Reviews (page 2 of 14)
It's a bit boring tbh. The songs don't merit going on on for so long. Also where is the bass?
Quelle déception ... Le début de la fin pour Metallica ! Fan absolu du groupe depuis le premier album (découverte du trash metal, grande évolution dans ma vie musicale qui m'a amené aux metals dits 'extrêmes'), je me souviens avoir acheté l'album dès sa sortie, et ... avoir été vraiment très déçu à la première écoute : - mauvais mixage, basse inaudible, son de batterie mauvais - morceaux terriblement longs et peu intéressants - album globalement mou, malgré les quelques accélérations ici et là (trop peu à mon gout) : où est passée l'énergie des précédents disques ? Même après d'autres écoutes, je n'ai pas changé d'avis et ai fini par abandonner l'album, puis abandonner Metallica avec l'album suivant ... A l'époque beaucoup d'autres groupes de trash faisait bien mieux ! Cette nouvelle écoute ne m'a pas fait non plus changer d'avis. => 2/5
Nr. 145/1001 Blackened 3/5 ... And Justice For All 2/5 Eye of the Beholder 2/5 One 2/5 The Shortest Straw 2/5 Harvest of Sorrow 2/5 The Frayed Ends of Sanity 2/5 To Live is to Die 4/5 Dyers Eye 2/5 Average: 2,33 Not the biggest fan of metal. Combined with the great lenght of the songs, made this not really fun to listen to.
Where's the bass?
Metallica is the Elvis Stojko of metal. This album in particular is straight ice dancing. Yes, like Olympics ice dancing. Everything is excessively choreographed, rehearsed to oblivion with the goal to be as robotic as possible and all the audience is waiting for is for you to fail. No failures here, congratulations, you're all robots.
This album sounds really thin and has some of the most unimaginative drumming of all time. No clue how this band got so big. This sounds terrible.
This felt like the longest album I've ever listened to. Goddamn these songs all go on forever. I will never "get" Metallica. Favorite track: One
this album is pretty one dimensional. I didn't really like that dimension.
I think I've aged out of Metallica. It's all so repetitive and dull anymore.
This is the third Metallica album I've had in this project, and I was not as taken by it as Master of Puppets or the Black Album. Not that there aren't some classic Metallica elements that I recognize and like. I get that they seem to be going for a bit more of an epic feel with the extended songs and changing tempos, but it lost me a bit. I'm also not sure what I think of environmentalist peacenik thrash metal. I like the message but it doesn't FEEL quite right.
It's so...edgy. Not really a fan.
metalheads are a mystery to me. i kinda liked “eye of the beholder”. nothing i’ll put on much.
Did not enjoy Songs too long
Can't find a version that isn't the remastered version. That snare would merely be obnoxious if it were in time. I've heard a lot about how Lars takes tempo as a suggestion but come on. I've heard amateur bar bands that couldn't count to four evenly still be better than this. Why would you put that out in front of everything? Tried again later and still couldn't stand that drum sound or get over the complete disregard for timing. At least the rest of the band seems to understand tempo.
i just hate this album
There's no way anyone with an IQ over gravy actually likes this. I'd rather listen to Helen Keller learn to play the bagpipes.
Never listened to Metallica before. Now I have. That’s all I need. Never again. Sorry.
Sounds like pretty standard metal to me. Growly voice (not singing), the usual riffs and solos. I'm supposed to be impressed?! By what, exactly? Technical proficiency, presumably? Meh. I just can't see how this is different to any other metal album ever made. They all sound the same to me. Boring! Next please!
Wow, I mean, wow. Do these dude's know what the other one is playing?
That’s one very long song.
сука как же скушно, сухо, нудно муторно
Makes me nervous.
Just a bit dull really - too much grunting and gnarling.
5: I will happily play this album anytime 4: I may occasionally play this album of my own free will 3: I will happily listen to this if someone plays it in the background 2: I will tolerate this if it is playing in the background 1: I will leave the room if someone plays this in the background While not Metallica's best (though quite good) this album was a seminal influence on my musical journey as a teenage kid. I'll never forget when the One video dropped and the impression it made on me at the time. One, Harvester of Sorrow, and To Live is to Die are the standouts.
The greatest Metallica of all.
Fuck, what an album, I dont know what Metallica does for me but I just love it. Other heavy metal doesnt do it for me, but this band, this album.... wow, it just gets me going. Incredible. i wasnt going to give it 5 stars, but to live is to die is there, so its a 5 star. Amazing song with that intro and outro.
Only thing that would make this album better is BASS, but everyone knows that. Still probably my favorite Metallica album
Back when I had to rate Master Of Puppets, I said that was going to be top 1 of the list for me, if and only if AJFA was not in here. Now, they are both tied at #1. This album is just a beast, they produced one of the best (if not *the best*) metal albums of all time w/o even putting bass on it. The Lars and James show, it's just too much. Progressive Trash like no other :) This made my whole week! I'm only sad this might be the last Metallica album in my list, but happy these two were included.
Hot take but someone who can shred a guitar like that is infinitely more talented than 99.999% of vocalists on this list.
Excellent album
Great metal album!
Such a good album
I spent my 9th and 10th grade years pondering which was better: Master Of Puppets or And Justice For All. I eventually settled on Master of Puppets, and 30 years later, I still think I’m right. But dammit, it’s close. I love this record so much. Easy rating. 10/10
solid 4.5. Favs: and Justice For All, Dyers Eve, Harvester of Sorrow, One.
A great, essential metal album with "One" of the best rock songs of all time. Probably not my favorite Metallica album, but a 4.6/5.
absolute cinema🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️, consistent the entire way through, no vibe gaps, no dry points just straight energy fire. Now my favourite Metallica album.
The 18 year old version of me absolutely loved this... the 56 year old version still loves this...🤘 Would be a 10/10, but the bright snare sound and lack of bass in the production still grates. Heard before ✅️ Listened this time ✅️ Revisit ✅️ ★★★★★ (9/10) Total reviewed : 349 Already owned : 78 Purchased : 16 To buy : 3 Nope : 252
This is Metallica at their most technical and ambitious, tons of great riffs everywhere. It's probably the best drumming Lars and the strongest vocals that James ever recorded. This was at one point my favourite Metallica album, it isn't anymore but it's still getting a 5 If a band consistently released albums with this weird, dry production it would probably annoy me. And despite being a big bass guy, the almost nonexistence of bass here just never really bothered me for some reason. I think I just accepted it from a young age and that's just how it is. Certainly a unique sounding album I will say, One was the first Metallica song I heard and I think I wore it out a little bit (still fantastic though) and I don't love Harvester of Sorrow and Shortest Straw Highlights: Frayed Ends of Sanity, Blackened, Eye of the Beholder, ...And Justice For All
LOL the "power ballad" album! Becuase "Puppets" was my 14-year old's introduction to metal, I think I might like it more... But I also saw the Justice tour in both the UK and US as a 16-year old, so all the stars!
Bangers from start to finish. It’s their first without Cliff Burton, so it’s rather bittersweet. But that doesn’t stop the boys from digging deep and coming back with another thrash classic. Despite everything, Jason Newsted works really well with the rest of the band, and I was never a fan of what they did to him on this record. I love the YouTube versions of these songs with the added bass. All that said this is a 10/10 highly influential and personal album for me. I would argue it’s last truly great album from their classic thrash series. Don’t get me wrong, the black album is great in its own way, but it’s not classic Metallica. This one is on that other level.
Love this Metallica record Maybe their underrated best album?
Finally something decent. Great album, probably my favorite by them.
music is love
Huge fan of the "concept" on this one, although it's not necessarily a concept album. I can't think of any other albums that address the issue of justice being corrupted by capitalism, but honestly, as much as I think capitalism is mostly a net positive, this is a massive problem with it. and I think it's cool the whole album doesn't keep doubling down on this idea, it lets the idea bleed into other issues: war, censorship, and general psychosis. we get almost to a place with this one where, like jazz, I can't talk much for the compositions, but I can say I'm hooked on this one the whole time. I love the restlessness of the album and the lack of bass doesn't bother me too much, adds a more industrial flavor to it. I wish some of the songs and riffs on this one were a little more catchy and melodic. Eye of the Beholder is a standout for me. Good lyricism and a great riff. Again, it'd be a perfect song if that hook had a little more hook. Something about One just doesn't quite sit right with me. Probably the weakest of the bunch in my opinion. Interesting lyrics and idea no doubt, but not a fan of the execution. The album is super well done and a very interesting listen, I still think Kill em all and ride the lightning are better (I can't really speak for master of puppets, haven't listened in forever), but I don't feel like I'm really looking forward to the next track. They all blend a lot for me. Maybe I just need more listens. Don't think that's exactly a knock, just something I'm noticing. Album has held up really well over almost 40 years. Insane. Might deserve 5 stars for that alone.
