Thrash & Burn

Thrash & Burn

Track Listings

1. Chains - Collision

2. Sunless Saturday - Fishbone

3. Prove You Wrong - Prong

4. So Long - Gruntruck

5. Dance of the Dead - Corrosion of Conformity

6. Energy Mind - Last Crack

7. Almost Tomorrow - Blitzspeer

8. Waitin' for the Wizard - Circus of Power

9. Ocean of Confusion - Screaming Trees

10. Therapy-You Pick Me up (Just to Throw Me Down) - Infectious Grooves

11. Capricorn Sister - Mother Love Bone

12. Sugar Ain't So Sweet - Mindfunk

Tracks:

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
God That Failed
My Friend Of Misery
Struggle Within

Amazon.com essential recording

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

Album Description

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.

Album Details

Japanese Version featuring a Bonus Track

Customer Reviews:

Metallica's 'Black Album' A Rush of Experience..........2007-07-30

Metallica is one of those bands that people love to love more than hate, and the band does have its share of haters. It began moreso with this, METALLICA, also referred to by numerous as "the black album". Many people felt that Metallica was going mainstream and selling out with this record, but more than ever it also gained acceptance by mainstream critics and more than three quarters of the fans embraced this album as a mixture of raw aggression and mainstream rock energy. Metallica carved a huge niche on the rock and metal scene with this album, selling well over ten million copies of this album to this day. And there are so many reasons why it was a huge success for the band.

"Enter Sandman" experiments with the band's thrashy sound by adding some groove-oriented textures into the mix, creating a menacing crunch song with some interesting lyrics sung as only Hetfield could. One thing you'll notice right away is how hard Lars' drums hit all over this album, and it creates an monolithic feeling on each track. Hetfield's and Kirk Hammett's guitars crunch, seethe, and dominate all over this album, and you can hear Newsted's intense, throbbing bass all over this album, and he also contributes background vocals which sound excellent. The band can hammer home hard with some headbanger worthy cuts ("Sad But True", "Wherever I May Roam", "Holier Than Thou") and throw some sparse gentle acoustic moments into their volatile mixture ("The Unforgiven", "Nothing Else Matters"). "Nothing Else Matters" is a beautifully crafted ballad written by the band that works incredibly well for a group so used to thrashing out like the headbanger gods they were and still, to some degree, are today. "The Unforgiven" is a supreme metal song, a monster of a song during the verses and huge chorus. This album successfully mixes the guitar thrash of their earlier work with some interesting melodic moments and more grooves and gives the album a diverse feel and near-masterpiece tone. "Where I May Roam" even invites a sitar intro into it's mix before it crashes into a full-on thrash metal machine for close to seven minutes. Over the course of the album's 62 minutes and dozen tracks, Metallica prove beyond a shadow of a doubt why they are one of metal's finest craftsmen.

Many fans felt that Metallica sold out when it came to ...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL and METALLICA, but in reality Metallica were growing into an even more powerful band, and the sales really say it all. The "black album" generated new fans, strong sales, critical success, and the band's continuing evolution in the metal scene. With a volatile mixture of brawn, guitar thrash, hard-hitting rhythms, and Hetfield's gentle and menacing vocal performance, the "black album" stands as one of the best metal records in the history of music.

Nothing that hasn't been said a million times, but let me reiterate...........2007-07-19

This is a great Metallica ablum. No, it's not thrashy, so those in search of speed need to back up to Blackened or Damage, Inc, etc. But what it is is rib-cracking heavy, rich in melody, and solid vocals/lyrics.

It's also the last time to date (now July 19, 2007) that Metallica has been so consistently good. Load is "good" and made persistently better by each subsequent disappointing release. Yet in the shadow of this record, Load is still underachieving. The Black Album is a firm member of the classics group.

And while it is more accessible to Joe Listener than say Kill Em All, it's not going down a road they've not traveled before. Cries of "SELLOUT" and "COMMERICAL CRAP" are so vastly overstated it's quite frankly puke-inducing. Metallica has been melodic and acoustic-tinged since Ride The Lightning and that's no different here. The Unforgiven gets heavy in the midst of its melody, not unlike Fade TO Black. The lone oddball is the consistently soft Nothing Else Matters, which, while not Metallica typical, is gorgeous and rich. So lay off...! :D

Others like Sandman, Sad But True, Holier Than Thou, Of Wolf And Man, Wherever I May Road, and the Newsted-friendly My Friend Of Misery are great...!

This is a solid album, and, quite frankly, my favorite. I love that it's both accessible, but not poppy.

Let's be honest, too. Some fans RESENT this record because it became so bloody HUGE...and everyone owned it. Had this record sold 900,000 units, not gotten on MTV, they'd not toured with GNR...and this had begun and ended as a quiet affair, this album would be adored as the band's forgotten gem. Even with the same track listing.

It's not only Metallica's best due to its diversity, it's one of the top 10 metal records of all time.

A Five Star Experience.......2007-07-09

There is certainly much debate amongst Metallica fans, especially the original fans, as to the greatness of this CD. Though it may not be as raw as the earlier CDs, it is one heck of a great rock and roll album. The CD is full of one great song after another. My personal favorite is Wherever I may Roam. Had this been Metallica's only CD/Album, they would have been considered a success. One of the greatest live bands of all time show there skills on this excellent 5 star CD.

metallica rules.......2007-07-06

There is no question WHY this CD was on the billboard charts for so long. Some say they sold out when they made this CD but, you have to appreciate Metallica for constantly changing. This is a killer CD.

Highly entertaining.......2007-06-13

Wow! What a great CD this is by my favorite heavy metal band. This is by far their best after 1988's ...And Justice For All, 1986's Master Of Puppets, and 1984's Ride The Lightning.

Enter Sandman: What an intro and by far my favorite Metallica song ever after 'For Whom the Bell Tolls' and one of my favorite songs of ALL TIME! Excellent.

Sad But True: Great song but not a favorite.

Holier Than Though: Brilliant.

The Unforgiven: The best Metallica ballad rocker after 'Fade to Black'.

Wherever I May Roam: This is one great song and one of their best songs ever!! James sings excellent in this song!!

Don't Tread On Me: Brilliant and LAUGHABLE.

Through the Never: This album's second best to Enter Sandman.

Nothing Else Matters: Possibly the weakest song on this album and still pretty good. This is a ballad that I have never cried during it.

Of Wolf and Man: Pretty good lyrics and music!

The God That Failed: Been a fan to this song for a while. This song has excellent singing and lyrics.

My Friend of Misery: One of the album's best. Certainly the longest on tha album about 7 excellent minutes of great music.

Struggle Within: One of the best closers in metal.

Please get this CD. This CD is definately what every rock fan should own. Get this with RTL, MOP, and ...AJFA which are great albums too. Metallica rocks.

Average customer rating:

another masterpiece.
A True Thrashterpiece
My Review for --- Master of Puppets by Metallica (1986)
One of the Greatest Old School Metal CDs!
It's #1 for a reason...

Master of Puppets
Metallica
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Ride the Lightning
...And Justice For All
Metallica
Kill 'Em All
Load

ASIN: B000002H33
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Battery
Master Of Puppets
The Thing That Should Not Be
Welcome Home (Sanitarium)
Disposable Heroes
Leper Messiah
Orion (Instrumental)
Damage, Inc.

Amazon.com essential recording

One of the defining albums of thrash metal, Master of Puppets is arguably Metallica's best album (as well as their last with bassist Cliff Burton). Focusing on the concept of power and abuses thereof, this is a collection of complex, intelligent music, played at about a hundred miles an hour. Not that these are short songs; this eight-song album clocks in at over an hour, which makes it all the more impressive that not one moment on this recording is boring. In tackling various approaches to their subject, Metallica is insightful lyrically as well as musically: "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" is from the point of view of an institutionalized inmate and "Disposable Heroes" is the perspective of a soldier. If all you've heard of Metallica is what's been on the radio recently, check this one out. You're in for a surprise. --Genevieve Williams

Customer Reviews:

another masterpiece........2007-07-15

This album is one of the best in all of heavy metal. The importance of this album is astronomical.

