Some of Metallica's best-known songs like The Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters hold up. The slow and measured sound on this album is a good match for Hetfield's lyrics. They might be "edgy," but they get the point across. The instrumental breaks and guitar solos are unique and well-executed; the composition of this album is its biggest strength, lacking only from its reliance on repetitive structures that become apparent when listening to the album in its entirety. I found that The God That Failed is a favorite of mine upon a full listening, and listening with headphones in stereo brings out some nice touches. I'm not usually interested in heavy metal, but Metallica made this album easy to listen to with their new, streamlined sound.