Metallica

Note the title; it is not “The Last Great Metallica Album” (that honor would go to “…And Justice for All”). Metallica’s 1991 self-titled album is either a pariah or opus depending who you ask. I am writing this from the angle of a kid who was barely over 1 year old when this album came out and had none of the “METALLICA SOLD OUT!” mindset, because this has been part of Metallica since I got into them.

With the onset of the 90’s music was in a major change. Grunge was taking over the mainstream with bands like Soundgarden, Nirvana, Pearl Jam and to a lesser extent Alice in Chains. Hair Metal had shrunk from the major player on the pop and rock charts to barely being a footnote on the musical spectrum. At the same time Metallica was going through many changes too. They fired longtime producer Flemming Rasmussen, was it because of the muddled production of “…And Justice for All”? And they still hadn’t (did they ever?) jelled with bassist Jason Newsted. There were many questions to be sorted out in the Metallica camp.

It is fitting that such a major change happened at this time. With the introduction of “outsider” producer in Bob Rock, they acquired a producer who already had many bands on his resume, albeit none being in the ilk of Metallica (Bon Jovi, The Cult, and even Cher, yeah I was shocked too). He helps achieve the strongest production job put to record by Metallica. The strong production I believe came from the fact that he was an “outsider”, and had no real connections to the band and didn’t mind working them hours upon hours to get a 4 or 5 minute song just right, or at least how he wanted it.

That leads me into the band, and the sound, that some of their respective instruments took on this album.

First off is the vocal and rhythm guitar work of James Hetfield. The vocals are near perfect, they are in the mix at a spot that is fairly pleasing to the ear. Also they sound stronger and more “hard rock” than anything before. The vocals don’t sound as high or as though they have been overdubbed, as they sounded earlier. The rhythm guitar is a one of the driving forces of the album.

Say what you want about Kirk Hammett, he is an extremely talented guitarist hands down. He delivers probably one of the best performances of his career. Most notable is that the solos are more “hard rock” than “heavy metal”. There are no faults with his performance on the “Black Album”.

Jason Newsted’s performance on the “Black Album” really cements his status as top notch bassist. Sure he will forever live in the shadow of Cliff Burton. But anyone who depreciates Jason Newsted for what ever reason (“he picked”, “he was there during Load and Re-Load” or the one that pisses me off the most “He’s not Cliff”) should just shut the fuck up. Without his bass work on this album, and being mixed properly, the whole album might have sounded as thin as “…And Justice for All”.

After the “…And Justice for All” debacle, were the drums clicked and clacked, and were just way to far up in the mix, the “Black Album” has some of the strongest sounding drums put to record. They are thunderous, heavy, and spot on. They are not as complex, which might be a complaint for some, but I think they work great with the music. Maybe the last album by Lars that made you think “man this guy is good”.

The contents of the album are usually the most scrutinized element of this album, and not the talents of the band. Some say they have a few good songs and then filler, but what are their reasons? Sure this is weaker songs on this album but there is not anything that takes away from this album. Also, the album has hits, but between those hits are some really good songs.

Some of the better songs include: “Enter Sandman”, maybe the most overplayed song on radio besides “Paranoid” and “Stairway to Heaven”. However “Enter Sandman” is a great song and an excellent way to set the tone of the album as the opener.

Next up is “Sad but True”, a brooding, heavy and dark song. The best song on this album in my opinion. The 4th track “The Unforgiven” is a solid, slower, ballad but has a hard edge to it. I don’t have any feelings that this was a cheesy sellout ballad, just a softer song.

Following “The Unforgiven” is “Wherever I May Roam”. “Wherever I May Roam” sounds like Metallica has added the sitar to their musical arsenal. It is the longest track on the album, unlike many longer tracks by Metallica, it doesn’t twist and weave throughout the song, it is one steady riff for the most part.

“Nothing Else Matters” and “Of Wolf and Man” are 2 of the later tracks; both are strong really strong and help keep the momentum into the back end of the album. “Nothing Else Matters” feels a bit like the early part of “Fade to Black”, especially James’s vocals, and the acoustic intro. James has more feeling and emotion in his voice in “Nothing Else Matters” than anything before or after put to record.

“Of Wolf and Man” is a headbanging tune, which is one of my favorites, and has a tendency to get stuck in your head.

Bright, yet inconsistent, spots include: the fast paced “Holier than Thou”, the atmospheric “Through the Never”, and bass driven “The God that Failed”. I would say that this is a good album on the basis that it is good from track 1 to track 12, which in my book is the definition of good to great album.

Overall, I can’t see why this album is so hated by some, it contains strong songs a great performance. The only downside, and it really doesn’t pertain to this album is, after the “Black Album” Metallica experienced a major creative decline. This is a perfect introduction into Metallica for any new fan.