Metallica: Heartbeat by Collin Gell

HEARTBEAT

by Collin Gell

Ride The Lightning For Whom the Bell Tolls Fade to Black Master of Puppets Battery Welcome Home (Sanitarium) ...And Justice for All Eye of the Beholder One Metallica (Black Album) Sad But True Wherever I May Roam Death Magnetic The Day That Never Comes All Nightmare Long

Introduction In 2005, when I was ten years old, I was in Homer’s Music in the Old Market in Omaha where I saw my first Metallica album. It was Metallica’s self titled album, dubbed the Black Album. I first saw the vinyl cover and thought it was the coolest thing I’ve ever seen. The grunge look of the name Metallica, the snake in the bottom right corner, the pure black background of the simple design of the cover visually had me. I immediately asked my Dad to get it for me. Unfortunaatly since we didn’t have a record player, so he bought me the CD. From that day on, not only was Metallica the first band that exposed me to a completly different genre that I never knew about, but they also gave me the passion to listen and play music. That same year in 2005, I began taking lessons to play guitar. My guitar playing consisted of boring lessons and covers of my favorite Metallica songs. After a few years of playing, I began to have an urge to play in a band. It wasn’t until when I was in highschool that I had friends who also played instruments. When it came to forming one, it seemed that for every five guitar players there’s one drummer, and unfortuanly for me, there were no drummer’s I had contact with. This led me to think that I could play the drums, mainly because I needed a drummer and I was sort of getting tired of playing the guitar. Like the guitar, my drum playing consisted of boring lessons and a bunch of my favorite Metallica songs. This quickly became my favorite instrument to play, because not only did I love the sound but also it was fun to move your arms and legs to play. To sum up the rest of this story, I found a love for a new instrument, and the band never really evolved outside of jam sessions. Everytime I listen to a Metallica song it takes me back to when I was ten, and it gives me a nostaligic feeling. It feels great to know that they were the first Metal band I ever heard along with the fact that they drove me to play music. They will always be my idols and creative inspiration in what I do.

Collin Gell

Ride the Lightning

— Album Intro —

Ride the Lightning is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on July 27, 1984, by the independent label Megaforce Records. The album was recorded in three weeks with producer Flemming Rasmussen at the Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. The artwork, based on a concept by the band, depicts an electric chair being struck by lightning flowing from the band logo. The title was taken from a passage in Stephen King’s novel The Stand. Although rooted in the thrash metal genre, the album showcased the band’s musical growth and lyrical sophistication. This was partly because bassist Cliff Burton introduced the basics of music theory to the rest of the band and had more input in the songwriting. Instead of relying strictly on fast tempos as on its debut Kill ‘Em All, Metallica broadened its approach by employing acoustic guitars, extended instrumentals, and more complex harmonies. The overall recording costs were paid by Metallica’s European label Music for Nations because Megaforce was unable to cover it. It was the last album to feature songwriting contributions from former lead guitarist Dave Mustaine. Ride the Lightning received positive response from music critics, who saw it as a more ambitious effort than its predecessor. Metallica promoted the album on the Bang That Head That Doesn’t Bang European tour in late 1984, and on its North American leg in the first half of 1985. The band performed at a few major music festivals, such as Monsters of Rock and Day on the Green later that year. Two months after its release, Elektra Records signed Metallica to a multi-year contract and reissued the album. Ride the Lightning peaked at number 100 on the Billboard 200 with no radio exposure. Although 75,000 copies were initially pressed for the American market, the album sold half a million by November 1987. It was certified 6× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2012 for shipping six million copies in the United States. Many rock publications have ranked Ride the Lightning on their best album lists, saying it had a lasting impact on the genre.

For Whom The Bell Tolls Rolling Stone By Kory Grow July 28, 2015 Fighting Fire With Fire: Metallica Look Back on ‘Ride the Lightning’ “We were really broke,” drummer Lars Ulrich says, reflecting the state of Metallica as they were making their second album, Ride the Lightning. “We had to live day to day. A friend literally gave us his apartment to stay in while we recording. James and I slept in the bedroom, Kirk and Cliff shared his couch.” It was the spring of 1984, and the Bay Area thrash-metal quartet was holed up in Copenhagen, Denmark – Ulrich’s home country – recording at a studio they had picked for two reasons: hard rockers Rainbow had recorded their Difficult to Cure album there, and more urgently, it was cheap. At the time, Ulrich and vocalist-guitarist James Hetfield were both 20, guitarist Kirk Hammett was 21 and bassist Cliff Burton was the old man of the group at 22. Less than a year earlier, they had kicked out guitarist Dave Mustaine, who went on to form Megadeth, recruited Hammett and released their speed-limit-breaking debut, Kill ‘Em All, the record that defined thrash metal. Now they were working on the album that defined Metallica. Thirty years later, Ride the Lightning stands out in the group’s catalog as the album that introduced melody to its arsenal. Songs like the heavy ballad “Fade to Black” and the crushing “For Whom the Bell Tolls” would serve as blueprints for later Metallica hits like “Nothing Else Matters” and “Sad But True,” and the eerie, nine-minute instrumental “The Call of Ktulu” demonstrated their range. The single “Creeping Death,” has become a concert staple, thanks to the way it can get 10s of thousands of metalheads at a time to chant “Die! Die! Die!” along with its outro. The record has since gone on to be certified six times platinum. But when Metallica were making it, they were poor, young headbangers, trying to stretch their dollars. On the eve of the 30th anniversary of Ride the Lightning, Rolling Stone caught up with Ulrich, Hammett and production assistant Flemming Rasmussen, who recorded the group in Copenhagen’s Sweet Silence Studio, to find out how the album was made and what it means to them now.nunc blandit ut. Ut posuere 8

