Metallica's The Black Album
 

It’s 23 years, this week, since Metallica’s most popular album, Metallica (commonly called The Black Album – in contrast to The Beatles’ The Beatles commonly known as The White Album) was released. In the near quarter of a century since its release, the album has sold in excess of 30,000,000 copies worldwide and is the biggest selling album of the SoundScan era.

Metallica are one of the biggest metal bands of all time – arguably the biggest ever. They’ve sold millions of records, they have fans all over the globe, they’ve played on every inhabited continent and also Antarctica, they’ve sold out massive world tours, they’ve amassed huge fortunes and they’ve been together for more than 30 years. They are living the dream that many a metal-head (and others besides) have dreamed for years.

The album made inroads into the public psyche and allowed metal and hard rock a momentary glimpse at the big time. Granted, there have never been many metal and hard rock bands who can do extensive world tours of arenas, but it allowed Metallica to move from small, sweaty clubs and venues and move into these arenas and stadia that very few bands of their type have ever been able to fill on a consistent basis.

Forming in 1981, the band solidified themselves as one of the ‘Big Four’ of thrash metal (alongside Megadeth, Slayer and Anthrax) in San Francisco, California and released Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets in 1983, ’84 and ’86 respectively before losing original bassist, Cliff Burton in a coach crash on a Scandinavian tour. In 1988, they carried on without him and released …And Justice For All with new bassist, Jason Newsted. Having found their feet again, James Hetfield (vocals and guitars) and Lars Ulrich (drums and all-round bell-end) set about writing the follow-up. It turned out to be Metallica and boy, what an impact it had on the world.

As far as sound goes, it was a softer effort when compared to the relentless thrash of the band’s first four records. It featured slightly softer vocals, slowed tempos and a much more melodic approach to sound (not that this wasn’t a feature on previous records). “Sad But True” exhibits well these slowed down tempos. At a measly 93 beats per minute, it’s the slow, fat guy to such songs as Kill ‘Em All‘s “Whiplash”‘s slim athlete. “Whiplash” plays at around 160 bpm and Ride the Lightning‘s “Fight Fire at Fire” which peaks at around 180bpm, but “Sad But True” is all the more heavy for this slowed tempo as layers of guitar pack an immense punch.

“Nothing Else Matters”, arguably Metallica’s best known and most widely used song, is the highlight of the entire record. It does this by being the least ‘Metallica-ish’ song in their back-catalogue to this point. It’s a soft ballad that sings of “trust I seek / and I find in you” and “couldn’t be much more from the heart” and has soft guitars throughout. The peak moment of the song comes with an impactful guitar solo from James Hetfield (who plays lead on this song instead of the usual lead guitarist, Kirk Hammett). It’s full of emotion, it’s not your typical ‘shredding’ metal solo, it’s meaningful, you can hear every note clearly and it’s expertly done by one of the most under-rated guitarists in music.

If you simply listen to the music present on Metallica, you’ll understand why it’s had such an impact on the rock and metal world. It has a diverse range of sounds, influences and songs. There’s Eastern sounds on “Wherever I May Roam”, there’s the mirror image of a ballad in “The Unforgiven” (where the chorus is soft and the verse is hard), there’s supernatural, heart-felt, horror, introspective, religious and literary influences in the lyrics and there’s a range of styles, tempos and riffs a-plenty.

My only complaint with Metallica (coming from a long-time listener) is that it has a large amount of THE guitar solo Kirk Hammett has written and applies to pretty much all of the band’s songs. Yes, there’s the odd solo that doesn’t feature the heavy WAH-WAH of his wah pedal or feature the squeal and typical movement up and down the fret-board that nearly all Metallica solos have but it’s featured heavily (as it is on all Metallica records) on nearly all of the songs here on The Black Album.

The main thing that Metallica has done though, is given many a listener a window into the world of metal. It’s not too heavy, it’s got some pop factor to it and it has influenced so much in the world of music since its release in 1991. It’s also a gateway to the death metal of Cannibal Corpse, the speed metal of DragonForce, the melodic death metal of Children of Bodom or the black metal of Dimmu Borgin. Metallica, then, has become more than just an album. It has become something more.

I stopped reading here.

You write in a way that's easy and enjoyable to read though, so props to you.

