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72 of 83 found the following review helpful:
 Black Album Sep 06, 2004
By Rebecca Lyle
Here we have Metallica's breakthrough album, the Black album. This is what put Metallica into the mainstream, and it is indeed a masterpeice. Every song on this on is a classic. The talent is all there. The production is crystal clear. Everything about this album is epic. A lot of people complain that this is all a little too mainstream, but I disagree. I believe the boys to be in top performance, just because it's a little more accessible, doesn't mean that the talent is gone. Kirk plays some of his greatest solos on this album. I believe that everyone is in top form. Jason Newsted also gets a chance to prove himself on this one. As a bassist, I believe his basslines on the slower songs to showcase his talent the most. He packs a lot of emotion, especially in Nothing Else Matters. Overall, this is just a fun and enjoyable cd with talented musicians and songwriting. Highly recommended!
160 of 199 found the following review helpful:
Underrated Masterpiece! Aug 02, 2001
By The Wickerman
It seems that many Metallica "fans" seem to enjoy putting this album down, for some reason. They claim that, with this album, Metallica lost their edge and sold out. Listening to this album, I'm wondering if we heard the same one. This album may not be quite as epic or technical as previous releases, but it's every bit as thrashy, heavy, and good. This album was my introduction to Metallica a few years back, and I've never stopped loving it. The songs are full of crunch and vitriol, and the two ballads ("Unforgiven", "Nothing Else Matters") are very emotional and melodic. There are still a lot of great solos, and Lars still dishes out some pretty impressive drumwork (especially on "The Struggle Within"). The production quality is excellent (probably the best of all their albums), so every instrument is distinct and hard-hitting. There are no bad songs, but if you want to hear a great one, check out "The Unforgiven". This is one of the best ballads ever, with very emotional lyrics and a great vocal performance from James Hetfield. If you love heavy metal and do not love this album, there is probably something wrong with you. I rank this album third, behind "Ride the Lightning" and "Master of Puppets", and one of my top 20 favorite albums. It's better than "And Justice for All" mainly because of the production quality, and better than "Kill Em All" because that album is too repetitive and rough around the edges (but still very good, mind you), and well, do I even need to explain why it's better than "Load" and "Reload"? The simple fact of the matter is that Metallica was still a great band at this time, and did not sell out with this album. This album was much heavier and better than anything else that was popular at the time (except for Pantera's "Cowboys from Hell"). "Load" and "Reload" were the ones where the music changed for the worse, but even those albums weren't so bad. If Metallica ever did sell out, it wasn't until the awful "I Disappear". If they ever get another bass player, and Hetfield ever gets out of rehab, let's hope they stop doing that kind of stuff and go back to the basics. Megadeth and Iron Maiden already made incredible returns to form with "The World Needs a Hero" and "Brave New World", if Metallica does another album like this, then metal is officially back. Otherwise, they may as well just call it quits. Anyway, buy this album, it is one of the best.
24 of 30 found the following review helpful:
Not their best but excellent May 26, 2000
Regardless of their commercial intent, Metallica had to make The Black Album. Their previous album "And Justice For All" had many brilliant moments, but it also edged toward excess. It's important to keep in mind that many of Metallica's influences wrote punchy 3-4 minute songs with a killer riff and solo. And their Garage Revisted album demonstrated their love to do something like that. But, they hadn't really done that since their early days, and they had gotten so far away from that by the time of "And Justice For All." As a result, The Black Album was an artistic, as well as commercial, commitment. Keep it simple; keep it memorable; keep it real.
No doubt, the craft paid off; Metallica's singles (Enter Sandman, Wherever I May Roam, Sad But True, Nothing Else Matters, Unforgiven) have become hard rock classics. Each song has killer hooks; they groove even, and the latter ballad is as powerful and moving as any song they've ever done. Sure, Bob Rock's production is a bit too smooth, but listen to the demos and realize that The Black Album is still thrash. Dismiss its difficult, then, consider that similar efforts by thrash outfits like Megadeth, Testament, and Anthrax were much, much less successful.
If there's any substantial flaw to The Black Album, it's that it reveals what true metal aficionados already know -- Metallica is an average thrash band with world-class compositions, The Beatles of the long-form composition. When you compare The Black Album with Pantera's "Vulgar Display Of Power." Where The Black Album waters down thrash's edge (relentlessly midtempo, simpler rhythms, production), "Vulgar Display of Power" distills it, retaining the creativity, craft, yet making it even more vicious. And compare it to Metallica's older work, and you miss out on the richness, dynamics and depth.
As a whole, though, The Black Album is a great kick-a** album. As close to the perfect mainstream heavy metal album anybody has ever gotten to. It also suggested that if Metallica could combine The Black Album's discipline with their 80s richness, their best work would lay in the future. Boy were we wrong . . .