Make his fight on the hill in the early day Constant chill deep inside Shouting gun, on they run through the endless grey On they fight, for they’re right, yes, but who’s to say? For a hill, men would kill, why? They do not know Stiffened wounds test their pride Men of five, still alive through the raging glow Gone insane from the pain that they surely know For whom the bell tolls Time marches on For whom the bell tolls Take a look to the sky just before you die It’s the last time he will Blackened roar, massive roar, fills the crumbling sky Shattered goal fills his soul with a ruthless cry Stranger now, are his eyes, to this mystery He hears the silence so loud Crack of dawn, all is gone except the will to be Now they see what will be, blinded eyes to see For whom the bell tolls Time marches on For whom the bell tolls

Fade To Black AllMusic Steve Huey 2016 AllMusic Review by Steve Huey Kill ‘Em All may have revitalized heavy metal’s underground, but Ride the Lightning was even more stunning, exhibiting staggering musical growth and boldly charting new directions that would affect heavy metal for years to come. Incredibly ambitious for a one-year-later sophomore effort, Ride the Lightning finds Metallica aggressively expanding their compositional technique and range of expression. Every track tries something new, and every musical experiment succeeds mightily. The lyrics push into new territory as well -- more personal, more socially conscious, less metal posturing. But the true heart of Ride the Lightning lies in its rich musical imagination. There are extended, progressive epics; tight, concise groove-rockers; thrashers that blow anything on Kill ‘Em All out of the water, both in their urgency and the barest hints of melody that have been added to the choruses. Some innovations are flourishes that add important bits of color, like the lilting, pseudo-classical intro to the furious “Fight Fire with Fire,” or the harmonized leads that pop up on several tracks. Others are major reinventions of Metallica’s sound, like the nine-minute, album-closing instrumental “The Call of Ktulu,” or the haunting suicide lament “Fade to Black.” The latter is an all-time metal classic; it begins as an acoustic-driven, minor-key ballad, then gets slashed open by electric guitars playing a wordless chorus, and ends in a wrenching guitar solo over a thrashy yet lyrical rhythm figure. Basically, in a nutshell, Metallica sounded like they could do anything. Heavy metal hadn’t seen this kind of ambition since Judas Priest’s late-’70s classics, and Ride the Lightning effectively rewrote the rule book for a generation of thrashers. If Kill ‘Em All was the manifesto, Ride the Lightning was the revolution itself.

Life, it seems, will fade away Drifting further every day Getting lost within myself Nothing matters, no one else I have lost the will to live Simply nothing more to give There is nothing more for me Need the end to set me free Things not what they used to be Missing one inside of me Deathly lost, this can’t be real Cannot stand this hell I feel Emptiness is filling me To the point of agony Growing darkness taking dawn I was me, but now he’s gone No one but me can save myself, but it’s too late Now I can’t think, think why I should even try Yesterday seems as though it never existed Death greets me warm, now I will just say goodbye

Master Of Puppets

—Album Intro—

Master of Puppets is the third studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on March 3, 1986 by Elektra Records. Recorded at the Sweet Silence Studios with producer Flemming Rasmussen, it was the first Metallica album released on a major label. Master of Puppets was the band’s last album to feature bassist Cliff Burton, who died in a bus crash in Sweden during the album’s promotional tour. The album peaked at number 29 on the Billboard 200 and became the first thrash metal album to be certified platinum. It was certified 6× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2003 for shipping six million copies in the United States. The album was eventually certified 6× platinum by Music Canada and gold by the British Phonographic Industry (BPI). Master of Puppets was released to critical acclaim and has been included in several publications’ best album lists. Its driving, virtuosic music and angry, political lyrics drew praise from critics outside the metal community. The album is considered the band’s strongest effort of the period and is one of the most influential heavy metal albums. Critics credit it for consolidating the American thrash metal scene with its atmospheric and meticulously performed songs. Many bands from all genres of heavy metal have covered the album’s songs, including tribute albums. Master of Puppets was deemed “culturally, historically, or aesthetically significant” enough for preservation in the National Recording Registry by the United States Library of Congress in 2016. Only 450 recordings have earned this distinction, with Master of Puppets being the first metal selection. The cover was designed by Metallica and Peter Mensch and painted by Don Brautigam. It depicts a cemetery field of white crosses tethered to strings, manipulated by a pair of hands in a blood-red sky. Instead of releasing a single or video in the US to promote Master of Puppets, Metallica embarked on a five-month American tour in support of Ozzy Osbourne. The European leg was canceled after Burton’s death in September 1986, and the band returned home to audition a new bassist. Metallica honored the album’s 20th anniversary on the

