Reviews (page 7 of 14)
Rating - STRONG 7 Best Song - The Frayed Ends of Sanity (10/10) Worst Song - Harvester of Sorrow (6/10) Thoughts: Immaculate instrumentals from Lars Ulreich on the drums and special shoutout to Kirk Hammett for the incredible guitar solos laced throughout the project. The topic of justice was portrayed very well in almost every song, whether it be politically or via other angles such as 'Dyers Eve' where James Hetfield talks about gaining justice over his parents for his closed-off upbringing. Even though every song was over 5 minutes long, reaching up to 9 minutes in some instances, no song overstayed its welcome, other than maybe 'Harvester of Sorrow', which is an impeccable feat in itself. This is a GREAT album with flawless production from front to back packed with songs that speak out for justice through different means, making my introduction into metal music a very welcome one.
my grandpa is a fan and i feel like i'm slowly transforming into him
An interesting look into the earlier days of thrash and metal. Not personally my style but still well executed.
siempre me gusto metallica, no te escucharia toda la discografia porque lo sentiria muy repetitivo pero la onda que tiene siempre me gusto. canciones favoritas: blackend, one 8.5/10
I started listening to this at 8 AM and it was a bit too much. A much better to listen to after noon. 4/5
I played this a lot when I was young. I still like it. On the other hand, I don't recommend this record. You had to be there when it was new to fully appreciate it. Master of Puppets was better. Most of the songs are too long. The singing is not that good. It's not very heavy by today's standards. Lots of people complain about the lack of bass, but it wouldn't be as tight and punchy with more bass. Favorite song: Battery
4.5
I think I'm more of a fan of individual songs than Metallica albums. After a while it kind of mushes together. Still, One is a top-tier song. Easy 4
Can you go wrong with Metallica? I prefer their 90s albums over their 80s ones, but this is still a solid album. One, in particular, is a fantastic song.
It's a Metallica album. It's fine. It sounds like a Metallica album, and I like it. Not sure it's groundbreaking, and I'm not sure there should be any more than one Metallica album on this list. Fours tars, because I like it and I would listen again and it's interesting.
Apparently this album has no bass, sounded pretty good without it. I’m not a huge fan of Hetfield’s vocals but One is a classic. It’s the guitars that carry this album. 4 stars
Might've been nice to hear a bit of Jason's bass...
Not Metallica's best but a good album nonetheless. "One" is a classic and "Dyer's Eve" a flat out fret race. Metallica certainly experimented some after Lightning and Puppets, not especially to my taste but I salute their bravery.
80- luku, pitkä tukka ja farkkutakki. Mikäs se sit onkaan metallican paras levy, siinä kanssa hyvä kysymys. On tää sitä parhaimmistoa, mutta oisko black album kuiteskin parempi. Eiköhän sekin tällä listalla tule niin katotaan sit :D
Great players, double kick downstroke
- One is one of the greatest songs period - Not my favorite Metallica album, but certainly a great one - Falls off a tiny bit on the second half but still bangers
- It’s almost effortless for them - Not a lot stands out on this album, especially compared to their other stuff - Can’t see myself going back to this one -3.5
Classic pop metal. Absotutely holds up
it’s metallica
Thin sound, strange arrangements, 1988 trans am and moustaches and shitty beer. Nonetheless, it's rad guitars, amazing lead work, TIGHT playing, and even the aforementioned 'strange' arrangements and 'thin' sound kind of grew on me by the end. Def a decent record.
Compression, Compression, Compression! I love this album so I'm biased. The only reason it's not a 5 (not really, i just need to get my dig in) is I cant hear the fucking bass guitar!!!!! ;) "One" is an absolute master piece. Dyers Eve and Blackened are also amazing.
Blackened, Eye of the Beholder, One, Harvester of Sorrows, The Frayed Ends of Sanity and Dyers Eve. Amazing guitars and drums. Main complaint is the guitar riffs just all sound the same. Master of Puppets is better.
classy message. there are better Metallica albums. one, blackened, justice for all, to live is to die, dyers eve.
Really good start and finish but the middle felt sluggish. Great guitar and drums. FS: Blackened, Frayed Ends, To Live, Dyers Eve
Actually a good ass listen 9/10
Not their best album
My favourite metal album. Was honestly my favourite album when I was getting into music. Out of all the CDs my mum and dad had. This one for a time had a special place. I now look at my favourite, favourite types of music and albums, and themes and similar aspects are in this one. It’s like a metal genesis album. This is their best. Unfortunately the production isn’t the best. Apparently Plampin tells me they haven’t got the master tapes anymore so they can’t even remaster it. And that all adds to the concept in that almost other-worldly way. Metallica are a cheesy metal band. Metalheads hate them. Your nans heard Enter Sandman and she hates it. But if you ever want to prove where this band were at their peak (album before their bestseller, usually a telltale sign), listen to this album. Sot: Blackened And justice for all One 4.5/5
Very very good album, unique sound and loads of interesting songs
It’s good I’ve forgotten it it’s been a long time since I listened to it and also a very long time since I listened to it all the way through
Not a big fan of 'em, but this one is solid, The Shortest Straw is a banger
Pretty good
justice for jason
Relentless unadulterated heavy metal. You are on a punishing thrash ride from the first red-hot guitar lick all the way through ‘til the last.
Well that's Metallica for you. Pretty sure their style could be recognized by first notes on every album.
listened to this on a sunset walk around the neighborhood next to the sun and sail club and felt like an angsting teenager great experience
Classic. 'One' is absolutely amazing and always will be. Strong selection of songs with the true and true Metallica sounds to it.
3 days apart from each other (thank you randomizer), I've given both "Master Of Puppets" and "...And Justice For All" a good few (re-)listens and have to admit that this one really falls short in comparison. Both albums, like 'Ride The Lightning' before that are built along the same premise: 1) Start the album with a fast and heavy song 2) Bring a few of the epics (8 to 9 minute songs) interspersed with some slower songs 3) Bring out one instrumental 4) Finish with a fast and heavy banger But while Metallica went from the Thrash to more Black Sabbath-like rhythms, the songwriting remains great, it's the tinny and empty production sound that really stops this album from being a masterpiece. Without Bass, without soul, without input besides Lars and James.
Loud
Gets the blood pumpin, great hard rock with some awesome guitar riffs. Not my usual vibe but good for working out or to scream at.
guapísimo
It’s Metallica........has to be at least a 4* !
Had this record as a kid and haven’t heard in years. I love their harmonized guitars Cool guitar melody in “And just for all” I would’ve liked some more melody in the vocals for all these songs. I found myself feeling like I waiting for verses to end so we could get to the guitar solos. “One” is probably my favorite Metallica song and has so many great guitar moments. Intro for “living to Die” is awesome Least favorite is “shortest straw” and “frayed ends” Tough one to rate… 3.5 ..4?
Can’t believe we’ve had two Metallica records and they weren’t kill ‘em all or master of puppets. This was fun, some really cool riffs and grooves. Guitars sound amazing and huge throughout. love the solo on the title track and eye of the beholder. One is such a great song. Tempo changes were cool. I wish the drums were also huge sounding. one thing that kills me about metal is the sample replaced drums, even though I don’t think Metallica did that much, they still kind of have that sound with the paper-y little kick drum. I dig Metallica but I feel like it all kinda sounds the same. Its cool to see how they kind of paved the way for newer metal and hardcore bands, and by comparison Metallica is pretty soft and palatable and even pretty at times.
Not the best choice for a headache day, but I like the album.
