The most successful heavy metal band in the 90's, originally started as a thrash metal band back in 1981. Hailing out of San Francisco, they were the pioneers of the thrash metal scene. But Metallica always progressed, and you can hear definite changes on each album. First becoming a more progressive band on '...And Justice For All', before changing into the radio-friendly metal of 'Metallica', ending up with modern metal on 'Load' and 'Reload'.

"Bang That Head That Does Not Bang!"

Classic line-up

KILL 'EM ALL (1983) VERTIGO

Metallica was still a young band when they recorded their first album. They had relocated from Los Angeles to San Fransisco, but drove all the way to New York to record the album.

Metallica's debut album was a real punch in the face when it was new. Originally opting to call it 'Metal Up Your Ass', the title was changed to 'Kill 'em All' on request from the record label owner. No one sounded this way! Metallica just took the sound of Motörhead, NWOBHM and mixed it with punk. When played with speed (no, not meaning the drug!!), you get Metallica! The first Metallica line-up also included one Dave Mustaine, now in Megadeth. That's why he has writer-credits on many of these songs (he even has credits on songs from the next 2 records, as well). The album is a furious metal attack, and should be considered a milestone! Metallica were not to stay quite so speedy though. Cliff Burton's bass-solo is AWESOME! The back of the cover includes the classic line: 'Bang That Head That Does Not Bang!'

Killer tracks: Jump In The Fire, Seek & Destroy, (Anasthesia) Pulling Teeth, The Four Horsemen, Whiplash

RIDE THE LIGHTNING (1984) VERTIGO

Metallica returned with a more mature album. This was long my favorite 'tallica album, and it is also the first one I listened to. It contains nothing but classics, from the aggressive opener "Fight Fire With Fire", to the ballad-esque "Fade To Black", this album is a masterpiece! I love every second of it, and every song (except maybe "Trapped Under Ice") would be on my best-of Metallica list. 'Ride The Lightning' sets the standard high for Metallica. Back when it was released, some fans thought they had sold out, changing their sound from all-the-way thrash, to a more melodic approach. To me it's just amazing music, and they set the standard for the Bay Area thrash movement with it. And this is A MUST in every metal collection.

Killer tracks: All of them!

MASTER OF PUPPETS (1986) VERTIGO

Metallica's third, and arguably best album. If you mention Metallica to me, this is album is what will come to my mind first. It's their magnum opus, and a masterpiece containing 8 over-the-top metal tunes! No one has ever come close to releasing a thrash-metal album so diverse, yet so intense. Metallica are brilliant song-writers, and here it shows! The album is a frenzy in good melodies, and at the same time fast and furious. All the songs are classics, and you ain't much of a metalhead, if you don't own this!

Killer tracks: ALL OF 'EM!

Sadly this would be the last Metallica album Cliff Burton would play on. He died in a bus accident in Sweden, on tour for this album. Metal lost one of it's most characteristic players, that night. Cliff is still missed by many, and remains one of the most acclaimed bassist the world ever saw!

Clifford Lee Burton: February 10th 1962 - Sebtember 27th 1986

Metallica started to search for a new bass-player, almost immediately. They held auditions, hoping to find someone before hitting the road to tour Japan. They found a replacement in Jason Newsted, former bass-player for Flotsam & Jetsam. Metallica Chapter 2 was a fact!

Metallica line-up #2

... AND JUSTICE FOR ALL (1988) VERTIGO

Metallica's 4th studio album, '... And Justice For All', was released on August 25, 1988 through Elektra Records. It was the first full-length Metallica album to feature bassist Jason Newsted, following the death of Cliff Burton. '... And Justice For All' became the bands biggest selling album upon it's release, and passing the 8 X platinum mark in 2003. It was also Metallica's breakthrough album, reaching as high as #6 on the Billboard 200. It was also nominated for a Grammy in 1989, but "lost" to Jethro Tull!

