Metallica (album)

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Metallica (also known as The Black Album because of its largely black and nearly-featureless cover) is the self titled fifth studio album by the American heavy metal band Metallica.

Metallica was released August 14, 1991 through Elektra Records and is the band's best-selling album to date, with 14.95 million copies sold in the United States alone as of 7/21/2007. Template:RS500

On the cover, only the band's logo and a coiled snake (derived from the Gadsden flag - which could be seen hanging on a wall in the "One on One" recording studio where the album was recorded) are visible. The motto of the Gadsden flag, "Don't Tread on Me", is also the title of a song featured on the album.

Reception

[original research?]

The Black Album was a controversial album amongst fans of the band. While the album and the band were critically praised and commercially successful, some fans expressed disappointment and even outrage at the new direction taken by Metallica. Gone for the most part were faster staccato riffs during verses and throaty screaming found on the band's first four albums; the overall speed and complexity of the music were greatly reduced. The Black Album presented a more radio-friendly, commercially accessible Metallica, especially evidenced by the ballad "Nothing Else Matters". Moreover, following the success of "One," the breakaway single from their ...And Justice for All album, five videos were released from the Black Album. ("Enter Sandman", "Nothing Else Matters", "Sad But True", "Wherever I May Roam" and "The Unforgiven").

The Black Album stands as a dividing point for Metallica fans. Its supporters claim that it is still a "metal" album, while its critics describe it as the beginning of the end for Metallica's greatness. Songs such as "Holier Than Thou", "Through The Never", and "The Struggle Within" show Metallica still practiced elements of thrash, while detractors point to the ballads "Nothing Else Matters" and "The Unforgiven" as signs that Metallica was more interested in commercial gain than catering exclusively to their thrash metal fan base. Some say after The Black Album, Metallica became a hard rock band.

The lyrics of The Black Album, which were almost exclusively written by James Hetfield, were much more personal and introspective in nature than previous Metallica albums. This trait continued on subsequent Metallica albums for the most part. For example, "The God That Failed" dealt with Hetfield's mother's death from cancer and her Christian Science beliefs which kept her from seeking medical treatment. "Nothing Else Matters" expresses the connection Hetfield felt with a girlfriend while out on the road. The album also ended Metallica's tradition of including a lengthy instrumental track on each album.

The cover to the album is very similar to the Smell the Glove album from the mockumentary This is Spinal Tap. It added another, albeit minor, source of irony to the release. On the "A Year and a Half... Pt. 2" video, Spinal Tap paid visit to Metallica and commented on the similarity.

Bob Rock

Metallica was produced by Bob Rock, who was originally asked to mix the album as the band was impressed with his work as producer on the Mötley Crüe album, Dr. Feelgood.[1] Initially, the band was not interested in having Rock produce their album, but changed their minds as Ulrich stated; "We felt that we still had our best record in us and Bob [Rock] could help us make it."[1] The Black Album's sound was a marked difference from the stripped down production of the previous album. Rock altered the band's working schedule and routine so much that they swore never to work with him again. The animosity and tension between band and producer was documented in the documentaries A Year And A Half In The Life of Metallica and Classic Albums: The Black Album. Both explore and document the intense and merciless recording process that resulted in the Black Album.

Despite the controversies between the band and Rock, he continued to work with the band up until, and including, the 2003 album St. Anger.

Grammy success

Metallica won their third Grammy Award for the Black Album. Many felt the band should have won a Grammy for their ...And Justice for All album - the band was nominated in the "Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal" category, but lost to Jethro Tull. When accepting the Grammy for the Black Album, drummer Lars Ulrich made a point of thanking Jethro Tull for not releasing an album that same year. However, Tull did release an album that year, titled Catfish Rising, but it did not see the same critical success as Crest of a Knave.

The tour

The world tour following the Metallica album, initially dubbed the Wherever We May Roam Tour and then later the Nowhere Else to Roam Tour, saw Metallica on the road for the next three years. The tour was in part documented in the A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica documentary, as well as the 3-CD, 2-DVD (or 3-VHS) boxset Live Shit: Binge & Purge.

Track listing

All songs written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich except where noted.

  1. "Enter Sandman" (Kirk Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) – 5:32
  2. "Sad But True" – 5:24
  3. "Holier Than Thou" – 3:47
  4. "The Unforgiven" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) – 6:27
  5. "Wherever I May Roam" – 6:44
  6. "Don't Tread on Me" – 4:00
  7. "Through the Never" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) – 4:04
  8. "Nothing Else Matters" (Michael Kamen with Orchestra) – 6:28
  9. "Of Wolf and Man" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) – 4:16
  10. "The God That Failed" – 5:08
  11. "My Friend of Misery" (Hetfield, Jason Newsted, Ulrich) – 6:49
  12. "The Struggle Within" – 3:55

Singles

Personnel

Charting

Album

Year Chart Position
1991 The Billboard 200 1

Singles

Year Song Chart Position
1991 "Enter Sandman" The Billboard Hot 100 16
"Enter Sandman" Mainstream Rock Tracks 10
"Enter Sandman" Modern Rock Tracks 28
"Enter Sandman" UK Top 40 5
"Don't Tread on Me" Mainstream Rock Tracks 21
1992 "The Unforgiven" The Billboard Hot 100 35
"The Unforgiven" Mainstream Rock Tracks 10
"Nothing Else Matters" The Billboard Hot 100 34
"Nothing Else Matters" Mainstream Rock Tracks 11
"Wherever I May Roam" The Billboard Hot 100 82
"Wherever I May Roam" Mainstream Rock Tracks 25
"Sad but True" The Billboard Hot 100 98
"Sad but True" Mainstream Rock Tracks 15

References

  1. ^ a b Rosen, Craig. The Billboard Book of Number One Albums. Billboard Books, 1996 ISBN 0-8230-7586-9
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