If Kill 'Em Allis all about guitar, it is the first song where another instrument is so boldly put on the forefront. It was a turning point in the history of heavy metal.īut what makes these songs so different? Well, For Whom the Bell Tolls is a mid-tempo heavy metal song that borderlines on hard rock, with a gorgeously catchy and complex bassline. I would compare this moment, right in the middle of Ride the Lightning, to Jackson Pollock starting to drip paint on the canvas from a distance, in terms of significance. Over the span of five recorded songs ( Trapped Under Ice and Escape come in between), they reinvented themselves as this dynamic, multidimensional band that incorporated prog elements and dark, but empowering lyrics in order to create a powerful and unique sound. They have little in common and that is what makes them great. They are what the album will be remembered for, fifty years from now. There are three songs that ultimately matter on Ride The Lightning: For Whom the Bell Tolls, Fade to Black and Creeping Death. Even if the opening songs on the album are somewhat reminiscent of Kill 'Em All, they also foreshadow the shift that's about to happen. Ride the Lightning (the song) could also be labeled thrash metal, but it has a longer and more complex structure and darker, more tormented lyrics, which have been a staple of their glory years. James' vocal delivery on it is clumsy and overdramatic, but he's clearly trying to exert more control over it. Fight Fire With Fire starts with an eerie acoustic guitar intro before slamming into the most straightforward thrash metal song on the record.
Ride the Lightning is where Metallica started revealing who their truly were and the magnitude of their ambitions, making it one of their most interesting albums.įrom the first notes of the album, it's clear that Metallica is heading in a different direction. All there is to it is their characteristic creative fire and fury in its angriest and most primitive form. Their debut album Kill 'Em All, while undoubtedly being a classic, doesn't offer any answer to that.
#Metallica ride the lightning songs free
Have they sold out for money and prestige or have the collapsed under the weight of their fan base's rabid expectations? Or was it label demands? Nobody really knows for sure what kind of music they would've ended up playing, were they have been free of any scrutiny. The legacy of Metallica is one of the most debated topics in rock n' roll.
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