It was a good album but also one of the biggest sell outs ever. They sure did suck up a lot of the yuppie dollars though.

Itah wasah theah startah ofah thatah obnoxiousah vocalah styleah andah besidesah itah beingah aah boringah albumah that'sah whyah Iah hateah itah.

yep.

Just like Slash.

I thought it was a decent review from the casual Metallica fan (granted, one who did a lot of research) until here, where I strongly disagree.

Kirk Hammett does not play the same solo over again, I can hear distinct and notable differences between most of them. I admit there are similarities between a few, but I find it presumptuous to criticize Hammett and Metallica on a whole by something not true. It is partially due to Hammett's kick-ass solos that Metallica is who they are.

Does anyone remember that just prior to its release they actually did a small concert venue "tour" where people paid for tickets and filled up arenas just to hear the record played over a PA system? No band members present.

The Metallica hype was that big back then.

Reminds me of Wu Tang and their 'secret album'.

Good Album!
 

its a decent album. Not all of their material can be fast. You have to stop and catch your breath every once in a while.

I like The Black Album :)

As for Metallica selling out, they probably wanted to try something else. The Black Album shows versatility, they got to experiment with other ways of working in the studio (less overdubbing), they nailed the new sound they were going for ..

Expecting a band or an artist to do the same thing over and over again is selfish from a consumer point of view. I mean, if you like Metallica, how about giving them an ounce of freedom in their artistic pursuits? I'm sure they like to try different things and if they also consider music a job (which it is to them) in which they want to make more money, isn't that also fair? The Black Album features songs written by members of Metallica, so it's still them.

I like the Black album as well, as for selling out, metal up to that time had always been about corporate rock and big arenas so most of the big thrash bands were putting out something more commercially accessible at this point.

Metallica saw an opportunity and they took it. They just happened to be more successful than Megadeth or Anthrax. After that they became soft millionaires who lost their edge.

Anyhow good review, cheers.

Bob Rock's stamp is all over those songs though. Watch the documentary of the making of it. At various points throughout he's basically telling the guys how and what to play. They brought him on board for a reason.

I like the album for the record.

You know, if you say his name backwards, it's "Car Bob". Like a used car salesman. Coincidence?

Only if you have a really weird way of pronouncing "rock".

Never really understood the whole selling out thing with this album.

It's not like they hadn't done ballads before.

Plus it's a damn sight better than And Justice For All which was terrible.
When you listen to the drums on that album then go and listen to the drums on Motley Crue's Doctor Feelgood album you can totally understand why they bought in Bob Rock to produce it.

You're from Boston. You have no right to criticize how someone else says "car". Do you even pronounce the "r", or is it just "cah"?

Um, I think Jansz is from Florida.

No, you little Canadian scumbag. He's from Boston, and now he lives in Philadelphia. Yeah, I don't why he'd want to move from one ****hole to another either.

I don't have a Boston accent. I mean literally every single time someone finds out I'm from there they say, "but you don't have the accent."

I've lived in Florida but I grew up in Boston.

:beer:

Yeah, like Ken Scott did for Supertramp or Andy Powell did for Kate Bush. I mean, I'm sure she didn't come up with all those flute arrangements herself.

The producer having an influence on the sound is business as usual.

Not to the same degree at all. Have you seen the 'making of' documentary? Rock should have been given songwriting credits on every one of that album's tracks.

Again, not saying it's a bad thing - I like the album.

Scott's contributions to Supertramp were more in the sound department, not in directing them in what and how to play their instruments.

Have you read his book? It's a really great read.

http://www.amazon.com/Abbey-Road-Zig...ziggy+stardust

I stopped asking myself whether it was a sellout album a long time ago. Honestly, I don't really care anymore. I'm not a particularly big fan of the album, and I don't really like much that came after it, so does it really matter one way or the other?

Besides, if this failed attempt at a radio single on their second album doesn't show you that Metallica were never an underground-for-the-sake-of-being-underground band, then you need to reevaluate your evaluations.

God, I'd forgotten just how bad that song was.

The black album is decent, it just gets a bad rap because of how much they started sucking after it.

It's not a bad song, just a watered down version of the rest of the album. That chorus though... tasty.

