The other day I was watching some special or other on VH1, and in reference to today’s band, one commentator said Metallica finished what Black Sabbath started.” And to be honest, I can’t really argue. Metallica rescued metal from the hair and glam of the 80’s, brought back the grit and darkness, and made metal something you could be completely unashamed to love again. Of course, they also caused the heavy metal plateau. No band has changed the game since Metallica, and nobody can beat them, at least not in their prime. Now while many argue that Master of Puppets is a superior album to this one, I like to relate them to the solo careers of the Beatles. Master being Paul’s and this album being John’s. While Paul’s solo career is more consistent, John’s low points are lower than Paul’s, and John’s high points are higher. I defy you to find any track on Master better and more anthemic than “Enter Sandman”. From the ominous guitar intro to the pounding drums and bass on the chorus, to James Hetfield’s signature voice tearing each note to shreds, this truly is one of the greatest metal songs, and indeed one of the greatest songs of all time. “Sad But True”, “Nothing Else Matters”, “Wherever I May Roam”, and the West-Side-Story-incorporating “Don’t Tread On Me” are all highlights on the album, and I may be alone in declaring “Of Wolf and Man” one of my favorite tracks. This baby is pure trash fury, and one of those albums that you replay again and again in the car, gunning it down the road, hearing your engine roar.
I keep my review brief only to ensure there’s room for a guest review but the bottom line is this is a true classic, and a staple of the genre. Truly dark, gritty metal at it’s finest, and on of the best albums of the 90’s. Listen and love.
-Mike
Well, below you’ll find our first guest spot in ages, from our good friend Tom Lorenzo (who last reviewed Cyndi Lauper. Boy has range.) Next up #357: Honky Chateau by Elton John. See you then.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Tom Lorenzo:
Hello gang. Remember me? I reviewed a few albums a long time ago. Summer came and just whooped my ass in the whole caring about anything department. But I’m back with an album from one of my favorite bands, Metallica and their legendary album, “The Black Album”. For all you shitbirds that think “The Black Album” is Jay Z’s retirement album, start listening to music with guys playing an instrument and go past 1997 for some music. This is the real “Black Album”. Over 15 millions units sold, making it one of the highest selling albums of all time.
I just want to give a little backstory for the band and this album. Cliff Burton, the bands original recording bassist, died during the “Master of Puppets” tour and they hired Jason Newstead. They made “And Justice For All”, arguably their best album and toured for awhile until they 1991 when “The Black Album” came out. So people where anxiously awaiting this album for a while. And most people where happy. Some were not. Why? Because it’s a more commercial sound than Metallica has ever produced. We can blame this on new producer Bob Rock, the Bon Jovi guy. Now even though the music is more commercial, doesn’t mean it’s bad. Quite the contrary, some of their best and most famous music is here. But also some of their worst until “St Anger”.
Let’s just get the bad songs out of the way first. “Don’t Tread On Me” is just not up to snuff for Metallica. Hetfield doesn’t sound particularly into it, like he just needed to get another song on the album. Hammet goes through the motions as does Ulrich. And don’t even get me started on sampling from “West Side Story”. I know Metallica is a band that does things differently than any other heavy metal band, which is why they are my favorite band of all time. But there’s just shit you don’t do. And thats sampling from “West Side Story”.
“My Friend of Misery” is not bad per se. It’s just a derivative song by a band that has never been derivative. This is another song that gives this album a bad name. But almost deservedly so because this song just leaves me cold. Leaves most people cold. So does “The Struggle Within” that tries more than the other bad songs, but strikes out. It comes up swinging, but misses. Now these songs that I say are bad only seem bad because of the other songs that are on the album. Shit, the first song on the album is their “Stairway To Heaven”.
“Enter Sandman” is one hell of a song. Not just as a song, but as an entity. This song is so huge, one of the reasons this sold 15 million copies. Heavy metal fans alone couldn’t do that. Also that music video with the creepy old guy and the strobe lights with Metallica in them. This song kind of made the band the uber successes they are now. This song has one of those fucking riffs that just sticks with you and fucks your brain into remembering it. Hetfield just lets this song take him over. He goes from roaring like an animal to softly saying a prayer. It isn’t their best song. Not by a long shot. But it’s one of those songs man. It just works when it shouldn’t and it has stayed with the public. Does anybody remember a few years back the controversy about NY Met closer Billy Wagner using this song when he came out, even though people thought it’s NY Yankees closer Mariano Rivera’s? Yeah, a sports shit show because of a song.