9 of 10 found the following review helpful:
You have to admit... Jan 25, 2004
By A. Fondacaro
"NiaTonyF"
This is one intense album. Yes, it's been played to death (so was "Stairway to Heaven," does that make Led Zeppelin a sellout? What about "Start Me Up?" "Free Fallin'?"), but does that make Metallica a sellout? No it doesn't. The word "sellout" just doesn't apply to Metallica.The songs were not like their usual thrash-style, nor was the sound, or the lyrics, or the song structure, or the production. Does that make this a bad album full of bad songs? No. Does the album lack musicality? No. Does it lack the attitude that metal projects constantly? No. People forget that this album houses one of THE most heavy songs ever written - Sad But True. Some hardcore losers might come out and say, "What about Morbid Angel's 'Nothing is Not?' Or Six Feet Under's 'Blood of the Insane?' or Samael's 'Shining Kingdom?' Huh? Huh? Huh?" And then call Metallica p@$$y sellouts. I don't think so. Yes bands like Slayer, Samael, Impaled Nazarene, Deicide (Children of the Underworld), Cannibal Corpse, Morbid Angel (James Murphy-era) might write songs that are far and away heavier than a lot of Metallica's songs, but you can't deny that "Sad But True" is a benchmark of metal heaviness and raises some serious hairs on the back of your brain. Keep in mind the other thing about Metallica that this album demonstrates, no matter how crappy the music gets, no one can match their power. Then there are those that howl about "Nothing Else Matters." Once again, we hear moaning about how it was popular, teenie girls liked it, it's not heavy, it's not metal, it's not real, it's a sellout song, it's stupid, it's not Slayer, blah blah blah. Does this mean it's a bad song? No. Some people talk about this album being the "beginning of the end of Metallica." The argument is that, again, it's not metal. Most of those people are metal heads who have never heard of another genre, and are exactly the close-minded, unintelligent saps that they claim they are because of their "different" musical tastes (It doesn't work that way. A lot of people listen to metal, death, black, grindcore, thrash, etc., and it doesn't make you unique just because you listen to metal.) The thing is, "Nothing Else Matters" was unlike any other metal song we had heard, and this close-mindedness was not the kind of audience the song needed, even though it found an audience elsewhere. What happens is that those people miss out on a great song and a great album. That's essentially the problem; it's not the band, it's the ears listening to it. Imagine if this album had been released by a brand new band; they would be instant metal gods. But no, Metallica "betrayed" us. No they didn't. They made their music. If you don't like it, go back to Cannibal Corpse, but don't open your mouth and claim to know good music because all you listen to is a "unique" style of music called metal.
52 of 69 found the following review helpful:
Unarguably the greatest Metallica album... Apr 25, 2000
By Ibraheem Al-Ammar
...And arguably the greatest album ever. This album is simply mesmerizing.Stunning. Pros: *Quite simply,the greatest Metallica album of all time. *The songs are AWESOME!Here's a quick take: -"Enter Sandman":the biggest Metallica song.Listen to it and you'll know why.Hot Hammett solo.Scary rhythm guitars. -"Sad But True":pure power stomp.The instruments are so powerful,that you might get disoriented when you turn on the volume to a high level! -"Holier Than Thou":one word:AGGRESSIVE!You know what,make it two words:AGGRESSIVE AND POWERFUL! Fast,furious,powerful,punishing,with hot solos.I don't know why I have this strong feeling that it's aimed at music critics. -"The Unforgiven":a new kind of song for Metallica,since they used orchestral instruments for the first time,if I'm correctly informed.Heart-breaking song.Hammett's solo makes it even sadder.A great display of James' song-writing abilities. -"Wherever I May Roam":an instant classic,this is one of Metallica's finest songs.Cool opening,excellent lyrics,burning solos(one of Hammett's hottest solos),this song is pure art. -"Don't Tread on Me":not one of my favorites(yes,you guessed right:I still listen to this album every single day),but didn't Metallica have a different point of view about this issue in "...And Justice For All"? -"Through The Never":powerful song.Excellent lyrics,cool guitars(especially James'),strong ending.This one song everyone will love. -"Nothing Else Matters":is it just me,or is Metallica very close to writing a love song(I hope not!)?You'll know what I mean when you hear this song.James' voice was warm,the instruments were amazing(Michael Kamen,the maestro behind the current Metallica S&M album,worked with them on this song). -"Of Wolf and Man":probably the most powerful Metallica song.It's the perfect Metallica song.The opening has to be the most powerful opening you'll ever hear.This is what this song is all about:pure power. Great opening,great instruments,great lyrics,great vocals,great ending and great solos.Everything is great about this song.Sometimes,I find my self singing the four first guitars,and then continuing with the drums,by stomping the ground or by punching the noisiest thing around,like a table or something!That's how obsessed I am with this song.It's virtually that powerful. -"My Friend of Misery":mediocre. -"The Struggle Within":old-style-Metallica. *Metallica changed their style to a better one. Cons: Musically,I can't think of anything. Bottom line:unless you've been living under a rock for the last ten years,you already have this album,right?
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