I was not really into music much when I was growing up, but that all changed one uneventful weekend in 1988. I decided to go borrow some music from my brother to play in my small, black stereo I had received as a gift some time earlier. He threw me a tape he had borrowed from one of his friends, listened to once, and didn't really like. The tape was And Justice For All.

I sat down on my bed and tossed this new tape into my never before used stereo. I was blown away. The heavy drums, deep lyrics, guitar works, and bass all combined for the most overwhelming influence on my musical tastes. Even to this day, I get the same chill as the first time I heard the powerful bass & drum introduction of And Justice For All, the title track.

A lot of what made the album much more than just a compilation of songs for me were the experiences I had at the time of listening to the album the first few years. In my early teens, we began dragging our stereo's everywhere we possibly could to blast music over any activity. Whether it was road hockey, playing Role Playing Games, fort building, or just hanging out - no music created quite the dynamic atmosphere as And Justice For All.

Blackened
An incredible opening for the album, the music starts out nice and slow, increasing in volume. Then the song hits with classic Metallica power - fast guitar works and quick drum beats! As the bass works into the song, the dingy, biting lyrics kick into gear. The song is about nuclear war as the opening lyrics clearly state:

Blackened is the end
winter it will send
throwing all you see
into obscurity

A powerful piece of music, and a message about the total devastation and destruction of nuclear war.

And Justice For All
The song opens with some slow guitar rhythms, and then builds on the songs vigor. A minute into the song, the speed picks up with a strong beat and some awesome guitar accentuation. You can feel the power and grit of the song as all the sounds meld into a thing of beauty. The theme of the song: evil & corruption. Here's how the lyrics open:

Halls of justice painted green
money talking
power wolves beset your door
hear them stalking

The mood of the song mixed with the lyrics gets me every time. The opening is so deceptive when you first hear the song, and then it kicks into high gear... Oh yeah! Like the hum of a finely tuned engine, this one resonates with power.

Eye Of The Beholder
One of my favorite songs on the album, Eye Of The Beholder opens with increasing volume of a drum beat. Not quite as overwhelming as the first two songs on this album, this one takes the energy down a slight notch. But there still is a fairly fast beat and heavy feel throughout the song. The lyrics reflect one major issue: Freedom.

One
The story of a soldier injured in battle sums up the theme of this song. It starts with the sounds of battle, and then the song begins. It's deep, melodic beat and strong lyrics take over and are awe inspiring. It is a brilliant song which illustrates what soldiers have to suffer through in the hell that is war. A very emotionally charged piece:

Now that the war is through with me
I'm waking up, I cannot see
that there is nothing left of me
nothing is real but pain now

The Shortest Straw
With The Shortest Straw the feel is faster and more energetic. The heavy beat still resonates, but it is not as driven as the previous songs on the CD. Backing it's high energy, the lyrics talk of being pushed over the edge and standing up to the wrongs of this world.

you are being ostracized
your hell is multiplied

Harvester Of Sorrow
This song has the most awesome start on the whole CD. It starts off with a nice slow beat and you can hear some almost ghostly or supernatural sounds in the background. It reminds me of when we used to play Dungeons & Dragons and would control our own empires. Whenever I would launch my forces into battle, I could totally imagine them marching with the start of this song playing in the background. A very powerful opening to a very cool piece. The theme of the song: sorrow.

The Frayed Ends Of Sanity

A dark and powerful song about a man losing his sanity. With a heavy beat throughout, the song contains some awesome guitar works and some dark, pungent lyrics. Certainly not a song everyone will appreciate.

Old habits reappear
fighting the fear of fear
growing conspiracy
everyone's after me

To Live Is To Die
This is one the most impressive songs Metallica has ever produced. An instrumental masterpiece with 8 lines of stunning lyrics near the end. The song opens with some beautiful acoustics and melds into a robust, rhythmic sound. The song continually changes and melds, creating a more and more powerful feel until it reaches the middle of the song. Then it completely stops, and all that is left is a soft, acoustic sound. Then an almost muffled-violin type sound mixes in briefly as the beat, bass, and guitar return to the song. The song's climax hits with the lyrics. You cannot do them justice by just reading them - they have to be heard in the context of the piece.

Dyers Eve
A fast and powerful song to close out the last great album Metallica has ever produced. My brother had a friend who was an amazing guitar player, and no matter how hard he tried, there was no way he could reproduce the super-fast guitar rhythms (of course they were probably sped up a bit during mixing). An incredible finish to an incredible album.


Final Remarks
Over the years my tastes and attitudes have changed dramatically. There were certain types of music I never saw myself enjoying but now can listen to with much interest. And many bands and songs I used to like I no longer like today. But through all this, one this has remained consistent - my appreciation for the old days of Metallica.

And Justice For All is certainly not an album for everyone. With it’s intense lyrics and heavy beats it can even be a little too much even for me on some days. But if you have never heard it before, and you are a fan of metal, check this one out!! I'm confident you will not be disappointed.


Recommended: Yes

Great Music to Play While: Hanging With Friends