Pretty fucking solid. Reminded me of learning guitar and playing One over and over again. The flips from classical to metal got to be a little silly on the back half of the record. Still very listenable. The remaster fixed the snare sound I hate but it's still smashed. Good album!
An outstanding thrash metal record that is lessened by an horrid production. This was actually my first time listening the 2018 remaster, and while the bass is a bit more clear in the mix, the production still feels terribly out of place in this album. That being said, this still is Metallica showcasing some of their best songwriting, and arguably the last of their great thrash metal albums.
Classic thrash during their height of creativity. Some very doomy tracks here, and some have a folky metal sound reminiscent of Led Zeppelin. We see some of their strongest like "Blackended" and "One" but also a few of their most mediocre of the period. I would not like "Eye of the Beholder" if not for the instrumental in the third quarter, and the only thing I like about "The Shortest Straw" is the speed drumming. There are plenty of highlights, particularly the 10-minute instrumental "To Love is to Die". There's some really awesome riff going on in every track, and the drums hit hard. It's overall an outstanding effort, with my biggest complaint being the barely audible bass and snares.
Stank face engaged. Absolute shreddage
Great album, hard hitting. Before they sold out
Complex, rhythmic, and energetic as hell. A great listen, although no track really stands out to me as being too unique or different from the others. Freaking awesome album art for 1988 too.
Lack of bass is so noticable, how this shit happen? Album good Cool heavy riffs and as well as some nice melodic sections. Very nice. 4/5 Favourite Tracks: Blackened, The Shortest Straw, Dyer's Eve Least Favourite Tracks: ...And Justice For All
Look, shit rules.
'One' alone warrants 3 stars. One of the greatest metal songs ever. Great face melting sols and Lars beating the shit out of the drums. Easy 4 stars. 'Shortest Straw' solo is fantastic.
On the day this was released I was junior in high school and I remember waiting all day for school to end so I could rush out by this album. Slightly mixed on first listen but soon after couldn't turn it off. It's been a while since I listen to this album, It's still a great album and probably the last great Metallica album. The songs are really strong and this has been talked about a ton, the mixing is horrible, it sounds even worse to me now then it did. I'm really glad I saw them multiple times on this tour and heard these songs live, they were there supposed to sound.
It’s no Master of Puppets, but it’s a good metal record and a classic. Fast, heavy, with growling vocals, but highly precise drum and guitar. It’s a record I always enjoy listening to.
It probably wasn’t a good idea to listen to an album like this while I was winding down for the night because I feel like I didn’t enjoy it as much as I would’ve if I listened to it while working or something. Regardless, this is still a classic album that shouldn’t have lost to jethro tull even if I got tired of it after One finished. I think I still prefer the black album over puppets and puppets over this.
I already like Metallica and their music, and this gave me a chance to listen to the album in full for the first time. It's excellent. Highly charged, tight as can be, and very well composed. The music video they put together for 'One' is haunting and really stays with me. Wow.
Este me gusta mucho
This is the last Metallica album I really fuck wit. Shreds pretty much the whole way, and the solo in One will forever bestow the chillies
The more metal I listen to from this list, the more obvious Metallica’s incredible musicianship becomes. They’re operating at a higher level. Really intricate, beautiful music. They have an intense hard rock style but it’s not just brute force. There’s real craft behind these songs. You know me, I’m always attracted to the drums on an album. And jeez! These drums sound insane! That extra bass kick in there is so powerful. And the guitar solos! Some epic, stadium rock, guitar hero shit here! 🎸🔥 Wow - that transition from the melodic intro of “To Live is to Die” to the opening riff is really something! The whole song is stunning. I like Metallica though I probably respect their music more than I love it at the moment. But it's all new to me and I look forward to listening to more. Excellent album overall.
Now here’s a band I can really get into, at least when I’m in the right mood. I was a Black Album convert, never a huge fan of their earliest stuff or the woeful middle albums, but Dan has played their latest albums and they are a great return to form (but with modern production, yay). Anyway, sitting in traffic in a car on my own, I cranked this one and really enjoyed it. Apropos of my earlier musings on Megadeth vs Metallica - no contest. These guys make me want to bang my head. And they keep changing up their songs, but in a way that’s fun in an over-the-top way rather than just ridiculous. No further analysis needed.
Good album and would love to see some of these live but tbf not something I could listen to on regular basis anymore. Saved tracks: …And Justice For All, One, The Shortest Straw, The Frayed Ends Of Sanity, To Live Is To Die
Do I like metal??
I don't revisit this anywhere near as often as the two Metallica albums either side of it, but I really should, its a damn good record. Some songs are slightly longer than they need to be, but it never really gets boring and the high points are very high
Probably peak Metallica in my book, just tight, technical high speed metal wall to wall. On the downside it pretty much marks the turn to the all-serious, no-humor, self-important vibe that pretty much defined the band thereafter.
Very complex but good album. Some great guitar riffs. 'One' is one of my favourite Metallica songs. 4,5/5
Metallica’s thrash roots are still very much apparent, but this is a more thoughtful, complex, and experimental album. The uses of interesting time signature, arpeggios, and the suite like string structure all attest to Metallica’s desire to move beyond their music of the early and mid 80s. It is a resounding success.
Another heavy hitter from Metallica! Some classic jams on here, including probably my favorite from them, "One." Songs like that are few and far between, but they demonstrate that Metallica can do different things if they so choose. They don't often so choose, and on this album there's a decent sized chunk that feels like filler to me, the back half got a little monotonous. But still, the heft of the earlier tracks is undeniable. Certainly not a perfect album, and I can say with confidence this isn't my favorite Metallica album (Master of Puppets was a 5), but it still goes hard. Favorite tracks: One, Blackened, And Justice For All, To Live is To Die, Eye of the Beholder. Album art: Definitely a classic, one of my favorite from Metallica for sure. No mistaking the symbolism here, especially with the title. Strong statement. 4.5/5
FULL DISCLOSURE: I FUCKING LOVE METALLICA SO THIS REVIEW IS HEAVILY BIASED. Lars is a fucking BEAST on the drums as usual. This album has a lot of emotion because they released it only 2 years after Cliff died (original bassist). Will have to listen to this the next time I'm on a run & doing sprints. I have nothing bad to say about this album. I also like Kill Em All (86') and this is a crazy good follow up. Usually artists have a sophomore slump after a critically acclaimed first album, but these guys did their fucking thing. And that's why they're legends.
Classic Metallica, what can I say. Theres a lot you can unpack about the latter parts of Metallicas career from the 90's onwards, for the record I still love them dearly to the preset day but their history is definitely... complex. But any baggage caused by St. Anger is forgotton when that opening lead guitar part from Blackened comes in. Then you get One. I could spend paragraphs writing about how much I love one, mlodic, heavy, conceptual, creepy, all the performances are so bang on, Long enough to be epic but never outstays its welcome, the vocals are Hetfield at his absolute best. Hearing those guns, either on record, or especially live is just electrifying. And that guitar tone in the intro... wow. What a banger. I wont give it a 5 because if I was standing in a record shop and I could only buy this or another Metallica album I'd always go for the other once but its damn close.