This album starts off with Battery. Slow acoustic chords are played here for a minute or so before the heaviness starts. On the last album there was a rising note and then the heavy crash but here they just slam it out and from that moment its all madness. This song is extremely fast and I think the ending is probably my favorite part.

The title track here is a masterpiece. This is 8 minutes of incredible music with great time signature changes and a nice acoustic interlude in the middle. This is one of their best.

The Thing that Should not Be starts with two quiet notes that sound like madness and insanity. When the drums and guitars kick in it's very heavy. This is the heaviest song ever. Welcome Home is a nice ballad type song in the vein of Fade to Black. The ending for this is a great piece of writing and they have used this structure for ending many of their other songs at live shows.

Disposable Heroes is another 8 minute masterpiece. The lyrics are well written and the music is flawless. It's a bit overlong I think but that's part of its charm. I thought I would never hear this live but they did play it at a 1994 show I was at. It was incredible and a highlight of the entire show.

Leper Messiah is a great song that really holds the same beliefs as I do. I generally think religion is a superstition of sorts that should really be left in some medieval dust bin where it truly belongs. This song is a perfect representation of why that's true.

Orion is the last great Cliff Burton instrumental and was unfortunately his swan song. His writing and ability were both in top form here and i think every day what further things he could have done for music (and heavy metal) if he had lived.

Damage, Inc also starts with a bass solo of sorts that merge into probably one of the fastest songs they've done. The lyrics to this are great writing and it surprises me they were able to play this fast.

So all in all this is a masterpiece. There are no bad songs here. There is not a weak song here. This is great all the way through and this is the best 55 minutes in metal's history. So buy this if you do not have it already. This is something every fan of rock and roll should hear.

A True Thrashterpiece.......2007-07-04

This is one of Metallica best albums ever, I remember buying this album when I was 12 back in '86, I was hooked on Metallica ever since then. The title track is a true classic, but the instrumental "Orion" has been and always will be my favorite song on the album. Great guitar work and melodies make this album pure gold. I hope the next Metallica album can recapture the old school sound, buy this album I highly recommend it!!!

My Review for --- Master of Puppets by Metallica (1986).......2007-06-28

On March 3rd 1986, Master of Puppets was released and it became Metallica's 3rd, best, and the last with the bassist Cliff Burton before his death in September 1986. This is probably James Hetfield's best vocals on this LP. Kirk Hammett may have been played better lead guitar on Metallica's other albums but he still does an excellent job on this LP, man that guy can play guitar. He is just as good as Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page, and David Gilmour. This is a thrash metal classic and this has Battery, Master of Puppets, and my favorite instrumental Orion. Orion was the first instrumental song I have ever heard by any band and is better than The Call of Ktulu and though that was great too. Lars Ulrich does his best drumming on Orion. The title song has a great beautiful ballad style in the fourth minute of the song is what they would call it Maestro down in Mexico and South America. The LP starts out with Battery with a slow Spanish style acoustic guitar intro which was better than Fight Fire with Fire. This is also known as better than their previous record Ride the Lightning which was really great too. Welcome Home (Sanitarium) is a great ballad too, and though Fade to Black was a lot better. The Thing That Should Not Be is probably the slowest song on the LP and For Whom the Bell Tolls was a lot much better. Even though there is a F word on this LP it is still really awesome and is probably my favorite heavy metal record of the 80's.

One of the Greatest Old School Metal CDs!.......2007-06-24

I recently got into Metallica the past few weeks (their old stuff anyway). Ride the Lightning was the first CD I got. After being blown away by it, I didn't possibly think it could get better. I had always heard that MOP was their greatest moment, so I was Excited to recieve it. I thought RTL was going to be my favorite, but wow I was wrong. This is now one of my favorite metal CDs ever. There isn't one dull moment on this CD.

Battery 10/10: This track starts out slow, but then the metal punches you in the stomach and your left breathless. Wow, one hell of an album opener (kind of similar to RTL's Fight Fire With Fire). This song deals with aggression.
Master of Puppets 10/10: This is my personal favorite on the album. This song has the catchiest chorus and a slow, yet beautiful balled section in the middle. This song deals with drug addiction.
The Thing That Should Not Be 8/10: A lot of people bash this song. It is the weakest song on the album, but compared on its own, it's a metal masterpiece.
Welcome Home 9/10: This is the album's balled (still pretty heavy though). It deals with a mental patiant's struggle in an institution. The lyrics shine hear.
Disposable Heroes 10/10: This song is very underrated. This is one of the highlights on the album, imo. It deals with soldiers' strain in battle. The lyrics are perfect, and the chorus is catchy and heavy.
Leper Messiah 9/10: Another underrated song. Some say it's the weak point (but some like me disagree, I still say The Thing That Should Not Be is) on the album. It deals with priests collection contributions to earn a higher seat.
Orion 10/10: Wow. This is probably Metallica's best instrumental. The Call of the Ktulu was great, but often repetetive. Not this one. This one is interesting the first half, and then changes style and continues to sound even more interesting as it goes along. I'm not sure what it's about, but can guess that it's about outer space.
Damage Inc. 9.5/10: Great. Probably Metallica's best album closure. One hell of a closure. After the long and beautiful Orion, people are in a trance of a pretty melody in the first minute. But then the song takes off without expectancy and is over and done before you realize what just happened. The song is pretty much about what the title says.

Overall, terrific album without any filler. I'll be getting AJFA later next week.

It's #1 for a reason..........2007-06-10

Alright, I bought this album last month, with no Metallica music on my iPod except for 'Whiskey in the Jar' from Garage inc. It was only fiteen bucks, so I grabbed it. I popped it in and immediatly switched to Master of Puppets, the title track. After that, this has been in my CD player quite a bit(along with Led Zeppelin:Early Days and Latter Days and Black Rain). This is a great album. There should be no doubt in your mind whether to pickk it up or not. A recurring theme in the tracks are control and manipulation, but they're diverse enough so that it's more than one song. The liner notes have the lyrics inside, so you can sing along(good luck, these suckers are fast...) And now, time for a breakdown of the songs:

Battery: Great. Starts out pretty mellow, but gets heavier and proceeds to beat you into submission.

Master of Puppets: Great. Starts out heavy, then gets kinda' funky in the middle, and just when you think it's over, it punches you in the face and keeps marching.

The Thing The Should Not Be: Crap. This should be called The Song the Should Not Be.

Welcome Home(Sanitarium): Great. Pretty mellow, but like the mental patients it's about, it rises, stronger and stronger.

Leper Messiah: Great.

Orion: Great, and instrumental.

Damage Inc.: Alright.

I think that'sit, but if it isn't, I'll edit this review. Also, this album was number one in the 500 Greatest Heavy Metal Songs of all time, so it must be doing something right. :)

Average customer rating:

A gem!
great second album..a masterpiece
Some of their best work (pre-sellout)
Ride the Lightning with Metallica
Great

Ride the Lightning
Metallica
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Master of Puppets
...And Justice For All
Kill 'Em All
Metallica
Load

ASIN: B000002H2H
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Fight Fire With Fire
Ride The Lightning
For Whom The Bell Tolls
Fade To Black
Trapped Under Ice
Escape
Creeping Death
The Call Of Ktulu

Amazon.com essential recording

Don't let that classical-guitar-ish opening to "Fight Fire with Fire" fool you--Ride the Lightning packs a heavy-metal wallop. While not as ambitious as the subsequent Master of Puppets, this early Metallica album is indubitably one of their best. Thematically, it explores death and dying from myriad points of view: nuclear war ("Fight Fire with Fire"), electric-chair execution (the title track), and drowning ("Trapped Under Ice"). Interestingly, the best track on this album is probably "Fade to Black," a slower, more introspective song about suicide. There's also "Creeping Death," which remains a concert favorite. An excellent mix of rapid-fire guitar riffs, rip-roaring solos, and singer James Hetfield's trademark growl, this is thrash metal at its finest. Very highly recommended. --Genevieve Williams

Customer Reviews:

A gem!.......2007-07-21

This album is, hands down, one of the best albums ever produced IMHO. Every song has its story and even though they are all different they are all powerful. I fail to see, hear, or feel any weakness in this album; it is a complete work of art. The only other albums that come close to this one are Pink Floyd's Dark Side of the Moon and The Beatle's Sergeant Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band; the comparison of this album to these two speaks for itself. A real gem.

great second album..a masterpiece.......2007-07-15

This album has been one of my favorites for years. I became a fan of Metallica back in late 1989. I had always heard of them and knew of them as heavy metal. I was always up for hearing something heavy and this album surely delivers.