My favorite Metallica album, perfect thrash metal album
Hell yeah. Now that’s metal. Five flat.
Finally I can peer this profile towards my actual musical taste, with the help of the cover band of the book called metal. And I’ve been waiting to fully listen to one of these albums
Classic
Dikke Metallica, vette nummers, af en toe wat houterig, maar dat is ook wel een stuk charme.
5/5
Et av verdens beste album noen sinne. Peak Metallica, en av mine soleklare favoritter FUCK YEAH
And Justice for Jason!
If you like metal, this is the band that rules.
All killer, no filler. No bass either but there we are. This album holds a special place in my heart. I attribute my hearing loss to repeated listenings of One at full volume in my youth. 10/10, no regrets. Blackened is also a bonafide Rock Band classic.
Enjoyed the melodic metal. Really impressed by the intricate guitars and finger tapping techniques. Great tempo throughout for a steady head banging experience. Great double bass pedal action on the drums. Love a good time signature change here and there. Impressed with my first proper venture into Metallica. 5/5
great
The production on this isn't great (to the fault of Lars no doubt) but these songs are great. I could listen to Metallica all day
Metallica's flawed masterpiece. Obviously, the mix sucks. Its thin as hell, the drums are way too fucking loud and they sound super sterile. The guitar tone is quite good but holy shit its dryyyyyyy and Id probably insult the bass too if I could hear it. In case you dont know what I mean, try to hear the any of the bass lines on this album. Good luck. Also, its bloated for no reason. Some songs drag for 1-2 minutes too long. In total, this album is 1h5 and It could be around 10 minutes shorter and be better. Even if the chorus is kinda catchy, did we really have to hear the 8 minutes of "The Frayed Ends of Sanity" ? No, id remove it. So why do I think its a 5/5 ? Because the songs are just that good. "Blackened" is Metallica's best opener on any of their albums, the title track is so damn epic, "To Live is to Die" is a beautiful instrumental dedicated to their former bassist, Cliff Burton, who passed away too soon. "Dyer's eve" is the most aggressive they ever sounded. And I forgot "One" holy shit what a song. One of my favorite songs of all time with one of the best guitar solo ever recorded. Probably one of the best songs of all time period. I strongly recommend learning any of these songs on guitar. The guitar work on justice is insane, bordering on prog metal territory, especially on "...AJFA". Bass/5
I don't actively listen to Metallica anymore. We broke up years ago. But. I had too many good times that were soundtracked by this album to give it any fewer than 5 stars.
The bass omitting mix is bad. Sure, not every single song isn't a metal anthem... but dammit this is by far my favourite Metallica album with some of the greatest songs they ever made, bordering on progressive metal. With some of its obvious flaws, this is still a 4.5/5 (In my hear, it's a 10/5)
I wish there was a little more bass. But what it lacks in bass it makes up in thrash. It's arguably the greatest thrash metal album ever created and if I had to choose has Metallica's single greatest song...ONE is on here in all it's glory. I always say Master is my favorite Metallica album but on many days this is my favorite. While the death of Cliff punched a hole in the band that could never be replaced it helped turn up the ferocity and that's on full display here. A front to back metal masterpiece where they channeled their anger into something extraordinary. Blackend, ...And Justice for All, One, Harvester, Dyers Eve, etc...it doesn't get much better than this...
This reminds me of my brother
One of the best albums from these metal giants. Solid tracks from start to finish. It was One that turned me on to Metallica. The song just shreads.
...And Justice For All. What an interesting album this one is. With their first three albums, Metallica had become already become thrash metal legends. If they continued on the trajectory they were on, they could've made some more of the most universally beloved metal albums of all time. Unfortunately, tragedy struck during the tour for Master of Puppets, as bassist Cliff Burton was tragically killed in a bus accident in Sweden. This was, by all accounts, devastating, and the future of Metallica was uncertain after the event. The band decided to continue onward though, and Jason Newsted was brought in as the new bassist. It was with Jason in tow that Metallica made and released their fourth album, ...And Justice For All in 1988. So, how did things turn out for Metallica with their first post-Cliff album? All things considered, it turned out very well. The band saw what was arguably the highest praise they'd seen yet, the album got nominated for a Grammy, the album sold well, and Metallica has gone on the become one of the most legendary metal bands in all of history. But is AJFA really that good of an album? Was this actually the album that the band needed to make? Yeah. It absolutely was. ...And Justice For All is fucking awesome! This is probably the band's most experimental album, and I think it's great. The willingness to use weird time signatures appeals to me greatly. And you know what? I think there are some aspects in which this album is actually Metallica at its peak. Take the songwriting for instance. AJFA is Metallica's most outwardly political album and I love it. Even the album's title is a reference to the ending line of the Pledge of Allegiance! The aggression and frustration with the injustices of the world and America especially are super relatable and are delivered with lyrics that really capture that anger. And the musical talents? Phenomenal. James's voice is at the perfect midway point between the rowdiness of the early albums and the "ooh yeah-yeah" stuff from the Black Album onward. Both James and Kirk hit some of the best guitar solos and riffs of their careers. Even Lars Ulrich is killing it on this album with some of his best drum parts! But what about the new guy? How does Jason Newsted do on his first Metallica album? Well, I wish I could tell you, but I think it's time to address the elephant in the room. The most notorious aspect of AJFA as an album is far and away the mixing. It's not great. The whole album sounds kinda dry and a little empty, but that's not the biggest issue. The biggest issue is that you can't hear the fucking bass at all on this thing! I guess James and Lars were still a bit on edge after losing Cliff so they weren't as ready to let James get in on the bassy action. And it sucks too because the bass parts on these songs are just as awesome as everything else! Why can't I hear any of it? So, yeah. That's where much of the controversy surrounding this album comes in. As far as my own take on it, I think the mixing definitely holds the album back a bit, but not enough to ruin the album for me. I still think this album fucking rules. I mean, think of the songs here. "Blackened" is cool as hell. The crazy-ass time signature changes are just the best. The title track is nearly 10 minutes of peak Metallica and I love it. "Harvester of Sorrow" kinda feels like a precursor to the Black Album and I think it's pretty good. "Dyers Eve" is a great way to close the album. The speed on this one is epic. And of course, I have to talk about the most legendary song on the entire album, "One." I don't think I could call ...And Justice For All Metallica's best album, but there is a strong case to be made for "One" being their best song. The haunting lyrics describe a war-torn veteran who's been put through so much pain that he wants nothing more than to be put out of his misery by God himself. It might be Metallica's most well-written song from a lyrical standpoint. And the music is just as thoughtfully constructed. The somber atmosphere of the song's first half and the aggression of the breakdown and final solos are perfectly balanced to create a song that hold your attention for the whole 7 minutes while also being a fucking headbanger. It may genuinely be a perfect song. I'm serious. So, yeah. That's ...And Justice For All. A fascinating album in Metallica's discography to be sure. Is it the band at their best? In some ways, yes, but overall, no. I think Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightning are definitely better albums. But there's something special about this album here. Honestly, if the mixing was better, this could've been Metallica's best album. As it stands though, it's still very impressive, and I still really love it, but it is one step below the band's peak from an album standpoint... and by that I mean that this is a 9/10 rather than the 10/10s that are Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. If only we could hear the bass. Light 5/5.
Wooo boyyyy does that guitar sing and wail! Solos melt my face- an injection of gulf war adreline and monster energy.
