...And Justice For All

I have a hard time connecting with this one and I love the first 3 Metallica albums. It's not bad - for as much as I can criticize it, it is ambitious, maybe even more so than Master of Puppets. The problem is that this ambition doesn't translate into something too enjoyable. The super lengthy song structures and prog metal influences do no justice (heh) to the band, as it just makes the songs drag on for far too long. The dynamics of their previous records is lacking here, and it really makes some of the longer tracks feel redundant. And what is up with the production? It used to sound so clear and textured, this is such a step down. I appreciate that the whole album has this ice cold sound to it, but the riffs don't sound nearly as heavy and animated, I would describe them as rather dry instead. The mixing is not that effective, the drums have no punch whatsoever and the bass is so thin it's barely there. There is exceptions - Blackened has a sick riff and insane energy to it. One is also pretty good, although slightly overrated in my opinion. I also like the closer, as it is one of the more thrilling songs on here, but unfortunately the rest of the album doesn't excite me that much.

Pretty hard, lacks some of the magic from earlier albums.

The titles are more memorable than the songs they name. This is a rare exception where an album from my youth is almost completely unfamiliar on return. Like hippos dancing “Swan Lake”, this is impressive, weighty, perplexing, a lucrative niche interest.

Who told this shithead he could sing? Songs are so goddam long, and look at their titles: "Harvester of Sorrow" (!); "The Frayed Ends of Sanity" (!!); "To Live Is to Die" (!!!); "Dyers Eve" (etc). Gimme "Here Comes The Supernatural Anaesthetist" or "The Lamia" any day. Awful I listened to "Lulu" for some light relief afterwards, it may be terrible but at the very least is more interesting and has a skilled vocalist on occasion. FUCK METALLICA

Not as good as Spitfire.

База У меня и так пол альбома добавлено Да и мерчуха есть, худак

Not as good as Master of Puppets, but still great

Ripping guitar and drums, great and engaging music

I'm fully prepared to get blasted for this one... As a metalhead, you would think Metallica would be a band I love. This is not the case. While I respect their impact on the genre and can see the inspiration they have had on all of the other bands I listen to, I just cannot, for some reason, find much to like. I have never understood the hype. The songs are all super long but, more often than not, they just repeat the same parts over and over and over to reach those lengths as opposed to actually making new parts. This often turns the main riffs into annoyances (the title track is a prime example of this). Also, Lars Ulrich is a very uninteresting drummer. I can only imagine the elevation a lot of these songs would get with an actual good metal drummer. One is a great song though and I actually it. To Live Is to Die is pretty good too.

It's a cool album but I feel like I really need to be in the right mood to listen to it... and I wasn't in that mood all week so I found it hard to get through all the songs. Cool chord progressions, sick guitar solos, great storytelling.

Never listened through a Metallica album before this one. Bunch of energy, technically incredible. Woulda been nice with a bit more bass and warmth in the mix. Enjoyed it but not fully my thing

This album comes out of the gate pedal to the metal and doesn't let up one bit for over an hour. I thought I might grow tired of the relentless chugging of guitars and double kick drums but found myself enjoying this through and through. It does miss a bit of the special sauce that Master of Puppets seems to sprinkle in via acoustic interludes but I feel like ...And Justice For All accomplishes what it sets out to do: A no nonsense speed ball of molten lava straight to the eardrums.

Not quite as good as Master of Puppets or Ride the Lightning, but still a pretty great album.

This is still a phenomenal fucking album despite mixing issues with the bass. Its more Metallica at their peak so its very easily a 5 for me. After the unfortunate passing of Cliff Burton the band recruited Jason Newsted and treated that man like absolute shit. Have to listen to the bass edits at some point because these songs even with the lack of bass are so fucking good. The title tracks and One remain some of my favorites in the Metallica catalogue and the ode to Cliff was a pretty sweet moment here. This is just a great bridge between their heavy thrash era and the black album, still keeping the aggression, but showing more story telling potential with the immaculately done One, maybe their best song imo.