Fight Fire With Fire starts out like a nice classical piece with what sounds like three guitars. It's a sweet melody that fades away into a nice rising note that crashes into the riff. This song is fast and heavy and really distills war into its first line: Do unto others as they've done to you/ But what the hell is this world coming to? It ends with furious riffing and a giant explosion sound effect. And even before that fades away Ride the Lightning starts up. This is a great song with a fairly simple structure that the next few albums would make more difficult to play but more fun to listen to.

For Whom the Bell Tolls, while not a hit, is still played by many rock stations and has become a live staple. It's a great song with one of the best riffs ever written. Fade to Black starts out nice and slow and has a nice heavy chorus. This is the beginning of their progression from the standard thrash that was so prevalent on their first album. It's too bad for all the fans who think they sold out with the black album when on this album they were doing the exact same thing!! It's just that on later albums they took it a step further.

Trapped Under Ice is a nice short 4 minute thrasher that never really lets up. It's a bit of weak song compared to the rest, but a good song for head banging. Escape is probably the worst song they ever did (and the St Anger album) and the writing is a bit amateurish here. I didn't know at first why I didn't like this but i guess its the backing vocals that make it sound like a pop song. UGH!

To make up for this bad song the very next song, Creeping Death, is my very favorite track. This is pretty much about the killing of the first born as told in Exodus 22 I believe. This is a nice high energy song that's all the more powerful when played live. A note here, the best live version of this is from Tushino Airfield in Russia from September 1991. It's available on the Sad But True CD single I believe.

The Call of Ktulu is a great Cliff Burton instrumental that starts nice and quiet and builds to a big heavy song. I always liked this thing and the ending is always sweet and a great way to finish off this amazing album.

So this is 5 stars. Without question!

Some of their best work (pre-sellout).......2007-07-10

I do own this album. I bought it on CD and cassette back when they were released. And to this day, this is one of their best albums. It's just too bad that they they all had to turn into a bunch of a-holes and sign on to be monkey boys for the RIAA, suing children and P2P networks.

Ride the Lightning with Metallica.......2007-07-09

For sheer metal mayhem, there are fewer CDs available that are better than this one. Ride the Lightning features some of the finest Metallica material they produced. From Creeping Death to For Whom the Bell Tolls, this is a CD not to be missed. A five star metal masterpiece.

Great.......2007-07-06

This CD is classic Metallica ALL the CD's shine for a million different reasons. Each one is different and each one is great.

Average customer rating:

Tops
The Last Great Metallica Album
a masterpiece
Not Much To Say...Simply Masterful
...And Rock For All

...And Justice For All
Metallica
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

General | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Hard Rock | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Thrash & Speed Metal | Hard Rock & Metal | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Master of Puppets
Ride the Lightning
Kill 'Em All
Metallica
Reload

ASIN: B000002H6C
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Blackened
...And Justice For All
Eye Of The Beholder
One
The Shortest Straw
Harvester Of Sorrow
The Frayed Ends Of Sanity
To Live Is To Die
Dyers Eve

Amazon.com essential recording

This record has so much good material that it's a shame the production is so shoddy. Songwise, this is probably Metallica's most sophisticated album, exploring the theme of justice and perversions thereof with a vengeance. "One" is one of their best songs ever, building from a slow, edgy beginning into effortless overdrive. The title track is excellent and never boring, despite clocking in at more than nine minutes. It's the epic of the album, but all of the songs are long, displaying impressive chops and songwriting. Metallica took a commercial turn after ...And Justice for All, and it's interesting to speculate on what would have happened to their music had they continued in the direction suggested by this album. --Genevieve Williams

Amazon.com

Having already established themselves as the streetwise saviors of heavy metal's oft-tainted legacy in the '80s, Metallica rebounded from the accidental death of original bassist Cliff Burton to produce their most thematically challenging, musically accomplished album to date. Despite James Hetfield's dank, extended portraits of a world collapsing from corruption and decadence--themes that virtually guaranteed it little radio or television exposure--the album was nonetheless a muscular commercial success. Even "One," its complex, seven-and-a-half-minute adaptation of Dalton Trumbo's "Johnny Got His Gun," managed to scale the singles charts. Other highlights include "Blackened," "Eye of the Beholder," and the sweeping "To Live Is to Die," tracks that underscore a sense of musical ambition that's often downright prog-centric, yet never merely self-indulgent. --Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Tops.......2007-07-30

I had to review this album. As a fan of many different kinds of music this remains one of my all-time favorites. I completely disagree with some reviewers saying it's poorly produced. To me it sounds terrific. With this album, I believe Metallica took a huge step forward musically and lyrically. There is soooo much to this release. At times the guitars are loud and crunching, at other speedy and thrashing. All the while the vocals and drumming compliment everything that is happening. A masterpiece and classic album in music history. One of the greatest bands of all time at their very best. Best track just has to be the closer "Dyer's Eve".

The Last Great Metallica Album.......2007-07-16

No band has held such a highly regarded position in the canon of rock history and then completely fallen from grace like Metallica. Metallica is arguably the most hated rock band of all time and it's all there fault. They raised the bar incredibly high with four undisputed metal masterpieces in a row to start their career, but then decided to quit blowing our minds with complex operatic metal and turn accessible. Not to mention Napster, but I don't want to pile on.

...And Justice for All is one of the most contentious of all Metallica albums among fans. Some fans feel that ...And Justice for All is a logical progression of the bands early sound, starting with the full on thrash of Kill Em All, the complex and darker music on Ride the Lightning, the even more complex and darker music on Master of Puppets, and finally the mind blowing complexity of ...And Justice for All. Others feel that it's the start of the bands long decline to the most hated band in the world. Still others feel that it's a self consciously difficult album that the band put out to prove that they can still make mind blowing music like Master of Puppets after the backbone of their band Cliff Burton passed away. I tend to think it's the first of these three explanations.

...And Justice for All is above all a difficult record. It's long, complicated, pessimistic, and it sounds like the band is playing in a cave. ...And Justice for All is a monolith of a record. The title track is the perfect example of just how complex the arrangements on this album are. The song spans close to 10 minutes with unique and complex riffs, solos, and various other guitar pyrotechnics. The song is famously difficult to play live, and the band kept it out of its live repertoire for 18 years. The song begins with a clean guitar lick. It lulls the listener in to a sense of calm before it hits with the fireworks. The song careens from there with at least four separate guitar solos. It's exhausting to say the least.

Most of the songs feature complex riffs and solos, usually several per song. The two best songs on the album are probably the two simplest songs (I use the term subjectively, a simple Metallica song incredibly complex for almost any other band), One and Harvester of Sorrow. These songs are still highly arranged and complicated, but they have a straight ahead melody that really sticks in your head.

Despite it's reputation as an incredibly heavy album, ...And Justice for All sounds like it was recorded in a cave. Everything sounds dry on it. The guitars are heavy for sure, but they sound lifeless. The drums don't have any power behind them, they click more than thud. And there is little to no bass guitar at all on the album. This was the first album Jason Newsted played on and the band was notoriously hard on him. Maybe mixing him out completely was a way to show that they didn't really want him. When you listen to this next to Master of Puppets, it's painfully evident just how wimpy this album sounds.