7/10 there’s some good stuff here but there were also plenty of songs that sounded comically annoying I feel like they peaked with Master of Puppets, this just doesn’t sit right with me
Every band has that undeniably great album. And then they have the album that is debated, but ultimately crosses the line. The line of excess and overkill. The point of no return, as it were. For example, Yes had "Close to the Edge" as their undeniable great album. Their next album, "Tales From Topographic Oceans," is one that is debated by many fans about crossing the line of excess. (Personally, I love it, but I can see what they're talking about: double album, only 4 songs.) For Metallica, their great album is, of course, "Master of Puppets." The contested album is "...And Justice For All." The two big complaints are pretty obvious: 1) It's too long. Both the album itself, and some of the songs. "Harvester of Sorrow" is probably the one song I point to as being the best example of this, along with "To Live Is To Die." And yet, it's the shortest song on the album. But it feels like it's overstayed its welcome. Length of the album itself? "To Live Is To Die" os not as good of an instrumental as "Orion" from the previous album. "Frayed Ends of Sanity" is another one that just... goes nowhere. Looking at the LP version, you have sides that are 15 minutes long. It just seems like a waste. 2) The sound of the album itself. The bass. WHERE. IS. THE. BASS? Oh my GOD, this is such a perplexing album. You get a new bassist, and you canNOT hear him. The drums, however, are very prominent. Too prominent. The bass drum I hear in... um.... EVERY song. I don't think it's a hard thing to say all of the band members really peaked with "Master of Puppets." I mean, listen to them trying to play "Battery" years later, it never sounds right. I can't imagine what "Justice" would have sounded with Burton. But there's so much anger and grief in that album, it would have definitely have been different. Am I nitpicking at this album? Probably. "One" is one of their greatest songs they ever did, there's no denying it. "Blackened" feels like trying to take "Battery" up a notch, but I still dig it. It's the flaws that make it NOT be a 5-star album. But it is a raw, definitive thrash album. If only...
Metallica is one of the best at what they do and this album was pretty good, but not their best. A little too decadent - too many so 6min+ songs that could've been cut down. I got lost in the title track and To Live is to Die (as in, is this a new song or is it still going?), even though I like the former (latter was meh). One is still a brilliant song and one that I don't mind goes on a bit long. Blackened is one I'm not sure I knew well but quite enjoyed. Overall lots of anger, thrash, energy, and frenetic play - Metallica hallmarks.
Ahh… my first Metallica album. Well, the first one I bought at least. A friend had their earlier three albums and I had just started liking them when this came out. I never really got into the opening track “Blackend”, and it still doesn’t do much for me. The title track however is an awesome metal epic. I always like the fade-in of “Eye of the Beholder” and the enjoyed the flange-driven riff that drives the song. Then we get to “One”. Between the music, lyrics and that haunting music video this was and still is one of the best anti-war songs that I’ve ever heard. The rest of the album is some classic metal as well. “Harvester Of Sorrow” and “The Frayed Ends of Sanity” still hold up even to today’s more extreme metal. “To Live is To Die” kind of reminds of “The Unforgiven” a little at around the middle of the song. Metallica was good at writing intense album closers and “Dyers Eve” is no exception. I enjoyed revisiting this album after what’s been at least a decade. Not a perfect album but still one of Metallica's best.
Classic record! One (pun intended) I’ve listened over and over countless times. But this time I do a deep dive. The lyrics are pretty cool, they’re pretty on the nose but they fit the song good. Of course loads of great riffs, and features some om Metallica’s best solos. Some bass would be nice tho. This is a very energetic Metallica, with some of their heaviest moments as well as very experimental outings for them. Key tracks, Blackened, …And Justice For All, Eye Of The Beholder, One, The Shortest Straw, To Live Is To Die, Dyers Eve 8.5 out of 10
"And Justice for All" is an absolute masterpiece of thrash metal, if you enjoy being repeatedly smacked in the face with a chainsaw made of guitar riffs and drums. The complete lack of bass guitar only serves to enhance the raw, unbridled power of this album. It's like a never-ending adrenaline rush, except instead of a rush, it's more of a sustained, full-body assault. If you're a fan of having your ear drums permanently damaged, then this is definitely the album for you.
Alp metal should be like Metallica
Quite a good Metallica album. Not my favourite but definitely has some real bangers. Very close to a 5 for me. Giving 4 because it's not necessarily something I'll listen to over and over as a whole album.
This album straddles the line between the thrash the Metallica pioneered, and a more progressive sound full of tempo changes and through composed song structures. If anything here seems superfluous, it's the occasionally stale guitar solos of Hammett which sometimes steal momentum and intensity from the otherwise incessant drive of the record (mostly provided by Hetfields picking hand). Lars' off kilter drumming however seems to find a good balance on this record. A very strong record all around despite its flaws.
Buenísimo, muy enérgico y rabioso, Metallica sabe muy bien como hacer de esas dos características muy únicas y emblemáticas de ellos.
Not the best but gotta love Metallica
I had forgotten just how solid this album is as I've really not listened to it in many years. But my biggest complaint will always remain and why I can never give this album a 5. WHERE IS THE BLOODY BASS! Poor Jason Newstead.
A great album really, I will say that I don't listen to it very often simply because I find it a bit repetitive but a great album nonetheless
Still reeling from the sudden death of bassist Cliff Burton, the surviving members of Metallica pour their grief into this collection of angry, hard-edged screeds against greed and corruption. Of particular is “One,” a musical interpretation of Johnny Got His Gun that is sublimely horrific and still stands as one of the band’s essential songs.
Some choice tracks
Það á greinilega að rífa man upp á rassgatinu, harkalega, þennan morguninn! Hrikalega töff plata. Ég á mjög sterka minningu úr húsi á Kársnesinu, væntanlega haustið 1988, þar sem ég kynntist Metallica í fyrsta sinn. Vídeóið af One var sett í gang og unglingahópurinn sat og starði á skjáinn, ekki orð heyrðist í þessar tæpu 8 mínútur, sem virtust vera hálftími. Lagið er magnað en vídeóið er svakaleg saga. Saga sem var auðvelt að detta inn í. Þessi upplifun er mér dýrmæt, ein af fáum unglingastundum þar sem mér leið eins og ég fittaði inn í hóp. Fæ alltaf flashback í þessa tilfinningu þegar ég heyri One. Mér þykir vænt um það.
Better than I expected
This is a complicated record for Metallica. It hits just as hard as there first three albums, but it's the first without their original bassist. It's the first the album with a new bassist who they neglect because the album is infamous in that there is no bass in the mix. I would say this album is the black sheep in the bands first four albums, the classic thrash period, for the band. The band tries to tackle politcal concepts that maybe profound to some but may seem illconcived to others.
Solid enough album, but felt a little repetitive to me at times. Standout is "One"
Finally Metallica, one of my favorite bands. I have listened to this album before but it has been a long time. One might be their best song, definitely top 3. Harvester of sorrow just makes me laugh because that's Paul Konerko's walk up song so it reminds me of my childhood. And justice for all and to live is to die are GREAT songs. Kick ass album 7/10
The production is crap and the bass has been turned right down. You can also hear the lack of Cliff Burton's classically trained ear. This was defiantly a tipping point from when they went from thrash gods to mainstream metalheads. But, it's bookended with two of the best opening and closing tracks in metal: 'Blackened' & 'Dyers Eve'. Also to have the 7m 26s 'One' as a single and their first music video is hilarious - a song that's made even better when seeing it live with the gratuitous use of pyrotechnics. Definitely the sound of a band going through a major transition and processing the grief of losing Burton. It's not as slick or complete as the previous three albums to this, but it's still packed full of great riffage that gets the head banging.
Its hard, fast but strangely melodic too. I never was a fan then saw then at Reading and then I got it ... masters in their craft.