'... And Justice For All' marked another change in style for the band. While the basis was still thrash metal, the songwriting was much more complex than on their previous albums, with longer songs and progressive arrangements. Still, the changes aren't that drastic, and rather natural when you look at Metallica's progression over the years. They never did make two albums that sounded the same. It's the same focused songwriting and playing, only with longer, almost epic feeling, songs. It's like having a whole album of "Master Of Puppets" styled tracks.

Co-produced once again by Flemming Rasmussen, the only downside to '... And Justice For All' is the nearly inaudible bass sound in the mix. Spawning 4 singles, and a 2 1/2 year tour, it is widely renowned as the last classic Metallica album.

"One" was to become the first Metallica song to be released as a music-video, due to gaining popular demand. They even edited 3 different versions of it, and ended up selling them on the '3 of One' home video. Having a music video available of course led to MTV airplay, and more commercial success. "To Live Is To Due" is a tribute to Cliff Burton, and features unused bass-lines recorded by Cliff before his untimely death. None of the original recordings are used in the song, as Jason plays them all, but Cliff is credited as co-songwriter.

Trivia: The Lady Justice statue depicted on the front cover is also known by fans as "Doris".

Killer tracks: All of them.

METALLICA (1991) VERTIGO

After a 3 year break, Metallica returned with another album. This has got to be the biggest disappointment in my entire life, when I first heard it. I met a friend who had just bought the tape, and were playing it on his walkman. He asked if I wanted to listen, and my face must have just went pale! This did not sound ANYTHING like the Metallica I loved! But what could be expected, when the record was produced by Bob Rock, of Bon Jovi and Mötley Crüe fame? Gone were the thrash and speed, and in came ballads!?! It took some real getting used to, before I got what this album was about. The album has gone down in history as the best selling heavy metal album, having shipped 15 million albums so far! Today I like this album just as much as the rest of their music, but this album contains more songs I dislike, than any other 'tallica record. Songs like "Through The Never" and "Of Wolf And Man" aren't top notch. But we also get cool stuff like "My Friend Of Misery" and "Sad But True". VH-1 even made a Classic Albums TV-special about the recording of this album. Oh, also worth mentioning, this album also goes under the moniker 'The Black Album'.

Killer tracks: Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven, Nothing Else Matters, My Friend Of Misery

LOAD (1996) VERTIGO (2CD)

Nothing Metallica could do, after releasing 'Metallica' in 1991, would shock me again. So even after a 5 year absence, and returning with short hair, and even mellower sound, I bought it right away. The fans were outraged, and for real calling the band sellouts. But although I can see what the fans were fussing about, I still feel they overlooked one important thing: The band still sounds Metallica! No other band in the world could release this album, only Metallica could. The songwriting is definitely Metallica, it's the production that differs the most. And as for the hair, who on earth believes that a band is no longer the same band when they cut their hair!?! Stupid! I love this album, putting it up as one of the best albums by the band. It contains Metallica's worst song ever, "2 X 4", but almost all of the others are HUGE! The epic "Bleeding Me" is so good, you can actually feel it in your spine! My version is a special Australian 2CD, with the second CD being an interview disc. A MUST!

Killer tracks: All but "2 X 4" and "Cure"

RELOAD (1997) VERTIGO

When Metallica recorded 'Load', they actually also recorded 'ReLoad'. The album was at first intended to be a double disc. But after several delays, they decided to release the songs that was finished, and release another CD with the remaining songs 1 1/2 years later. They have said in interviews that the songs on 'ReLoad' are not rejects from 'Load', and that they did not stack the good stuff on 'Load', and the throwaways on 'ReLoad'. Still I got very disappointed with this album. I did not even think it was possible, after 'The Balck Album', but at first this seemed to be the worst album Metallica had ever released. To this day, this is the only Metallica-album you can name songs from, that I would not instantly recognize. That said, the album has grown on me, and I can now enjoy it as much as any other 'tallica-record. It would be so cool to hear what "Fuel" would sound like, if it was released back when these guys were a thrash metal band! Metallica even makes a follow up to "The Unforgiven", inventively called "The Unforgiven II". James Hetfield has also become very personal in his lyrics on these past 2 records. He doesn't even want them printed in the booklets.

