I'm normally not much of a heavy metal fan, but this album is awesome. It's loud and intense enough to be good when you're p*ssed and letting off steam, but catchy enough to enjoy listening to. Most hardcore metal fans would rip me a new one for this, but the songs really have a pop structure, just in a heavy way. It's like a combination of classic rock, '90s alternative and (very slightly) hair metal.

"Enter Sandman" is just a hard rock classic, and there's even two ballads. "Nothing Else Matters" is sort of a love song with an orchestral influence, and "The Unforgiven" is a sleepy rock song that gets a little upbeat. My favorite is "Wherever I May Roam" - basically it's midtempo rock that alternates from the verses to the chorus.

The best album track I think is "The Struggle Within", which is I guess a little more like their older stuff, but with that polished production.

I'm normally not much of a heavy metal fan, but this album is awesome. It's loud and intense enough to be good when you're p*ssed and letting off steam, but catchy enough to enjoy listening to. Most hardcore metal fans would rip me a new one for this, but the songs really have a pop structure, just in a heavy way. It's like a combination of classic rock, '90s alternative and (very slightly) hair metal.

"Enter Sandman" is just a hard rock classic, and there's even two ballads. "Nothing Else Matters" is sort of a love song with an orchestral influence, and "The Unforgiven" is a sleepy rock song that gets a little upbeat. My favorite is "Wherever I May Roam" - basically it's midtempo rock that alternates from the verses to the chorus.

The best album track I think is "The Struggle Within", which is I guess a little more like their older stuff, but with that polished production.


The Black Album is very good, but I do not consider it metal.  It is hard rock.  This is the album which gave the mainstream a taste of Metallica and ultimately led to mainstream acceptance.  All the songs you mention above are great.  :)

If you really want to rock out to TRUE Metallica - get your hands on these older songs -

For Whom The Bells Toll
Fade To Black
Master Of Puppets
Ride The Lightning

The melodies are mind-numbing.   

Or just get the Master Of Puppets and Ride The Lightning CDs.

While I appreciate more of their older stuff, I dig the Black Album.  IMO, it was the last great album they did.

Black Album was the start of the s**t years. It was pandering to pretty boys who were going through a severe bout of depression because Dokken hadn't released anything for a while.

Anyway, Death Magnetic seems to be a long awaited return to form.

Most hardcore metal fans would rip me a new one for this, but the songs really have a pop structure, just in a heavy way. It's like a combination of classic rock, '90s alternative and (very slightly) hair metal.

It was intentional on the part of Metallica that the black album seem to have more of a "pop" feel. I've heard them say in interviews that they wanted the album to be more mellow and low-key than their earlier stuff.

Black Album was the start of the s**t years. It was pandering to pretty boys who were going through a severe bout of depression because Dokken hadn't released anything for a while.

Anyway, Death Magnetic seems to be a long awaited return to form.


Yeah dude, I like what I've heard of that too. "The Day That Never Comes" sounds almost like an updated Unforgiven.

That was probably kinda true. ;D You could look at it the other way too though, that it got people like me (more of a pop listener) to become their fans. I actually went back and discovered their older stuff because of the Black album songs.

I do agree the Load albums sucked, and St Anger was basically like pounding on garbage cans, lol! I thought they were pretty much done for until now.

Or just get the Master Of Puppets and Ride The Lightning CDs.



  These are the only two I own...

  I have never listened to the Black Album...

Yeah dude, I like what I've heard of that too. "The Day That Never Comes" sounds almost like an updated Unforgiven.

That was probably kinda true. ;D You could look at it the other way too though, that it got people like me (more of a pop listener) to become their fans. I actually went back and discovered their older stuff because of the Black album songs.

I do agree the Load albums sucked, and St Anger was basically like pounding on garbage cans, lol! I thought they were pretty much done for until now.


St. Anger was complete s**t.  Load and ReLoad were fine for what they were and if Pearl Jam or Velvet Revolver released them they'd be considered good albums, but they fell so far short of the mark.

St. Anger was complete s**t.  Load and ReLoad were fine for what they were and if Pearl Jam or Velvet Revolver released them they'd be considered good albums, but they fell so far short of the mark.


Both Load and Reload had maybe five good songs, total. They sound so Goddamn repetitive and boring (aside from maybe 'King Nothing, 'Fuel', 'the Unforgiven II', or something like that), which is something even the Black Album didn't do. St. Anger is nu-metal, so is therefore not music. I haven't heard death magnetic yet, as I pretty much see Metallica as a bunch of washed-up has-beens now that haven't made a good record in almost 20 years, but if it's really as good as you guys say it is, then perhaps I will check it out.

The black album is fantastic :)

I enjoy some songs off Load and reload, and 2 songs off St anger, I absolutely love Frantic, thats a brilliant song.

One of the best songs off the Load album is Ronnie, thats a brilliant hard rock/blues riff with a commercialibility to it.

I also love wherever I may roam, nothing else matters,the Unforgiven and of course the classic Enter sandman off the black album.