4.3 - It's easy to see why people love this record and why Metallica are considered a GOAT. Sharp vocals, clear messaging in the lyrics, elegant arrangements and, above all, impeccable guitar work. On a side-note, I'm listening to "One" within the context of the album for the first time and I find it a much richer listening experience than hearing it on MTV or on the radio. It's hard to explain but that song feels far more epic on record.
Pretty good one carried it imo
Very important album in the metal/thrash genre. I wish the bass was turned up/mixed better. Overall a great album.
4 Good lostening
Great album by a great band.
Noice
Classic Thrash metal from one of the"Big Four" I can't believe I never to the album.
It's a pretty impressive release, solid on Metallica albums history, even not the best one, in my opinion. I think that this album lacks singles for a band like Metallica ("One" is the exception that confirms the rule), and the songs are too long. In short, I enjoyed it very much, but it's not a 5-star.
I absolutely love Blackened, Eye of the Beholder and One. Other tracks support the sound and energy but are enough of a step down that it doesn't quite live up to 5 stars for me.
Very solid album. So many amazing guitar riffs. To Live is to Die had some tender moments as well and I really enjoyed that track.
Great album, this was the point where Metallica began to change and refine their sound. When it came out, purists hated it. I think it's awesome.
listened to before it's...good
Dry mix that is well known for having bass guitar, but not bass drums, way too low in the mix, aggressive but catchy songs, part of the end of the MTV generation of metal and rock music being as popular is hip hop is in the 2020s. Tight, scooped mid guitar tones. I had never realized how good of an album this was, but I definitely like Master of Puppets much more for both tunes and recording style. This album could use more bass and a touch of reverb, but the lack of reverb helps to showcase the virtuosity they had on this album by making the mix far less muddy. This genre appealed to me much more when I was a teen. I didn’t give this album as much of a chance when it came out as I should have.
Aggressive, technical thrash. I used to love this album, and it still has some amazing moments but I did finding it dragging on a bit. Probably my least favourite of their 80s albums.
Great listen. I’ll maybe go back to this a couple of times
I had heard a couple of songs before. It was good
Not bad…not my genre, but glad I listened.
7/8 broken axes
Nog steeds een beetje jammer dat de bas zo slecht hoorbaar is, het is al beter omdat het geremasterd is but still.. dijk van het album maar niet hun beste
Ja metallica top geluid en legends maar dit albums is misschien iets te lang en hit niet hetzelfde als master of puppets
While this is not my favorite Metallica album, that title going to The Black Album, it does contain what I think is my favorite Metallica song though with "One". I do agree with the criticisms of the mix and have laughed at my fair share of ...And Justice For All lack of bass memes. It just isn't there. The length of these songs for a metal album is also a point against the album. Despite these negatives there are way more positives and this is still a great album that certainly deserves its spot on this list.
Parmi les meilleurs albums du groupe. La vision du mix de Lars Ulrich en a fait un drôle d'album avec presque pas de présence de la basse (un désir de laisser paraître le manque créé par le départ tragique de Cliff Burton?), mais ça donne tout de même un mix unique où les guitares sont bien présentes. Il plein de bonnes mélodies dans cet album et les pièces ne sont pas trop longues pour rien. La pochette est probablement la plus emblématique du groupe.
Never listened to this one before. It is really good. But I still think ride the lightning and maybe kill em all is better
Discazo de uno de los principales precursores del thrash-metal. Intenso a tope con guitarras poderosas y batería salvaje. Para mi gusto, en ocasiones un tanto monótono
Yes
One capolavoro, le altre non troppo.
7/13/2022 - ALBUM #167 Today's Album: "...And Justice For All" by Metallica - When I saw this album in vinyl for only $20 at walmart, it was right after I saw this album appear on the generator, so I figured, “I’ll listen to this one for the first time on vinyl because maybe the compression of music on spotify had tainted my perception of the critically acclaimed Master of Puppets, altering the overall experience.” After listening to this one a few times and comparing notes, I can say with confidence that my hypothesis was correct. The amount of depth that was gained in my listening experience from spotify to vinyl for this album has made me rethink if my distaste for metal was ever a product of poor audio equipment. But what do I actually think of the record itself? I actually think this one holds up as one of the best In Metallica’s discography, even if there are some major issues with it. The biggest issue that people seem to have with it is that it lacks any bass guitar since the frontman didn’t like the way the bass part sounded. However, I feel like paying attention to what isn’t there misses the point of all the great stuff that is still present in this album. In my opinion, these songs are some of Metallica’s most creative in terms of song-structure, instrumental performances, and lyricism. The opener, Blackened, perfectly kicks off the album with some infectious thrash grooves and dark, prophetic lyrics of a darkened existence and human self-destruction. The guitar solo near the end of the track is not only breathtaking, but it sets a standard that is upheld throughout the proceeding tracks. The first impact of the track …And Justice For All does reveal a somewhat glaring issue in the overall sound of this record, where the lack of a bass part causes the drums to sound just way to bassy in the mix and the kick drum sort of fills up the bass frequencies with this really aggressive bassy hum that is hard to ignore. Much of the album doesn’t have this sound present, but when it does show up it does really take away from the listening experience. The track One might be Metallica’s most praised track and I think it absolutely deserves that praise. The guitar pickwork and tone is hypnotic and though the lyrics of bed-ridden death and potentially iron lungs are depressing, they’re delivered with such power and presence. The rest of the album after One doesn’t stand out quite as much as the beginning, but as a complete listen, they still bring just as impressive songwriting and instrumental performances. I enjoy how all of the tracks flesh out this concept of injustices occurring in the world and the corruption that exists within the systems of government, calling them out for falsely waving the flag of justice while committing heinous acts. It’s a concept that resonates with me differently each time I relisten to the album as I discover the intentions and hidden meanings behind the lyrics. Overall, this album stands tall in Metallica’s overall discography in my opinion, as it has a solid, resonant concept and a ton of headbanging thrashy goodness. The bass being missing definitely holds this album back, but listening to youtube covers of the album with bass being added back in make me absolutely sure that this album’s songwriting and the remaining instrumental performances make it stand on it’s own. Give this one a listen if you like Metallica or thrash metal in general. Highlights: Blackened, And Justice For All, Eye of the Beholder, One, The Shortest Straw, Harvester of Sorrow, The Frayed Ends of Sanity, To Live is To Die, Dyer’s Eve Score: 8/10 Visceral and poignant criticism of American justice through solid thrash metal
4.75
Oh hey it's Metallica
I forgot about the song One, it's so good. Liked it even though I'm kind of over my Metallica phase.
Very solid overall! Lot's of brilliant ideas dragged down by the shitty production, but has a few great tracks. "One" is a standout of course, and most songs have excellent guitar solos. "To Live Is To Die" is a sleeper hit. Album's a tad long, I think. Flawed, but still great.