Killer tracks: Fuel, The Memory Remains, The Unforgiven II, Low Man's Lyric, Fixxxer

GARAGE INC. (1998) VERTIGO (2CD)

To release all the obscure cover-songs, recorded by Metallica, on one CD, is an AWESOME idea! And then also recording a whole new CD, to give the die hard something as well (they usually have all the b-sides etc. anyway), is just a stroke of genius. I like this album very much, and almost all the new stuff pleases me too. I think James does a splendid job on songs like "Loverman" and "Astrology". Not your common picks, but I like them. I also love the Bob Seger tune a lot. I hate "Die, Die My Darling", though. A cool double disc, well worth it's price! I also used to own a bunch of CD-singles by this band. But when they started releasing 3 different versions of each single, and with nothing more interesting on them than demo-versions and live-tracks, I stopped, and sold them. Now I don't need the b-sides, the ones worth having, are all here.

S&M (1999) VERTIGO (2CD)

CD2: Nothing Else Matters Until It Sleeps For Whom The Bell Tolls - Human Wherever I May Roam Outlaw Torn Sad But True One Enter Sandman Battery

Metallica were on a roll with releasing original material. Not original as in new material, no original as in obscure, or innovative. The first heavy metal band to do a concert together with a symphonic orchestra (if you do not count Deep Purple as metal, that is). Michael Kamen was the only conductor to pull it off, in fact it was his idea to start with. Having worked with the band before (he also arranged a version of "Nothing Else Matter" with orchestration, on a b-side to that single), and also done stuff with Queensrÿche and Aerosmith, Metallica trusted him to pull it off. And in my opinion, they pulled it off. Maybe this double disc does not do this project justice, but if you watch the concert on video, I really feel a vibe, and a feeling no one else has captured. There are also 2 new songs on it, and between "-Human" and "No Leaf Clover", I like the latter best. The lyrics aren't quite finished I think, but the song is absolutely Metallica. It's also cool to finally have Metallica's live-intro on CD. "The Ecstasy Of Gold" is off course written by Ennio Morricone, to the soundtrack for the spaghetti-western 'The Good, The Bad and The Ugly'. They have even blown the dust of the old instrumental, "The Call Of Ktulu"! Another treasure item in the Metallica catalogue! And you never thought you would hear "Battery" being played together with flutes and violins, did ya'?

I DISAPPEAR (2000) HOLLYWOOD (CDS)

1. I Disappear

There is only one track on this single. The song is also available on the soundtrack album for the motion picture 'M:I-2', but I don't need to have a full album, when I can get this single. A cool track, but not their best! This single is also available with a second interview-track.

Jason Newsted has now left the band. James Hetfield has gone through massive alcohol rehab. The band is currently recording a new album, and the next single, is a track recorded together with a rapper. Metallica has apparently lost their minds!!

Metallica line-up #3

ST. ANGER (2003) VERTIGO (CD&DVD)

After another 6 (!!) years since the last proper studio-album, Metallica's new silver-disc (and DVD) is here. And in true Metallica fashion, the reactions to the new stuff did not take long to emerge. The majority seem to be furious with the fact that the album does not have any guitar-solos. And even worse, Lars' drum-sound gets slaughtered. People claim it's sounds like he's hitting a bunch of garbage cans. And I must say that I did agree with them at first. I liked the first 2 songs, but could not get into the rest. It took me 5 or more listens to find anything worth the while here. The fact of the matter is that the 'tallica boys have once more reinvented themselves. Maybe not to the better, but still they have created a new metal sound, unlike anyone else's. I admit that this is by far the weakest album they have released, but it's not as bad as most people make it out to be. Lars drumming, while intentionally given a garage-band sound, is still stellar work! The man is way underrated, in my opinion. I think I was able to get into the whole feel of this record, somewhat getting to hear why they have gone for the muddy production. And when I got into that state of listening to this product, I find it quite enjoyable. I'm not sure if I'm going to put it on on a regular basis, but I'm sure going to crank it on every now and then. I just have to be in the mood for it. The DVD offers the whole album played live in the studio. The mix is a bit different there, but as a whole, I prefer the album versions. Kind of funny watching Robert squatting around with his bass though. Man, go take a dump, THEN come back and play! LOL