Sick at home with a stomach bug, but the generator gave me my favorite Metallica album. Everything's coming up Millhouse! 5/5
My favorite album so far
Metal does not get better than this
No justice for Jason Newsted, although the band's mixing decision was a dick move (far from the worst thing they'd bully Jason about), I do kind of get what they wanted the album to sound like. But I mean at that point, might as well have used some of Cliff's demo tracks and just put it on AJFA. AJFA is one of the core 4 (or 5 if you like the Black Album, I'm not giving my opinion on that today) Metallica albums of their peak era. I'm sure it was a coin flip to pick either Kill Em All, which did a lot to make Thrash Metal as big as it gets, over AJFA. Ride The Lightening is easily their best album, but I suppose AJFA's lyricism is "more sophisticated" because it's more political than typical metal albums of that time and era. It just doesn't feel right that there's just 1 Cliff-era album on this list. He was significant to the band's sound and helped them become the legends as they were rising up the ranks. This list is unfortunately not that deep into metal, and it sucks!!! As for the album itself, like every song is really really good. Maybe each one exceptionally show, aside from a few. Prime Metallica. You really can't go wrong with any song.
The BEST metal album ever.
Sehr gut
One of the best from Metallica.
great album - so many classics and its influence is undeniable
9.1
I can't say I really need to listen to this one, but damn it I will. There once was a time where I listened to this album, on repeat, on the school bus everyday, on my way to and from school.
Metallica is in the top 3 bands that have influenced me, and this album is definitely number 2 among all their discography.
Fucking pristine
Classic! My favorite Metallica album
Some nice calming tunes for a raining day.
Meth-ällicä, kovis, kovempi, kovenein. Tosi kova levy.
Vahvasti selkärangasta löytyvä levy kitarasankarivideopelien kautta ja nuoruudesta. Metallican parhaimmistoa, ellei jopa paras.
Metal classic with orchestral arrangements. Technically tight with lyrics you can understand.
There's many reasons why Metallica is considered the most legendary rock/metal group of all time, and this album is one of those reasons.
Blackened - 5/5 ...And justice for all - 5/5 Eye of the beholder - 5/5 One - 5/5 The shortest straw - 5/5 Harvsester of sorrow - 5/5 The frayed ends of sanity - 4/5 To live is to die - 4/5 Dyers eve - 3/5
You'd think that the loss of someone as crucial to Metallica's sound as Cliff Burton would spell the end for a band. But, much like AC/DC did after losing Bon Scott, Metallica soldiered on. And much like AC/DC, their first album in the aftermath defied all expectations. '...And Justice for All' continues a steady string of classic Metallica albums, with some even going so far as to call it their best one yet when it was released. Personally, I think it's almost impossible to say which of these 80's Metallica albums is truly the best, as they're all fantastic in their own way. One thing that made them so incredible was the band's desire to push themselves beyond what they did on each previous album. And with this one, not only did they push themselves, I'm pretty sure they took themselves to the absolute limit. '...And Justice for All' is far and away the most progressive and complex album in Metallica's catalog. The songs are longer, the tempo changes are more numerous, and while the hooks may not be as immediately apparent this time around, there's still an absolute treasure trove of great riffing throughout. Unfortunately for the band, when it came to playing these songs in a live setting, it proved more difficult than they thought, hence why you don't really hear too many from this album played at their shows anymore. A shame too, as this one is filled with classics, from the relentless album-opener "Blackened", to the epic title track, to the dark and eerie "One", undoubtedly the album's best known song and one of the few from this album that the band still play regularly to this day. Sure, this album has its setbacks, the most infamous of which being new bassist Jason Newsted's bass parts being virtually inaudible in the mix (there's a long story to this with different people giving different accounts of why this is the case that I don't feel like getting into). The production has been accused of being a bit more dry sounding than on previous albums as well. But honestly, I find these to be very minor setbacks in the grand scheme of things. Overall, I tend to agree with the masses on this one. '...And Justice for All' sees Metallica still at their absolute creative peak and is another one of the greatest albums the 80's had to offer. Fun Fact: In one of the more controversial moments in music history, this album was nominated for a Grammy in 1989 for "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" and lost to Jethro Tull. Because, you know, the big-wigs at the Grammys just know music better than anyone else, don't they. 😑
Such a meaningful album, era defining. Cliff's death is very present here, both in the songwriting and in the fact that bass is inaudible.
Really loved the lyrical themes and the technical skill throughout this album. Both are excellent, this album is acclaimed for a reason. Loved this.
Yes, yes, yes. ‘One’ still hits like a landmine and the whole album is like jet fuel for the day.
Not quite at the level of Ride and Master, but Blackened and Dyers Eve are top 5 songs in their discography, so rounding up from a 4.5.
And so it begins. Let it be known that on this day, Friday March 6, 2026, album 246 (That’s 3 6’s btw, I didn’t plan that) is FINALLY my first Metallica album!!!! Bonus, it’s also my weekend album, so I get to listen to it longer. Let’s fucking go!!!! Full transparency, growing up as a little kid, my very first musical favorites happened to be Pearl Jam and Metallica. We played more of those 2 bands in the car than you could possibly imagine. I haven’t rolled Ten yet, but it’s going to get a 5, and has a high likelihood of being selected as my favorite album for this entire project. I’d kind of been planning this little blurb for when I finally rolled one of these albums, never cared which one it happened to be. In this case, it was Metallica’s …And Justice For All, which is the first of 4 Metallica albums I’ve rolled for this project, and naturally the first of 4 to get a free 5 star rating from me. I even thoroughly enjoyed 72 Seasons, which is their latest album at the time of this review. I’d give that a 5 as well if it was on here. They’ve still got it. Hell, the only time for their mainline albums they ever really missed was with St. Anger. Please don’t even get me started on Lulu either, that’s just astoundingly awful. Even though my musical repertoire has expanded heavily since childhood, Metallica is still likely always going to be my favorite band, and this album is no exception. As far as Metallica albums go, to me, this one is marked in my mind as being the first without bassist Cliff Burton, who tragically died in a vehicular accident while touring for the release of Metallica’s third album, Master of Puppets, which is also on this list. Replacing him, and doing an excellent job at that, was Jason Newsted, who would continue being their bassist for a total of 4 albums. Evidently, he picked a good time to jump ship. He missed out on St. Anger. Following that letdown of an album, current bassist Robert Trujillo would take his place, and he’d end up having plenty of time later to make up for St. Anger and its many shortcomings. After all these years being a fan, he’s still “The new guy” to me. That was without a shadow of a doubt the most amount of background info I’m ever going to provide for a bassist, but it’s a prevalent part of this album if you’re a Metallica fan. They’ve had the same core lineup, bassist excluded, since the very first album came out. Obligatory Dave Mustaine commentary goes here. Dave, the OG guitarist before the first album was recorded, ended up doing pretty well for himself after the fact. OG bassist Ron McGovney was not as successful, but is still worth a shoutout. So yeah, with 2 members departing before the first album was recorded, and more importantly Cliff’s tragic death, it’s fairly pivotal context and paints a picture of the terrible headspace James, Kirk and Lars were probably in while creating this masterpiece of an album. …And Justice For All features some of the best riffs of any Metallica album, the most iconic of which featured on this album belonging to “One”. I’m going to play it safe and list that as my favorite song on the album, but I also love “Blackened” and “Harvester of Sorrow” just as much. Metallica is my favorite band. To finally roll 1/4 of the albums they have on here brings me immense joy. Until the next one where I also give it a 5!!
Magnífico!
In my opinion, this is one of the greatest records ever made. It’s nearly perfect and it’s part of my youth. This record has so many memories for me. I spun it nearly nonstop for a long time. It’s still one of my favorite records. I know every note, every word and every solo.
Classic
Probably their best.
Good. Rate 9/10
I mean, it's the first album of theirs I ever heard, so just on nostalgia factor it's going to be highly rated. Plus, it still holds up. My one complaint about Metallica has always been the songs are just too long. While still true here, the songs never got boring, which is the complaint I have about some of their later stuff. There's no way this would be anything but a 5 for me. Love this album so much.
already listened
Banger riff after banger riff after banger riff
A defining album mainstreaming an entire genre of music to a mass population of young listeners. Every beginning guitarist wants to learn to play “One”. And Justice for All straddled hard rock and heavy metal which made it consumable on MTV while still providing a radial rush of defiance to popular culture.
This was the album that I was introduced to Metallica with….awesome album, top to bottom. I have a complete memory of the entire albums guitar riffs
If Les Claypool won the job he tried out for, he would have been on this album. However, they would have probably buried him in the mix as well...No worries Jason "New Guy," you made it in The Hall.
Incredible. Just incredible.
Reminds me of simpler times. I’d roller skate around the pool table in my basement and my brothers would have a party with a mosh pit.