Battery

Lashing out the action, returning the reaction Weak are ripped and torn away Hypnotizing power, crushing all that cower Battery is here to stay Smashing through the boundaries Lunacy has found me Cannot stop the battery Pounding out aggression Turns into obsession Cannot kill the battery

Rolling Stone By Kory Grow March 2, 2016 Metallica Talk 30 Years of ‘Master of Puppets’: ‘We Were Just Kids’ Thirty years have passed since the drummer and his Metallica bandmates released their mind-boggling masterwork, and it still sounds as powerful as it does fearless. Master of Puppets originally came out on March 3rd, 1986, and it remains a high-water mark for not just the band but for metal as a genre. Its eight songs make up a deep and visceral look at manipulation in all its forms, but thanks to a mix of headbangable riffs and rhythms, it never trades heavy for heady. The LP came out just five years into Metallica’s career, and in that half-decade they had already pioneered thrash metal on their debut, 1983’s Kill ‘Em All, and added intricate and elegant melodies to the mix on the following year’s Ride the Lightning. But it’s in the twists and turns of Master of Puppets’ title track, the breakneck, scattershot rhythms of “Disposable Heroes” and the heavy pull of “The Thing That Should Not Be,” among other songs, that the band reenergized and refocused its sound. It’s a record with a legacy that Metallica, whose members’ average age was 23 at the time, couldn’t escape now even if they tried. In the years since, the record’s moody “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” and brutal “Battery” have become set-list staples, while its title track – a nuanced showstopper about drug addiction – has become Metallica’s most-played live song. “A couple of years ago, we did a tour in Europe where we let fans pick the set lists, and, out of 20 or 30 shows, ‘Master of Puppets’ was the Number One most requested song at every show,” the drummer says. “It’s crazy.” The album is also irrevocably tied to bassist Cliff Burton, who had co-written close to half its songs and who died in a freak tour-bus accident six

months after the record came out. In recent years, the band has begun playing Master’s eight-minute instrumental “Orion” in deference to Burton. The album by itself would be enough to secure Metallica’s place in metal’s pantheon – even if they hadn’t regrouped later that year and, after a few releases, went on to record the mega-selling “Black Album” and become one of the biggest bands in the universe. It’s a legacy that will be explored in depth this fall in Back to the Front, a new book by author Matt Taylor that examines the Master of Puppets album and subsequent Damage Inc. Tour via previously unseen photos and interviews with the band and its crew. In celebration of the album’s anniversary this week, though, Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and co-producer Flemming Rasmussen spoke with Rolling Stone about what Master of Puppets means to them three decades later. It was a crazy time,” Ulrich remembers of the summer of 1985. That spring, band members had wrapped months of touring in support of Ride the Lightning and returned home to the San Francisco Bay area. Hammett went camping and fishing, according to a 1986 interview with Ulrich, while Hetfield and Ulrich traveled around the country, following Deep Purple. When they felt settled and ready to write, the singer and drummer, who shared a house in El Cerrito, began woodshedding new material, using cassettes of Burton and Hammett’s ideas, in their garage. They’d all get together and jam and eventually recorded them with the other members on a boombox. “We were really young, really fresh-faced,” the drummer says. “When I see photos of us from that time, there was a purity. We were all music fans. We had all kinds of posters on the wall: Iron Maiden, Michael Schenker, UFO, Ritchie Blackmore. Everything was about music. We were listening to fucking Deep Purple, AC/DC, Motörhead and the rest of it. We were living and breathing music 24/7 with no ulterior motives.”

Cannot kill the family Battery is found in me Battery Battery Crushing all deceivers, mashing non-believers Never-ending potency Hungry violence-seeker, feeding off the weaker Breeding on insanity Smashing through the boundaries Lunacy has found me Cannot stop the battery Pounding out aggression Turns into obsession Cannot kill the battery Cannot kill the family Battery is found in me Battery Battery Circle of destruction, hammer comes crushing Powerhouse of energy Whipping up a fury, dominating flurry We create the battery Smashing through the boundaries Lunacy has found me Cannot stop the battery Pounding out aggression Turns into obsession Cannot kill the battery Cannot kill the family Battery is found in me Battery Battery Battery Battery

Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

BBC By Eamonn Stack 2007 ...Hard, Fast, Rock with Substance... Metallica were formed in 1981 in Los Angeles by guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich. They were inspired partly by the New Wave of British Heavy Metal (aka NWOBHM) - they’ve sold over 90 million albums globally and have been instrumental in bringing ‘Thrash’ and ‘Heavy Metal’ music genres into the mainstream. Master Of Puppets, was their third album, released after their move to major label Elektra Records in 1986, in spite of not containing any singles it was the breakthrough to US rock radio airplay that they’d been looking for. It’s hard, fast, rock with substance that doesn’t require the listener to wear eye-liner or big fire-hazard hair to enjoy. It also features more serious themes (albeit expressed in a particularly aggressive and direct way) and more complex arrangements than similar acts of the same era. And, praise the Lord, they’re not singing about hotels, or lost summers, or convertibles, or goblins or lipstick and eye-liner and especially, absolutely, definitely not GIRLS. The lazy, “thrash” the tag doesn’t do the album justice. This is probably among the slowest thrash you’ll ever hear, what it is is a very heavy, joyously aggressive record, packed with melody, that feels genuinely inclusive, and is superbly written and performed. Hetfield’s a master of establishing; maintaining and manipulating musical tension and mood, creating songs that really suck you in. This is hard rock as high drama (without the opera). At this stage in their careers Metallica weren’t even doing songs (unless they were covers). They were telling stories; every song is an event, parables of almost biblical proportions that you ignore at your peril. They also happen to rock really hard. Manipulation, deadly sea-monsters, mental breakdown, teenage conscription and subsequent transformation into cannon fodder, corrupt authority, scientology and, err, being a puppet (well there has to be some light relief) – all fine subjects for this band. After listening to “The Thing That Should Not Be” you’ll be sure that you’ve just survived a shark attack and convinced you smell a bit salty. “Welcome Home (Sanitarium)” will make you question your sanity, “Disposable Heroes” will convince you to quit the army (even if you’re not a member)...that’s the power of the stories on this album. Roll up and enjoy Metallica, before they became slightly introverted and then went soft altogether.

Welcome to where time stands still No one leaves and no one will Moon is full, never seems to change Just labeled mentally deranged Dream the same thing every night I see our freedom in my sight No locked doors, No windows barred No things to make my brain seem scarred Sleep my friend and you will see That dream is my reality They keep me locked up in this cage Can’t they see it’s why my brain says Rage Sanitarium, leave me be Sanitarium, just leave me alone Build my fear of what’s out there Cannot breathe the open air Whisper things into my brain Assuring me that I’m insane They think our heads are in their hands But violent use brings violent plans Keep him tied, it makes him well He’s getting better, can’t you tell? No more can they keep us in Listen, damn it, we will win They see it right, they see it well But they think this saves us from our hell Sanitarium, leave me be Sanitarium, just leave me alone Sanitarium, just leave me alone Fear of living on Natives getting restless now Mutiny in the air Got some death to do Mirror stares back hard Kill, it’s such a friendly word Seems the only way For reaching out again 13

...And Justice For All

—Album Intro—

…And Justice for All is the fourth studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on August 25, 1988, by Elektra Records. It was the band’s first studio album to feature bassist Jason Newsted after the death of Cliff Burton in 1986. …And Justice for All is musically progressive, with long and complex songs, fast tempos, and few verse-chorus structures. The album is noted for its sterile production, which producer Flemming Rasmussen attributed to his absence during the mixing process. The lyrics feature themes of political and legal injustice seen through the prisms of censorship, war, and nuclear brinkmanship. The album’s front cover, designed by Stephen Gorman on a scheme by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, features a representation of Lady Justice, bound by ropes, with one breast bare and its scales tipping toward one plate filled with money. The phrase “…And Justice for All” appears spray-painted in the lower right corner. The album title is derived from the American Pledge of Allegiance. Originally released on one vinyl disc, the album was quickly re-released as a double album without additional tracks. Three songs from the album were released as singles: “Harvester of Sorrow”, “Eye of the Beholder”, and “One”, while the title track was released as a promotional single. …And Justice for All was acclaimed by music critics. It was included in The Village Voice’s annual Pazz & Jop critics’ poll of the year’s best albums, and the single “One” earned Metallica its first Grammy Award for Best Metal Performance in 1990. The group’s best-selling album at the time, it was the first underground metal album to achieve chart success in the United States. The album was certified 8× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2003 for shipping eight million copies in the US, making it Metallica’s second-best-selling album in the country.

Eye Of The Beholder Do you see what I see? Truth is an offence Your silence for your confidence Ultimate Classic Rock By Eduardo Rivadavia August 25, 2015 How Metallica Overcame Adversity With ‘ … And Justice for All’ After the death of bassist Cliff Burton, on Sept. 27, 1986, thrash metal heroes Metallica had to repeatedly prove the depth of their resiliency. This was first achieved by even having the strength to carry on and achieve the most victorious album-tour cycle of their young career in the face of that unspeakable tragedy; then by producing both a video tribute to Burton (‘Cliff ‘em All’) and finally, by breaking in his replacement, Jason Newsted, on 1987’s The $5.98 EP: Garage Days Re-Revisited. But the real test to Metallica’s inexorable career ascension would rest on the success or failure of their fourth studio album, … And Justice for All, which arrived in stores on Aug. 25, 1988. And what was the outcome? Well, commercially speaking, Justice was a resounding triumph. It was built as much on the band’s overwhelming stage performances over the course of the world-spanning, 13-month Damaged Justice tour as it was on MTV’s heavy airplay of Metallica’s first true music video (devised for the morbid power ballad, “One”). Before too long it duly conquered mainstream radio and should have won the Grammy that was given to Jethro Tull. But, for all intents and purpose, Justice was, structurally speaking, essentially Master of Puppets on steroids. The long songs were longer (both the title track and the instrumental, “To Live Is to Die,” nearly broke the 10-minute mark), the fast songs were faster (namely “Dyer’s Eve”), the slow songs (“Harvester of Sorrow”) were slower, the dark songs darker (lest we forget that “One” was beyond disturbing) and the technical displays, well, sometimes too