But putting the complaints about the production aside, ...And Justice for All is a classic metal album and the last truly great Metallica album. Most interviews with the band say that this album was the tipping point for them. They felt that the songs were too demanding and complex for listeners and too hard to play live. After this they stripped everything away and made radio friendly rock. But it's hard not admire what they created on this album. It's not that it's an incredibly enjoyable listen, but I marvel at the technical virtuosity and the bombastic monolithic sound. It's like reading a Thomas Pynchon novel, it's almost too complex for its own good, but I still marvel at its creation, wondering how they pulled something like this off. I still think it's a bit of an over reach though. The band was trying for something symphonic and they end up getting close, but not quite making a transcendent record. Still, the tap solo on One always makes me smile.

a masterpiece.......2007-07-15

This album is yet another. This is the last of their trilogy of metal albums: Ride the Lightning was about war and death, Master of Puppets was about control and the loss of it and this album is about money and justice.

And what better way to start off an album about the loss of justice than with a song about an injustice to everyone: the death of the earth.

Blackened is a great piece of writing and great for the opening track. This features many of the one word phrases in lieu of actual lyric lines. Powerful words like opposition, contradiction, termination and expiration are spat out with venom.

The title track here is a long intricate (almost too much so) song. The many variations and parts keep the song interesting but what ultimately saves this is the lyrics which are very well written. Eye Of the Beholder is another great song filled with many interesting questions that i fond very relevant today.

One is also a great song and the writing here reaches a maturity and a apex the previous albums did not have. This song was a great video that did something very unique and even though many claimed they sold out even further, the video was still very different and was a good idea.

The Shortest Straw and Harvester of Sorrow are excellent songs with great riffs. These are the two most simple songs in terms of structure. The Frayed Ends of Sanity on the other hand is almost like the title track with its many parts and progressive styled riffs and time signature changes.

To Live is to Die is a bit of a weak song. Its very interesting of course but is a bit overlong and repetitious. It is Cliff's last writing credit but its too bad their are spoken softly and its hard to hear it clearly above the music. Dyers Eve is another fast thrasher that is one of the last of its kind they'll ever play on record. They never really thrashed like this since then and I don't expect they ever shall again. This is not sad, but this song was pretty much the end of an era.

Another note. This album really doesn't have alot of bass guitar. The lead guitar is loud and the drums are right up front and in your face. Some of tracks here sound a bit empty and I only wish they'd ask a bass player (Rob or even Jason) to lay down some tracks for this. But that's a pipe dream no doubt. They have some of these tracks with added bass online, but they don't sound authentic and the bass is too much out of key and played off time. Anyway.....

I would give this 5 stars, but the absence of bass in frustrating. These were 9 great songs that were not as great as they could (and should) have been. So this gets only 4 stars for this reason only. But this is still a masterpiece but for this one flaw.

Not Much To Say...Simply Masterful.......2007-07-13

Dang, too bad I can't give this a million stars!

I don't have as much that I can say about this album compared to other people. What I can say, though, is that this is the greatest album Metallica has ever recorded. But don't get me wrong, I loved Puppets as much as anyone else. Justice was just better, and I'll even say by quite a bit. When I listen to the album, I try to forget about the bad recording quality that it present on it, and I just listen to the MUSIC. When I do this, the true musicians that Hetfield and Ulrich were really jumps out at me. Two best songs on the album are, and I had to really think about this, The Frayed Ends of Sanity, and ...And Justice For All. I'm not a die-hard, Kill-'Em-All-and-that's-all-I-like Metallica fan, but people, I know my music, I know my Metallica, AND IT DOESN'T GET ANY BETTER THAN THIS FOLKS!!!!!!!!!!!

...And Rock For All.......2007-07-08

...And Justice For All by Metallica is what Metal is supposed to sound like. Excellent!!!

Average customer rating:

Very Underrated Album
Essential Metallica
great first album
Excellent Debut
Classic Thrash

Kill 'Em All
Metallica
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Ride the Lightning
Master of Puppets
...And Justice For All
Metallica
Load

ASIN: B000002H5E
Release Date: 1995-06-20

Tracks:

Hit The Lights
The Four Horsemen
Motorbreath
Jump In The Fire
(Anesthesia) - Pulling Teeth
Whiplash
Phantom Lord
No Remorse
Seek And Destroy
Metal Militia

Amazon.com

While not as timeless as Ride the Lightning or Master Puppets, Metallica's debut album--originally released in 1983--is still a fine piece of thrash metal, and as good a marker as any for the debut of the genre. Fusing the rapid-fire attack of bands like Motorhead with a guitar style reminiscent of such British heavy metal bands as Iron Maiden and Judas Priest, Metallica essentially created a new kind of metal. Several of the songs from this 1983 album have since become classics, including "Seek & Destroy", "The Four Horsemen", and "Jump in the Fire". The songwriting isn't as sophisticated as on Metallica's later releases; still, it's a great listen, and essential for any heavy metal fan. --Genevieve Williams

Customer Reviews:

Very Underrated Album.......2007-06-15

Though not quite as great as RTL or MOP, Kill 'Em All is still a thrash masterpiece. Maybe the vocals aren't as fresh, or the lyrics as mature, but this album will amaze you. Highlights include "The Four Horsemen," "Motorbreath," the amazing "Pulling Teeth," and "Seek and Destroy."

Essential Metallica.......2007-05-24

If you like Thrash Metal, you need this album. No metal collection is complete without Metallica, and this is a great representation of the band's core vibe before they changed their sound. When I first got this album over a decade ago, I put it aside and liked other Metallica albums much better, like Ride the Lightning,...And Justice For All, Master of Puppets, and the black album. KEA was a little too rough around the edges for me then. But I have seen the light. This album is back in the rotation for me. If you like Heavy Metal, especially if you like Thrash, give this album a try. If you like Metallica, this album is an essential part of your collection.

great first album.......2007-05-19

This is a great metal/thrash CD.

I see alot of responses here about Blitzkrieg and Am I Evil? being deleted from the original album. This is not the case folks!

First off, both of these songs were recorded in 1984 (nearly a year after their first album). They were originally recorded during their second album in the spring of 1984 and included as B-sides on the Creeping Death 12" single.

They only added the two tracks to the first album as BONUS tracks, not as originals. Besides, the songs are available in remastered form (and have been for nearly a decade now) on the Garage, Inc. CD.

OK, is everyone up to speed on this??

Anyway, Kill 'Em All is a great album. There was hardly any band that played faster or more aggressively at this time (1983).
Hit The Lights is a great opener. It almost goes against the grain for a few seconds. I knew this was thrash when i put it in and expected to be assaulted by guitar riffs and drums in the first 5 seconds but instead heard silence! But this song comes up slow and build up before clubbing you over the head. Wait for it....LOL!

The Four Horsemen is great. It has a galloping hoof beat guitar (hence the title) and sounds great. This song has the best lyrics on the entire album. Motorbreath is a nice short, quick thrash that is played very well.
Jump in the Fire is a bit of a weak song to me, but has some great riffing. Pulling Teeth is basically a bass solo. It's interesting musically and has a good mix of notes and distortion.

Whiplash is pure speed and any of live versions I have heard make this sound like it should be on some children's record as a hymn.
Phantom Lord and No Remorse are cut from the same cloth basically and two of the better songs here. Seek and Destroy is great here, but once again this was made to be played LIVE. Metal Militia is a great closer and ends to the beat of marching boots. How appropriate!

All in all this a great album. Some of the lyrics are amateurish and the vocals can get a bit annoying, but this is a first album and only hints at the greatness they would later achieve. You just have to listen for it a bit more here.

Five stars without question.

Excellent Debut.......2007-04-13

When you listen to this cd you think, what went wrong with this band? The cd shows you where this band could have went if they didnt go main stream. Slayer is my faviorte band in metal, but if Metallica kept making music like this, then I might have a different opinion.

