METALLICA - What If Battery Was On ...And Justice For All Reaction!!!

Metallica excel on this album both musically and lyrically. Each track is given a progressive treatment unlike anything before. Some of the tracks run for over 9 minutes and this was not a regular occurrence in metal during the height of its power in the 80s - the metal years. Metallica proved themselves as musical virtuosos and every band member absolutely shines on this release. From screaming intricate lead breaks to complex bass and drum arrangements that set the metronome off the scale, this is a work of pure genius, and the pinnacle of Metallica's meteoric rise to metal power. It is impossible to find one standout track as each track holds its own compelling authority as classics. With a running length of an hour the album became legendary as a metal epic. The tracks have become part of history as the most influential and dynamic in the genre. And yes, there are enough progressive elements here to quench the appetite for the most insatiated prog metal fanatic. We have the blistering power metal of 'Blackened' which starts this metal journey. Then the band launch into '...and Justice for All', with all its time shift changes and themes of social injustice, is reminiscent of the best of prog from the 70s, but injected with an edge of chaotic pentameter rather than iambic, with its metrical pattern changes and large scale construction, at over 9 minutes long. 'Eye of the Beholder' is a frenzy of pounding drums and booming bass that drive the track relentlessly to scintillating lead work and crunching guitar riffing. 'One' became a single, albeit a 7 minute one that begins very slowly and with moments of tranquil acoustic melancholy. This leads the way to the awesome brutal riffs in the instrumental section and then Hetfield screams:Darkness imprisoning meAll that I seeAbsolute horrorI cannot liveI cannot dieTrapped in myselfBody my holding cellLandmine has taken my sightTaken my speechTaken my hearingTaken my armsTaken my legsTaken my soulLeft me with life in hellThe lyrics has appeared on the back of Metallica T shirts and reinforces the power of the track that remains an absolute classic - the topic is simple - the disposable heroes of the war, the men who suffered without a cause, are the victims and their life is useless once they return from the horror of war. A theme that surfaces again and again in Metallica and other metallers. These are heavy handed themes to be sure, but the point was to sell it as fast and as brutal as necessary. Metallica were not interested in making a difference to history, they were revitalising the injustice of history in the minds and hearts of rock devotees worldwide. The film clip that accompanies it is honest and powerful and worth checking out.Where do you go from here? Catchy riffs and big ideas in 'The Shortest Straw'. What is it about? Shortest strawChallenge libertyDowned by lawLive in infamyRub you rawWitchhunt riding throughShortest strawThis shortest straw has been pulled for you 'Nuff said. Liberty and injustice for all was Metallica's main drive behind this album.They continue wonderfully with 'Harvester of Sorrow' with one of the best riffs you are likely to hear. An undisputed classic, with a huge wall of sound that drives headlong to its ultimate conclusion. The structure of these tracks are incredible.Next is the 'The Frayed Ends of Sanity' another long track accentuated by a remarkable lead break from Hammett. 'To Live Is to Die' is another 9 minute treasure with more prog aspects and a very inspiring instrumental section. It all ends with the pacey 'Dyers Eve' and when it is all over you want to play it again. This is an irresistible album, full of the drawing power of brutal riffs, that crawl at some points and build velocity and momentum at others, and it is all complimented by compelling lyrics. One of the best prog metal albums you will hear. social review comments Review PermalinkPosted Monday, October 13, 2008 Review this album Report (Review #185536)

METALLICA - What If Battery Was on ...And Justice For All Reaction!!!

On this release James Hatfield, Lars Ulrich, Kirk Hammett and newbie Newsted forged one of the most demanding and progressive albums of their career which in many respects paved the way for the technical thrash and death metal offshoots of the 90s and beyond before METALLICA themselves would devolve into just another alternative band, however on this one they were at their commercial peak as JUSTICE was the true breakthrough album that sent their very uncommercial album into the stratosphere of the public consciousness and became their biggest selling album to date. Always ones to buck the trend, METALLICA never released videos but until the creation of their single "One," which not only shot up the charts on MTV on their metal oriented Head Bangers Ball but through sheer sales alone, the single charted in the top 40 on the Billboard singles showing their true power propelled by the fans alone with little radio play to support it.This album has always been somewhat of a divisive one in terms of the production department as it went against the grain in not veering into the overly slick artiness that was the norm with the glam and pop oriented metal bands of the era (such as Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Poison etc.) Although I hear a lot of complaining about the production of this album, I have to say that I quite like it and IMHO it delivers a unique sound unlike any other album ever recorded. It's important to remember that there was a backlash to overproduced albums in the late 80s with the success of slick studio albums from Def Leppard, Bon Jovi, Poison etc. I personally fall into the camp of those who loves the production utilized on JUSTICE. While being a sophisticated pseudo-prog thrash album compositionally speaking, the filthy muddy production retains the angry garage metal roots and offers the best aspects of both sides of the metal universe.Therefore i really believe that Metallica intended this to have a more lo-fi sound that would keep them sounding underground even if they were becoming one of the biggest names on the planet. Something about the theme and lyrical content about the lack of justice that lend an oppressive sound to the whole thing. The sounds of the guitars and bass as one super-instrument (a common complaint is that you can't hear the bass) somehow imply that when justice is denied, no one has his own voice. The album despite being a huge success (the album eventually went on to sell 8 million plus copies) still retains the primeval punk infused righteous anger while hosting some of the most interesting musical constructs ever laid down in the metal universe. A remastered album is planned for 2018 and there have been so called "fan corrections" that add a separate bass line but after listening to these imposed constructs, i always conclude that the methodology sounds like what the BLACK ALBUM would sound like.While it's really hard for me to pick a favorite album from METALLICA (only 3 contenders), this one may be the one i've listened to the most. It was the first album I actually owned from them and I have listened to this more times than I can count to the point of being sick of it years ago!However all i have to do is put this in and push play and remember why this easily ranks as one of my favorite albums of all time and is one that stands the test of time and despite the universe of metal that has been created since it's release. AND JUSTICE FOR ALL remains one of the most sophisticated yet roots oriented metal masterpieces that has ever been recorded. Master of puppets, no more. This is where METALLICA broke free from the confines and limitations of all the underground limitations of the day and paved the way for the flood of extreme metal acts to follow in their wake. Not only a pioneering album that is historically relevant but musically worthy of a top notch designation for high quality concepts, instrumental prowess and passionate delivery. social review comments Review PermalinkPosted Wednesday, November 27, 2013 Review this album Report (Review #1082568)