Doesn’t matter what you see Or into it what you read You can do it your own way If it’s done just how I say

technical. What’s more, Metallica seemed to have lost not only Burton’s one-of-a-kind talent, but their trademarked sound’s distinctive bottom end. It was as though James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich and Kirk Hammett were subconsciously trying to punish Newsted for being chosen to take Burton’s place. As a result, … And Justice for All’s somewhat flat and tinny production (the last overseen by stalwart band engineer, Flemming Rasmussen) lacked in power and, in retrospect, could almost be considered a distant precursor to St. Anger‘s wholesale production disaster of historical propositions.

Do you hear what I hear? Doors are slamming shut Limit your imagination, keep you where they must

So while scores of new fans, shocked and awed by the band’s sheer songwriting invention, were showering thrash metal’s biggest ambassadors with acclaim, many die-hard fans who had accompanied their rise from Bay Area obscurity to global domination were enduring their first minor letdown. And that, in itself, was arguably less traumatic than seeing the scrappy underdogs they’d steadfastly championed for years, with no real hope of a major breakthrough, suddenly transformed into stars. The war had been won, but victory had changed one and all.

Doesn’t matter what you see Or into it what you read You can do it your own way If it’s done just how I say

Do you want what I want? Desire not a thing I hunger after independence, lengthen freedom’s ring

Independence limited Freedom of choice Choice is made for you, my friend Freedom of speech Speech is words that they will bend Freedom with their exception

Doesn’t matter what you see Or into it what you read You can do it your own way If it’s done just how I say

Whether you think … And Justice for All is the ultimate Metallica LP or the band’s first stumble, two facts are undeniable: The album pushed the thrash-metal template to its absolute limits in terms of songwriting ambition, instrumental technique and cerebral subject matter to the point that Metallica themselves felt the need to reinvent themselves and rebuild their sound from scratch for 1991’s Black Album. Secondly, … And Justice for All first introduced the notion of ambiguity into Metallica’s heretofore rabidly unified fan base, because that deeply polarized debate would come to dominate discussions about all Metallica albums ever since, no matter which course their music took.

Do you feel what I feel? Bittering distress Who decides what you express? Do you take what I take? Endurance is the word Moving back instead of forward seems to me absurd

Do you fear what I fear? Living properly Truths to you are lies to me Do you choose what I choose? More alternatives Energy derives from both the plus and negative Do you need what I need? Boundaries overthrown Look inside, to each his own Do you trust what I trust? Me, myself and I Penetrate the smoke screen, I see through the selfish lie

Independence limited Freedom of choice Choice is made for you, my friend Freedom of speech Speech is words that they will bend Freedom with their exception Do you know what I know? Your money and your wealth Your silence just to hear yourself

Independence limited Freedom of choice Choice is made for you, my friend Freedom of speech Speech is words that they will bend Freedom no longer frees you Doesn’t matter what you see Or into it what you read You can do it your own way If it’s done just how I say

One I can’t remember anything Can’t tell if this is true or dream Deep down inside I feel to scream This terrible silence stops me BBC By Eamonn Stack 2007 Metallica ...And Justice For All Review And Justice For All was released in 1988, after what was an extremely difficult time in the personal lives of the members of Metallica. While touring their previous release, Master Of Puppets, their tour bus was involved in an accident that killed their bass player Cliff Burton. This album sounds different to every other Metallica record, vocally gruffer but with thinner orchestration. Drums tick and pop, rather than bang, the guitars sound dryer and thinner, and there’s little in the way of bass. The guitars even occasionally resemble electric violins or cellos - particularly on the closing track “Dyers Eve”. The songs are longer too. And as the sound has become thinner and tauter the songs have grown grander and more epic. These are musicians becoming more ambitious craftsmen and experimenting as a result. Part of this experimentation sees the group explore their progressive streak, but thankfully the speed with which they dispense time changes, new ideas and new phrases that prevent this going on for too long. As a record it’s complicated, aggressive and hugely technically ambitious (so much so that the majority of these songs have only rarely been reproduced in their entirety live), and contains snatches of some of Metallica’s finest work – “Blackened” and “Frayed Ends Of Sanity” stand out in particular, both full of ideas, crackling with aggression and neck-snapping hooks. However, it’s a shame that the rigor applied to recording ideas wasn’t applied to making the album sound better, the thin production gives the whole record a monochrome, slightly one-dimensional feel. It’s as if such was their confidence as a group that they were determined to pursue and express every idea as it occurred in every song, and there are lots of them so they get bigger and grander, but sometimes needlessly so, this lack of economy can leave you feeling like a spectator. As a result this is a less inclusive, more introverted and frankly quite gloomy record. Although it’s mightily impressive, perhaps in hindsight this is one effort best left to the completists.

