Issue #34: Metallica – Metallica (The Black Album)

Released:  August 12th, 1991

Recorded:  October 6th, 1990 – June 16th, 1991

Genre:  Heavy Metal

Record Label:  Elektra

Duration:  62:31

Producers:  Bob Rock, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich

Personnel

Track Listing

Singles

Why Metallica is One of My Favorites

Metallica’s fifth album Metallica, also known unofficially as “The Black Album” is one of the more divisive records of the 90’s.  Longtime fans and thrash purists were appalled at the band’s foray into more commercial territory, while newcomers everywhere discovered Metallica for the first time and began to usher in an increased mainstream acceptance of heavy metal.  Then again, there was Load, and depending on who you ask, Metallica might be the first “bad” album or the last “good” one.  And don’t forget the backlash against St. Anger…oh, and then came Death Magnetic…

As a teenager, I did not like Metallica.  A lot of what got to me was Hefield’s raucous voice; it still grates on me from time to time, and I think I’d still prefer a different singer, but I’ve learned to look past it.  Anyway, I had a friend who could not stop listening to Metallica, so I really knew that I didn’t like them.  This wasn’t some throwaway statement based on a couple of singles, this was based on constant exposure.  It took me a few years to see exactly why I wasn’t into the music, but to make a long story short, it was because all my friend ever played was Master of Puppets, Ride the Lightning, and …And Justice for All.  In the interim I’ve learned to appreciate these albums a little better, but as a teenager, I was not interested in these sprawling displays of skill – I wanted music I could feel, and much of the technically-driven metal is easy to admire but hard to really get into.  The band has even admitted that they wanted to do something different with the recording of Metallica and that they had run their course with long songs.  One of them also mentions that they had previously been somewhat insecure and were eager to prove themselves as musicians, hence all the long, complicated craziness of earlier albums.

I actually got into this album sort of recently compared to most other selections in this series, and I really owe it to Guitar Hero: Metallica.  I can’t say I was super-thrilled about playing Metallica songs at first, but I was excited to have a new Guitar Hero game.  As it turned out, a lot of these songs ended up being really fun, and when I sat down and paid attention to which songs I was enjoying the most, I realized than an awful lot of them were coming from Metallica.  And so I put aside my teenage preconceptions once and for all and began to enjoy it for what it was.

Although Rob Rock may have been a difficult producer for the band to work with, his production is the unsung hero of Metallica.  It is amazingly crisp when compared to other metal albums of the era and still sounds sharp over 20 years later.  An early proponent of balancing out metal’s tinny guitars and flat drums with actual bass, Rock insisted on increasing the volume of both the bass and bassier frequencies in general, resulting in a heavy, plodding, booming sound.  Metallica really set the modern day precedent for the kind of angry, alcohol fueled, testosterone drenched music found in biker bars and trailer parks alike.  The guys were striving for absolute badassery here.

Production really helped to establish Metallica as timeless and also made sure that we got the best possible version of the music, but of course the music itself is at the core of what makes this an incredible record.  It could be considered transitional, though I prefer to look at it as a combination of their hard-hitting roots and their later, decidedly “less metal, more hard rock” sound.  It’s difficult to single out one particular instrument as my favorite element of the record.  It’s the combination of guitar, bass, and drums that creates a thick and aggressive sound.  There’s still a good bit of soloing present as well, albeit trimmed to a more acceptable and entertaining length than the band’s previous work.  The pure energy in Hetfield’s delivery drives most songs as well, however, I still reserve my right to dislike his voice a bit.  Can’t help it.  But the fact that I can really get in a hyperactive fight mode while listening to Metallica despite my inability to completely embrace Hetfield’s vocals is a true testament to how finely crafted the record is.

“Enter Sandman” juxtaposes soft acoustic picking with thrash-like riffing to make a song all about nightmares.  The unforgettable main riff keeps the song catchy while loud and expertly timed drums keep it heavy as hell.  “Sad But True” might be my favorite track and contains another memorable riff.  The way the sound drops out and kicks back in with supremely loud drums is awesome piled on awesome.  I don’t know what it is, but these guys were really able to tap into aggression with this music.  “Holier Than Thou” harks back to their thrash roots more than any other cut, but being smart, the guys imbued it with enough syncopation and variable rhythm that it stays interesting.

“The Unforgiven” is like a metal ballad.  Spiked with bursts of noise, it also sees Hetfield doing a little more singing and accentuates the acoustic guitar both melodically and rhythmically.  And the electric guitar takes on both roles as well, eventually culminating in my favorite solo of the album.  “Wherever I My Roam” alternates between fast and slow, and the music perfectly reflects the wanderer nature of the lyrics.  The main riff even reminds me of traveling, or journeying music, or whatever a better term for it would be.  It sounds a lot like something pulled from Iron Maiden and “darkened up” a little bit.

“Don’t Tread on Me” sounds like something that came out of Mississippi or Alabama rather than southern California; then again, Hetfield has always sounded straight up southern-fried to me.  There’s a march-like quality to the song that seems to emphasize its militaristic associations.  Again, thrash influence is evident but endless speed riffing has been replaced by accessible rhythms.  “Through the Never” utilizes lots of timing variations to set itself apart in addition to some great use of the guitar: the churning rhythm, the low-end riffing reminiscent of Slayer, and another awesome solo (probably my second favorite).  It’s another fine example of how Metallica still brought a lot of thrash with them and turned it into something with much more broad appeal.

“Nothing Else Matters” is the true ballad of Metallica.  It’s a decent respite from the relentless pounding of the 7 previous tracks.  Hetfield puts aside his anger (sort of) to lament on the lonely life of a musician.  “Of Wolf and Man” and “The God that Failed Us” to pummel with grinding riffs and booming drums.  The former, as the title suggests, is about a werewolf, a concept that more metal musicians ought to pursue due to the wealth of possibilities for metaphorical storytelling.  The latter is more personal, exploring Hetfield’s anger at his mother’s religion that forbade her from seeking treatment for her illness, eventually resulting in her death.

“The Struggle Within” caps off the album with a blatant marching rhythm pounded out on the snare, followed by some of Hetfield’s fastest vocals on the album.  As a speedy and frenetic closer, it lets the album go out with a bang instead of a whimper.

Sixty minutes can be a pretty lengthy exposure to this sort of intensity, but that’s a minor complaint compared to what Metallica has to offer.  Not many truly metal albums strike such a careful balance between heavy as hell and completely accessible.  It isn’t nearly as “commercial” sounding as some of the metalheads crying “sellout!” would suggest, but the band did get a lot more sensible about song structure, song length, and engaging rhythms.  From the clear production to the catchy riffing, Metallica brought traditional metal into a new era and put a spin on it that would engender it to a whole new generation.

Written by The Cubist

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Written by The Cubist

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I collect as much video gaming paraphernalia as I can get my hands on, especially when it comes to hardware. With over 40 systems including oldies like the ColecoVision and Intellivision, obscurities like the CD-i and 3DO, and the latest and greatest including the Wii U, PS4, Xbox One, 3DS, and PS Vita, I get easily overwhelmed. Most of the time you can find me firmly nestled sometime between 1985 and 1995 when it comes to my games of choice, but I’m also having a great time seeing what the 8th generation has to offer.

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