Metallica
July 24th, 2010 | by admin |Metallica Review
In 1991 Metalica releases a self-titled album,”Metallica” or the black album as some fans like to call it and it was a major commercial success (15X Platinum and over 22 millions sold) earning the band plenty of air time on the radio stations and is one of the best selling album of not only Metallica’s career but of all time as well.Its easy to see why; the songs on this album all have slower tempos and they are shorter than usual for the band and perhaps easier to get into for those who were not big trash or Metallica fans.Some fans of the trashy 80’s albums of the band say this is when they sold-out,to me they hadn’t sold out yet no because the music on the album even if it is not the Metallica we had grown used to,was still very good just more accessible.They still rocked at this point,their attitude was the same as before,the songs were great and they still had their long hair! Where “…And Justice For All” may have seem overly complicated “Metallica” used a more simple rock formula by making shorter and less aggressive songs.
The black album as you may know is called that name because the print that read “Metallica” did not come out well on the front and the back of the album,that is an interesting fact about this album.The musical direction they took on this album was different than what they did previously,gone is the trash metal era,and in comes the more mainstream sound influenced largely by new producer Bob Rock.The musical change can be hear clearly,the songs are notably shorter and seem slower than on their previous releases.Now that doesn’t mean the album is no good,actually because of that more and more people started listening to them.Some songs really stand out from this album and some songs can be considered among the best Metallica have ever done like “Sad But True” a slow,heavy song that is terrific or the superb ballad “The Unforgiven” which is lyrically one best song ever for the band (Metallica did slow intros for years but never had they really done a ballad).Also other notable songs are “Wherever I May Roam” and “Of Wolf And Man” some of my favorites here.”Nothing Else Matters” was a petty big hit and remains a stunning ballad after all these years.I’ve listened so many times already to “Enter Sandman” that I have grown tired of the song but its still a great song and the album’s most famous track, a live staple. The lyrics are now much more personal and deeper than ever, James has grown as a person and as a musician even if you may not be fully ready to accept it. For instance “The God That Failed” is about James Hetfield’s mother dying of cancer.
At the time the Black Album was huge and it reached the 100 on billboards and managed to stay there for years.The tour supporting the album was huge and lasted for a pretty long time during which memorable events happened that is famous in Metallica history.The videos from the album were pretty successful as well and for a band that said years priors that said they never would make any videos they made a few for this album making them automatically commercial.Fans will know that the band had started to be commercial with their previous album “…And Justice For All” as they made the video for “One” when they said they would never do a video,thought nothing else about that album was commercial,but that was the seed of them becoming a more commercial band as great as that song was.They made something quite special with this album I believe,they made a commercial albums that both critics and Metallica fans could like and if you think about it its an impressive feat.
Despite some of the criticism the black album gets,its still a great Metallica album,but its not a trash metal album like they used to which lead to bad rants from some of their fans,while it gained great commercial success.Unlike the previous album “…And Justice For All” you can hear Jason Newsted on Bass.The production of this one was incredible compared to their previous release which is a big step up on that point.Its not their best album but its still very good and highly enjoyable,it has plenty of great songs and it has such a rich history.Its one of the biggest albums in history and it took a over a year to make it. You need to have a different listening approach to the black album because it’s not the trash albums the band did in the 80’s, it’s a little different and if you expect a trashy album you will be deceived. If you are new to Metallica this is probably not the best place to start,but overall its a solid mainstream release release for Metallica. 4 stars.
Metallica Overview
Japanese edition of their multi-platinum 1991 smash album that spent four consecutive weeks at #1, with the bonus track ‘So What’. 13 tracks, also featuring the top 40 hits ‘Enter Sandman’, ‘The Unforgiven’ & ‘Nothing Else Matters’. A Sony Records release.
Metallica Specifications
Called “the Black Album” by many (due to its monochrome cover), Metallica marks the group’s entrance into the mainstream, with shorter songs, simpler song structures, and slower tempos overall. That said, this is an excellent album, featuring some of the best songwriting Metallica has ever done. “Enter Sandman,” “Wherever I May Roam,” and “God That Failed,” despite being slower and more groove-oriented than the band’s earlier work, feature the same heavy riffs and heavier rhythms that have always been a feature of Metallica’s music. The band goes introspective with “Unforgiven,” and proves that they can write a ballad with “Nothing Else Matters,” which succeeds better than one might expect. Overall, this is a high-energy album despite its laid-back approach, and is in many ways superior to the previous . . . And Justice for All, which was weakened by overly complicated song structures and mediocre production. – Genevieve Williams
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