Load (album)

Load
Metallica studio album
Publication (s)	June 4th 1996
admission	May 1995 – February 1996
Label (s)	Elektra Records
Format (s)	CD, LP
Genre (s)	Heavy metal , hard rock
Title (number)	14th
running time	78:59
occupation	Vocals , guitar : James Hetfield Guitar ; Background vocals : Kirk Hammett Bass , background vocals: Jason Newsted Drums : Lars Ulrich
production	Bob Rock , James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich
Studio (s)	The Plant Studios in Sausalito , California (USA)
chronology Metallica (1991) Load ReLoad (1997)
Single releases May 21, 1996 Until It Sleeps October 22, 1996 Hero of the Day November 18, 1996 Mama Said February 11, 1997 King Nothing

Load is the sixth studio album by the US metal band Metallica . It was first published on June 4, 1996.

Emergence

During the five years following the release of the Metallica album (also known as "The Black Album"), Metallica toured virtually continuously. During this time, some songs were written that would later be the framework for Load . In 1995 they started recording the new album with their producer Bob Rock . It was originally planned to record a double album. However, it was agreed to record a single album first, then go on tour again and then take on the second part.

The song The Outlaw Torn was shortened for the album. The full version was subsequently published as the B-side of the single The Memory Remains from the follow-up album ReLoad under the name The Outlaw Torn (Unencumbered by Manufacturing Restrictions Version) with a run length of 10:48. The band gave the following reasons for reducing the length of the track:

“When we were doing the final sequencing of the 'LOAD' album, the record company told us that we couldn't go a second past 78:59, or your CDs wouldn't play without potentially skipping. With our 14 songs, we were running about 30 seconds over, and something had to give, so the cool-ass jam at the end of 'Outlaw' got chopped. ”

- Inlay of the single The Memory Remains

Music style and presentation

The change in musical style that Metallica had started with the "Black Album" in contrast to the previous album ... And Justice for All continued on Load . Load is no longer a typical heavy metal album, but also tends towards rock . There are also influences from blues rock . The album also features Mama Said and Wasting My Hate, the first Metallica tracks that do not contain guitar solos.

The appearance of the new album alone no longer had much in common with a heavy metal album: It had a cover and a work by the artist Andres Serrano called "Blood and Semen III" served as the cover (cattle blood with ejaculate by the artist were under Pressed glass). The album also features a new band logo for the first time .

Track list

1. Ain't My Bitch (Hetfield, Ulrich) - 5:04
2. 2 X 4 (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 5:28
3. The House Jack Built (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 6:39
4. Until It Sleeps (Hetfield, Ulrich) - 4:30
5. King Nothing (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 5:28
6. Hero of the Day (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 4:22
7. Bleeding Me (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 8:18
8. Cure (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 4:54
9. Poor Twisted Me (Hetfield, Ulrich) - 4:00
10. Wasting My Hate (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 3:57
11. Mama Said (Hetfield, Ulrich) - 5:19
12. Thorn Within (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) - 5:51
13. Ronnie (Hetfield, Ulrich) - 5:17
14. The Outlaw Torn (Hetfield, Ulrich) - 9:49

reception

Reviews

With both Load and its successor ReLoad , Metallica lost numerous heavy metal fans of the old school, who vehemently demanded back the music of the 1980s. They accused the band of betraying their old role models. This was partly explained by the new appearance, which the band now shows with short hair and some band members with subtle make-up. They were also accused of having become too commercial and having nothing to do with metal anymore .

Chart positions Explanation of the data

Albums

Load   DE 1 06/17/1996 (37 weeks)   AT 1 06/16/1996 (20 weeks)   CH 1 06/16/1996 (20 weeks)   UK 1 06/15/1996 (22 weeks)   US 1 06/22/1996 (98 weeks)

Singles

Until It Sleeps   DE 15th 06/03/1996 (14 weeks)   AT 12 06/09/1996 (12 weeks)   CH 22nd 06/09/1996 (9 weeks)   UK 5 06/01/1996 (5 weeks)   US 10 06/08/1996 (20 weeks) Hero of the Day   DE 39 09/23/1996 (6 weeks)   AT 29 10/13/1996 (2 weeks)   UK 17th 09/28/1996 (4 weeks)   US 60 11/09/1996 (18 weeks) Mama Said   UK 19th 07/12/1996 (2 weeks) King Nothing   US 90 03/01/1997 (8 weeks)

Sales figures and chart successes

Load did not sell as well as the Black album , but it was still a huge commercial success overall. The album reached top positions in the United States, Great Britain and Germany. Load has been awarded platinum in the UK , five times gold in Germany and five times platinum in the USA. In Germany, the album has been one of the best-selling music albums since 1975, with 1.25 million copies sold . In the Austrian charts , the album stayed at number one for five weeks and 20 weeks in the charts and was awarded platinum.

Country / Region	Award	Sales
Awards for music sales (country / region, Award, Sales)
Argentina (CAPIF)	platinum	60,000
Australia (ARIA)	2 × platinum	140,000
Belgium (BEA)	gold	25,000
Brazil (PMB)	gold	100,000
Germany (BVMI)	5 × gold	1,250,000
Europe (IFPI)	2 × platinum	(2,000,000)
Finland (IFPI)	platinum	64,384
France (SNEP)	gold	100,000
Japan (RIAJ)	platinum	200,000
Canada (MC)	4 × platinum	400,000
Norway (IFPI)	platinum	50,000
Netherlands (NVPI)	gold	50,000
Austria (IFPI)	platinum	50,000
Poland (ZPAV)	gold	50,000
Sweden (IFPI)	platinum	100,000
Spain (Promusicae)	platinum	100,000
Hungary (MAHASZ)	gold	10,000
Uruguay (CUD)	gold	3,000
United States (RIAA)	5 × platinum	5,000,000
United Kingdom (BPI)	platinum	300,000
All in all	7 × gold 24 × platinum	8,052,384

Main article: Metallica / Music Sales Awards

Awards

Metallica received two American Music Awards for this album . Metallica itself won the award in the “American Music Awards Favorite Heavy Metal - Hard Rock Artist” category, and the successful single Until It Sleeps won the award in the “Favorite Metal / Hard Rock Song” category. The song also won the MTV Music Award for Best Metal Video.

Individual evidence

1. ↑ ^{a b} Load | Metallica.com. Retrieved May 6, 2020 . 
2. ^ David Fricke: Load. Album review. In: Rolling Stone . December 4, 1996, accessed March 14, 2019 . 
3. ^ Metallica - Load Review. In: metal.de. versus: media UG, September 27, 2002, accessed on March 14, 2019 . 
4. ↑ Chart positions: DE AT CH UK US
5. ↑ Load at Allmusic (English)
6. ↑ everyhit.com
7. ↑ charts-surfer.de
8. ↑ bpi.co.uk
9. ↑ Gold / platinum database - Bundesverband Musikindustrie e. V.
10. ↑ riaa.com
11. ↑ metallicaworld.co.uk ( Memento from October 29, 2008 in the Internet Archive )