At this point Metallica were the Kings of Metal. (or was that Manowar?) "...and Justice for All" is heavy, epic length, progressive, and even melodic. Nobody would classify Metallica as a progressive metal band but this album was more progressive and more technical than most of what would be called "progressive metal." "...And Justice for All" is one of the all time greatest metal discs.

Metallica are a band that will evoke strong emotions and reactions, both positively and negatively, no matter what they do. Every metal chat room I know of had heated discussions before and after the release of this CD People were even fighting over what they thought of the CD artwork long before the CD was even released. For some reason it has become 'cool' to hate Metallica in metal circles. Despite this, these lucky Metalli-dudes just seem to always have a hype about them that equally talented bands like Anthrax somehow lost years ago, even though they are putting out music of equal, if not better caliber. Much of the hatred comes from that fact that Metallica refuse to stay predictable. However, no one should expect Metallica, or any other band for that matter, to recreate old albums. I mean, would anyone expect Black Sabbath to remake "Paranoid" or Judas Priest to write another "Sad Wings of Destiny" over and over again? If they did, we wouldn't have "Heaven & Hell" and "Painkiller", two of the greatest metal albums ever released. No doubt those bands put out some failures in between their successes. Of course Metallica will never make another "Ride the Lightning" or "Master of Puppets" no matter how much prerelease hype there is saying that the next album with be a 'return to their roots.' I mean it is two decades later. Unfortunately, if you always compare their newer music to their old albums, you will always be disappointed, especially if you, like me, hold those old albums in high esteem. Even the loss of someone as vital as Cliff Burton will effect their sound, which became apparent even in the first album after his death. However, I admit, I am a Metallica die-hard and have followed them since day one. I mean, I literally have been a fan since the day "Kill 'Em All" was released on Megaforce and in like manner I rushed out to buy this CD the week it was released as well. I didn't really believe all the hype anyhow, and didn't even bother checking out the first single ("St. Anger") that was being played on the radio the week this CD was released. I really just wanted to make up my own mind and check this disc out for myself. I really wanted to like this CD. However, after listening to "St. Anger" all the way through at least 7 or 8 times in a week, I have come to the conclusion that the band and their producer Bob Rock are on drugs. I mean, what were they thinking? "St. Anger" is just horrid. I said all that stuff in the opening paragraph to show, that I am not just comparing this disc to past discs nor am I a trendy Metallica hater. This CD is just not good. While it does have it's interesting moments, and I do like "Frantic" and "Sweet Amber", the production is horrible and the songs generally sound unfinished. The lack of guitar solos is very noticeable. There are parts of songs that are just screaming for a guitar solo. James Hetfield's vocals sound horrible in some parts, although in other parts I like the rougher, angrier approach and think this is the most honest vocal performance he has given since "Kill 'Em All". Hetfield's voice is dry, unproduced, cracking, missing hitting notes, sometimes straining and generally pretty angry sounding. In "Frantic" for instance, I really liked the somewhat raw, punkish way James sings "frantic, tick, tick, tick, tock" building the song in a "frantic" way. It was one of the most enjoyable moments on the album. The guitars, on the other hand, are another big problem. They have no crunch and due to the downtuning sound muddy. They are also buried under the drums at times. The worst part about the production, however, is that tin can snare that Lars bangs on through the entire thing. (Hey Lars, ever heard of Duct Tape?) In anycase, this really brought the album down for me. Even the songs I liked are infected with that rattly, noisy, ringing snare drum that really does sound like a tin pot or a garbage can lid. The title cut is absolutely destroyed by the drum sound. I do applaud and welcome the band's return to more dynamic, faster, and heavier style and certainly can appreciate that they wanted a more raw sound. "St. Anger" is certainly raw. However, it's also dirty, full of mistakes, flubs and sloppy moments, and is engineered and recorded to sound like someone just hung a microphone in the band's rehearsal room and let them jam. It's unfortunate that this album sounds worse than a cheap demo. I actually think the DVD, which actually was recorded live in the band's practice space, sounds better than the CD. Perhaps over time I will grow to like this disc better, but for now, I think this is their worst yet. Here is hoping for something better in the future. They are more than capable. 041b061a72