#235 Metallica, 'Metallica (The Black Album)' (1991)
Previously #255
For the casual listener, one who might be looking to dip a toe into metal but not jump in all the way, this would be the gateway album. On their fifth album, Metallica slowed things down a bit from their signature thrash metal sounds offering a record of Heavy Metal more subdued than the sound we had become accustomed to and a sound that was more commercial. Around the time of the recording of this album, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammet and Jason Newstead were all going through nasty divorces. They had also engaged a new producer, Bob Rock on this one. Band and producer would have frequent arguments over many different aspects of the album, from the way it was recorded to the songs & lyrics. The hardcore fans have criticised Rock for years for changing their sound. Whatever Rock did seemed to have worked. ‘Metallica’ became the band’s most successful album by a long stretch, selling over 16 million copies in the US alone (16x Platinum).
The album opens with ‘Enter Sandman,’ one of the band’s most well known songs and guitar riffs. It was also the first single released from the record. Next single was ‘The Unforgiven,’ a great example of how the band’s sound had slowed down and become more commercial. You’ll still hear this song on daytime Rock radio. Other singles included ‘Wherever I May Roam’ and ‘Sad But True.’ But, arguably, no song in their entire catalogue is more famous than the third single off of this record, the arpeggiated hit, ‘Nothing Else Matters.’ In fact, this song is one of a small handful that Kirk Hammett doesn’t appear on. The ripping guitar solo is by James Hetfield. Hammett has claimed that he only learnt how to play the song when they were well into the tour promoting this record. Film composer, Michael Kamen, who would later go on to conduct the San Francisco Symphony Orchestra on Metallia’s ‘S&M’ concert/album, did the orchestral arrangement on this song. Bob Rock would go on to produce the next 3 Metallica albums, quitting after ‘St. Anger’ due to pressure from a petition by fans which he claimed hurt his kids’ feelings.
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