What a great fucking album. Already had my copy inside my old Philips 3 disc CD changer and was more than ready to give this classic another listen. No duds on this album. Tho, fucking Guitar Hero kind of sucked the fun out of One for me. I love Frayed Ends Of Sanity. Dyers Eve fucking shreds 🤘🏻🤘🏻
Legendary
I was late to the party on Metallica, only falling on my radar after the black album. I didn’t understand why they were so huge until I heard this album first. I love the 80s Metallica, and One is such a special track and video. I immediately smiled when I saw the pick for today was this album I know well. It's certainly not perfect (justice for Jason!), but I love it.
So many classic bangers. I mean cmon its metallica
Some absolute bangers. A few songs sound a bit same-y though.
Love it. A classic
The infamous "bass-less" Metallica record. Yes, the production leaves a lot to be desired on '...And Justice For All', but that's the only real complaint in what is, in my view, Metallica's last truly exceptional record. This album was very much an emotional journey for Metallica, who were still reeling from the tragic death of Cliff Burton in their tour bus crash in Sweden, and although Burton's replacement, Jason Newsted, was the major casualty of the final mix essentially removing the bass (a decision from Ulrich and Hetfield, who had shot ears at the time due to relentless touring), the sheer complexity and grandiosity of '...And Justice For All' shines above its imperfect mix. It goes back to what I was saying in my Black Album review about the strength of Metallica's sound being in its imperfections, and this album is a perfect example of that. 'Blackened' is not too dissimilar to 'Battery' off Master of Puppets, although shows significant technical growth in Hetfield and Hammett's guitar work. The title track and 'To Live is to Die' (Burton's last songwriting credit) better the longer, more adventurous compositions that they'd attempted previously on Puppets' 'Orion' and 'The Call of Ktulu' off Ride the Lightning. The songs don't sound perfect, but they possess plenty of raw, unbridled energy, as well as boldness to push the envelope forward. They even manage to one-up the impact of Master of Puppets' title track with this album's clear standout: 'One'. A brutal tale of a soldier in pieces, literally and figuratively, 'One' is a harrowing reminder of the impact of war and its impact on a person's psyche. The restrained, 'Fade to Black'-esque intro leading into the aggressive Puppet-like meltdown to end the song perfectly encapsulates Metallica in my opinion. I may be biased a bit here as 'One' is my favourite Metallica song, but this is honestly the best anti-war song ever written. It's bleak, emotional and immensely impactful, and the entire band (Hetfield especially) is firing on all cylinders here. I also really enjoy 'The Frayed Ends of Sanity', 'The Shortest Straw' and 'Harvester of Sorrow'. They're probably the three more straightforward Metallica songs on this record, but they roll on with plenty of energy and aggression befitting of the band. Speaking of aggression, 'Dyers Eve' would have to be the most furious (and in my opinion, best) end to a Metallica record, and the strong themes of overprotective parents shielding their child from the brutal realities of the real world is something Hetfield would eventually explore in far greater detail on Metallica's most recent studio effort, '72 Seasons'. This was the album that got me into Metallica back when I was 15-16, so it's always going to be sentimental to me, but '...And Justice For All' is certainly Metallica's most complex record. The musicianship is God-tier despite the less-than-stellar production, and it ensured Metallica wrapped up the 1980s nicely with yet another thrash classic. It was about time the mainstream took note (see my Black Album review!). Best songs: Blackened, ...And Justice For All, One, The Shortest Straw, Harvester of Sorrow, The Frayed Ends of Sanity, Dyers Eve
5 out of 5 Been rocking out to this one for over 35 years!
Love metallica. This album is the perfect rock and metal blend. Faves are One, Harvester of the sorrow and To live is to die
Long time fan of Metallica. Noticible departure from Master of Puppets.
It is an increíble bounce back from the tragedy of Cliff Burton's death, and it manages to instill the fury and angst against the system, war and grief. All songs on this album are killer, I cannot stop listening to this album when I have the chance, easily one of the best from Metallica.
I don’t need to listen to this album. This album has been sutured into my DNA since about 1990. I remember the first time I got …And Justice. It was through the Columbia House CD club. Remember? You pick out 15 CDs for a penny, and then you only have to buy 5 more at the regular club prices. And to help you out, they’d send you a new CD every month to listen to and decide if you like it. If you don’t, just send it back. Hmmmmm, to a teenager, this sounds too good to be true,e and, of course, it was, but they eventually stop trying to collect their money....I've heard. Anyway, I received …And Justice as one of the albums they sent monthly. I had heard of Metallica, but I wasn’t into thrash or speed metal at the time. To me, ZZ Top was heavy metal. I cracked the CD open and put it in and….ugh. This singer isn’t singing, he’s yelling. This is really fast music, but then it isn’t. Why don’t they pick a lane? Eventually, after not being impressed, I actually fell asleep and slept through about ⅔ of the album. I woke up and thought, I won’t need to listen to that again. And I sold it to someone at school. A little later, after Metallica had blown up because of …And Justice. I received Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All remaster from Columbia House. I thought they weren’t fooling me again, but I’ll give it a listen. I loved it. It blew me away, and it was faster and even more yellier. I couldn’t believe it. What changed? So, I bought a new copy of …And Justice For All and listened to it around 250 times. No joke, it’s easily one of the albums I’ve listened to most in my life. I love the progginess of it, the apocalyptic message (it especially rings true today), and James Hetfield is still yelling, but I get it. He can’t sing, so what’s he supposed to do? It got to the point where I knew where all the time and tempo changes were coming without counting beats, I could recite the guitar solos better than I could the lyrics. This might be my all-time favorite album. And, it’s not even really metal so much as it’s prog rock. Listen to …And Justice For All with all the riffs and time changes and tell me that isn’t prog rock. Now, for the elephant in the room, the Metallica boys made this album while they were still grieving the loss of their bass player, Cliff Burton. He was the genius of the group, but don’t tell Lars Ulrich that. Anyway, they hired Jason Newsted as Cliff’s replacement, then tortured him for not being Cliff. If that wasn’t bad enough, they mixed his bass to sound like the guitar riffs, and there is essentially no bass on ...And Justice. And you know what? I don’t care! I love crunchy guitars, so give me more. Also, I love the way Lars’s drums sound on this album. Their next album, the Black Album, would be the one to send them into mainstream superstardom, but for me, this is their best album. I can’t believe there isn’t anyone under the age of 25 who hasn't heard at least the song One from this album. Quickly, before all the things Papa Hetfield sings about on the album, listen to it immediately and change your DNA.
65 minutes of metal bliss. Blackened hits so fucking hard as an opener. The drums on the title track are gorgeous. One was the most played song on my iPod RIP. The album never loses steam.
Absoluter Meilenstein und von Anfang bis Ende großartig, daher trotz der Schwächen in der Produktion 5 Sterne.
Bestes Metallica-Album!
This album Fucks, this was the album where nothing was held back. Metallica at their prime and ferocity. Mix aside it’s still insanely great
A kick in the head jolt
Blackened
Not their best album but its a great listen some classic tracks.
While there are some issues with the recording (you can't hear the bass, the bass drum can be kind of click-y.) The songs are pure thrash heaven. I remember buying this on cassette and pretty much wearing it out.
Great guitar tone and a few good songs. Everything blends together though.
One of the best metal albums ever made…
ONE OF MY BEST OF ALL TIMES
Automatic 5/5! Strictly on adolescent boy nostalgia. Such a great album. "One" could make a strong argument for being the greatest metal song of all time. The production quality, composition, lyrics, driving beat and rhythms, and imagery are basically the gold standard for metal. Regardless of the "type" of people that listen to Metallica regularly now, this is an album that should be required listening for everyone (and especially adolescent boys).
this is legitimately their best work and then they mixed it like assholes because they are assholes and were being extra assholey in their grief. the title track is one of the best metal songs of all time. i would give it a 6th star for writing and recording a song so brutal and fast that they more or less immediately refused to play it live.
Metallica is quickly becoming my favorite band... this was a perfect album.
grim. not my cup of tea? but i did bob my head all along till the end. edit - love it.
I mean, det är kanske mitt favorit proper metalalbum någonsin, tillsammans med "insert vilket maiden album jag gillar mest idag". Det är hårt, tight, brutalt, och varenda låt är helt galen
There best album. From start to finish, a great album!
