Metallica--Metallica (1991/Elektra)
Rating--8.0
Holier Than Thou--RealAudio
A.K.A. 'The Black Album'. Ok... A pretty decent power metal album. However, just about all of the thrash has dissapeared
from the band's playing; the removal will be complete in a couple of years. More tight, talented musicianship is shown---especially
when dealing with the songs' rhythms.
A number of "hits": "Enter Sandman," "Wherever I Roam," and the much lighter
"Nothing Else Matters" and "The Unforgiven."
"Holier Than Thou" is a somewhat faster treat, and "Of Wolf and Man"
rips as well. Other than that, there's not much to say. "Sad But True" is thick and heavy, but man is it slow. And I remember when
seeing them live on this tour, they slowed it down even more. Ah well... both "Through the Never" and "My Friend of Misery"
have nice chops---the latter with a great tooling bassline.
On a definite down note, which I believe to be at the root of the band's direction over the past eight years: Lars' drumwork.
He begins to move into a somewhat comatose stage here, but isn't quite asleep yet. Yet. Check back with the next studio
offering...
HOT CHOPS: Perhaps the best moment of the album: the rhythm backing the solo to "The Unforgiven". Driving power chords;
good stuff.
TRACK LIST: Enter Sandman/Sad But True/Holier Than Thou/The Unforgiven/Wherever I May Roam/Don't Tread on Me/
Through the Never/Nothing Else Matters/Of Wolf and Man/The God That Failed/My Friend of Misery/The Struggle Within
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