[Gorshin]

This is by far the greatest 'heavy metal' album ever recorded. Also in my top 10 of all time. The standards here are exceptional. Each song is gobsmackingly good. Everyone should (does?) own this album right now. If this music does not make the hairs stand up on ones neck then one is dead. Especially at 2:41 into 'Orion' when the tempo changes. This rocks.

Please, I urge you to buy it now

[eviljohn2]

I've got it but have some bad news. I prefer Ride the Lightning.

[Mindcrime]

Gotta go with EvilJohn2 on this one, Ride...... is by far & away the best Metallica album made, even better than the 'black' album. The title song, Bells and the awesome and never bettered, IMAHO, Creeping Death . Metal at it's best. Sadly, they have now lost their way!

[Floodedstatue]

I'm with Gorsh on this one - Master Of Puppets is the pinnacle of Metallica's career IMO. I have the DCC Mastersound version and it is absolutely stunning. Every song is spine-tinglingly good! Rock on

[karkus30]

Me too, definitely MOP. I find the Black Album just a bit too smooth and ride the lightning has some great tracks, but is less even in terms of quality.

I have to say (despite my avatar) that I listen to Metallica very little, its no longer cutting edge and Im beginning to despise the classical arrangements that are obviously the work of M.Kamen. Its become like a soothing rock lullaby and I think that is what Metallica were trying to break out of with St Anger, which I really dont think is the pile of s**t that most fans seem to think it is (certainly better than Load and re-load). I dont think there's anything really left in the Metallica music machine, Hetfield fuels the riffs and his style is Metallica, the rest of them merely prop up his work (and they do it very efficiently).

Its a shame really as they influenced so many bands, but I think the creative spark has gone. You need passion and anger to create great music and that does'nt happen if you have a contented and happy life with more money than you can ever spend. Yes, you can dwell on your internal demons, but in the end its just self-pity and thats never going to create the emotional roller coaster that defines the best.

[JohnG]

I'm going to have to be the odd one out here and go for Justice.

[huwg]

Toss up between Ride the Lightening and Master of puppets, Master just edges it on longivity in my book.
RTL has some great music and sounds more urgent, but musically sounds the more dated of the 2, athough fade to black is the best 'ballad' they've done.

Hated the black album (smell the glove) but it had a nice big sound especially after Justice which I think was a really crap production job but had some decent tracks (if a little indulgent).

Also like Kill em all, (4 horsemen etc)
haven't heard anything after the black album, but havent been impressed by the singles.

[JohnG]

Well I've been inspired by this thread to give St Anger another listen to and it's growing on me. When I first got it I was so disappointed with it that I didn't really listen to it enough.

[Floodedstatue]

Feeling a bit 'on-edge' tonight, I'm gonna push the boat out and say that I really like 'Load'

St Anger is rubbish. Had it, listened to it alot, and just thought it was pure kack.

I like And Justice... I think it's one of the best, but as already mentioned, the production is so poor. I wonder if there's anything they can do to sort it out and re-release it? I fear for the quality of the master tapes

[mrmc74]

MOP!!!

Black album ??? This is the point where they really lost their way.

[Mindcrime]

Originally Posted by mrmc74

MOP!!!

Black album ??? This is the point where they really lost their way.

I wouldn't say they lost their way, I think they just refined their sound. When a band slightly alters their 'perceived' sound they are always screamed at for selling out or going with the flow. Metallica decided to move on, some of the old fan base were disappointed, understandable, but bands have to progress or they will be described as a 'one sound band', no imagination, bland, etc etc. I think they realised that the old style Metallica sound was coming to an end, it started to sound dated. So, do they keep on doing a MOP, RTL style album and keep a small fan base or do they move on? They decided to move on and become rich. Unfortunately, I think that NOW they have lost their way, especially after the Napster farce! St Anger, to me, seemed to be jumping on the bandwagon of the extreme metal bands out there at the moment, such as Slipknot et al (I don't know any more names, don't listen to it anymore). Metallica led the way, but now they seem content to follow!

[Dapper Dan]

If anyone has seen 'Some Kind of Monster' dvd they may get an insight into why Metallica have felt the need to progress, either their sound or look, over the years. They admit that some of their moves have been somewhat indulgent, even strange but at least they've tried to evolve in some way. They're most certainly not an ACDC, Slayer or Maiden(all great bands at what they do) but their appeal was always going to be mainstream. For instance I've being listening to Apocalyptica(Metallica played by four Cellos) the last few days and songs like Puppets with it's mellow middle section would not be out of place in Classical circles.
My perfect Metallica album?
Master of Puppets with the 'And Justice' guitar sound and 'Load/Reload' bass sound!

[Gorshin]

What I find totally amazing about Metallica is just how skilled these musicians were at such a young age. When Kill em all came out in 83 they were all about 21, and yet the instrumentation is truly epic

I must say 'Master of Puppets' is the definitive album. I really like 'For Whom the bell tolls' from rtl. However, even this would sound out of place on 'Master'. They progressed so quickly. Master is their undoubted zenith. And Justice for all sounds awful: No bass and all treble. It's also far too depressing lyrically (see 'One' )

I'd also like to say that Hetfield is/was the greatest heavy metal rthythm guitarist of all time.

[Gorshin]

I'd really appreciate a full Metallica remaster/reissue programme. Would love to hear demo versions/alternate cuts etc. My copy of 'Master' on cd is pretty much worn through. Needs a 24 bit original master tapes joby

Pasture of Muppets is good

[overkill]

Justice is the best, then the Black album. MOP is good, but not consistent enough. Load is an underrated gem. Same bitterness, just less thrash.