Me gusto carajo 4 trapitos de 5
I kinda know this band… The album opens with blackened a song that initially seems grand but then forms into this all guns blazing riot of a song it works really well as an opener to the album as each time I was bored they would just change the whole song; just what is needed for a 6 minute song. Now for a 9 minuter the album’s title track (…and justice for all) the intro is done much better on this song it builds up from these relaxing mellow guitars to a choppy crunchy metal song. The lyrics are good , metal lyrics don’t really tend to work on me with the same themes of satan always being sung out, but this feels different it feels like a band who care about what they’re doing as musicians to make an admirable piece of musicianship. The guitars on the verses of eye of the beholder remind me of a horse galloping only to come crashing down an amazing effect. I’am not too fussed on the vocals on the verses of this song. The chorus is a bit more messy but it works and the vocals sound better here. So the song is a mixed bag but not bad. Song four is the song one it’s kind of a pause to the album as the listener knows it showing them that metallica can do more than the in your face long winded but good metal song. Well actually the song is still long winded but the rest holds true this is the album’s blissful walk in the park, great. Oh no, wait it turns into your typical metal song half way through. The shortest straw has everything you expect but nothing else. Good but not one I would re-listen to in a hurry. The start of harvester of sorrow is explosive then it forms into sounding like an army is marching towards you. It’s awesome everything that I want in one of these songs and not too long. I love the first 30 or so seconds of the frayed ends of sanity the most off the whole album but i’am not saying the rest of the song is anything but epic it’s ambitious but epic the albums best song. The album’s penultimate track is the 9 minute epic to live is to die it’s similar to one in the way that it starts off all acoustic then takes a massive left turn as it goes on. When the acoustic guitars come on these menacing guitars come on like you’re about to fight the final boss in a video game. It’s an awesome piece of skilful musicianship, it would’ve been my favourite song if it had lyrics that weren’t just spoken word stuff. The album closes on a good but rather odd note with dyer’s eyes a rather choppy mess of a track not stopping for much, having the album’s most aggressive singing and instrumentation. I like it but don’t love it. It was a bit too dragged out and in your face to be a 5 but it’s still a great display of musicianship and everything like that.
What a great album by Metallica. Stand out track for me is One and I actually started liking this song back when it appeared on a Guitar Hero game. Definitely recommend any of Metallica's older works.
It's really hard to find a bad song or record through Metallica's first four. Loud, heavy, but absolutely gorgeous in spots when they peel away the overdrive and delve into more the classical pieces. Favorite tracks: "...And Justice for All", "One", "To Live is To Die"
F baixo
Hey guess what? Metallica kicks ass!
Great album. I still recall the first time I heard One and it gave me chills. It still gives me chills now, on every listen. It's just terrible and beautiful. This album is before Hetfield starting adding extraneous 'ahh's on the end of every line. I almost miss it, weirdly. But yes, great album from what was a great band.
4/5. Most certainly not their best, but still better than Rust in Peace 🤷♂️
Raw, driving, hard. All what you would expect from early Metallica. B+
If you didn’t know, Metallica freaking shreds
Not my favorite Metallica album, Hetfield’s choruses sound repetitive. The music is really hard hitting. Enjoyed it!
Pretty classic Metallica album. It is a solid follow-up to Master of Puppets, with a few gloomy/grungy slower jams that still capture the essence of this band. Vocal mixing on a couple tracks has not aged well. Still a fun listen. Fuck Napster.
Very good. Started off a bit meh, but was really into the album during the second half.
Ca fait bizarre d'écouter One et que Baloji balance pas de 16 dessus Prefs: Blackened, ...And Justice For All, One, The Shortest Straw, To Live Is To Die, Dyers' Eve Moins pref: Eye of the Beholder
The meme is definitely spot on - this could've been way more powerful with some actual low end in the mix. There's still riffs for days and "One" is a classic I never grow tired of.
Could stand to have a better mix, but ultimately this album absolutely rocks regardless. It's a bit of an underrated part of Metallica's catalog due to leaning a bit more towards the prog-thrash movement that was happening at the time. Really deserves more appreciation.
No bass? No problem. 4
Something Metallica gets that a lot of similar bands don't is that the throttle doesn't have to be at 112% all the time. Best track: One
Is good, bit repetitive when listening to the entire album
staccato choppy tinny heavy rock - always liked One as a song, so an extra star
Frenetic guitar riffs, intricate harmonies, driving bass and gritty lyricism. An interesting almost entirely instrumental song in To Love Is To Die, which has a beautiful guitar part. Some songs overstay their welcome a little, but overall a good album!
Tres bon album de metallica . Un classique . 4.90
Metallica is extremely accessible to me, and I have mixed emotions about metal half the time. But this was perfectly intense and melodic. I have to admit I wasn't paying too much attention to lyrics, but that'll be on the agenda during the next listen. :)
Not Metallica's strongest album but has some great songs on it.
Great metal album. Solid throughout, but the highlight is definitely One.
lag 1 mjög solid, sáttur með það - 8/10 lag 2 titillag er göödshit - 9/10 lag 3 líka klassa lag - 8.5 aðeins betra en fyrsta lag lag 4 og 4th most spotify streamed metallica song, good shit like 8/10 lag 5 er snilld maður shortest straaaaww lag 6 gott en ekki jafn gott og hin, 7.5/10 lag 7 veisla, 8.5/10 lag 8 intro mjög skemmtilegt, steikt transition lol en skemmtilegt samt, svo er lagið sjálft insane, 9.5/10 besta lagið hingað til - svo er outroið sama og introið, djöfulsins snilld lag 9 já líka mjög solid lag 8.5/10 overall mjög sterk 8/10
i wish la da da da da da song was on here. -1 star
Solid solid riffage with face-melting solos. Towards the end it loses its steam, but ends on a high note with Dyers Eve. Metallica's last truly great album. Needs more bass.
Sick
Songs good individually. Didn’t feel like a true true album though. Could’ve flowed better.
Good stuff
a no brainer.
Compared to the Black album - which I did not think was so strong anymore after listening to it now - I could appreciate this Metallica album much more after re-listening to it.
This was always my favourite Metallica album, but I really did not enjoy it as much this time around. The somewhat unusual production bothered me on this occasion: hardly any bass, and very harsh sounding drums. To Live is to Die is still the stand-out song for me.
Enjoyable
Not my jam, but can't deny the talent.
Liked it more than I thought
ну нормуль рокич, хоть и не фанат
No hay bajo, todos lo sabemos pero aún así este disco tiene mucho poder. Brutalmente largo (65 minutos en 8 canciones) a ratos sí se siente un poco vacío en la melodía. Líricamente muy bueno. 4.5 que bajan a 4 porque no es el disco que más escucho de ellos porque es algo cansado.
Creo que vistas de manera individual este disco está lleno de grandes canciones, obviamente siendo One la que se lleva el disco, aunque And Justice For All no se queda muy atrás. Creo que el lado donde le pierdo un poco es porque aquí Metallica se clava en hacer canciones muy largas y con muchas partes, que a veces tienen cohesión (como en One) pero que a veces parecen un collage de retazos que tenían ensayados y no cuadran del todo entre ellos. Eso me pasa especialmente con Blackened, que aunque tiene lo suyo, de pronto se vuelve hasta confusa.
When this came out I was mostly listening to a lot of hip hop, Joy Division, New Order and The Doors. I never really warmed to Metallica but would say this is my favourite album. It marks a turning point for the band from their aggressive speed metal to their slow commercial stuff. I think this middle point is the band at it's best
Pretty great, the title track is amazing, not sure I will really go back to it though, but will still give it a 4 because I'm not a perfect human being
i like metal. this was a nice listen. had some good songs. several good listens!
Pretty powerful stuff. Not really my bag and all the songs are too long. Still can't deny the raw talent on display here.
Great album, not my favourite of Metallica's but One is a damn banger.
Enjoyed this one - crunchy and precise
Hell yeah
A good album with all that makes Metallica legendary, but the stale production really makes it hard to match it up to the Black Album or MOP.
Fast and raw with long songs that often sound like different songs stuck together but nonetheless a great album
I skipped school to go into Edinburgh to buy this then listened to it non-stop for weeks. Not their best, and pretty much cutting Jason Newstead from the mix impacts the sound. Still a good album though.