I love first three albums even more and some of the songs on this album could be a bit shorter, but it's still 80s Metallica, back then when they were heavy, cool and creative. Favourite tracks: the last two. To Live Is To Die is such a poignant and gloomy tribute to Cliff, it just hits me in feels every single time.
(9/9 liked songs = 100%) Just incredible. One of Metallica's best albums, which also contains one of my favourite songs: To Live is go die. My first five stars.
Opened up hard and never slowed down. Some of the tracks are a little long, but it's good.
One is one of my all-time faves, but that’s about all I knew from this album (shoutout to Guitar Hero). The rest of the album was similarly awesome. It’s rare for an album to be over an hour long without me complaining about how long it is. But this achieved that feat. Awesome guitar riffs and solos throughout.
greatest metal album ever
In our high school, the walk way from the main building to the science building was lined with 4 columns. I recall watching one day as a kid who wore the same black concert t-shirt went to each one with a magic marker. On the first one, he wrote M-E. On the second, he wrote T-A. Then the third, L-L. When he came to the fourth, he realized that he'd miscalculated and the symmetry would be off. Dejected but committed, he had no choice but to finish on the last column with I-C-A. I thought of that guy today as I listened to this album. "...And Justice For All" was my gateway into better, heavier music. I have a special fondness for this record. I wish there was a little less Lars and a little more Newstead in the mix, but I'm giving it a perfect 5 stars anyway.
5.5 - Legendary
Best of the best
WOW! What an amazing product of the 80s. angsty, heavy guitar, drums, bass. rhythms and intense lyrical delivery. probably one of the best metal albums of all time
A strong thrash metal album that manages to find a nice balance of intensity while maintaining that level consistently through the entire record. Really fun use of tempo/rhythm changes pulling from more more prog styles. Some of Metallica's best work, and more than a few lesser known gems make this a must-listen. Top tracks: Eye of the Beholder, One, Harvester of Sorrow, To Live Is to Die
Solid metal
Yes.
I pumped a lot or iron in my teen years to this very album. Its still kicks ass. I gotta go lift :)
Amazing. Stiprios gitaros, geri būgnai, balsas atitinkamas žanrui. Tobulas metalo albumas.
What is there not to love about this album. Blackened draws you in with Metallica’s trademark bludgeoning guitars and pulsating drums. …And Justice for all is the first real indication that this album is different however. Like Sanitarium on Puppets AJFA presents song so layered it feels it is in acts. From the vaguely spanish guitar feel of the first act to the more traditional thrash of Metallica it is impossible to overlook the greatness of this song. Two songs later Metallica’s true legacy rears it’s head. One is a perfect rock song. It encapsulates everything from more sorrowful light guitar work and vocals to the more ferocious pounding of drums and wailing guitars. I would say it shows off every aspect of the band but that would probably be unfair on Jason Newstead who remains firmly down in the mix. One’s video worked so well with the song (not entirely surprising given the inspiration of the song itself) i struggle not to picture it when listening which only adds further to the experience. I also love the fact that paying royalties to the film cost them more than just buying the rights, so that’s what they did. Possibly because of how strong the first half is I’d forgotten Harvester of sorrow was nestled in the second half of this album. Another wonderful epic of a song to that delivers on every level. As does the Frayed ends of sanity which whilst driven by Lars’s undeniable drums provides the perfect showcase for quite how brilliant a guitarist Kirk is. To live is to die is beautiful instrumental which showcases Metallica’s breadth of emotion and ends almost as a madrigal. Dyers eve is good old fashioned thrash metal and a reminder of old school Metallica, serving as the perfect close to the album
extremely good album a couple of slower songs but enough of it is classic metal bangers
It's Metallica. That's all ya need to know.
Best Song: One Bass? Who needs bass when you have one of the best metal albums ever. Not as good as Master but probably second best Metallica album. If you haven't heard it, shame on you! 5/5.
efsane iste ozlemisiz
başyapıt
9.3/10
The last perfect Metallica album!
I’m gonna start off by saying that I think it’s a bit of a travesty that only two 80’s Metallica albums made it on the list and none of them were Ride the Lightning. Personally, I think having the trilogy of that, Master of Puppets and And Justice For All would have been the fucking tits. Because as is, it makes Justice’s inclusion a little complicated. It’s not as tight-knit as Master of Puppets, and can kind of meander in some parts. I mean, the band themselves don’t even want to play the title track live because it’s too fucking long. Also, for those who know, the mixing is love and hate for me. Outside of losing a Grammy to Jethro Tull, the other thing this album is known for is having the bass made obsolete, which was an intention decision. It does make the album more “raw” and “visceral” thanks to the dryness, but it kinda kills the depth of the songs. The weaker songs can become walls of noise, which could add to the aforementioned meandering. So with all that being said, it’s still hard for me to not love this album, at least in a lot of parts. To Live Is To Die isn’t Orion, but it’s still a great instrumental and the perfect lead up to Dyers Eve, probably the closest Metallica would get to matching Slayer in speed. The themes present in the album go deeper than Master of Puppets, dealing with corruption (the title track), the environment (Blackened), and even Hetfield’s personal life (Dyers Eve). And of course there’s One. Yeah yeah, that’s not exactly a deep cut. But like, there are not a lot of songs that master the art of pacing of that song; the slow, calm start descending into chaos, until the gas pedal becomes a permanent friend with the floor. And Justice for All is not by any means a perfect album, but it can be considered the last album made by the “real” Metallica. After this would come the Black Album, and while I like that one, it would start the band’s exposure to the mainstream. It’s the McDonald’s transition from the fun Playplace colors to the corporate gray cube, if that metaphor makes any sense. That album is complicated for me, but I guess I’d be lying if I said I didn’t love it. Favorite track: One Other hits: Blackened, Harvester of Sorrow, The Frayed Ends of Sanity, To Live Is To Die, Dyers Eve
One was a game changer for me seeing it on MTV for the first time in sixth grade. It took me a number of years before I fully embraced the long form thrash of these early Metallica albums. This, Ride the Lightning, and Master of Puppets are all forever five star albums. Can't say that I feel that way about any album they've done since then.
🤘🤘🤘🤘🤘
My favourite Metallica album. All killer no filler. It's cold, it's harsh and still it's full of energy. Magnificent.
Yeap
my favorite album of their entire career
So that was the first tour I saw Metallica on. We sneaked out of our house and got a train up to London, we missed the last train back to where we needed to go and started walking. A guy picked us up - he was on his way back from Jean Michel Jarre. This was a major transformation for Metallica to more technical (and weird drum sound) music. It rocked then. I haven't heard the album on a really long time, but I still like it - apart from that fxcking song which everyone knows (it was good the first several hundered times)
Another masterpiece Sublime, Magnificent Pure thrash at its peak
Going from the quiet, mournful intimacy of Will Oldham straight into Lars Ulrich’s wood-chopping assault that opens …And Justice for All is… bracing, to put it politely. It’s the kind of whiplash only middle-aged ears (and midlife midriff) truly appreciate. This album carries a lot of baggage for me, not least because it was my first encounter with Metallica back in 1989, borrowed from the library and taped onto a Maxell cassette for 50 cents. Fourteen-year-old me didn’t quite know what to do with these endless, bone-dry songs, James Hetfield’s vowels stretching into the horizon, and the total absence of anything resembling a “hit.” Even One — soon ubiquitous on MTV — didn’t exactly help. And then there’s the elephant in the room: Jason Newsted, who might as well have spent the recording sessions drinking beer on the lawn, because you cannot hear a single note he played. The bass is so thoroughly erased it has become part of the album’s mythology. Add to that Ulrich’s infamous cardboard-snare sound, and you’ve got one of the strangest production choices in the history of a band that was already capable of strange decisions. The guitars, at least, sound massive. The bigger issue: why is this the album in the book? Master of Puppets is a no-brainer, and sure, Metallica (the Black Album) earned its spot through sheer cultural saturation. But if you want another early Metallica record, Ride the Lightning wipes the floor with this one: Creeping Death, Fade to Black, Ktulu — it’s their real masterpiece. Instead we get this bone-dry monster. Dimery and co. never seemed to know quite what to do with metal anyway. But here’s the twist: after revisiting the album seriously, I have to admit it’s much better than I remembered. Yes, it’s too long. Yes, the songs are absurdly stretched. Yes, the sound is exhausting. But every single track here is strong. The staccato riffing is some of the tightest the band ever recorded — truly a high-water mark for thrash precision. Hetfield and Hammett might not be virtuosos in the strict sense, but the sheer accuracy and force of their playing is astonishing. And while Ulrich’s imagination behind the kit is limited, his blunt-force approach is undeniably effective. There’s even a case to be made that this is Metallica’s “prog” album: long, multi-section compositions, plenty of dynamic shifts, and a surprising amount of structural ambition. One absolutely earns its status as their major breakthrough, bombastic video and all. And the near-closing instrumental To Live Is to Die — with the ghost of Cliff Burton wandering through it — is a real standout, its clumsy acoustic bookends somehow charming amid all the pomp. So yes, I sound critical, but the truth is: this is a very strong album with no genuinely weak tracks. It deserves respect — though not at the expense of Ride the Lightning, which absolutely belongs in the book. If we need to make room, that ill-fated S&M orchestral experiment can quietly exit through the side door. Meanwhile, in the background: pok pok pok pok — Ulrich ratatatatata — Hetfield & Hammett (silence) — Newsted
Banger! Master of Puppets is one of my all timers, but this is maybe the best the songs ever were. Like that particular thrash song that Metallica did. Peaked. Great ride. My neck hurts from head banging!