Classic Thrash.......2007-03-08

I'm 38 and a professional. In my youth, I was as wild and wooly as anyone else, but I never got into Metallica as a younger adolescent. It was not until Metallica made Load, Reload, and Garage that I ever bought Metallica CDs. Beastie Boys, Led Zeppelin, Run DMC, Crystal Method, Paul Van Dyk, Chemical Brothers, Prodigy . . . and of course, classical symphonic music (Chopin, Brahms, Tchaichovsky, etc.) are what I would consider my core music (obviously depending on mood). At the urging of an online friend I recently purchased all four of Metallica's first four CDs, and I do not regret it. It is certainly not something I'll listen to every day, nor even every week. But it is classic, it is powerful, it is iconic. When you are in the mood to head bang, nothing else satisfied! :)

Average customer rating:

Christ Illusion
Slayer
Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Apostasy
The Lost Tracks Of Danzig (2CD)
United Abominations
Last Kind Words
Serpent Saints

ASIN: B000ROALE4
Release Date: 2007-07-24

Tracks:

Flesh Storm
Catalyst
Skeleton Christ
Eyes Of The Insane
Jihad
Consfearacy
Catatonic
Black Serenade
Cult
Supremist
Final Six

Tracks:

Slayer On Tour '07; Jihad\ Consfearacy (video content)
Eyes Of The Insane (video content)
South Of Heaven (from the Upcoming Unholy Alliance DVD)

Album Description

Widely considered to be the most important metal band ever, Slayer has re-affirmed that the opinion with its latest album, Christ Illusion. First released last summer, the album sold over 62,000 copies its fist week. Now a very special package of Christ illusion will be re-released that includes the new song "final six", an alternative version of "Black Serenade" PLUS a DVD with nearly 15 minutes of special Live & Tour footage as well as the "Eyes of the insane" video.

Average customer rating:

Good overall CD, with some issues
Believe Me, It's Still Darkest Hour
DH has yet to dissapoint me.
Horrible.
Another strong album. Definitely worth buying.

Deliver Us
Darkest Hour
Manufacturer: Victory Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Messengers
Road to Bloodshed
Last Kind Words
Genesis
The Apostasy

ASIN: B000QUUE6E
Release Date: 2007-07-10

Tracks:

Doomsayer (The Beginning Of The End)
Sanctuary
Demon(s)
An Ethereal Drain
A Paradox With Flies
The Light At The Edge Of The World
Stand And Receive Your Judgement
Tunguska
Fire In The Skies
Full Imperial Collapse
Deliver Us

Customer Reviews:

Good overall CD, with some issues.......2007-07-29

After 2005's astonishing Undoing Ruin, Darkest Hour had a lot to live up to with this album. Rather than doing a rehash of UR, it seems as though they tried out some new stuff on this album in an effort to expand their sound. Overall, they come out ahead, but there are also a few missteps present.

My main problem with the album is the usage of clean vocals. While clean were used (albeit more sparingly) on Undoing Ruin, they aren't done nearly as tastefully on this album. An example of this is on the second track, "Sanctuary," where clean vocals are used in a very random part of the song. This isn't to say all usage of clean vocals is bad (the choruses of lead single "Demon(s)" and "A Paradox With Flies" are actually quite catchy) it's just that it feels like they use clean vocals randomly, without regard for the effect they have on the song. "Tunguska," in particular, would have been a better song if they had just screamed the chorus.

Another qualm I have with this album is that it lacks the frantic, heavy edge previous albums had. It feels like John Henry slowed down his vocal pace in this album. While this does make the lyrics more coherent, few of these songs feel as fast or thrashy as songs on previous albums. Because of this, this album lacks the quick, memorable guitar riffs of past CDs. There are exceptions, however, as the title track illustrates, which starts off with a great riff and just builds into an amazing song from there.

With all the negatives out of the way, I must say that this is still a pretty good CD. Despite the changes, there are still plenty of songs on here that are sure to please fans of the previous albums, such as the opener "Doomsayer", "Fire In The Skies", and the closing title track, which in my opinion is one of the best songs they have ever done. Songs like "Demon(s)" and "A Paradox With Flies" use the clean vocals quite well, while others like "Tunguska" seem to perfectly blend their old and new styles, with a quick pace and an epic feel. The guitar riffs may not be as memorable, but the guitars just feel a lot more epic on this album. In addition, the solos have improved quite a bit.

Overall, this isn't a bad album at all. It feels like with Deliver Us, Darkest Hour was trying to appeal to more people, while still pleasing their hardcore fans. In that respect, they succeed, as there are some truly killer tracks here. However, I just can't shake the feeling that for every good song on here, there's one I don't really care for. If you're just getting into this band, this would be a good place to start, and if you're a returning fan, I doubt you'll be dissapointed.

Believe Me, It's Still Darkest Hour.......2007-07-25

Darkest Hour's fifth full-length, "Deliver Us", is yet another strong album by this band. Devin Townsend did a nice job producing this album, I must say, but let's get to the music.

"Deliver Us" is a melodic metal album that shows definite progression for the band. The guitars give out more of an epic feel, but are still very similar in the vein of their previous days. John Henry still stands out as a vocalist, and even with singing vocals (which he uses sparingly), he's still intense and stands out well. The best element of "Deliver Us" is the guitar work. Tracks such as "An Ethereal Drain" and "Doomsayer" demonstrate the excellence of guitarists Kris Norris and Mike Scheliebaum that they still carry on. "Stand and Receive Your Judgment" and "Sanctuary" are songs that won't disappoint for those who liked their more speed-oriented "Hidden Hands of a Sadist Nation" days. "Demon(s)", the first single, has a catchy chorus and guitar riff. "Tunguska" is a perfect example of a more "epic" track. This CD is able to keep its variety, yet it doesn't disappoint.

Check this out if you're into melodic metal. If you're a Darkest Hour fan, you may notice the change, but listen to it a few times and it'll grow on you. Darkest Hour has progressed well during their years as a band, and "Deliver Us" is proof.

DH has yet to dissapoint me........2007-07-24

I commend Darkest Hour for growing on every album while still maintaining a signature sound of harsh screams and thrashy-melodic guitar work. Some more clean vocals have been added to the mix, less as an experiment this time around than on Undoing Ruin. While some reviewers here complain about this new addition, I feel that they are blended seamlessly into the mix and actually add more intensity to the overall effect. While some bands seem to be making huge changes on their latest albums (Poison The Well, Slipknot), DH has managed to change just enough to keep each album unique without disappointing their fans with a complete overhaul. I feel that this is probably the best album to date (although Mark of Judas will probably always be my favorite). In fact, this is one of the better metal albums I've heard this year.

Horrible........2007-07-24

This CD is horrible, it sickens me to witness people enjoying it. If you were expecting the guitar genius of Sound the Surrender, turn the other way.

The watered-down, generalized singing makes the CD almost unbearable, while the EXTREMELY predictable guitar solos and breakdowns make it downright disappointing.

Also, Darkest Hour sucks live. Sorry guys.

Listen to some Sleep Terror instead. The word most accurately describing this album is "predictable."

Another strong album. Definitely worth buying........2007-07-16

This is Darkest Hour's second album produced by Devin Townsend. He did an amazing job with the experimentation of "Undoing Ruin". What they learned working together on that album really comes out in "Deliver Us". Its almost a masterpiece. The guitar playing stands out the most. Townsend really focused on Kris Norris and Mike Scheliebaum. Amazing solos are all over the place. The drumming and bass is as expected of Darkest Hour -excellent time changes. Together they pulled off an atmosphere that will make this a classic metal album.
Now here is where musicianship comes in. Darkest Hour has grown a lot since "So Sedated.." and they are able to pull off a more epic sound. John Henry had to EVOLVE his vocals to fit. His screams and growls still dominate the album. He has only added another element to his vocals. Kinda like what Matt Heafy had to do with Trivium when they put out the Crusade, except not nearly as extreme.
__________________________________
IN RESPONSE TO OTHER REVIEWS:

There are always those "original" fans that cling on to the old school and reject the new. Yet they fail to make any comparisons between the two sounds. Darkest Hour has been playing this style of metal since they were kids. "Deliver Us" is a progression of that style -the band did not take on a new sound. If I did not follow this band I would assume that "Deliver Us" came before "Undoing Ruin", as it actually ties "..Sadist Nation" and "Undoing Ruin" together. If you loved either one of those albums then you will like this one.