Here the lads begin to straddle thrash, rock and prog. They also turned down the bass so it's really lacking a bottom end. Production/ego issues aside, the songs are strong. I mean it's Metallica; all of their early albums are solid. Best Tracks: Blackened; One; The Shortest Straw
Drums sounds good
i knew this one, but not as well as others. i like it less than master of puppets, for whatever that's worth.
Ah sophomore year.
IMO together with Kill 'Em All one of the best Metallica albums
Sarò breve. Per chi come me, è nato negli anni '80, è cresciuto musicalmente con i Metallica ed ha desiderato di suonare in un gruppo anche grazie a loro, quest'album è quello in cui "wow!" ci sono i tempi dispari, c'è il tapping di One, c'è la doppia cassa di Blackened. Perché i Metallica sono un gruppo di iniziazione, ti avvicinano ad un certo tipo di musica e di stile. Poi si va avanti, si cresce e si scopre che Lars Ulrich è una pippa immane, che i soli di Hammett non sono un granché e che, ancora più grave, per colpa di un capriccio del batterista, in quest'album non si sente il basso di Jason Newsted. Per questo qualche anno fa è uscita la petizione "And justice for Jason" e su YouTube si trovano diverse versioni dell'album con il basso enfatizzato: un'altra storia. Quindi per quanto ora io sia cresciuto, per me questo rimane un album importante. Ovviamente i testi ora mi fanno ridere. Ma Blackened e Dyers Eve mi fomentano ancora tanto. Non do un 5 emotivo perché non riesco a passare sopra alla storia del basso. Quindi 4.. Come i Four Horsemen.
Not my favourite Metallica album, but a good one nonetheless!
A lot of energy and sadness. Will listen again.
Classic
\m/,
Good
Its metallica, maybe not their best álbum but a nice one
Not my genre specifically, but a solid album that feels very raw and emoti0onal. Lack of bass makes it sound abrasive.
Very enjoyable. Some caricatural style metal, but also some surprisingly nice riffs. Up there with master of puppets.
Dope Metal Album A proper Bass would have made it brilliant
Thrash classic. Great tunes but even the remaster still sounds trebley as all hell.
Some of the worse recorded drum sounds of all-time. “One” is still a classic
One is een meesterwerk! De rest is middelmatig, mooi geheel. 3.5 --> 4/5
Bastante largo para ser corto
Very peak Metallica. It’s not my favorite Metallica album, but there are some great songs. Musically you can hear the classical training on songs like “To Live is to Die”, which I could have listened to 9 minutes of the intro. Up there as one of their better albums, for sure
This is my Metallica. Accessible without compromising heaviness. Great album. Can't believe it was made in 1988; only 2 years after Master of Puppets, which sounds very dated by comparison.
Really great. Some amazing riffs and no shit ballads
4
8.5
flashback to 7th grade! I had friends in HS, they loved Metallica. This was on all the time. Not a bad track on the album. ONE was always a favorite and holds up just fine years later.
These guys can shred 🤘
Justice for all.. including Napster...
Metallica just makes me think of playing guitar hero and that cheap, plastic clacky sound. How many closets are full of those plastic guitars...
More like a 4.5 to me. The vocals sometimes don’t completely connect, and a couple of the switches within tracks can come off a bit odd. Everything else is absolutely incredible. Really great stuff.
not bad. some good songs
Excellent. A bit repetitive to some tracks.
The birth of double bass drum
This is without a doubt the best album I’ve listened to so far. It’s not something that I would listen to often but occasionally I could see myself playing a few songs off the album.
Super goed album met fijne sound
Not my preferred genre of music but it’s hard to deny that this is a great album. It shreds plain and simple!
FANTASTIC
Very good metal album. My opinion may be a little skewed as it's the first album I listened to using KZ ZS10 Pros and the experience of listening to music with good headphones is so very good.
I overdid it on Metallica back in middle school, but it was refreshing to listen to a full album again with a different perspective than I had back then. I enjoyed it more than I thought I would, and it was nice to see a variety in my usual sound.
Classic album
Däng däng däng! Eine der besseren Metallica-Scheiben, wieder mal eine wohltuende Abwechslung. Und das von mir, über Metallica.
Great metal
solid rock sounds, very quick paced on most songs, while good not a ton of jams
This a political BANGER.
Good album for sure
Although the energy and lyrics from the songs are amazing, the whole album is too much of the same for me. Maybe that's because of too much noise I don't know. Great songs, lyrics and message though.
klassikko
Yeah!
One is a horrifying masterpiece
Metallica does not falter in their 4th installment, still is not as immediate as master of puppet and ride the lightning. Also One is my fav Metallica song ever.
One, Harvester, Blackened, Dyers are all great
Not a big fan.
On paper a nailed on 5 star album for me. Thrash metal on the list and some great song writing... ...that also has a drummer that is nowhere near good enough to pull off the vision. Bass that is moronically produced out the mix. And political sentiment the band abandoned for financial gain. Defeat from the jaws of victory.
It's not that I don't like Metallica. I just think that they're not that great. Technically this album is tight. Not a screw loose anywhere. But clocking in at over an hour, this is bloated and could have been a tight 40 minutes.
ambitious, complex compositions and songwriting combined with some of the worst production and soundmixing, delivering us a flat masterpiece
Mostly guitar music innit, with songs without real arcs that feel like they go on forever. However, the music is pretty good
"One" is a phenomenal piece of music; it has depth, it's meaningful, emotionally charged, and it completely justifies its length. The same cannot be said of the rest of the album. The songs do indeed sound samey, but that's not the real issue : it's the structure and composition of those songs, which are frankly lacking. The sound is good, I love the guitar play, I love the voice, I love the drums, I should love this album, but I don't because the songs go absolutely no-where, they just happen. It's loud just to be loud, there's no real emotion, it has no sense of purpose. There are quite a few songs that I love from Metallica, but they're sadly on other — I assume, better —, albums. I can't believe I'm saying this about a thrash metal album, but this was quite boring lol
The album felt long with just a few peaks of interest here and there.
Not really for me, but not terrible. One slaps though
Feel the same way about this one as I did about the last Metallica album - one banger (One), and the rest not impressive
One is definitely the standout. Oh that’s the monkeys in wizard of oz in the Frayed Ends of Sanity I feel like all these songs are 3 minutes too long
The drums and bass sound amazing; James Hetfield just couldn't get into it. 🤔
I appreciated the more “progressive rock” elements of this. Less so the heavy metal lead guitar thrashing or constant “chug-chug-chug” of the rhythm guitar on straight eighth/sixteenth notes with no syncopation, but that’s a big part of what makes metal what it is. It’s not quite my cup of tea but there’s no denying they do it well. (The mastering is less than great, with the bass almost inaudible and the drums very tinny). Also, One is an all-timer. Other than the mastering I’d think this is one of the best metal albums I’ve heard. 3.5/5
Most of the tracks follow the usual 2-3 Metallica patterns for their songs including the lyrical meter. That's nothing unusal in metal, but there are a few exceptions on this album, and they make the difference. Overall, a good album.
Enjoyed
A couple of classic metal songs, 9 minute instrumental could have been cut from this album because it goes nowhere…I honestly feel half these songs could been trimmed possibly by at least 2-3 minutes
fav songs: one trash, overproduced, riffs galore 50/100
It gets too long from "The Shortest Straw". So it's an OK album but don't expect more than 3 stars.
3.25 - One is a top tier Metallica song for sure, but I've never really latched onto the rest of this album. To Live and to Die is close.