Killer tracks: Frantic, St. Anger, The Unnamed Feeling

SOME KIND OF MONSTER (2004) VERTIGO (EP)

Metallica EP's usually doesn't interest me any longer. Buying 3 versions of the same single, just for completing the collection, or getting 1 extra demo version, or live track, have gotten way too far with this band. But 2 things got me interested in this EP. First, the 6 live tracks. All of them are recorded on a recent tour, and all of them are classic thrash metal Metallica! Guess they are finally seeing what the fans really love to hear. And secondly, I just had to see the 'Some Kind Of Monster' movie trailers. And as a bonus, I also got a edited version of the title-track. This version is supposedly better mixed, and with a different drum-sound. But to be honest, I can't really hear the difference. A boring song is a boring song despite the production, mix or whatever.

DEATH MAGNETIC (2008) VERTIGO (Limited Edition Digipak)

As usual when a new Metallica album is out, there have already been written book-length articles by long time fans on how much it is going to suck. Metallica has become the type of band that is popular to hate and rag on, yet they go on selling millions on CD's world wide. I for one have never been one to judge anything before I get to hear it. And 'Death Magnetic' was pre-ordered with an open mind, and an actual hope for improvement. The result, whilst being a mixed affair, delivers for the most part. Yes, this is a return to form for the worlds biggest heavy metal band. James, Lars, Kirk and Robert have tried to capture all of the bands past, and turn it into something of today. Here we get no frills thrash metal, even some stuff reminiscent of material as old as the 'Kill 'em All' days ("My Apocalypse"). We also get some more modern approaches, that would fit nicely on any of the 'Load' albums ("The End Of The Line", "The Day That Never Comes"). The songwriting, and especially the song structure is leaning towards the progressive nature of '...And Justice for All'. Heck there is even some hints of 'St. Anger' ("Cyanide"), if you listen closely. But what you don't get is a 'Master Of Puppets' part 2! And I don't think anyone in their right minds were thinking this, although so many was hoping just that. 'Death Magnetic' is a fresh album, but maybe not as hungry as I had hoped for. Producer legend Rick Rubin (Slayer, System Of A Down etc.) has gone for a more stripped down and naked sound for Metallica. And that suits them very well, and gives the album an overall live feeling. The mix on the other hand is another issue altogether. The already infamous 'Death By Distortion' sound on the album gets a little on my nerves. But I've decided not to let it ruin an otherwise solid album. Besides, I am not one to condone illegal downloading, but the sound on the 'Death Magnetic' CD I already paid for made me not so hesitant to download the better mix taken from the Guitar Hero III game. And I'm trying my best not to get so annoyed about the overkill elements of the album either. You see, the boys have tried, a little too hard I think, to cram every idea they could come up with on this album. So many of the songs start off as one song, but when the song ends you realize that you're almost listening to a different song by now. The first single, "The Day That Never Comes", is a good example of this. The beginning of the song is excellent, and maybe even one of the better slow- to mid-tempo tunes in their carrier. But after 5 minutes of bliss the band ventures into a frantic instrumental thrash metal chaos. As 2 separate entities it would have worked better, in my opinion. And the same kind of genre traveling and mixes can be found in many of the other numbers here as well. Nevertheless I find 'Death Magnetic' to be an honest effort, and I am enjoying the heck out of it.

Killer tracks: That Was Just Your Life, Broken, Beat & Scarred, The Day That Never Comes, All Nightmare Long

Metallica tribute album(s):

'Metallic Assault - A Tribute To Metallica'

Jason Newsted guest appearances:

Sepultura - 'Against'

Robert Trujillo guest appearances:

V/A - 'Metallic Assault - A Tribute To Metallica'

Related artists:

Megadeth, Exodus, Ozzy Osbourne, Flotsam And Jetsam

Metallica pictures