I can’t do any Metallica, sorry….

I mean please stop with these albums

2.5* They really just had 3 good albums in them, didn't they?

Repeat listen

4 - great album but terrible mix

This is very good but doesnt compare to the earlier albums

3.5

The most interesting thing that’s occurred to me thru this challenge is that I’m a Metallica fan. Way outside my norm, but I like them.

Feels more prog to me than later albums which is kind of enjoyable.

It’s fine.

Zel, ka izaugu no sava roza metallica krekla

Not as good as Master or RTL but still a 4* album for me🤘

feels a bit too long

I am not as familiar with metal as I would like to be but I can always appreciate anything with a distorted guitar. I do own a shirt from these guys though so maybe I should up my game

Pretty great, too bad Hetfield is MAGA clown now.

Bien

I sometimes enjoy Metallica but often it all blends together (2.4/5)

I'm sorry, not my genre

I don't actually despise this. Still a 2, but that's well above my expectations

3.5 pretty good

Did not enjoy as much as I hoped. “One” is a classic but a lot of the rest of the album felt pretty one note.

the album’s a masterclass. i would give all the stars there ever could be out of five for this being my introduction to them and their genre as a whole… but the second half of the album is basically filler to me so not this time though. the guitars in every track are absolutely delicious and i loved that with each one i could go “oh this is still going on? sick”.

I just love this

FUCK METALLICA OG DEMMERS BULLSHIT ASS A-POLITIKK, PATETISKE GAMLINGA SOM E BLITT RIK OG KOMFERTABEL ME Å GI FAEN. Ellers så e herren ganske svak i at dem sutrate ungan i bandet ikke klart å la Jason Newstead bli hørt i d heile tatt, som ødelegge en del av sangan. Om æ høre på herre høre æ oftest bare på justice for Jason, sia d gjør at sangan ikke føles hul ut. Sykt å hør på ...and justice for all, rett etter bandet har vist veldig klart at dem ikke bryr sæ om det lenger. Får nesten lyst te å bare gi faen og skippe herren, men har aldri hørt på hele før. E jo såklart veldig bra, kanskje ett av dem siste bra albuman demmers, bare synd d no e ...And Justice For Some.

I’ve given all the other, which in and of itself is utterly bizarre, albums one star as I’ve thought the musicianship was poor and the lyrics abysmal. I’ve even said Eurovision is a better alternative. This is an earlier and slightly better album. The musicianship is better and they’re not simply phoning it in anymore, but the lyrics are still shockingly awful. An infant could write better lyrics! Overall, better, but it’s still utterly shit!

Not for me

Every song sounds the same to me.

It's what Metallica sounded like on albums in the late 80s. I'll stick to the early 80s.

This is forever in my top 3 metal albums of all time.

very uninspiring lyrics but good music

sehr gutes album hat impact

interesting how they seemed to slow it down comparead to earlier albums. tracks are great, but production is a lot less punchy

Hmm Why?

Unpopular opinion but this is Metallica’s best album (despite the lack of bass.) The vocals are at their most intense, the riffs at their heaviest and the compositions at their most complex. Peak

i kinda liked one but overall not for me

What a tease! Many of these tracks start great but either don't go anywhere or generally underwhelm. Not a massive metal fan but heard Metallica better elsewhere

Whilst unquestionably being heavy going (no pun intended) this is an important and impressive fourth album for the band. Made in the wake of Cliff Burton’s death and introducing new bassist Jason Newstead, the music is expansive, intense and full of vivid contrasts. It is, however, notable for its production which sees the bass almost inaudible due to its unison (as opposed to octave) movements with the guitars. Drum, guitar and vocal sound is clear as a bell. It was very successful and should’ve won that Grammy over Tull by a country mile (I’d bet Crest of a Knave isn’t in this list!) - One is now a metal classic for budding guitarists.

It's Metallica's best album, and I don't give a fuck whether or not the bass is audible. Bass is pointless.