When I first listened to the album and the song Demons came on i thought "what? is john trying to sing?". I was really bored by the chorus on that track. The assumption by the so-called old schoolers is that Darkest Hour is selling out, going main stream, blah blah whine poop mommy whyyyy -But if they were a little more opened minded about the new album instead of expecting the band cover something that was already done ten years ago, they would realize that John is only syncing himself in with the atmosphere Townsend was trying to create. And despite watering down the track Demons, he did an excellent job on the rest of the album. There are parts where growling just would not work. The track A Paradox With Flies is a good example of this.
__________________________________

Stand And Receive Your Judgment is the strongest track on this album for those who like the earlier stuff.
Tungusta is the best example of their evolution for those who were more in to their last two albums.
Five stars. Buy this album. See you at Sounds of the Underground.

Average customer rating:

Goose Bumps!
Amazing
A towering achievement
incredible! keep the orchestra!!
Get rid of that orchestra!!

S&M
Metallica
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Reload
Load
Garage, Inc.
Master of Puppets
...And Justice For All

ASIN: B00002Z88D
Release Date: 1999-11-23

Tracks:

The Ecstasy Of Gold
The Call Of The Ktulu
Master Of Puppets
Of Wolf And Man
The Thing That Should Not Be
Fuel
The Memory Remains
No Leaf Clover
Hero Of The Day
Devil's Dance
Bleeding Me

Tracks:

Nothing Else Matters
Until It Sleeps
For Whom The Bell Tolls
Minus Human
Wherever I May Roam
Outlaw Torn
Sad But True
One
Enter Sandman
Battery

Amazon.com

At a point in their career when most bands would rest their laurels upon a greatest-hits package or live album, Metallica has done both, but with a decidedly loopy twist. They've recorded a double-live greatest-hits package with the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra "sitting in." Rock history and cutout bins are littered with previous attempts at a rock-symphonic fusion, from Emerson, Lake & Palmer to Deep Purple to the Moody Blues and the Siegel-Schwall Blues Band. But while previous efforts at mixing the low-brow with the high-brow have mostly ended up browbeating the intended audience, S&M plays like a precarious joy ride. Set against the shrewd efforts of a team of orchestrators and arrangers (who employ enough taste to keep proceedings from sounding like one long "Live and Let Die" outtake), Metallica plays for their lives, undercutting their general somber tone by ratcheting up their musicianship several notches. The most underrated player here is SFO guest conductor and soundtrack vet Michael Kamen, whose attention to detail and nuance--and intuitive grasp of the Metallica canon--keeps this unlikely meeting of the minds focused and on track. -Jerry McCulley

Customer Reviews:

Goose Bumps!.......2007-07-27

I was really unsure of this album. The thought of Metallica playing with an orchestra didn't really appeal to me. I thought it would be awful. Since I am a die hard fan and a collector I decided I would rent the dvd before I purchased the cd just to see if I liked it. I was blown away!
This is one of the best things I have listened to in ages!
The orchestra does not take away from the music. Instead it adds power.
I guess I shouldn't have doubted that anything Metallica touches turns to gold. This is a crowning achievement.

Amazing.......2007-06-25

Many people don't care for this album because it doesn't sound like it was made in a garage. Those people who fell in love with the Metallica of the 80s know what they used to sound like, and many of them never forgave the band for evolving. S&M is incredible, it is meant to be heard and felt. No one can deny the power that Metallica wields, but add the emotion and power of an orchestra, and it turns into something else. In my opinion both the band and the orchestra turned it up a notch for this recording.

A towering achievement.......2007-04-11

This album transforms all of the Metallica classics into works of art while at the same time introducing new cuts into the mix. The addition of a full orchestra to heavy metal hits is remarkable and elevates Metallica to a place that no other metal band has ever been before. This is truly one of the best rock albums to come out in a long time. All of the greatest hits are played to perfection and the recording is top-quality. Songs that were released by Metallica in the 80s and early 90s have new life. A must-have for all heavy metal rockers!

incredible! keep the orchestra!!.......2007-02-20

Why in the world would anyone say to get rid of the orchestra in this album?! This is a definite keeper. I have owned this album for over six years now and it is still up there as one of my all-time favourites, especially in regards to metallica! it really is incredible! It sounds much better with the orchestra because they add an element that can't be compared to anything else. I like all of the songs better with the SFO. Wonderfully produced, sounds great and hard to beat! One of the most solid and respected albums in my collection. I love it!

Get rid of that orchestra!!.......2007-02-03

The orchestra was completely out of place in this album; they are just not capable of truly fitting in with heavy metal. Nothing against orchestra; I played in one in high school. (Hey, it was an easy A!) but it's oil and water.. orchestras and heavy metal just don't mix. There were a few good songs on here; I must say Master of Puppets on this album sounds really good. If I had to buy it again, I wouldn't pay for the whole album, I'd pick and choose the better songs on itunes.

Average customer rating:

just like every other supposedly "classic" band, utterly useless, unoriginal and unworthy of their praise
you know the band, but do you know the music?
A New Level...of confidence and power!!
Metal in your face
Metal at its best

Vulgar Display of Power
Pantera
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Cowboys From Hell
Far Beyond Driven
Reinventing the Steel
The Great Southern Trendkill
Reign in Blood

ASIN: B000002JOH
Release Date: 1992-02-25

Tracks:

Mouth For War
A New Level
Walk
Fucking Hostile
This Love
Rise
No Good (Attack The Radical)
Live In A Hole
Regular People (Conceit)
By Demons Be Driven
Hollow

Amazon.com

Probably the heaviest album ever to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart, Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power proved that, even in an era of alternative rock supremacy, heavy metal fans were still a force to contend with. Blending eerie, surging grooves influenced by Black Sabbath with thrashy speed metal riffs, Pantera created a bleak, oppressive disc that captured both ends of the speed spectrum without resorting to cliché, abrupt tempo shifts. Guitarist Diamond Darrell plays with as much crunch as the best Metallica, while vocalist Phil Anselmo screams loud enough to satisfy any GBH fan. Coupled with Vinnie Paul's insistent, double bass-drum onslaught, you're left with a record that's a dentist's wet dream--an album that'll shake the fillings out of even the strongest teeth. --Jon Wiederhorn

Customer Reviews:

just like every other supposedly "classic" band, utterly useless, unoriginal and unworthy of their praise.......2007-07-29

Nirvana were just a mix of Jesus Lizard, Dinosaur, Jr., the Melvins and the Pixies; Pantera are just a moron's version of Exhorder.

Now Slaughter in the Vatican and the Law don't exactly have the greatest, most profound lyrics ever written, but they're Whitman compared to Phil Anselmo's lyrics.

MY MOM GOT JUMPED, THEY RAN

Ha, nobody cares, you attention hungry halfwit.

And Dimebag, please, if this guy was still alive and Damageplan had continued on everyone would be so over him it would hurt. But he got blasted in his face, boo hoo, a legend is born; no.

Fripp he is not.

Pantera, just like Nirvana, and In Flames now, are severely watered down for mass marketing to all the braindead cavemen who deserve nothing more than this tripe.

Here's to hoping someone unearths Dimebag's corpse & lets their bowels loose.

you know the band, but do you know the music?.......2007-07-27

Pantera's Vulgar Display of Power was considered a highly influential album back upon its release in 1992. I'm not really into this kind of heavy metal (obviously combined with some grunge aspects) but some of these songs are okay. I can't deny the influence this band had on the popular music scene (for better or worse) and this is the album responsible for the future generation of heavy metal bands.

"Mouth for War" starts things off. The guitar riff that opens the song is pretty good, and the drumming adequate. Decent guitar solo in the middle that you soon realize is pretty melodic. The chorus is alright, though nothing exciting. Unfortunately, when the verse melody finally kicks in, I'm immediately reminded that the heavy metal music scene hasn't changed at *all* over the last 15 years. I'm writing this review in the middle of July in the year 2007. The metal scene hasn't changed much, and that's disappointing (and frightening). I bet 10 years from now we'll *still* be hearing bands with nearly-identical ideas deliberately copied from this Pantera album. The days of creative acts such as Metallica and Queensryche dominating the scene are offically over.

