seriously. "To Live is to Die" - Sweet Jesus

I want to like Metallica. I have friends who think Metallica is awesome. I respect how they do heavy metal (or I guess, technically, "thrash metal") but aren't the dumbass spandex and hair metal type of band that were popular back in the 80s, and I respect that their topics aren't just vapid songs about partying and chicks etc. I have given them a very brief listen over the years, but they never really grabbed me. However, I'm pretty sure I have never listened to this specific album before. I think the only songs I kinda know by them are "Enter Sandman" and "Nothing Else Matters" - both of which apparently came out after this album and were their big radio hits as far as I remember. I came in with an open mind and listened to this one 3 times . Some highlights ... This starts off with an environmental song ("Blackened"). That's a cool surprise, even if it's a little over the top. Good to see someone getting angry over the state of the earth. "And Justice for All..." - which points out that the American justice system and government in general is corrupted by money. I 100% agree with this sentiment. It's even more urgently relevant in 2026 (at the time of writing this review), than anytime in my life. And good for them to be sounding this alarm nearly 40 years ago. "One" - I like the intro, it's not the wall of thrashing, squealing, grinding guitar like on most of the other songs. Maybe that's what people like about Metallica, but it's nice to have a break from it every now and then. The lyrics are great, about a guy severely injured in war. It's a excellent anti-war song, highlighting the personal impacts of pointless wars. I had first heard this as the Chris Cornell cover years ago and really like that version. "To Live is To Die" - Maybe the best song - since it has NO singing and just a very short spoken word bit. Nice break from the growling and shouting. I can sort of hear how they've had some influence on other bands that I like - such as Muse, Smashing Pumpkins and Nirvana. There were a few moments where they sounded kind of like Rush to me - maybe there is a little prog influence showing there. My biggest issues with Metallica: 1) Why does this guy have to growl "aagghhhh" at the end of nearly every line? It think it's meant to sound tough or angry - but it just seems stupid, distracting and annoying to me 2) Also - I'm not a big fan of the hyper, sped up, high pitched, mechanical sounding, thrashing guitars. It just puts me on edge - and not in a "let's get pumped up" kind of way - but in an anxiety inducing way. Given that this seems to be their trademark sound - I'm not sure I will ever really get into these guys too much. Curious to see what their other albums sound like when they come up on this list. Oh well, I gave it a shot and ended up clicking "like" on the 4 songs listed above which means I'd be ok if they showed up on my automated playlists. That's 4 more songs from them than I had on my playlists before - so some growth :) I'll have to see if I still like these songs as they pop up in the future. I definitely liked the lyrics more than the music and the vocals - so now I'm wondering if there are other covers of their songs out there. Liked songs on Spotify: 4/9 Rating: 2/5

Every song dragged.

Claustrophobic production and monotonous rhythms leave the impression at least half this album is essentially the same tune on repeat.

Love I’m on fire, but that’s about it. Bruce is power, but also too repetitive

Not my style.

Solo me gustó One Pero es el género, no soy fan.

Liked it as a hype playlist, some cool guitar stuff. Wouldn’t put it on unless I wanted a very specific or ironic vibe probably

yeah definitely not my vibe

*Steps up the the microphone* *clears throat* "MID" My metallica obsessed coworker was not happy I didn't really enjoy this album. Not sure I get the hype for Metallica, but hopefully their future albums will be more to my liking

Definitely not for me. I'm sure it is great if you're into the genre — especially bc even I recognized a song or two from it being featured in random media throughout the years. Not sure this qualifies as an album that everyone must listen to; but different strokes for different folks.

…4th Metallica album. Least favorite maybe. Starting to think Metallica may be wildly overrated.