Been a long, long time since I listened to this one, though I had it in very heavy rotation at a certain age. One is still great, but mostly this reminded me why Ride the Lightning was my favourite Metallica record. Dyers Eve was always a favourite and still is. The compositional nature of a lot of this doesn't hold up without their best composer.
If I had a nickel for every time James Hetfield ended a line with “Ah!” on this album, I’d have enough money to buy myself a pretty nice lunch. Anyway, ...And Justice for All was just okay for me. There are definitely a few powerful tracks here, with “One” being the obvious standout. It’s emotional, intense, and easily the song that grabbed me the most. For the first two-thirds of the album, I was mostly enjoying myself. But once I reached that final stretch, I started thinking, “Okay, I’m pretty sure I’ve heard all of this already. Are they going to surprise me with anything else?” There are some strong riffs and nice melodies scattered throughout, but not much that made me want to come back and hear the whole thing again. I guess metal just isn’t really my thing, and apparently neither is headbanging for over an hour. There’s plenty to admire about the musicianship and ambition here, but by the end, it all blended together a little too much for me. A few great moments, one excellent song, but overall, it was just okay.
I see why people like this, but it is not for me.
I want to go work at an electronics factory assembling screws after listening, cuz I have many energy for that.
Thrash metal, progressive metal.
totally respect it and appreciate it's probably an iconic album but just not really my thing I guess. Not sure survey specs are hype enough to listen to this
In my head I like Metallica a lot, but after this, their final album of my project, my rating averages show a slightly different story. This was ok but a bit overlong, both in several tracks and somewhat overall album duration. Not my least favorite but certainly not my most favorite, overall 3/5
One is amazing, the opening songs are so great for this era. Love Lars drumming, but I hate the production, it’s so thin and harsh sounding. Giving it a mediocre cause it’s important but not amazingly listenable
First Listen Favorites: One Blackened To Live is To Die
Not that I didn't enjoy a bit of silly fun, but nothing really stood out. Except the poor mix and lack of low end.
One, Harvester of Sorrow, and Dyer’s Eve deserve their place in the pantheon of thrash metal, but the rest of the album didn’t live up to those tracks for me. Potentially my least favorite of their legendary 80s run.
I appreciated this style of music much more when I was younger. I still loved One and I can still appreciate what they’re doing but overall the album just didn’t grip me
I would give this 3.5 if I could. Not their best but not their best. This is a transition album from the first three amazing albums to the their biggest hit with a completely new sound. Notable mostly as it was the first time most people heard them
wow metallica jetzt gehts los huiuiui bro ich versteh halt nix von den lyrics pahaha 10 min song 💀 ja gut one ist immerhin bisschen ruhiger... irgendwie machts schon spaß das zu hören haha
One
good but not for me. the frayed ends of sanity is great when you're in a rush (I was late for something and this song made me feel like I was on a high stakes mission)
Solid, impressive instrumentals. Feels like music my dad would like
Looks like I got my dose of testosterone today. Metallica has made a couple great albums and this is probably one of them. It doesn’t sound as good as Master of Puppets or the Black Album, but it’s still excellent. Highlight is One, of course. 3.5 stars
It's fine. Maybe it was groundbreaking at the time, but in 2026 this is some boilerplate thrash influenced groove metal. It's not bad. One is great. But yeah, basic Metallica. It does It's Metallica thing and then it ends.
Not my taste
Trash metal, en smule prog og lange sange. TRash metal tager punkens hurtige tempo og inkorporerer i metal-genren med tunge guitarriffs osv. Der af også speed metal genren. Handler om krig og død osv, det er meget hårdt musik. Det er vidst første album efter cliff burtons død, så de er stadig meget ramt af sorg. den er åbenbart ikke fejlfri? Mener at sangene bliver meget lange, bassen er næsten ikke eksisterende og det er overfyldt med alt muligt, men det gør det åbenbart ikke mindre historisk vigtigt.
Generally well played. Vocals rough as always. I guess they didn’t like their new bassist, since they buried his part in the mix. 65 minutes of this is a lot for me to get through.
Really like opening song drums and guitar not into the voice tho I can’t lie. Second song is funnnnnn good so far. The harmonies of the guitar remind me of something Brian May would do. Noticed it’s boring me a bit no depth to it I can’t lie but can understand it’s an influential album and band
Didn't expect to like this as much as I did considering I wasn't hugely in the mood for it. It was really good tho!
Cool Thrash That's Impressive but Exhausting ...And Justice for All is a pretty ambitious metal album. It tackles a lot of themes: systemic injustice, war, corruption, and personal trauma. I went in knowing Metallica's big hits (Enter Sandman, Master of Puppets) and came out... honestly? A bit tired. It's 65 minutes of relentless, technically impressive metal that, for me, gets monotonous. "Blackened" kicks things off with a killer riff. Lyrically it's about nuclear winter and environmental destruction (MAD, climate change). Which nearing the climax of the cold war is pretty cool to hear. I added it to my main playlist. 7/10. The title track "...And Justice for All" has awesome lyrics about the corruption of the American legal system. "Justice is raped" ahem overturn of Roe V. Wade. But at 10 minutes, it drags musically. Great lyrics (8.5/10) but the music is a 5.5/6, so it evens out to 6.5/10: secondary playlist. "Eye of the Beholder" has an interesting critique of the illusion of freedom all while illustrating the surveillance state. But it gives strong libertarian vibes, which drags it down for me (libertarians are just closeted conservatives/reactionaries lol). The critique falls a bit flat. 4/10. "One" is a classic for a reason. The anti-war message about a soldier trapped in his own body is sick, the riffs are amazing, and it's edgy in a way I really like. 9/10. "The Shortest Straw" is about McCarthyism and the Red Scare... I think. (witch hunts destroying innocent people). The riffs are solid but Hetfield's voice fatigue at this point in the album is real. Barely squeaks out a 7/10. "Harvester of Sorrow" is a bit too heavy and stumbling. It gets oppressive in a bad way... "darkness-slop." His voice really wears thin here. 4/10. "The Frayed Ends of Sanity" is intense but more darkness-slop. It's about schizophrenia and paranoia, which is cool conceptually, but I'm just tired of the voice. 5/10. "To Live Is to Die" is a nice change of pace. It's mostly instrumental, and mostly built from Cliff Burton's riffs after his death, and the spoken word section is actually quite beautiful. Hetfield's narration is a nice break from his usual vocal style. It's long but I can see the passion. 6/10. "Dyers Eve" is the angry closer. a pissed off letter to the singers parents about being sheltered and unprepared for life, only for them to die. I relate to this one on some levels. It's intense but the voice fatigue is real. 5.5/10, secondary playlist. Overall, I don't hate it or love it. The political critiques (MAD, environmental destruction, legal corruption, McCarthyism) are right up my alley, but the relentless thrash and Hetfield's overbearing vocals make it exhausting. It's impressive, but I'm not sure I'd revisit it often. Rating: 6/10
James isn’t the best lyricist
Every song is so long, man, kind of a slog, but One is an all timer
Did they have a bass player for this? Just kidding. The album cover art is hilarious in light of Metallica suing the ever loving shit out of every file sharing service and university ever. The songs are too long. One is the best song on the album so far...also the biggest song off the album by a mile. Everything sounds the same on this album. This is my 16-year-old's favorite Metallica album...I think he's wrong and because he's my teenage son, he definitely is. They have added the chants from the Wizard of Oz to The Frayed Ends of Sanity...that undercuts the seriousness with which I take this album. And for a band that takes themselves very seriously, that is probably the greatest insult I can throw. To Live Is to Die coming through in the penultimate slot to overtake One as the best song...great heavy metal instrumental. I even kind of like the four line spoken word poem at towards the end. I don't love Metallica, but to have the next song in the Spotify "Based on this album" list be Break Stuff by Limp Bizkit is the real insult.