"Walk" rules. The guitar riff that repeats throughout the song is quite memorable, along with the vocal melody. Catchy song overall. F***ing Hostile" is a REALLY energetic track. Not really what I'd call a classic because the speed and the guitar riffs wear me down after a while. It's only a couple minutes long, and it's really too heavy for me to handle. The lead singer tends to be overbearing on several occasions, and it's hard for me to understand the appeal.

"This Love", just like "Mouth of War", immediately grabbed my attention because of the many *many* artists who copied the way this song was created and sounds. I can't tell you how many songs I've heard that sound just like this one. The mellow section that begins the song is supposed to be creepy and grunge-y, but it just sounds like an unmemorable melody that's basically a ballad. The song is actually a switch between a ballad and a rocker. The rocking parts come into the picture quite unexpectedly and sounds clunky and out of place compared to the mellow section. In other words, I'm going back and forth between bored and annoyed. Not really that good of a song, but at least these guys were one of the originators. They deserve credit for that. Not acknowledging how significant this band was on the heavy metal scene would be total ignorance.

Many times I think Pantera just took what Metallica did and simplified their style and sound. Pantera sounds quite similar to the commercial period of Metallica's career (the Black Album). It's also funny how people mention Pantera as being the band to finally end the hair metal movement of the 80's, and yet, their guitar solos are almost identical to bands like Twisted Sister and Quiet Riot. They just increased the anger and the volume of the vocal melodies while still putting songs together more or less the same way as any hair metal band. It would be impossible to deny Pantera's influence, despite what I think about them personally, so for that the album gets a fair rating from me.

A New Level...of confidence and power!!.......2007-07-24

Vulgar Display Of Power (1992.), Pantera's second recognised studio album (their sixth if you count their four album releases during the 1980's which the band now totally disregards)

Every so often with any genre of music, a band comes along and shocks listeners and critics alike with a new trademark style of playing. Pantera are one such band. After tossing aside their glam metal roots from the 1980's, the band began to play their music heavier and much more mercilessly than before. The band's major label debut, 1990's `Cowboys From Hell' was a godlike display of powerful, intense riffing and brutal rhythms. It was a debut masterpiece that took the thrash style of 80's giants such as Metallica and Megadeth and blended it with a much more hardcore style. Indeed, Pantera were one of the heaviest bands around at the time. The question was where would Pantera next go with their pioneering groove metal style?

Pantera's second trip to the studio was one which produced phenominal results. With `Vulgar Display Of Power', the band get heavier and much more brutal than before. For me and many other fans, it is this album which truly defines the groove metal style that Pantera were all about. The songs on the album are generally slower than those on `Cowboys From Hell' however there is much more focus on heaviness and groove. Dime's often downtuned, insane riffage is pure power throughout the album (it is less high pitched than on Cowboys). He further establishes himself as a guitar god with some more amazing, varied solos and with some excellent changes of style and rhythm. Furthermore the signature sound that Pantera fully developed on this album includes some blistering rhythm section work. Vinnie Pauls drumming is aggressive, intense but highly creative and his impressive double bass work throughout the album adds a great backdrop to the Pantera sound. Rex, on bass, again is fantastic, providing some great undercurrent rhythms to Dime's riffing. Also, his basswork below the solos is able to keep the heaviness to the music, without the aid of a rhythm guitar! Phil Anselmo's vocals are much more hardcore on this album. His style on `Cowboys From Hell' was very akin to the vocals of James Hetfield of Metallica (he does a great job on that album IMHO); however on this album, his vocals are much more aggressive, distorted, screamy, deep and powerful. Phil may not go down as one of the all time great vocalists however he adds a massive amount of power, vitriol and intensity that works perfectly with the musicians in the band. All in all, `Vulgar Display Of Power' shows a band keeping their foot on the accelerator - man this is f*cking hostile stuff!!

`Mouth For War' sets the perfect tone for the style of the album. An endless barrage of strong Dime riffs and barked vocals from Phil make this an intimidating opener full of strength and groove. The exit riffs and chords are especially earth shattering. `A New Level' speaks for itself as a song - Phil Anselmo screams `A new level of confidence and power' in the chorus; it says everything about the band's music on this album. This is anothern really intense and impressive song. Next is perhaps Pantera's most famous song, `Walk'. A slow sludgy riff powers its way through a song full of anger and aggression. Dime's solo on this one is brilliant. `F*cking Hostile' is a short, thrashier follow up with express riffs and cutting rhythms. `This Love' shows Pantera expanding their style. The intro and verses are acoustic in style and with Phil singing some excellent, clean, baritone vocals creating an expectation that the song is about to explode. Indeed it does for the choruses, with heavy riffs and yells alike providing a great contrast. `Rise' is a continuation of the intense groove style on the album, with a whirling chorus pounding out the mix.

`No Good (Attack The Radical)' has some excellent melodies from Dime coupled with plenty of punching chords. His solo on here is a rapid display full of ingenuity. `Live In A Hole' has a great mix of wah-wah riffs and a strong `Fear, Grips!' chorus. Dime's trade off solos are excellent, as is Rex's bass work underneath. `Regular People (Conceit)' is a slow, intense gallop with more battery-like drumming from Vinnie Paul. A mellow verse line adds a great contrast to the song. `By Demons Be Driven' is my personal favourite track on the album. This is a beast of a song which fades in which machine-like riffs. A dark, foreboding song full of atmosphere. `Hollow' is a excellent finisher. The first half of the song is very melodic with Dime's guitar work and Phil's vocals both being done in clean style - it is very much in the vein of `Cemetery Gates'. That is until the song melds into darker tones coupled with acoustic lines. The song races to an blistering finish with all of the band showing off their musical skills.

`Vulgar Display Of Power' is a milestone both for Pantera and metal in general. With this album, the band step up the ante and add new levels of heaviness and intensity to their music previously unexpected at the time. Eventhough this is not my personal favourite Pantera album (that for me is `Cowboys From Hell'), there is no doubt in my mind that this is the album that defines Pantera and all that they stood for. A template for many bands in the last 10-15 years, this album is a timeless classic, full of strong songwriting and style. Pantera would further develop on this style but it was this juggernaut of an album which immortalised them! Highly Recommended!

R.I.P. Dimebag Darrel

MY RATING: 9.5/10

NOTE TO AMAZON: The editiorial review for this product contains an error. `Vulgar Display Of Power' didn't actually go to number 1 in the Billboard Album Chart, it was the follow-up `Far Beyond Driven' which did. `Vulgar Display Of Power' actually only reached number 44 however it has gone on to become Pantera's biggest selling album, shifting 2 million copies in the USA alone.

Metal in your face.......2007-06-08

This CD is metal in your face. By Demons be Driven is something you just HAVE to listen to. This CD is full of music that'll make you think and tear stuff up.

Metal at its best.......2007-04-03

Pantera has released a few albums before Vulgar, but this one is when they first started to take off. "Walk" and "F**king Hostile" are my favorites, and love each other song almost equally.

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The Shads shoot for greatness...and succeed!
Shadows Fall - Threads of Life
LOVE IT
Thrash and terror!
Shadows Fall = Metallica lite

Threads of Life
Shadows Fall
Manufacturer: Atlantic / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B000NJLM00
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Tracks:

Redemption
Burning The Lives
Storm Winds
Failure Of The Devout
Venomous
Another Hero Lost
Final Call
Dread Uprising
The Great Collapse
Just Another Nightmare
Forevermore
Bonus Track 1
Bonus Track 2

Customer Reviews:

The Shads shoot for greatness...and succeed!.......2007-07-23

There probably won't be an album released in 2007 that is more highly anticipated, closely inspected, and strictly critiqued than Shadows Fall's new one, "Threads of Life." After selling over 300,000 copies of their last full-length (2004's "War Within"), this Massachusetts-based quintet followed in the tracks of Lamb of God and Mastodon by (finally!) jumping to a major label (this is their first release under Atlantic Records). Subsequently, the band teamed-up with a well-known producer (Nick Raskulinecz) who has worked with such pop groups as Velvet Revolver and the Foo Fighters. These things considered, this could have been just the thing that haters were waiting to scream "sell out" at.