- Probably being unnecessarily harsh here, but many of Metallica's tracks here manage to set themselves apart. Great sound, but an hour of it without many distinguishing features is not as exhilarating as it should be. - "One" is on a whole different level. Basically a perfect song that was set right down in the middle of the rest. - Appreciate the more political messages; that being said, these messages are fairly generic all things considered.

They're great but heavy metal isn't my thing

Wouldn't play, not bothered, more heavy metal

Strong 3, nearly a light 4. I like it. Couple of really good songs (Blackened). Just gets a little same-y for me and some of the tracks were pretty forgettable.

To be honest most of this album was just kind of nothing. Metallica is another one of those bands that I really can’t sort out my feelings around because I won’t deny it when they do something right (I.e. “One”) but it’s sort of baffling how often their good work is flanked by mediocrity. I think that the bulk of this album in particular is music that would be WAY more fun to play than it is to listen to alone in the car.

Needs more interesting drumming.

lejos de ser su mejor disco. siento que no me genera un algo de SEEEEEE. pero nose. siento que tienen mejores mucho.

1.5 songs is enough for me. Not god awful but yeah nah. RYM: Y (#623) Saved a song: N

4.5 it’s really good, I tried to not like it but it’s not worth it. One comment is the songs don’t know when to end

One and ...And Justice for All songs are good. But too heavy. Excellent guitar.

the production issues mostly overshadow anything that may be of exceedingly high quality here. i'm hoping this is nothing more than a poor introduction to metallica, because it was a rather disappointing one.

I want someone to do the 1 sec challenge with Metallica just to prove me wrong in how every song sounds identical

This album had its moments of beauty, like the occasionally light passages of transition and counterpoint. But mostly I felt like my brain was being chiseled away by dentist tools. I guess I shouldn’t have started this album on a Monday at 8am.

after one all tracks felt the same, but I mean... that's the "metallica" sound

Speed, power, shifts in groove, distorted, simple vocal melodies and judicious use of silence. It's much easier to list the few flaws in this thrash classic. The bass is almost completely inaudible, even in the remaster I listened to. The band claims it's from being involved in the mixing process and their hearing being damaged from touring. Lars's bass drum sounds completely insubstantial (it's got a bit of low-end kick, but it's mostly just a clicking sound). The guitars are gutless, as well -- clearly distorted but without any of the mids and low-mids that give you some oomph, even in a sound as scooped as Hetfield's or Hammet's. And despite the recording sounding totally amateur, it's still a heavy record. Everything but the bass is separate (possibly too much) and intelligible, which is a much better place to err than thick but messy. It's a real lesson for producing heavy music: articulation trumps heft, even if a balance is ideal. Anyway, it's a five-star album and the only question is whether you dock it points for terrible production. Particularly where Metallica has other albums that I have given and will give five stars, it might be worth noting this is, as a recorded work, not their best. The songs are stellar, though. I'd love a full re-recording of this. Also note: apparently a double album on vinyl, I'm not counting it in judging my double album rule (just don't) -- 65 minutes is a pretty normal album length and there are relatively few songs, here.

Great album, somehow made metal sound good to me even though it’s not my thing at all. Not really songs I’d put on the playlist tho.

"One" i "Harvester of Sorrow" su bangeri, ali Larsovo bubnjanje u gotovo svakoj pjesmi i Kirkov katastrofalan solo u "... And Justice for All" su skoro učinili album dvojkom.

I enjoyed this album a lot more than I expected to The heaviness is amazing and all the instrumentation is really good and fun to listen to This definitely intrigues me to listen to more of their stuff 3.5/5 Favorite: and justice for all

장르적 특성일 수도 있긴 한데 뭔가 듣기 즐거운 앨범은 아니었다. It might just be a characteristic of the genre, but it wasn’t exactly an enjoyable album to listen to.

Très probablement biaisé car c’est le grand Metallica mais c’est fou car quand j’étais petit je voulais pas écouter car métal = hardcore horrible et en fait ça me régale. Les riffs se répètent pas mal surtout les changements de rythme mais pour l’instant ça marche bien

PUT THE BASS BACK IN! Nah kidding, this is a fantastic album. Really a transitional piece for the group, for better or worse.