Now that the war is through with me I’m waking up, I cannot see That there’s not much left of me Nothing is real but pain now Hold my breath as I wish for death Oh please, God, wake me Back in the womb it’s much too real In pumps life that I must feel But can’t look forward to reveal Look to the time when I’ll live Fed through the tube that sticks in me Just like a wartime novelty Tied to machines that make me be Cut this life off from me Hold my breath as I wish for death Oh please, God, wake me Now the world is gone, I’m just one Oh God, help me Hold my breath as I wish for death Oh please, God, help me Darkness Imprisoning me All that I see Absolute horror I cannot live I cannot die Trapped in myself Body my holding cell Landmine Has taken my sight Taken my speech Taken my hearing Taken my arms Taken my legs Taken my soul Left me with life in hell

Metallica

—Album Intro—

Metallica (commonly known as The Black Album) is the eponymously titled fifth studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica. Released on August 12, 1991 by Elektra Records, it received widespread critical acclaim and became the band’s best-selling album. Metallica produced five singles that are considered to be among the band’s best-known songs: “Enter Sandman”, “The Unforgiven”, “Nothing Else Matters”, “Wherever I May Roam”, and “Sad but True”. “Don’t Tread on Me” was also issued to rock radio shortly after the album’s release, but the song did not receive a commercial single release. The album marked a change in the band’s sound from the thrash metal style of the previous four albums to a slower one. Metallica promoted the album with a series of tours. In 2003, the album was ranked number 252 on Rolling Stone’s 500 greatest albums of all time. The recording of Metallica was troubled, as the band frequently entered conflicts with Bob Rock, the band’s new producer, during production. The album debuted at number one in ten countries and spent four consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard 200, making it Metallica’s first album to top album charts. By February 2016, the album spent 363 weeks on the Billboard album chart, making it one of the ten longest running discs of all time. Metallica is one of the best-selling albums worldwide, and the best-selling album in the United States since Nielsen SoundScan tracking began. The album was certified 16× platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) in 2012, and has

Sad But True

Sputnik Music By Final Origin July 27th, 2005 Metallica: Metallica Metallica was the band Metallica’s fifth album, released August 12, 1991 through Elektra Records. It is also called The Black Album because of its largely black and featureless cover (only the band’s logo and a coiled snake are barely visible). The album was their first commercial success. The Black Album was a controversial album amongst fans of the band. While the album and the band were critically and commercially praised, many fans expressed disappointment and outrage at the new direction taken by Metallica; gone, for the most part were the searing riffs, intense speeds and lyrical themes of such the first four albums - the Black Album presented a more mature, radio-friendly, commercially accessible Metallica, evidenced by the ballad “Nothing Else Matters”, a song that is about being on the road all the time. Metallica won their first ever Grammy Award for the Black Album in the “Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal” category. The Black Album got to No.1 straight away on the Billboard Album Charts in 1991 and the album had good commercial success with the singles for the rest of the 2 years ahead like “Enter Sandman”, “Don’t Tread On Me”, “Nothing Else Matters”, “Sad But True”, “The Unforgiven” and “Wherever I May Roam”.

Hey (hey) I’m your life I’m the one who takes you there Hey (hey) I’m your life I’m the one who cares They (they) They betray I’m your only true friend now They (they) They’ll betray I’m forever there

I’m your dream, mind astray I’m your eyes while you’re away I’m your pain while you repay You know it’s sad but true Sad but true I’m your dream I’m your eyes I’m your pain I’m your dream (I’m your dream) I’m your eyes (I’m your eyes) I’m your pain (I’m your pain) You know it’s sad but true

I’m your dream, make you real I’m your eyes when you must steal Hate (hate) I’m your pain when you can’t feel I’m your hate Sad but true I’m your hate when you want love Pay (pay) I’m your dream, mind astray Pay the price I’m your eyes while you’re away Pay, for nothing’s fair I’m your pain while you repay You know it’s sad but true Hey (hey) Sad but true I’m your life I’m the one who took you there You (you) Hey (hey) You’re my mask I’m your life You’re my cover, my shelter And I no longer care You (you) You’re my mask I’m your dream, make you real You’re the one who’s blamed I’m your eyes when you must Do (do) steal Do my work I’m your pain when you can’t feel Do my dirty work, scapegoat Sad but true Do (do) Do my deeds I’m your truth, telling lies For you’re the one who’s shamed I’m your reason, alibis I’m inside, open your eyes I’m your dream, make you real I’m you I’m your eyes when you must steal Sad but true I’m your pain when you can’t feel Sad but true