Also because half the album is completely overplayed, and much of the rest shows the same dip in quality that plagued ...And Justice for All. I'll always love "The Unforgiven" though. They also need to quit playing "Sad but True" so much on the radio, as it's just a less badass version of "Harvester of Sorrow".

I could pick things about Metallica apart all damn day, like the rest of you...

My introduction to Metallica was from the very first album. I was hooked when I was 7, got older, realized Metallica wasn't as good as I once thought when I was a kid, still listen to them here and there but don't expect much from them with new material, haven't since The Black Album.

But. The Black Album when I listen to it now, it really did not hold its appeal well, like not even a little bit. The album is still decent, but man I find so much that really just turns me off to it. Any person that could get over themselves and the hype behind this band, could admit to that Metallica is just average, always have been. Sold a sh*t ton of albums though.

And on another frank, or honest note. People that use the term 'sell out' like some whore on the street. Any of you even know how that term even would apply to a band, and be completely accurate? Rhetorical question. My point is that I am fairly sure people don't know what the hell they are talking about when they claim a band has sold out. It annoys me. Most people complain a band has sold out just because they tweaked their sound, and it is laughable. Under the right circumstances that can apply in that context. But %99 of the time, it doesn't.

Use the term right. Too hard to ask of people?

I agree there's a dip in quality on the black album but AJFA is a pretty great album IMO.

When a band gives their music over to a record company to do with as they see fit, rather than just tweaking their sound to reach a wider audience. There's a difference between wanting to pay your bills and just giving up on making music that you have any desire to play. The underground doesn't have a pension plan after all.

I think of Motley Crue's post-Shout at the Devil albums as much more sellout than The Black Album. They were basically too whacked out on drugs and alcohol to care what they were putting out, and just used their music as a way to pay for their lifestyle.

Theater of Pain was just a tepid retread of SatD, and they weren't even trying on Girls, Girls, Girls. Dr. Feelgood was more of a return to them giving a ****, even if the production did kind of castrate it.

Agreed. I'd rather listen to the filler on AJfA, than the filler on The Black Album, and the first half is just phenomenal.

LOVE that album. The anger and pain over Cliff's death just oozes out of the tracks.

Just wish they'd not taken some of it out on Jason by burying him in the mix.

I'd say you were being very very generous with that description. I'd call it a really bad attempt at doing a pop album. They were basically trying to do what Hanoi Rocks did a year earlier with Two Steps From The Move, and failed miserably.

I'd take GGG over it any day.

Really? It just sounds like Shout at the Devil with boring production, lackluster delivery, and second-rate songs to me. Granted, I haven't really listened to all that much Hanoi Rocks.

I never once thought that Motley Crue played or made music because they loved the process of creating. They were driven by money, fame, drugs, and women. It was a Rock N Roll dream they lived hard. Motley Crue were technically a sell out band before their first record even hit record stores.

But I obviously listen to Motley Crue, I'm even seeing them in December. They're sell out's, but sell out's I want to see before they stop touring for good.

Dr. Feelgood is close to my favorite album from Motley. But we could hash out issues with that band all damn day and how much they sold out.

You get what I mean so that's the important thing I suppose.

Metallica's The Black Album > any Motley Crue record, though. Different kinds of music, but Motley never put out an album even as 'good' as The Black Album.

when I say I'd take it over TOP I mean in a sense of there are probably 3 tolerable songs on GGG as opposed to 2 on TOP.

I think I agree.

GGG bores me, so does TOP but at least there's more there I can like.

Nobody was putting out music that sounded like Too Fast For Love in 1981. If they were going to sell out with their first album they would have become a new wave band because that was what was selling then.

hahaha, new wave. Makes me want to go dig up some records.

Fair point though, Urban.

They were definitely all about living the rock'n'roll lifestyle from the get go, but their first two album definitely from the heart. They made **** off their first album. They didn't even have a record deal and had to release it on their own label. And a large majority of bands are as much about the dream of sex, drugs, and rock'n'roll. It's not selling out, it's just fantasy.

Add to that tons of half naked chicks in videos for a newly created MTV, which was started as a rock music station which seems to get forgotten these days.
Motley Crue didn't fit into the mainstream, the mainstream fitted into what Motley Crue was doing.