Published on Jun 24, 1997
When my friend informed me in 1985 that this was the heaviest
band on the planet, my introduction to Metallica was the pretty
guitars that open “Fight Fire With Fire.” I was taken aback, but it
didn’t take long before my fears were quieted. A mere 40 seconds
later an explosively fast flurry of guitar riffing and piston-like
drumming deafened my room. Memorable though this thrash number is,
it’s the weakest tune on the album, which stands tall as one of the
greatest rock albums of any type ever recorded.
Though Metallica’s debut,
Kill ‘Em All, had showcased a speed and musical dexterity
that was unprecedented in heavy metal history, it nevertheless
pales in comparison to
Ride The Lightning, which was the next logical step. This
album took heavy metal to previously unscaled heights, as it was
unbelievably heavy and powerful yet still listenable. Despite their
bludgeoning force, the band finds room for melody within their
blazingly cathartic guitar crunch on songs such as the title track
and “Escape,” a catchy song that would’ve fit well beside later
hits such as “Enter Sandman.”
The music on
Ride The Lightning is extremely complex, played by highly
skilled musicians, while the lyrics are intelligent if relentlessly
gloomy. What really separates this album from its predecessor is
the superior songwriting and the improved vocals of James Hetfield,
who sings rather than just screeching on every song, and whose
voice has gained authority and menace. In addition, though “Trapped
Under Ice” rages with a mindless fury, on several of the songs
Metallica manages to slow the tempo while remaining true to their
fierce vision, resulting in a more varied album. Even “The Call Of
Ktulu,” a repetitive instrumental clocking in at 8:54, holds the
listener’s attention throughout due to some hypnotic riffing.
Then there’s what my friends and I always reverently referred to
as “The Big Three.” The blistering “For Whom The Bell Tolls,” the
Passover epic “Creeping Death,” and the suicide anthem “Fade To
Black,” a dirge that is perhaps the ultimate masterpiece of teenage
angst, are all time metal classics. Metallica never topped these
three songs, and they remain concert favorites to this day, as
anyone who has ever shouted “DIE” during “Creeping Death” can
attest.
The band’s pummeling performances must be mentioned, as Kirk
Hammett and Hetfield’s lightning fast yet precise guitar playing,
Cliff Burton’s authoritative bass, and Lars Ulrich’s pulverizing
drumming simply has to be heard to be believed. Their peerless
performances help make
Ride The Lightning a cornerstone of any heavy metal
collection.