Wherever I May Roam

BBC Sid Smith 2007 Metallica Metallica (The Black Album) Review Any attempt to move away from a tried and tested formula is often met with resistance by some fans who never want their idols to change. Smarter than your average heavy metal band, the more complex turn-on-a dime twists of their previous albums, Master Of Puppets and 1989’s And Justice For All, were trimmed back in favour of a more honed-down delivery. Though the band didn’t always see eye to eye with Bob Rock (who had previously cut his teeth engineering for the likes of Bon Jovi before producing Motley Crue’s Dr.Feelgood), the tensions between the two camps resulted in an album bursting at the seams with alternative ideas. Sure enough, accusations that they had sold out came from the rump of hardcore fans within seconds of their fifth album being released in 1991. Several years later thousands of fans signed an online petition calling on the band to sever its links with Bob Rock such was their conviction that their beloved Metallica had strayed from the straight and narrow. Yet his involvement gained them mass sales (number one on both sides of the Atlantic) and earned them the Grammy they’d missed out on, having lost out to Jethro Tull’s Catfish Rising the previous year. With millions of new fans going on to discover their back catalogue, Metallica moved from cult metal gods to bona fide rock stars, straddling the airwaves with the psycho-dramatics of “Enter Sandman”, whose terse motifs served notice that things were changing. The spaghetti western set dressing of “The Unforgiven”, “Nothing Else Matters” with its sensitive lyrics and string section embellishments, as well as the widescreen dynamics of “My Friend Of Misery” demonstrated how keen they were to move things on. In “The God That Failed”, vocalist, rhythm guitarist and principle writer, James Hetfield deals unflinchingly with parental loss and the contradictions of faith in a mature and considered manner. The confidence exuding from almost every track isn’t due to a clichéd, puffed-up HM swagger but a result of literate and articulate artists breaking free of generic expectation.

...and the road becomes my bride I have stripped of all but pride So in her I do confide And she keeps me satisfied Gives me all I need ...and with dust in throat I crave Only knowledge will I save To the game you stay a slave Rover, wanderer Nomad, vagabond Call me what you will But I’ll take my time anywhere Free to speak my mind anywhere And I’ll redefine anywhere Anywhere I roam Where I lay my head is home ...and the earth becomes my throne I adapt to the unknown Under wandering stars I’ve grown By myself but not alone I ask no one ...and my ties are severed clean The less I have the more I gain Off the beaten path I reign

Anywhere I roam Where I lay my head is home But I’ll take my time anywhere I’m free to speak my mind And I’ll take my find anywhere Anywhere I roam Where I lay my head is home [Solo] But I’ll take my time anywhere I’m free to speak my mind anywhere And I’ll redefine anywhere Anywhere I roam Where I lay my head is home Carved upon my stone My body lie but still I roam Wherever I may roam Wherever I may roam Wherever I may roam Wherever I may roam Wherever I may wander, wander, wander Wherever I may roam

Rover, wanderer Nomad, vagabond Call me what you will But I’ll take my time anywhere I’m free to speak my mind anywhere And I’ll never mind anywhere

Death Magnetic

—Album Intro—

Death Magnetic is the ninth studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on September 12, 2008 through Warner Bros. Records. It was the band’s first album to be produced by Rick Rubin, making this their first album since 1988’s ...And Justice For All not to be produced by Bob Rock. The album received mostly positive reviews upon release, with critics describing it as a return to the musical style of their early albums. Death Magnetic is the band’s first album to feature bassist Robert Trujillo. Musically, Death Magnetic is a radical departure from Metallica’s previous album, St. Anger, which featured simple instrumentation, strippeddown production, and an absence of guitar solos. This album, on the other hand, features more complex musical compositions and long, technical guitar solos from both Kirk Hammett and James Hetfield, marking a return to the band’s thrash metal roots. It was also the band’s first album released through Warner Bros. Records, although they still remain with Warner Music Group, which also owns their previous label, Elektra Records. Outside of North America, they are distributed through Universal Music Group as they remain signed to Vertigo Records in the UK. The album is also Metallica’s fifth consecutive studio album to debut at #1 on the US Billboard 200, making them the first band ever to do so.

The Day That Never Comes Born to push you around Better just stay down You pull away He hits the flesh You hit the ground UltimateGuitar.com By UG Team September 12, 2008 Death Magnetic Featured review Kirk Hammett a few weeks ago said something along the lines of “It’s not that we couldn’t do a riff/ solo record anymore, it’s just that we chose not to” when asked about the new album and the accusations they’ve had to stomach with their previous three or four albums. The general feeling I get when listening to “Death Magnetic” is that stylistically, you can trace the lineage from their ‘80s efforts to this. Heavy riffs, solos, harmonies, interesting arrangements and a riff-our-hearts-out attitude makes it possible to state that while “Death Magnetic” is not “...And Justice For All”’s younger brother, they’re at least musically and stylistically related. I’d argue that six or seven out of the ten songs are good-or-better. That’s not a bad track record, and makes a good chunk of the album a very enjoyable listen. The instrumental “Suicide & Redemption” takes a good couple of minutes to achieve anything worth of notice, but the calm, quiet section with Hammett’s melody guitar is one of Metallica’s finer moments in a good 20 years or so. It’s fair to say that a few songs don’t deliver all that well (“The Unforgiven III” is, well, unforgiveable) and a good 10-15 minutes could’ve been scratched to make this 1.2 hours long album a bit less padded. Outstaying your welcome is one of the worst sins you can commit in my book, but the album opens with a strong barrage of songs and ends on a pretty high note with “My Apocalypse.” 24

