Metallica (the Black Album): the 30th Anniversary
The Blind Eternities forum
Posted on Jan. 26, 2021, 8:12 p.m. by DemonDragonJ
This year is the 30th anniversary of Metallica’s eponymous fifth album, better known as “The Black Album,” due to its entirely black cover art. During the 1980’s, Metallica was a fairly underground band, with a small but loyal fanbase, but this album helped them to achieve mainstream popularity, becoming a global phenomenon and making them not only one of the best-selling heavy metal bands, but one of the best-selling bands, overall, in the world.
As their first official release of the 1990’s, this album was significantly different from those that preceded it; rather than the blazing speed of their first two albums or the technical intricacies of their third and fourth albums, this album had slower, more radio-friendly songs with more personal and introspective lyrics than what their previous albums had contained. Some of their hardcore fans were disappointed by this change, accusing them of “selling out” to achieve greater popularity, but it was undeniable that this album was a tour de force of epic proportions, bringing Metallica’s name and music to people across the world, and it remains their best-selling album to this day.
Some of the album’s best-known songs are Enter Sandman, Sad but True, Wherever I May Roam, Nothing Else Matters, and The Unforgiven, but some other excellent songs on that albums are Of Wolf and Man, Through the Never, The God that Failed, My Friend of Misery, and The Struggle Within; the only songs on the album for which I do not care are Holier than Thou and Don’t Tread on Me, which I feel could have been excluded with no significant loss to the overall quality of the album.
Given that Metallica has released remastered editions of their first four albums with numerous bonus features, I believe that it is safe to presume that they shall eventually do the same for this, album, as well, but they have not yet made any official announcements about that.
What does everyone else say about this? What are your thoughts about this year being the 30th anniversary of the Black Album?
This is the album that introduced me to Metallica and as such will always be one of my favorites of all time. It will always hold a nostalgia that bring me back to middle school me playing Enter Sandman on repeat over and over.
January 27, 2021 9:44 a.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #4
FSims81, yes, Enter Sandman was the very first Metallica song that I ever heard, as well, so it also has sentimental significance for me, as well, but I prefer their first four albums, since I am very fond of fast and furious heavy metal.
January 27, 2021 5:10 p.m.
MindAblaze says... #5
Jason Newsted era bass though...lol
Honestly though, the black album ranks in my top 5. I really like Don’t Tread on Me, and My Friend of Misery is the first song I learned on my bass guitar.
January 27, 2021 7:31 p.m.
DemonDragonJ says... #6
MindAblaze, if you have ever played Guitar Hero: Metallica, you would know that the actual master tracks are used in that game, so you can hear the real, genuine bass tracks from AJfA when playiong that game. Newsted is definitely my favorite bassist from Metallica, because of his energy and his passion, and I feel that the others members did not truly appreciate him while he was in the band.
January 27, 2021 8:31 p.m.
DDJ that's a Blasphemous Act Burton is too good of a bassist. But from everything I've seen newsted was treated unfairly let's just say
January 27, 2021 9:54 p.m.
The black album is good, but I think I've grown out of Metallica. I get nostalgic if I hear them on the radio, but they're not what I choose to listen to anymore. I used to be a huge fan. They rock.
shadow63 says... #2
The album is absolutely killer. While it doesn't have the rawness and the energy of the ones before it it still has heart and emotion. It was the band growing and evolving showing the world what they could do and showed the band wasn't a one trick pony
January 26, 2021 10:02 p.m.