The Best Metallica Songs...So Far! Nov 16 '04    Write an essay on this topic. Tweet Popular Products in Music Jersey Boys [Original Broadway Cast Recording] by Original Broadway Cast From $8 Mai by Eri Sugai From $4 The Bottom Line This is my Top 10 list of the very best songs Metallica has to offer...so far! I prefer these tracks over everything else in the bands back catalog (not-including-any-cover-tunes). Metallica’s success does not solely rest on the quality of their music over the past couple of decades, God only knows some later releases contained some duds. But I believe that their success is also due in part to the fact that they are a very marketable band. Why marketable? Because over the years, they have been able to adapt to the musical changes going on around them. Metallica was born in the thrash heyday of the early eighties and flourished with a string of all time classic thrash metal albums: Kill ‘em All, Ride The Lightning, Master of Puppets and lets not forget ...And Justice For All. Then came the 90's and they released The Black Album which did to metal what AC/DC’s Back in Black did for hard rock in the early 80's. (Yes, AC/DC was the first to release a black album.) Suddenly, Metallica was a household name right around the planet and their back catalog exploded into the mainstream. Many cried sell out! But Metallica was not done yet and decided to cross all the way over into the mainstream metal world with a couple of releases titled Load and Reload. Many more cried sell out! Then, Metallica stunned the world again with the release of Garage Inc a double-disc filled with hard rocking cover tunes. I’d like to believe that they we’re paying homage to those artists which influenced them in their early years, even though I know that was not the motivation at all. In any event, both albums contain a variety of songs that I’m sure they played as young rockers, in their very own garage band days. And those albums were selling out in just about every store you could buy them at. Following that little venture, they did the only thing they hadn’t done yet and released a live album performing their classic songs along side the San Francisco Symphony. What could they possibly do to top that? Well, they pulled another u-turn and decided to return to their roots - literally - apparently leaving technology behind and relying on recording music much as they probably did in the very beginning...and suddenly, nobody’s crying sell out anymore! You gotta give them credit for being wise business men. So, what are the best Metallica songs so far? I’m sure everybody probably has their own FAV Metallica tracks. My initial list contained no less than 21 songs. After weeks of consideration, I narrowed it down to 15. I figured that a top 10 list was better than a top 15. So, I cut 5 tracks (that was real tough) and I tried to select those songs that if someone had asked me to pick my FAV Metallica tracks 2 or 5 years ago, I still would have picked the very same songs. Isn’t it funny how once a metal song sticks, it apparently sticks for life! Lets start the countdown shall we: 10. “Nothing Else Matters” - 6m29s - 1991 - The Black Album One of Metallica’s best slow tracks. Remember what I said at the beginning of my review about Metallica adapting well to the musical times of the day, well, "Nothing Else Matters" is one of those songs that reminds one of Queensryche, you know the band that was responsible for writing "Silent Lucidity", which BTW sounds an awful like “Nothing Else Matters.” To hammer my point home, “Silent Lucidity” was released in 1990. So, Metallica a-d-a-p-t-e-d and wrote a memorable tune a la Queensryche. Perhaps one of the tracks on my list of honourable mentions should be in this spot, but I can’t change the fact that I like picking this song on my acoustic/electric guitar and this IS MY LIST, not yours... 9. “Seek and Destroy” - 6m50s - 1983 - Kill ‘em All The opening lick to this track is 100% metal. The band sacrifices speed for a plodding beat with a very catchy riff. "Seek & Destroy" simply brings back memories of when Metallica were not so serious and their music was more about power and being heavy metal. “Searching, Seek and Destroy...”, they’re searching to destroy whatever they find. At about the halfway mark the boys get right into it and the music kicks some serious ass. Alas, the lyrics are immature and lack the growth and development observed on later albums but this track is all about having some good old fashion metal fun! “We are scanning the scene in the city tonight We are looking for you to start up a fight” 8. “Until it Sleeps” - 4m30s - 1996 - Load Everybody knows that metal comes from rock and that rock comes from the blues. So, there’s no reason to be surprised when a metal band gets a little bluesy? This track starts slowly and softly with a clean verse and builds to a good solid heavy rock beat in the chorus. James father had cancer and this song is about that painful time in his life. “So tear me open, pour me out There's things inside that scream and shout And the pain still hates me So hold me, until it sleeps” 7. “The Unforgiven” - 6m26s - 1991 - The Black Album “The Unforgiven” had such a big impact on the fans that the band decided to follow it up with a sequel: “The Unforgiven II” on 