Top three songs from Metallica (1991) "The Black Album"

Top three songs from Metallica (1991) "The Black Album"


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“Enter Sandman” is a great song. The best part is the way James’s voice slams into you like a truck with “EXIT LIGHT”. I don’t know how they got the effect they did but the way the guitar changes into the chorus riff and then James jumps on top of that is so cool and I love it.
 
I remember the black album documentary where Bob Rock wanted Holier Than Thou to open the album. Lars was like “Nah man, it’s gotta be Sandman, it’s all about that fookin’ riff, man” (quote may be incorrect). Bob said “I just don’t hear it.”

At least he admitted this after the fact.
 
I remember the black album documentary where Bob Rock wanted Holier Than Thou to open the album. Lars was like “Nah man, it’s gotta be Sandman, it’s all about that fookin’ riff, man” (quote may be incorrect). Bob said “I just don’t hear it.”

At least he admitted this after the fact.

Also, Lars had sorted out the riff as well. Hammet's riff had had two measures, where Lars changed it so the opening measure played 3 times before the turnaround on the 4th measure, which makes all the difference.
 
“Enter Sandman” is a great song. The best part is the way James’s voice slams into you like a truck with “EXIT LIGHT”.

You mean like this? ;)


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This is a new Metallica. Though Lars can depict everything as a progression curve, for him, Black is just something after Justice. However somewhere along the journey Metallica became older, accepted, embraced by the rock world, and the attitude they had for the first 4 vanished. It would vanish sooner if Cliff didn't die.

I see this as a transitional album. It has the musical ideas of Justice but not the attitude. Half of this album's riffs and grooves are based on Harvester. This album is also quite vocal driven and the vocals suck most of the time. I don't like in between thrash of the 80s and singing of the 90s Hetfield, he sounds like an obnoxious cowboy.

Unforgiven is the only thing for me that came out of this period like a gem. Roam is another. Again about Hetfield's delivery, when he sings on this album about "himself" it comes out great and sincere. When he sings about "me" it's so fucking cringy, Enter Sandman, Of Wolf and Man, Don't Tread on Me, Sad but True. Really like children's horror movie soundtrack where a "tough guy" tries to get me scared. "while YOU sleep".
 
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