Awesome
10
Love
My weakness. 4.6
The last of the metallics thrash sound. Epic album.
every Metallica album before the black album is amazing
This albums fantastic Metallicas my second favorite band of all time, their lyrics are fantastic and their music is perfection.
Good
This is my second favorite Metallica album
4.5 i only listened to the melodies lol i have to read the lyrics later
Duh
Peak
Easily Metallicas most complex, progressive album. If not for the poor thin sounding production this would be a perfect album. This is in my opinion their best album.
heard this before years ago but i only remember a few songs Blackened - 5/5 ...And Justice for All - 5/5 Eye of the Beholder - 5/5 One - 5/5 The Shortest Straw - 4/5 Harvester of Sorrow - 5/5 The Frayed Ends of Sanity - 4/5 To Live Is to Die - 3/5 Dyers Eve - 5/5 Average score: 4.6/5 (rounding up) it's as good as i remember it being. now that i think about it, this was probably their last "great" album, though i did (and still do) like their self-titled album that followed to some degree
Needs more bass
Aivan upea timantti alusta loppuun asti. Levyllä ei ole yhtään huonoa biisiä ja on yksi kaikkien aikojen parhaimmista metallialbumeista. Toki Cliff Burtonin poissaolo näkyy ja bassot jäävät hieman vaisuiksi, mutta tästä varmaan jaksavat rillejään suoristella ainoastaan itse basistit. Levyltä löytyy paljon hieman kokeellisempia aihioita verrattuna esimerkiksi aiempaan Master of Puppetsiin ja kaikessa raakuudessan ...And Justice For Allin riffit ovat monipuolisempia vaikka MoP voi monien papereissa ollakin se metallican paras albumi. Levy myös hieman keventää pudotusta seuraavalla levyllä tullutta Metallica goes rock'n'roll muutosta kohtaan.
No onhan tämä nyt kova levy. Tuttuja biisejä roimasti, mutta muutama kuuntelematonkin. Pituudeltaan aika reiluhko, mutta menee mukavasti hyvien biisien parissa, eikä tunnu liian pitkältä albumilta. Levyn paras biisi on ansaitustikin tunnetuin One. Hauska huomio myös, että levyn lyhyin kappale on 5:13 pitkä Dyers Eve, joka on nykymittapuullakin jo pidemmän puoleinen kappale. Biisien keskimittakin huitelee päälle 7 minuutissa (7:17). Pieni miinus tulee loppupään To Live is to Die biisin kummallisista siirtymistä alussa ja lopussa, sekä yhtäkkiä loppuvasta biisistä. Mutta! Silti viiden tähden setti.
Incredible arrangements, so many changes and colours and moods
Um, yeah. No review needed
One of my favorite Metallica albums. I still will turn it on loud when I need to get shit done
Great album, big Metallica fan.
The bar for metal music
Well this is no-brainer amazing album from amazing band. What can you say but it's Metallica.
Peak era Metallica. 1988 was a great year for rock and metal music, with Metallica, Sonic Youth, and Dinosaur Jr. all putting out some of their best work.
🤘
Most complex and technical Metallica album. Lot of prog-ish influences, the hardest riffs to play on guitar. Probably my favorite one of theirs.
This album is like a concrete monolith carved by sweaty libertarian Vikings with guitars. It’s cold, technical, unrelenting, and somehow manages to make you headbang while contemplating the collapse of Western civilization. Metallica said, “What if we wrote an album with zero chill, no bass, and all riffs?” and then actually followed through. It’s like a courtroom drama soundtracked by jackhammers. Rating: 4.3/5 Short Review: Riff labyrinths, legal cynicism, and enough palm muting to flatten a mountain range. Favorite Track: “Blackened” – starts with the apocalypse and gets worse.
A true masterpiece and Metallica at the height of their powers
I have never been that much into Metallica, but this album proves that even a technically limited band can still produce great heavy metal stuff if they are musically talented, write songs with sophisticated rhythm structures and play it tightly. Apart from the title track, "One" is the other track that was still in my ears after decades. Clearly the second best Metallica album (Master of Puppets being #1 of course), for me actually four-and-half.
M E T A L L I C A
A fantastic metal album, capping off the 80s era of Metallica. Fantastic songs, such as One, Eye of the Beholder, and To live is to die
Metallica becoming great.
Bon que dire de ce chef d'oeuvre
Truly one of the best metal albums of all time
Again, didn’t love this album but I recognize it is great music. Innovative and unique. It has the calm playfulness I’m familiar with in Simon and Garfunkel with bits of spoken word sprinkled in.
Gran disco
How could I give an album with One any less than a Five?
Great metal album. One of Metallica’s best
80s Metallica was a different beast. The first 4 albums are metal perfected as far as I’m concerned. Hits hard first to last
Always been a huge fan of AJFA. Probably my favourite Metallica album. Powerful lyrics, crushing riffs and despite the controversy, I never miss the bass. Fave Tune: ...And Justice For All
bangin
Se Metallica levy
Onhan tää ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ levy!
The absolute peak of Metallica's heavy art. While the black album was the most popular, this was their masterwork and, along with Puppets and Ride, the reason they are still considered a giant in metal despite 6 sad studio follow ups following the black album. This is the last album for which Cliff Burton would receive writing credits after his tragic passing and some of the anger and sadness embedded in this album are due to the band dealing with his loss. The soul and humor he lent to each record is perhaps the only thing missing from this production.
My single favorite metal album of all time. I know the bass recording is garbage. Don't care. Love, love, love this album
Amazing, enough said
Everyone thinks this is the weird cousin to Master of Puppets' golden child role. But AJFA saw Metallica really flexing their songwriting muscles into new progressive territory. It also had the band's first mainstream hit with One, and that's humongous for extreme metal.
It would have been super rad if there was a bass player on this album
Njihov drugi ili treći najbolji album
One of the best metal albums ever made
1st Metallica album I listened to back in the day.
This is the best Metallica album by far.
my beloved
Hands down one of the top albums for Mettalica and for metal fans. I can’t get enough of the mellow quitar sounds then thrusting into hard guitar riffs and lyrics. A must for anyone tired of the “system”!
Always bangers!
I can get behind this, this is more my lemon full of juice
Metallica has to be the most well known bands where you can say "I liked them before...". And Justice For All is before Load the album where they seemed to have lost all of their fans and is, for me, part of a holy trinity of Metallica (And Justice For All, Ride The Lightning, Master Of Puppets).
9/10 Climate disaster, corruption, class justice, lies, domestic abuse, religious indocrination, hypocrisy. Perfect album for the Trump era. The pretty melodic bits really stand out nicely agains the relentless guitar chugging that drives most of the album. Highlights: And Justice for All Blackened One Harvester of Sorrow
This is such a fascinating album. It's the last of their classic albums before they transitioned to a more radio-friendly version of metal and exploded in popularity, but it's also their first album without original bassist Cliff Burton, after his tragic death while on tour. Cliff was the band member most interested in music theory and who pushed them to the brink of their ability as songwriters. It's also famously the album where they buried the bass in the mix. James and Lars have said their ears were shot from the tour and they just kept demanding their own parts be louder during mixing and couldn't tell the bass had become inaudible. The result of all of this is Metallica's most brutal album. They added riff after riff to every song, featuring lots of time changes and unusual song structures. It's a difficult album on first listen but it is truly awesome and only gets better the more you listen to it. I heard it for the first time about a year ago. I only wish that the vocal performance and production style adopted for their next album (and every subsequent album) could have been done on this one, Ride the Lightning, and Master of Puppets. But oh well. This album rocks.