1997's Reload. Musically, the difference between the two is very subtle, the first being a softer acoustic flavoured track while the latter is all electric guitars. I like the use of electric guitars on “Unforgiven II” but prefer the original version. Like I said before, I like picking these songs on my acoustic electric guitar. On this track Hetfield describes someone’s life, from early childhood to old age, and how that life was affected by those raising him. I’ve included more lyrics than is perhaps necessary, but this is truly one un-f**king-believable song: “New blood joins this earth And quickly he's subdued Through constant pained disgrace The young boy learns their rules With time the child draws in This whipping boy done wrong Deprived of all his thoughts The young man struggles on and on he's known A vow unto his own That never from this day His will they'll take away What I've felt What I've known Never shined through in what I've shown Never be Never see Won't see what might have been What I've felt What I've known Never shined through in what I've shown Never free Never me So I dub thee unforgiven” 6. “Fade to Black” - 6m59s - 1984 - Ride the Lightning Another one of Metallica’s best slow tracks. "Fade to Black" moves back and forth from soft acoustic moments to very heavy ones. At midpoint in the track, the tempo changes and the track moves into metal territory, James’ anger is about to explode, the solo takes over and the tempo continues to build right up until the slow fading-out...great ending to a truly classic song! Suicide has often been used as the theme of many a metal songs, but none so realistic as “Fade to Black.” Check out the opening verse: “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” 5. “Blackened” - 6m40s - 1988 - ...And Justice For All There are some very complex movements on “Blackened” that explains this song’s position in the bottom half of my list. Complex and technical, yes...for 1988 that is, but many metal subgenres have taken “complex and technical” music to extremes in the 90's. This is still a monster of a metal track with great riffs, splendid lead guitar lines, frantic drumming and James Hetfield’s angry voice again. On the album that this song is taken from, James talks about injustice and corruption, and on “Blackened” - the opening track - he goes straight to the point and describes the end of a turbulent world in true bone crushing fashion: “Death of Mother Earth Never a Rebirth Evolution's End Never Will it Mend Never” 4. “Battery” - 5m10s - 1986 - Master of Puppets This is a classic, no denying it. The acoustic opening is very deceiving as what lies ahead of the intro is a hyper-speed thrash riff, where the triple-note-fest begins folks...and the lyrics, well James hints at family turmoil and fanaticism run amok. “Crushing all deceivers Mashing non-believers Never ending potency Hungry violence seeker, Feeding off the weaker Breeding on insanity...” 3. “For Whom the Bells Toll” - 5m09s - 1984 - Ride the Lightning "For Whom the Bell Tolls", is a slower grinding song with simple yet interesting guitar work. The song is set during the Spanish Civil war and is based on the novel of the same title written by Ernest Hemmingway ("For Whom the Bell Tolls"). The lyrics are not Hetfield’s best, but the bell rings in my head long after the song is over and done. 2. “Master of Puppets” - 8m38s - 1986 - Master of Puppets "Master of Puppets" is the only progressive influenced track on my list. The opening three note riff is probably the most recognizable intro of all time. The off-time beats, the riff-fest that follows and James menacing growl all come together for eight and a half minutes of absolute brilliance. “Master of Puppets I'm pulling your strings Twisting your mind and smashing your dreams Blinded by me, you can't see a thing Just call my name, ‘cause I'll hear you scream Master, Master...” 1. “Creeping Death” - 6m35s - 1984 - Ride the Lightning "Creeping Death" is an epic track of biblical proportions...it tells the horrific tale of the "creeping death" that will kill every first-born child in each household unless the door is marked with lamb's blood. God through Moses wants the Pharoah Ramesses to end slavery and release the Hebrews from Egyptian rule, something he refuses to do. Metallica has long abandoned all mythical/biblical themes and have yet to write another song as powerful as "Creeping Death." This track moves along at a good pace with some excellent rhythm guitar work. I had to choose my number one FAV Metallica track of all time and this was a tough choice. In the end, it was the power of divine punishment that won out. That's it folks, my FAV Metallica tracks...so far. Honourable Mentions: “One” - 1988 - ...And Justice For All “Fixxxer” - 1997 - Reload “Bleeding Me” - 1996 - Load “Sad but True”- 1991 - The Black Album “Frantic” - 2003 - St. Anger Mettalica line-up: James Hetfield - rhythm guitar Kirk Hammett - lead guitar Lars Ulrich - drums Cliff Burton - bass - 1983/1986 - (RIP-1986) Jason Newsted - bass - 1988/2001 (joined Voivod in 2001) Robert Trujillo - bass - 2003 (former member of Suicidal Tendencies) ~Vanwarp~ P.S. They’d have to write something pretty-f**king-incredible to replace anything here... ;)

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