My favourite Metallica album and a classic of the genre. Lots of powerful and well written songs with no weak tracks at all. The production is pretty lousy, with too much drum and not enough bass but it all adds to the charm!

Of all the chugga chugga albums we’ve had in here, this is my Motherchugging favourite.

I liked eye of the beholder (...and justice for all was so long i was so bored I could die lmao) okay...unpopular opinion: most songs sounded the same to me

Like it 3/5

Prenant et bien fort

Listening to this album brought me back to some good memories. I spent an entire summer break listening to this album on repeat. This one album. Over and over again. It was such a great escape from the misery of working for my uncles on an asphalt crew in Utah. I loved listening again.

As Metal goes, this was quite tolerable. Even enjoyable mostly. It does have a harder edge than I typically prefer in my rock music, but I found myself really engaging with some of the guitar work in a few of those longer songs. The second half of the album seemed like the better half to me which was surprising as a lot of artists front load their albums with the best stuff.

Might have been a 5 star with bass mixed in. All in all - great album

Classic.

What an album! It's hard and aggressive. The band is tight. I think it is shaded by Master of Puppets, but I do love this.

Our house used to sound like this when our kids lived at home.

Not my usual jam but I actually liked this

Я не фанат тяжелой музыки, поэтому никогда осознанно не слушал металлику. Каждая песня на этом альбоме неотличима по звучанию от предыдущей, а также должна быть на 2-3 минуты короче. Не ставлю одну звезду только потому, что этот альбом не был столь же раздражающим, как те, которым я уже успел дать единицу

One of easiest 5 star ratings yet. This album is perfection.

Pretty solid album. Not really a metal guy tho. 3.5

I appreciate Metallica have a cult status and a very devoted fan base. I never got it and to me it's mainly just noise. My abiding memory of Metallica is walking away from the stage as they came on at a Reading festival and hundred of devotees running past me towards the noise.... I guess it must be me that's wrong lol.... I'm happy to keep walking away.

Good thrash record I think I like ride the lightening more and just so rarely reach for this type of thing but hard to argue with the consistency and musicianship on this first stretch of early Metallica records

Still prefer the self-titled album

Pass

The last document of the hungry, unwashed version of Metallica — after this they would hit paydirt with the self-titled black album and morph into reliable doofuses — is a pretty good listen, despite its flaws: flat production and the suppression of new bassist Jason Newsted’s low end. There are some nice classical-inspired guitar segments, the songs play like long, complex prog suites while (mostly) avoiding that genre’s excesses, and James Hetfield delivers some of his least-affected vocal performances. I got through it without once rolling my eyes, which is not something I can often say about Metallica. Reciting the late Cliff Burton’s poem on “To Live is to Die” was a surprising and moving choice. Postscript: The song “One” inspired high-school me to read the novel “Johnny Got His Gun,” which was as depressing as you’d expect.

3.5

Metallica gonna keep getting 3s until they make something better than tolerable

This is still firmly in the era of good Metallica vs the overproduced nonsense they’d put out later. The riffs are hard as hell and they make up for Lars’s total incompetence with half of his kit. One thing that happens on this album more than other Metallica albums is the complicated guitar intros that have barely anything to do with the rest of the song. I want to tell young James to do a nice classical album with Kirk under different names. It’s not bad and they’ve always done it but it’s particularly frequent on this album. As for the rest, it’s great. There are barely any hooks or choruses here so you just get riff after riff and solo after solo. I guess that’s off putting to many people but I like it. “One” is a classic but nearly everything on here has a ton of energy and speed. Out of the others I liked “Blackened” and “The Shortest Straw” the most.

Good album, just not familiar with any songs other than “One”

Highlights: One

I like the guitars and the general feel of the album. The rest is just not their best work. I would not put it on this list. But "One" is obviously a legendary song.

13 Oct 2026 · 2/10 Not for me, I just don't like it and I just don't get it. Maybe I'm not ready for it yet.