Meh. For me, the best album we heard from Metallica was Master Of Puppets. One is an amazing hit (...And Justice For All is an okay song too), but it doesn't support the entire 1 hour 5 min runtime. One good thing about hearing all this Metallica is that it reminds me of the Band Together Bay Area (a benefit concert I went to in Nov 2017). Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds, Dead Company and Metallica 😂 Admittedly, I wasn't a big Dead Head during that time. I knew a few tunes and it just so happened that they were going to be playing after my main man, Dave. I remember the majority of the folks around us clearly being dressed like Metallica fans and not bobbing to the tunes at all. Peppered in were some hippies who were really twirling and singing EVERY lyric which definitely made an impression. Their set only had 6 songs, but it really blew me away and started me down the path to true appreciation. RIP Bobby. https://www.setlist.fm/festival/2017/band-together-bay-area-a-benefit-concert-for-north-bay-fire-relief-63d7ae97.html

This is not an album to listen to if you’re stressed out at work cause it will literally make you feel like you are at war. But lowkey…why did I crush through an assignment like my life depended on it? Perhaps the intense guitar and slamming drums that match the tempo of my typing. Don’t think Metallica is the band for me but I can appreciate the adrenaline rush it gives

Far be it from me to call a Metallica album “bad” BUT this album of 9 songs could’ve been 4 songs and still have the same essence. The songs were so alike that I can’t tell most of them apart (except One). All of them were enjoyable and fun to listen to but when you have multiple 10 minute songs that recycle incredibly similar riffs, it gets boring quite fast. Also the multiple and abrupt switches in melody and rhythm especially in To Live is to Die were not pleasant. I had to keep checking if it was a new song but nope, still the same one. Essentially 9 songs that could’ve been 4 songs and were somehow 20 songs at the same time.

Die Musik ist gut, aber ich musste mehrere Pausen machen weil ich es anstrengend fand dem zuzuhören. Schlagzeug nimmt den Mix komplett ein und erst auf schlechten Boxen kam das nicht mehr so schlimm rüber.

I thought I’d like this album more than I did. You can tell Metallica are talented, and they make sure to mix it up in their songs so that the riffs don’t get stale. It’s this close to being prog metal. But unfortunately for the most part that doesn’t do a lot for me.

Overall rating by me: 3/10 Notes: Honestly speaking, I didn't like any of the songs at all. Only positive aspect for me here is that I can see is how different people have different tastes.

In essence, ...And Justice for All is a deep dive into systemic injustice, using complex musical arrangements and powerful, politically charged lyrics to reflect on societal failings, especially within legal and political structures.

As a millennial who is a big metal fan, I honestly haven't given Metallica much time, as the songs I have heard haven't done much for me. I always thought the no bass thing was just a joke, but darn if it's not! James Hetfield's singing is excellent, and the rhythm guitar playing is some of the best, but overall, the album is just kinda flat and one-dimensional.

Heavy, loud. Solid

I would probably never listen to this album again. I never liked Heavy Metal, and found this album unpleasant. The only thing that kept it from a 1 were the impressive guitar riffs and good drumming, but honestly, I don’t get how this made the 1001 top albums you must listen to.

Oh. It is definitely not for me. I liked the first few guitar solos but the longer I listened to this album, the more tired and bored I became. I can't even choose my favourite song - each of them sounds identical.

Meh

It's boring and I'm not in the mood. I'm sure there are better Metallica albums and we will have to listen to them all anyway.

The thing with Metallica is, is that they’re clearly very good at what they do but it all starts to sound same-y after the first three songs.

Metallica

Huh. More metal. I'm sure I've said it before, but I'm kind of becoming antagonistic towards this genre of music. The promise of hardcore, edgy music always winds up being tepid, uninspired and, above all else, BORING. That being said, I remember thinking that my previous Metallica record - Master of Puppets - was alright. Maybe this successor album will prove to be alright as well. Uh-oh. Not a single song below five minutes and a runtime over an hour. The conciseness-above-all-else, autistic part of my brain is firing off right now. Anyways, I can't say this one worked for me. Maybe I've still yet to hear things right, but metal remains a deeply restrictive genre for me. There really isn't a whole lot you can do when your genre is locked to only one instrument and tempo. That being said, there was a respectable bit of experimentation down the middle of this album and I enjoyed all of the samples. An hour is complete overkill for a metal album, however, and I fell into a heavy slump during the final quarter. Nothing much to say as far as the songs go, though the knocking sound on "The Shortest Straw" kept fucking with me, which was pretty funny. Book time. Controversial among metal fans. A transitionary period within the band's sound. Not convinced yet - over to Wikipedia I go. Has many strengths and weaknesses. Sold very well. Regarded as one of Metallica's best. Yeah, this seems like a good pick. I cosign this inclusion.

I can appreciate this for what it is, just not my taste.

Knew I wouldn't be a fan

not for me but the band lore goes NUTS