So what are we to make of the new album? Well, here's the thing: It sounds slick. Extremely slick, in fact. Atlantic's big budget and production definitely shine through here, as evidenced by the muted rhythm guitars, crisp lead guitars, punchy drums, big choruses, and multi-tracked vocals that are as smooth as a baby's bottom. Thus, a lot of fans will be immediately turned off that it isn't as raw, intense, or edgy as, say, 1997's debut, "Somber Eyes To The Sky." But there are a couple of advantages of this huge production, including a thicker guitar tone, and hooks that are just spectacular. Thus, your first listen to "Threads of Life" will probably spent dwelling on how glossy it sounds, but after giving it a little time to digest, the album will soon reveal itself as the extremely contagious listen that it really is.

Every band member is at the top of his game here, and they turn out some of their best and most professional, phenomenal, and technical music to date. Paul Romanko is a solidified bassist, and he lays down some of his meatiest and most audible bass lines on this record, and Jason Bittner's drumming is as quick and forceful as ever. But there are really three star performers who take up most of the spotlight. The first of which is longtime frontman Brian Fair -- who proves he is much more than just a "vocalist" - he is an actual, honest-to-goodness singer! And a darn good one, too! Sure, he can still growl when he wants to, but he never sounds remotely one-dimensional or overly angry, because most of the time he opts for a full-throated singing voice which shows off his warm, powerful pipes. The two other stars are Jonathan Donais and Matt Bachand, who are doubtlessly one of modern metal's leading guitar duos. Their riffs are deliciously crunchy, their leads are usually blazing fast (but never out of control), and their solos have gotten more technical and ripping, and now even occasionally border on being melodic.

The songwriting is superb as well. Shads released a great C.D. in 2002 named "The Art of Balance," but that title could have just as well applied to this album, too, because there is variety aplenty here. The result is a superbly exciting, meticulous, contagious, diverse, mature, rich, and well-textured sound. Plus, Brian Fair also chipped in by coming up with some of his smartest and most passionate and personal lyrics. "Threads of Life" has many terrifically memorable songs, and even if some are more so than others, there isn't a single stinker or filler to be found from front to back. In other words, heavy music doesn't get much more consistent, listenable, easy to digest, or flawless than this nowadays.

The propulsive "Redemption" hits the ground running with excellent, bullying guitar leads, deft double bass slamming, and a huge, wonderfully harmonic and infectious chorus that will have everybody in the crowd waving their lighters. "Burning The Lives" works similarly, with a forceful, streamlined chainsaw guitar attack opening the song before giving way to a "Dimebag" Darrell-worthy solo and an open, cleanly sung chorus. "Storm Winds" is the album's first semi-ballad, but not to worry: the fine singing, well-placed bits of guitar crunch, and terrific solo present here make this song another keeper. "Failure Of The Devout" begins with an acoustic intro that evokes Testament before rocketing into a river of blistering, chunked-up guitar shred.

Then, however, things start to get a little more experimental. Three of the next tracks, the hooky "Venomous," "Final Call" (which is highlighted by a grumbling bass line and one of Donais' best solos to date), and the especially hefty and chunky "Dead Uprising," are all muscular yet mid-tempo chug churners which slow down the record's pace significantly. You'll probably grow more and more uncertain as you make your way through surprising tracks like the ultra-melodic "Another Hero Lost," which will instinctively be thought of as a blatant stab at getting radio play. However, after dreamy, ambient acoustic strums, two cool guitar solos (one melodic, the other blazing), and Brian Fair's mindblowing singing voice and touching lyrics (inspired by Fair's cousin, who died while stationed in Iraq), are added to the mix, then "Another Hero Lost" turns out to be a great power ballad which any Eighties thrash band would be glad to call their own. Then comes "The Great Collapse," a gorgeous, piano-based interlude.

Two final songs round out the set, the first of which is one of the biggest highpoints on hand here. In addition to a guitar solo which will induce vertigo in some listeners, "Just Another Nightmare" boasts an awesome chorus composed of irresistibly sweet, sometimes almost even (dare I say it?) emo-ish crooning that stays in the listener's head for several days. Finally back on familiar ground, "Threads Of Life" ends the same way it began, with "Forevermore," which is an all-out onslaught of scorching riffage.

"Threads of Life" will surely be too mainstream for some fans (especially longtime followers), but fair-minded listeners will find absolutely nothing to dislike here. This is an epic, unquestionably excellent and completely satisfying album which is a frontrunning candidate for album of the year, and is one of the top thrash releases of the new millennium. It even has the potential to go down as of the genre's all time classics, and to say that Shadows Fall are now firing on all cylinders would be a gross understatement. Some would argue that The Shads came close to but did not quite fully achieve true greatness with their first six full-length releases, but there should be little debate over that now, because "TOL" is the kind of stuff that legends are made of.

Shadows Fall - Threads of Life .......2007-07-17

After hearing some buzz about Shadows Fall, I decided to check them out. Their most recent album "Threads of Life" is the latest release from the band, so my review will lack the critical analysis that could be used to compare any progression or change they have had from albums in their past discography.

Songs I liked: Redemption is the opening track and is heavy and powerful, with a mix of thrash and repetitive style rock riffs in places. The songwriting is good and I liked the vocal efforts on this song, as well as most songs on the album. The track "Failure of the Devout" has some good changeups within the overall structure of the guitar parts. The track "Another Hero Lost" is one of my favorites and has some catchy riffs as well as definitive melodic guitars throughout. The drifting ballad "Final Call" is a nice change to throw into the mix of hard edged thrash and rock based tunes. The fact they do this shows a little bit of diversity and showcases the bands ability to at least do something different than spit out repeated riffs and angst style vocals, which is a habit many bands of this genre fall into. The track "Forevermore" is fast and furious with high speed guitars and vocals that hit home. The percussion on this song is a little more prevalent and does not take a back seat to any of the other instruments used.

Bottom Line: Normally I don't like to use other bands when comparing music or writing a review, however at times it can be very necessary because it is a better way of conveying a sound or style of music than trying to describe the sounds I hear and feel on the album. If you are looking for a more progressive or math metal style of music, these guys are probably not for you. If you like some of the thrash metal bands from the 1980s then you may find these guys to your liking. They are not Pantera or old Metallica, but the album itself is pretty tight, and although at times I felt there was a lot of repetition within the songs as a collective whole, there is enough strength here to grow, with room to improve. If you like to listen to anything from Disturbed to Dragonforce, you may find room for this album in your collection. This genre of music is heavily saturated right now with bands trying to make their mark, and I think Shadows Fall may have enough shredding and decent songwriting within them to carry on into the next decade. I realize they formed over ten years ago, and do have a strong overall fan base. Vocalist Brian Fair is particularly impressive here and with that said; I look forward to going back and listening to more music by this band.

LOVE IT.......2007-07-06

This Album is just awesome! Plain and simple. Riffs are awesome, solos are insane, and Brian Fair's vocals keep getting better. It's nice to hear a band that grows and stays true to themselves too.

Thrash and terror!.......2007-07-05

I am so glad to see that there are stil thrash bands in circulation. I like all of that norweigian black/deathy stuff...but thrash is my idea of great metal music. And here they are, a modern band doing an old thing with all of the much needed ingreidients to keep it original and personal. Shadows Fall is further proof that thrash is not just another metal trend, it's the timeless form of metal that will always come back to bite you just when you thought it was dead. I recommend this fine album to fans of Slayer, Exodus, and Burst.

Shadows Fall = Metallica lite.......2007-06-22

These guys try so hard, but they are oh so average
3 for effort and i still liked them live

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