Honestly never been a huge Metallica fan. Always preferred Slayer and Megadeth. Slayer because they're more extreme, and being a big fan of drums, Dave Lombardo is easily the best drummer in the Big Four of thrash (always hated categorizing bands like that). Megadeth because they generally just had more range in their music. Metallica kinda always felt like they fell into a formula. And I probably would say I like Metallica over Anthrax, but Anthrax is a more fun band. That said, it's been a long time since I've really sat down and listened to Metallica, so we'll see if this holds up once I get the other Metallica albums, but I always thought this was my favorite Metallica album. Everyone rates Master of Puppets higher, but I remember not liking the back half of the tracklist on that album. But this record starts off with two fantastic classics, and just keeps the quality up. Love the aggression of Blackened, and the proggy riffs and licks throughout ...And Justice For All and Eye of the Beholder. It's very lightly treading on territory Coroner laid down (probably my favorite thrash band), just more in a prog direction vs technical. Then you got classics like One which as much as I hem and haw about how Metallica has never really wowed me, is still one of the greatest metal songs of all time, and thats inarguable. Probably their opus song wise. And for better or worse, the song that they've kinda been chasing ever since. The rest of the tracklist is great too, especially Harvester of Sorrow. The only thing kind of holding this album (and Metallica) back is Lars' drumming. Not that its necessarily bad. Its fine and does exactly what it needs to do (lays down a beat, follows the guitars), but for a band that treads in a prog direction, you kinda want more interesting drumming with fills that do more than just basic snare rolls. It contributes later to the whole feeling of Metallica being formulaic, with Hammet kinda always feeling like he's trying to remake One on later albums. Will say, Lars' drumming on Harvester of Sorrow is legit good, with some nice bass kick patterns. Lars is kinda like Anthony Keidis from RHCP. Clearly the weak link of the band by a wide margin, but they wouldn't be the same without him. That said, I don't think I can knock this album for those gripes because this is just a damn classic album. Went into it thinking I'd give it a 4, but honestly feeling a 5 now.
Shooting pool and listening to this cassette when it came out in the basement was the tail end of Jr High. Subsequent metal albums got a bit too heavy for my tastes. This is that nice sweet spot of loud and fast while continuing to have lyrics you can understand.
Almost legendary album
It's kind of incredible how often Metallica has gotten away with sound mixing that's completely ass. This album, rather infamously, has no audible bass; DEATH MAGNETIC is mixed so loudly people prefer to listen to it through GUITAR HERO; ST. ANGER... Has its defenders. But still, two nickels outta three ain't bad. And ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL specifically: you hafta feel for Jason Newsted. He had impossibly big shoes to fill being the band's new bassist after the tragic death of CLiff Burton, and on his first album outing with the band, his contribution gets mixed out entirely. James and Lars have said as recently as 2019 that they didn't do it to belittle Jason; that their hearing was simply shot during the mixing process because of touring — and from what I read, the bass parts were mostly just following the rhythm guitar anyway... But either way, sucks to be the new guy and this is the album that ends up sounding like the metal equivalent of "When Doves Cry". Which really just makes it all the more amazing that this album is as good as it is. As much as I have sympathy for Jason (and my following statements won't change that), the bass being missing in action does nothing to detract from how incredible songs like "Blackened", the title track, "One" and "To Live Is To Die" are. This is prime cut Metallica, and the last pure-type thrash thing they did before they started sliding towards more traditional heavy metal on the Black Album (which I also like a lot, but still). I mean, if the goofy-ass viking chant on the one song isn't a detracting factor, nothing can be. And I say "pure-type thrash" because this strikes me as the most prog-ish album they've ever made. Which, it's no Dream Theater, to be clear; it's more the Iron Maiden route of "longer songs" — and even in that lane, this thing's only 11 minutes longer than MASTER OF PUPPETS... But you can still tell they were going for a bit more complexity here with some of these structures and rhythms. There's even a bit more seriousness obviously apparent. It's nothing crazy, but I think it's nice to hear them trying out some new tricks. Though, at the end of the day, look, I'm a very simple girl. I hear a good metal riff, I go buck-ass wild — and I go buck-ass wild for this album. It's as good of a reminder as any that metal can be and is fucking awesome, with chugging riffs, pounding drums and seering solos. Even with the absence of a lower end, it kicks all kinds of ass, and frankly, that's all I'm here for. It's actually a little difficult for me to think of any further words I wanna say about this album as a result, because my enjoyment of this album is really just that wholly uncomplicated. The guitars chugga-chug and go meedly-meedly really fast and I jam the hell out to it — what more can I say? As I'm typing this last paragraph, I'm listening to one of the many fanmade remixes of the album that reinstates Jason's bass back into the mix. I'll admit, it does add a little something to head the gnoning of the bass back there, and if you're one of those people who can't get past its absence in the first place, or that Metallica didn't add it back in the most recent remaster, I say go seek this out. As well, I wanna admit that JUSTICE isn't my favorite Metallica album: the songs on MASTER OF PUPPETS are just that little bit better, and I'm a sucker for the commercial hooks on the Black Album. But seriously, JUSTICE is just a great time. With the mixing working against it, it shouldn't work as well as it does... And yet, it remains one of the greatest Metallica albums ever made. ST. ANGER sure can't make that claim, I'll tell yah that. So, yeah, I'unno why you're still reading me babble on. Go play this album and jam the fuck out. I know I'm gonna.
It's been said to death, but shame on the band for making the bass basically nonexistent since release. Otherwise, it's still some kickass thrash. 4.5 bumped up to 5.
I’m at a 5. The elephant in the room is of course the lack of a very audible bassline, but ignoring that (seemingly as the mixing process did), I’m just fucking annoyed at myself for not digging deeper into heavy metal & hard rock years ago. Metallica’s self-titled album proved it to me, every band & album within the genre we’ve gotten before & since has proven it to me (save for “Apocalypse Dudes”, which again, deserves a re-listen on my part), and this album has once again, really reaffirmed it. I’ve really got nothing major to complain about – I was just jamming out for 65 minutes, and I love the more political leaning bend this album takes. Everyone in the band deserves their credit, even Jason Newsted, despite his quite literally inaudible contributions to this album. Quite frankly, it’s a miracle this album is as good as it is despite a truly baffling mixing job at times. It’s not the same “commercially appealing” vibe as the self-titled is, but it’s a vibe I fuck with regardless. This is Metallica doing more of a prog rock approach on a number of tracks, letting the instrumentation set the tone even more than the lyrics & vocals already do, and showcasing it with some incredible fucking solos across the board, from a guitar & percussive standpoint. It’s just a kick-ass album, man. I fucking loved it; someone else can write the 700-word track by track breakdown & history lesson about this one, because it does deserve that type of breakdown. I’m just gonna listen to it again and rock the fuck out, because I think the music speaks for itself. A very easy 5 for me. If it had a bassline, I might be entering 10 territory, but c’est la vie.
Yeah, it's long (like a lot of Metallica's albums), and Jason Newstead's bass is inaudible, but this is a masterclass in melodic thrash with a ton of variety and some killer riffs. I am a little confused as to why this made the list and Ride the Lightning didn't, but I'm not going to complain when this list offers up albums more to my taste. 5.0/5.0: Iconic
ive heard this before and really enjoy the album. there is no bass in the mix which makes it feel thin and makes the runtime a bit of a slog. it deserves to lose a star or even two for the mixing but it still gets a five because it’s a classic and the first half of the album is so incredible
AJFA is Metallica at their most technical and complex. It’s long, aggressive, and at times borderline exhausting—in the best way possible. If Master of Puppets is peak Metallica, then AJFA is them flexing their songwriting and riff-crafting muscles like lunatics in a dungeon full of time signature changes. "Blackened" kicks the door open like a controlled explosion. That reverse intro into the main riff still gives me chills, especially when they open with it live. “Harvester of Sorrow” might be the shortest track here, but it hits like a tank. It’s also a sign of where they were headed—more groove, more crunch, less speed. That song crawled so "Sad But True" and "King Nothing" could stomp. Lyrically, they kept the heat turned up. If MoP flirted with political and religious themes, AJFA dives in headfirst. It’s pissed-off, cynical, and feels just as relevant today.