“The God That Failed” is a song that I shouldn’t have liked, but I did. For one, it’s another personal song for James Hetfield. As a child, he was a christian scientist and watched his mother wither away and die from cancer. So he still has alot of problems with this. So he wrote this, a song about people just expecting God to help them with no effort on their part. I love songs like this because no other heavy metal band would work out demons like this on song. It’s a pretty good song, but without the meaning behind it, I’d like it a lot less. It’s musically very average. But Hetfield makes the song work.
“Holier Than Thou” is a good anthem like song. I could hear this song playing during a commercial when watching an NFL game. It’s loud and fast and just heavy. Nothing too deep about this song. It’s just solid heavy metal that the whole family can listen too. Everyone involved was definitely digging this song. It comes through the song. But it’s still nothing special. Just good. “Through The Never” and “Of Wolf and Man” are like this. Good heavy metal songs that the guys were digging, but with no meaning to it. Nothing’s going on. Just a space adventure of the sort (Never) and a song about a guy being a werewolf (duh). Now, we wrote about the songs that weren’t good and they songs that were but weren’t great (except Sandman. You gotta mention Sandman first). Now, onto the truly great songs that elevate this.
“Sad But True” is a fucking powerhouse of a song. This is one of, if not the heaviest song Metallica has ever recorded. Hammet’s guitar just takes it’s balls out and rubs it across your face. This song is fucking badass. I feel like this song is always used in football movies, or it’s covered or sampled by songs used in football movies. But that’s not why I love this song. I love this song, because to the untrained ear it’s just a heavy metal song. But listen. Really listen. It’s a song about a guy struggling with schizophrenia. That’s some heavy shit. Such a powerhouse of a song. Classic.
“Wherever I May Roam” is such a great song. It’s a heavy song that is about being a drifter. Just the life of a drifter. This is a very western feeling song, not in the instruments but in the lyrics. Very western, tying in with another song on this album. But the instruments here are nuts. Starting out with a sitar and going in to the booming guitar is just epic. Hetfield shows again why he is the king of American heavy metal, and in the pantheon of heavy metal singers in general. He can’t keep up with Dio or Dickinson, but he his own voice that has just dominated heavy metal since 1984. Kirk “The Ripper” Hammet earns his nickname here for throwing down some sick guitar here with a showstopping solo. Just an insane song, a heavy metal classic. The next two songs are two of the best on the album, two of the best Metallica has ever done. But it is also a hint that Metallica isn’t gonna be the same after this album.
“The Unforgiven” is a great fucking song. It’s a western song through and through, evidenced by the Ennio Morricone horn played in reverse at the beginning of the song. A song about a guy who has been hounded and hated on since birth. A man who they try to control but can’t. An unforgiven soul. Such an amazing song. These guys play/sing their hearts out even though this is one of the slower songs they’ve done. I love it. It’s also the first in a trilogy that continues on 1997’s “ReLoad” and ends on 2008’s “Death Magnetic”. Great shit here. Love it.
“Nothing Else Matters” is a controversial song. It’s a slow ballad from a heavy metal band and the hardcore fans flipped a shit. They were ok with “Fade To Black” and “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” because of the subject matter. But this song was a heavy metal ballad love song. The hardcore were pissed. But you know what? It’s a great fucking song. Hetfield wrote this for his then girlfriend, who he loved no matter how far apart they were. It has since become a staple at all Metallica concerts. As it should, since its great. But also because these guys are now in their 40s and need a break now and then. Now, in my “Led Zeppelin II” review, I said “Thank You” would be my wedding song. Well, thats choice number two. This song is number one. I love this song.
Now, this album is a classic. It’s sold over 15 million copies and has songs that live on. But it is their weakest album before they changed up their sound in 1996 on “Load”. I like “Load” and “ReLoad”, but you can’t lump them together. It’s their weakest because aside from the 5 classic songs (only 5, come on assholes get your shit together), the rest range from average to meh. I’d personally switch this album out with their 1988 masterpiece “And Justice For All” for being a better constructed, more well thought out and musically more layered sound. But on impact alone, “The Black Album” deserves this spot.
No comments:
Post a Comment