Mouth so full of lies Tend to black your eyes As for the individual efforts, well, Hetfield’s vocals Just keep them closed we’ve already talked about. Kirk Hammett is at Keep praying times horrible and in other places pretty harmless. Just keep waiting In my book, a solo should elevate the song and not just take up 12 or 18 bars of space to funcWaiting for the one tion as some kind of bridge, but rarely if at all does The day that never comes Hammett deliver a really, really tasty solo. The When you stand up and feel the warmth rhythmplaying is as one could expect, extremely But the sunshine never comes solid, tight and punchy and there’s nothing to comNo, the sunshine never comes plain about in that department. Rob Trujillo can’t be praised or criticised of much, because he’s fairPush you cross that line ly inaudible at most times, at least on my stereo Just stay down this time system. Lars Ulrich, on the other and is very auHide in yourself dible and that’s a shame. Lars used to be a solCrawl in yourself id, if adventurous metal-drummer in the ‘80s but You’ll have your time has now deteriorated to a shell of his former self. At best he’s pretty harmless and doesn’t hurt the God I’ll make them pay song much, but some of the beats and grooves Take it back one day he’s conjured up for this are just atrocious. I’ll end this day I’ll splatter color on this gray However, while there are individual efforts that deserve criticism, it should also be noted that MetalliWaiting for the one ca in their prime never where a band with much The day that never comes individual flash and they achieved their greatness When you stand up and feel the warmth because of their strength as a band. And that’s exBut the sunshine never comes actly the case with “Death Magnetic” - it’s a solid effort by the group with a good number of catchy Love...is a four letter word and interesting songs, some songs we definitely And never spoken here can do without, but as a whole it’s a solid, mature Love...is a four letter word effort well worthy of a band that’s been around for Here in this prison a quarter of a century. “Death Magnetic” probably won’t make my top 10 of the year, because in the I suffer this no longer grand world of metal, this is just another band and I’ll put an end to this, I swear “Death Magnetic” is just another good-if-not-great This, I swear album. But I think we can hand out the Feel-good The Sun will shine Album of the Year-award right now. Welcome home This, I swear This, I swear This, I swear!

All Nightmare Long

The Guardian By Jamie Thomson September 11, 2008 Rock review: Metallica, Death Magnetic If the cringe-inducing, touchy-feely therapy sessions captured in the Metallica documentary Some Kind of Monster were responsible for 2003’s execrable St Anger, you have to wonder what kind of tough love prompted this entirely superior offering. By presumably giving them a clip round the ear and shouting “just do what you’re good at”, producer Rick Rubin has performed the same kind of career-reviving alchemy on these lost souls as he did with Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond. Straining under the weight of an abundance of enormous riffing and bestial growls, this is the strongest material the band have written in 20 years: they are finally acknowledging their legacy as thrash-metal pioneers, but without retreading old ground. That the California four-piece chose to release The Day That Never Comes - by far the album’s weakest track - as a single shows that they haven’t quite shaken their propensity to make poor artistic decisions. But there can be no doubt the real Metallica -the riff-forging monsters of rock, not the highly strung ninnies on the psychotherapist’s couch - are back.

Luck. Runs. Out. Crawl from the wreckage one more time Horrific memory twists the mind Dark, rutted, cold and hard to turn Path of destruction, feel it burn Still life Incarnation Still life Infamy Hallucination Heresy Still you run, what’s to come? What’s to be? ‘Cause we hunt you down without mercy Hunt you down all nightmare long Feel us breathe upon your face Feel us shift, every move we trace Hunt you down without mercy Hunt you down all nightmare long, yeah Luck. Runs. Out. You crawl back in But your luck runs out Luck. Runs. Out. The light that is not light is here To flush you out with your own fear You hide, you hide, but will be found Release your grip without a sound Still life Immolation Still life Infamy

Hallucination Heresy Still you run, what’s to come? What’s to be? ‘Cause we hunt you down without mercy Hunt you down all nightmare long Feel us breathe upon your face Feel us shift, every move we trace Hunt you down without mercy Hunt you down all nightmare long, yeah Luck. Runs. Out. You crawl back in But your luck runs out Then you crawl back in Into your obsession Never to return This is your confession Hunt you down without mercy Hunt you down all nightmare long Feel us breathe upon your face Feel us shift, every move we trace Hunt you down without mercy Hunt you down all nightmare long, yeah Luck. Runs. Out. You crawl back in But your luck runs out Your luck runs out

James Hetfield — Guitar/Singer Lars Ulrich — Drums Kirk Hammett — Guitar Robert Trujillo — Bass

Ride The Lightning 1. For Whom The Bell Tolls 2. Fade To Black Master Of Puppets 3. Battery 4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) ...And Justice For All 5. Eye Of The Beholder 6. One

Metallica (Black Album) 7. Sad But True 8. Wherever I May Roam Death Magnetic 9. The Day That Never Comes 10. All Nightmare Long

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Ride The Lightning 1. For Whom The Bell Tolls 2. Fade To Black Master Of Puppets 3. Battery 4. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) ...And Justice For All 5. Eye Of The Beholder 6. One Metallica (Black Album) 7. Sad But True 8. Wherever I May Roam Death Magnetic 9. The Day That Never Comes 10. All Nightmare Long

HEARTBEAT