Love this one already. 5 out of 5.
I do think the mixing doesn't do the songs full justice (heh), but the quality of the songs themselves is so high that it almost doesn't matter.
i love the bass on this album!
One of the best metal albums ever.
This or MOP are GOATS of their discog, check earlier albums for confirmation
A masterpiece. Although my least favorite of the three album run of Lightning - Puppets - Justice - it's still OBVIOUSLY a five star album. So much unparalleled riffage in a five year period from a group of drunk guys in their 20s. Still can't wrap my mind around that. Their last great album.
Wow this took me back….to the year I was born. And my whole childhood of my brother blasting Metallica and practicing solos on his guitar non stop. But I’ll always have a soft spot for this band even though I was waterboarded with their music for so long. Thoroughly enjoyable listen :)
A kind of landmark album. Needles to say more.
Arms crossed and approving nodding beside the mixing booth. I still have a deep love for this album, even after it’s spun through my players more times than I can count.
loved it as a teenager
MASTERPIECE
I know some consider it the weakest real Metallica album, but I love it. The bit where they turned Newsted's bass way way down in the final mix is hilarious, though.
O auge criativo da banda. Composições bem estruturadas, riffs memoráveis, e um trabalho de guitarra de alto nível como um todo. James também estava inspirado como vocalista nesse disco.
Hard driving. This was my first exposure to Metallica and it blew my socks off. Such a cerebral song in "One". Its so scary that a soldier thought to be a "vegetable" could have full faculties and no way to communicate. Great album.
One of my all time favorite albums. I started listening to these guys with Ride the Lightning in the mid-80s. At the time, they were some great thrash metal. With this release they really graduated into speed metal. Precise, complex, deep lyrics, the whole show. After this they devolved, in my opinion, into more straightforward rock. And they never recovered. After this album, and maybe the black album, the only thing they've done well since it Death Magnetic. But this is peak.
5 Stars but not perfect, because BASS. AND JUSTICE FOR JASON.
The last great Metallica album and a masterclass in thrash. It's a shame Lars sucks and insisted the bass basically be removed from the mix. Fuck that guy. My favorite story about this recording (whether true or not) is the engineer having to literally cut and splice the tapes hundreds of times to make it seem like Lars could actually play One in time. Despite all this, I still love it.
This is a heavy metal classic. Although their popularity was rising at this time, there was still a feeling that this band and music was just for us. Everyone wants to be an expert and trash the mix, but this super dry recording was so influential and defined metal afterwards. The riffs are so sick! Eye of the Beholder is a great example. The drums don’t just keep time, they are amazing parts to the song. Guitar solos are on point. Lyrics are not Metallica’s strong point, but on this record they are what they need to be to support the songs. And to end on Dyers Eve. What more do you want from an album? It might actually be their best one.
Love Metallica! Damaged Justice Tour 88-89 was my 1st concert! July ‘89 in CT with Stepmom, younger brother, and family friends. This is a no skip album, a fitting tribute to Cliff.
Love this album, amazing instrumental, amazing vibes Fav song - One 5/5
Metal!!
Justice is served
This album has so many fond memories for me so there is only one rating I could give this
Great album!
Perfect album for me.
yep
Doesn't need a review, this is clearly one of the best thrash albums! Haters gonna hate. 'tallicA are kings, yeah I said it, what?! Am I biased? Yes I am!
I thought I wasn’t going to like this, I had never heard a full Metallica album before. I absolutely loved it. This is amazing. I can’t explain it, I just loved it. The opening track, Blackend, blew my mind. What a great way to start an album. 10/10.
Aggressive and progressive Thrash metal with long-form songs utilizing complex riffs, shifting parts, and varying time signatures. It’s thrashy riff galore for both leaf and rhythm guitars - sick riff changes to heavier riff to shreddier riff seamlessly. Some decent lyrics broadly focusing on injustice and pain through war, environment, and other sociopolitical topics. The album absolutely rips…I just wish you could hear the damn bass.
An interesting listen given the current geopolitical and environmental development. I like the lyrics and it works well with the music. Can't believe this is from '88 - how would they draw Lady Justice today then?
Enough riffs for the rest of your LIFE
A bit too much Metallica on this list, but this is my favorite album of theirs, so no complaints here.
Gøy å jogga til, evt vaska hus
Extraordinário, poderoso e vitalizante. Não sou fã de metal, mas gostei da produção, dos temas retratados (políticos, sociais e existenciais), vocais e conjunto final. Tudo funciona muito bem! 5/5
Ok let's get rid of the ELEPHANT 🐘 in the room, Lars fucked up the production, even when given a chance with the remaster he fucked it up, but even he couldn't kill off what is a great collection of songs. One of my all time favourites, I saw them on this tour at Sheffield city hall, fucking awesome, at their prime. Stage set unbelievable, the first of 7 times that I saw them. 💀. 💀 💀 💀. 💀💀 💀. 💀. 💀. 💀 💀. 💀. 💀. 💀 💀. 💀💀. 💀 💀. 💀
OG Metallica fans will, to a person, list Justice as their best work, and I agree. Those same fans would say it is their last good album. I include the Black album as a good album, even though it launched them into the mainstream and they've been wilting since. This is their opus.
Nice and heavy, a lot of stuff I hadn’t heard before so it was nice to hear something new that was good after every track
Top five album all time...
About a year ago, I listened to this album on repeat while working nights. Absolutely recommend it for staying awake and jamming out.
Right before their big mainstream break. Poor Jason, those bass lines are killer. A great prog album, sure it’s heavy, but the music does tell a story. You see them branching out, but still holding on tight. Would’ve never seen what they had coming after this one.
Loved it. 5/5
Freakin RAD!!
9/10
Klink. Savner Jason litt.
Ståpels
Fantastic front to back, and one of my top 3 Metallica albums. I never skip a song off this album when the songs come up on my playlist. Unfortunately this album is the second time they ended up burying the bass within 2 years.
Certified banger
Probably my favorite Metallica album
Pure, old-school metal music. Inject this straight into my veins. 5/5
a true classic
I really loved this one!
Ohhh yeahhhh
The message and the raw emotions shown in this album's very good, i feel like i still have to grow into this album, i will be going back into this project Really resonated with it.
Metallica's second best album despite losing Cliff Burton. An all time classic.
Rock and Roll, mother-effers!
This is another one that's hard to evaluate without comparing to other groups that have come after that I prefer. But definitely a great album. Vocal style is not my favorite but they keep the instrumentals so engaging that I don't even mind. The building intro of Blackened with the guitar solo interludes in the middle, the entirety of ... And Justice for All, great contrast of the bass lines with the guitar in Eye of the Beholder with some great tempo changes, the lyrical guitar at the beginning of One with the kit coming in in stages and just the layering of the guitar lines in that one, that nice fall and rise of guitar punctuated by the bass in The Shortest Straw, that insane building opening of Harvester of Sorrow, the scales in the background of The Frayed Ends of Sanity matched with the driving bass line, the lyrical opening of To Live is to Die interrupted by the driving bass lines then overlaid with more soaring guitar lines and a nice stripped down interlude in the middle and how it opens back up when the kit is added back in and then the reverse of the opening ending lyrical guitar again. Anyways, some really great writing.
Absolutely phenomenal album. Some songs have already made the playlist.
The only flaw in this album is the production. Lars' drums sound like crap. The guitars have too much low-end and the bass is mixed so low as to be non-existent. Otherwise, musically and lyrically, it is a thrash masterpiece. When it was released, it was my favorite Metallica album. Over the years, Master of Puppets has overtaken it. Still, this is an easy 5 stars for me.
The album before the "black" album. Heavy and rhythmic.
Bendito sea
Top tier Metallica album next to Master of Puppets. Easy 5/5. I would put this over Ride the Lightning in terms of the “thrash” level. I dont understand why RTL is ranked higher in that regard.
My second favorite Metallica album, yeah yeah it has no bass, still one of the best metal albums ever made
Хорошее звучание нрав
Turn up the bass!
Невероятный голос, исполнение, но не мой жанр.
Still rad as hell.
Great one
Maybe Metal’s best album?