[Mindcrime]

Originally Posted by Gorshin

I'd also like to say that Hetfield is/was the greatest heavy metal rthythm guitarist of all time.

Excuse me? A steady guitarist, yes, but nowhere near to a Great guitarist! IMO, I may add. The one true great Metallica musician died many years ago. You can see how the sound changed once Cliff had gone. HE was Metallica!!

[Gorshin]

Originally Posted by Mindcrime

Excuse me? A steady guitarist, yes, but nowhere near to a Great guitarist! IMO, I may add. The one true great Metallica musician died many years ago. You can see how the sound changed once Cliff had gone. HE was Metallica!!

Oh come on, whos a better metal rthythm player?????

[Gorshin]

Originally Posted by overkill

MOP is good, but not consistent enough.

How can you back up such a comment????

How can it not be consistant enough????? Give me an example for even 0.1 of a second when this album is 'not consistant enough'. i'll answer that: the 0.1 second of silence after 'damage, inc' just before the cd stops playing.

[Mindcrime]

Originally Posted by Gorshin

Oh come on, whos a better metal rthythm player?????

Well, for one, you have the duo from Iron Maiden, Scott Ian (I always thought Anthrax were the better musically), Tipton & Downing of Judas Priest, Michael Schenker and how could you place Hetfield above Malcolm Young ? Hetfield has had to develop into a very competent guitarist as the Metallica sound has evolved. Don't forget that their early stuff was just pure speed metal and didn't call for anything 'flash'. Jeez, he even had to start to 'sing' as Metallica became more mainstream!

[Gorshin]

Originally Posted by Mindcrime

Well, for one, you have the duo from Iron Maiden, Scott Ian (I always thought Anthrax were the better musically), Tipton & Downing of Judas Priest, Michael Schenker and how could you place Hetfield above Malcolm Young ? Hetfield has had to develop into a very competent guitarist as the Metallica sound has evolved. Don't forget that their early stuff was just pure speed metal and didn't call for anything 'flash'. Jeez, he even had to start to 'sing' as Metallica became more mainstream!

Each to his own, but Hetfield is THE king of the riff. The main riff of 'Battery' or 'Master of Puppets' owns anything you'd care to mention.

[Gorshin]

Malcolm Young is rock, not metal

[morksbeanbag]

Originally Posted by Floodedstatue

Feeling a bit 'on-edge' tonight, I'm gonna push the boat out and say that I really like 'Load'

St Anger is rubbish. Had it, listened to it alot, and just thought it was pure kack.

I like And Justice... I think it's one of the best, but as already mentioned, the production is so poor. I wonder if there's anything they can do to sort it out and re-release it? I fear for the quality of the master tapes

and justice is best for me, the Master of puppets, then ride the lightning then black, then load, then kill em' all, then reload......have not yet heard St Anger.

I'd love to see a fully remastered metallica back catalogue, especially and justice for all. that album has the potential to sound awesome....if the tapes are good. The first song 'Blackened' is a knockout! that solo always gets me

[tom_painter85]

I bought my first Metallica album on my 10th birthday. i had the rest of the album's they'd released up to 1995 a week later and i've never looked back. Each album has its merits, but i think MoP has the edge over many simply because of the unrelenting pace and feel of each track.

its all very well slating Load and ReLoad as many 'die-hard' fans do, but seriously...how many people would NOT have given various vital organs to be at S&M ....

The Black Album was the progression into the 'mainstream' as it were. far from being their downfall i believe it was Metallica's chance to really progress and expand musically, as they did with Load and Reload. this may not have been what many of their fans wanted, but frankly, its what the guys wanted to do themselves. Het and Kirk said themselves that looking back it was kinda wierd, but they went through a progression, as everyone themselves does...

Birth, School, Metallica, Death.

Hell yeh

Keep the albums coming guys..

[stevegreen]

You are all wrong, the best work they did was on the garage days EP

[Mindcrime]

Originally Posted by stevegreen

You are all wrong, the best work they did was on the garage days EP

Doing a covers album can hardly be called 'their best work', now can it? Really? The stuff they covered was excellent, but hardly their best!

Or are you just throwing out that fishing line to see who will bite ?

[stevegreen]

Originally Posted by Mindcrime

Doing a covers album can hardly be called 'their best work', now can it? Really? The stuff they covered was excellent, but hardly their best!

Or are you just throwing out that fishing line to see who will bite ?

Moi??

It is a classic though. I remember seeing the vinyl in a record store on sale for £100 a few years back. I eventually got it on a CD with some bootleg stuff from some market stall.

Of their own albums, I would agree that they started to decline with Justice, though i'm not sure which I would vote as their best album, i'm leaning toward Ride The Lightning though as I would listen to that before MOP, maybe thats because MOP got the most playing when I was only listening to that type of music though.

I preferred Megadeth tbh.

[Mindcrime]

Originally Posted by stevegreen

I preferred Megadeth tbh.

Yeah, Dave was always that little bit angrier in his music. And you can't discount Anthrax in the mix; they were never given the same accolade as Metallica even though they were better musically. The mid to late 80's were a really good time for Speed Metal; feel that head-a-bangin' now

[Dapper Dan]

Originally Posted by Gorshin

Malcolm Young is rock, not metal

He also stands in one spot for the entire gig!! Try running around a huge stage while trying to play Battery.

[mrtbag]

Please don't all tell me to off at once. But does nobody else think the S&M album was the best?