If you like Metallica, you’ll love this album. I liked it, but their sound is a bit crunchy for my taste.
Love Metallica's tracks with a slower buildup like One but I lose it a bit, particularly this album when they start furiously thrashing the guitars from the off.
Every time I listen to Metallica I'm like "yep sure sounds like Metallica" but I don't get much else from it
I like thrash metal, and I like Metallica, but this certainly isn't the band’s best effort. It has a few standout tracks, and the songwriting is relatively solid throughout. Where this album really falls apart, though, is in its production. The sound of the drums is seriously lacking, and as always, Lars Ulrich just fucking sucks behind the drum set. Where’s Ride The Lightning? That’s the Metallica album which belongs on this list!
Weird to say about Metallica but it felt kind of slower than what I was expecting. Or maybe I just didn't play it as loud as Metallica deserves. Album did have some classics on it though
Kind of repetitive and I don’t think anyone really wants a 10 minute Metallica song, let alone several.
Alright!
Sounds good but something feels missing. OH, the bass is missing. I don't think every album needs bass, but I think this one would be better with some.
No one has ever played as hard or as fast.
While a good example of Metallica’s sound, I was a much bigger fan of Master of Puppets or Ride the Lightning. “One” is an iconic track and there are other good listens. Just not my favorite. Still 10 times better than the “Black” album.
About time I got something interesting again. I was really starting to get tired of these repetitive generated albums. I’ve been hoping to get another metal album as it’s a genre I really want to get in to. This is also the first Metallica album I’ve listened to. 7/10
I loved Metallica as a teen. I do not love them now. This is fine grunting away in the background, but it's pretty repetitive: by far the best bit are the impressive guitar solos which introduce some variety and actual melody into proceedings.
Not bad! One is the stand-out track for me. Good riffs and cool time signature stuff. Not a fan of the mixing and the general vibe though. Takes itself a bit too seriously for how angry it is. Didn't love the vocals either but they fit the music really well.
One is such a great song. I wish I could give this 3.5. But since I don’t think it’s a 4 . . .
cray cray
Album #121, Metallica, And Justice for All ⭐⭐⭐ Either the generator is sentient and playing tricks on me, or I’ve angered the metal gods, because I can’t believe this album came up today. Literally the day after I slated AC/DC’s Back in Black and used Metallica as my go-to example of the exact production style that I dislike. I’m not a Metallica fan. I’ve gone over this before in my review of The Black Album, and yesterday I probably spent far too much time ranting about my dislike of certain heavy metal and hard rock production styles. For me, Metallica are the worst offenders. I just think their music sounds artificially loud as opposed to actually loud. It sounds like a brick wall of noise where there’s almost no dynamic range whatsoever. Listening to a full Metallica album is honestly quite daunting for me because I find that sound so exhausting. But this one surprised me. Let’s get the bad stuff out of the way first, because the bad stuff is very, very bad. There are sections of this album that genuinely sound like some of the worst-produced music I’ve ever heard. I studied sound engineering in college, although that was fifteen years ago now, and I haven’t worked in audio production for a very long time. So I don’t fully understand what’s happening technically, but take Blackened as an example. The moment that main riff kicks in, there’s this horrible scraping, tearing, distorted fuzz that sits right at the front of the mix. It’s heavier than the guitars, louder than the drums and impossible to ignore. It’s almost like every production mistake has been amplified and pushed to the foreground. I don’t know if it’s compression, bad EQ decisions, the infamous lack of bass, or some combination of these, but it sounds dreadful to me. The absence of bass seems to create this strange void in the mix that’s filled with harsh guitar frequencies and distorted noise. Everything gets crushed together into this ugly wall of sound that feels like somebody scraping sandpaper directly against my eardrums. Blackened is probably the prime example. I think it sounds absolutely awful. I’ve got nearly 900 albums left to hear on this list and I’d honestly be surprised if I encounter many songs that sound worse than that. Thankfully, the mix is inconsistent because that particular issue isn’t present throughout the whole album. But whenever it does rear its head, it’s downright diabolical. To think this album cost serious money to make is kind of amazing. It proves that you can’t buy taste. With that rant out of the way, let’s move on to the positives. Because musically and lyrically, this is actually a really interesting album. The songs are long, winding and packed with ideas. It’s a lengthy record, but it never actually felt that long because there are so many twists and turns throughout. One thing I really loved is how dark it is. This feels much darker than the other Metallica material I’ve heard. The performances are also fantastic. Obviously poor Jason Newsted gets erased from existence in the mix, so I can’t really comment on his playing, but I’m going to assume he’s doing a great job underneath all the nonsense. Everybody else is excellent. Even Lars, who I thought was pretty dreadful on The Black Album, plays really well here. The guitar playing is intricate and relentless, and James Hetfield attacks every song with a great level of intensity. The whole thing feels intense from beginning to end. There are also some gorgeous melodic guitar passages scattered throughout the record. Every song eventually crashes back into thrash metal, but there are moments of real beauty here. Not a word I would associate with Metallica. To Live Is to Die is a great example, and One remains my favourite Metallica song. Shout out as well to the terrifying music video for One. That thing haunted me when I was a child. So ultimately I think there’s a phenomenal album buried somewhere inside here. The songwriting is excellent. The performances are excellent. The atmosphere is excellent. But the production choices are so damaging that they constantly undermine the music. It’s a light three stars from me.
Liked “To live is to die” but not the rest so much
Старая Металлика просто не мое, как и весь треш-металл. Черный альбом - другое дело, но в первых 4х альбомах мне нравятся разве что отдельные песни, в основном самые культовые. И этот альбом даже на фоне других ранних записей мне не заходит. One действительно стоит особняком, легендарный трек, крутой вайб, феноменальное соло, напоминающее, что Кирк Хэммет все-таки умеет играть на гитаре. В остальном - неинтересные песни, неинтересные рифы. P.S. Карина, ты что, крэйзи?) Любишь классический металл больше меня?) Буду знать теперь кого звать на квизы по металлу)
Kirk is gay, Robert's gay Lars is gay, but the gayest is James
Heavy - wasnt in the mood tbh
What an interesting album, and the first full through listen of one by Metallica for me. Obviously familiar with their style and overall sound this was an enjoyable listen. The music on To Live Is To Die was my favorite.
i’m a sucker for dark moody rock, but not the screaming horror kind. This strikes a balance and is broody.
Great album
listen, i want to love this more than i do, really. but it just blends into the same monotonous shredding way faster than i'd hoped for. 3 because it's sick af but not transcendent
Not my fav album by Metallica
More of a later Metallica fan as there earlier stuff wasn't as polished. Still this one's got Harvester of Sorrow and One on it, so it's got more juice than most bands have.
i’ve been very firmly anti metal but this album was really helpful in me productively packing to move to the new house. was very motivating. unsure if i will revisit though. also album #150!!!!!
Again: Metallica doing what Metallica does.
OK album but not they're best work
I feel like this is an album I probably should have liked more than i did it just feels very jagged like stop starty. Especially with the lyrics, which took me out of it a lil
Classic Metallica. A little more thrashy than my preferences but a solid album 3.5/5