The Metallica of Their Day!!!!
927011
Man, I've heard some AWESOME Heavy Metal bands in my day, but only a very select few I would even dare to compare to Metallica. The rise of Lamb of God was not just a step, but a giant leap in the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal. It's bands like Chimaira, Killswitch Engage, In Flames, Soulfly, and Lamb of God that got me to LOVE the metal of today. The best of the past has met the fresh talent of the new. THANK YOU LAMB OF GOD! You'd make Metallica proud.
2919776
Metallica's sophomore album, "Ride The Lightning" certainly showcases some interesting and classic thrashers. It's hard to imagine what the metal community nowadays would be like without gems like this album. It seems that this album seemed to be an overlooked one in Metallica's early catalogue, considering "Kill 'Em All" is generally considered the birth of thrash metal, "Master of Puppets" is regarded as Metallica's magnum opus, and "...And Justice For All" got Metallica some mainstream attention with the music video for "One".
Regardless of whether or not "Ride The Lightning" is overlooked or not, it's still a classic that should be in every metalhead's collection. One interesting thing about this album is that while it still captured the raw power and fast energy of Metallica's debut, it seems to have a thicker, more polished, and at times, more epic sound. Don't get me wrong, though, I still think "The Four Horsemen" off their debut is one of the finest metal epics, but to get a full review of "Ride The Lightning", simply read on.
"Fight Fire With Fire" starts things off with some classical acoustic guitar playing for a bit over half a minute. Suddenly, a crushing riff rips its way into your sound system at about a hundred miles an hour. The massive drums crash their ways in and you have a fast and furious headbanger about the evils of pollution and nuclear warfare. The singing is also very raw, with James singing a very staccato pattern, "Do!...Un!...-to others!...As!...They've!...Done to you!". Great way to start off the album.
"Ride The Lightning", the six and a half minute epic title track starts off with some high-pitched guitar notes before going into a thrashy, Devil's Tritone riff. Some epic guitar soloing is featured in here, along with an interesting storyline that shows how the band is against capital punishment.
"For Whom The Bell Tolls" is a progressive, five-minute classic with plenty of great guitar riffs that occupy the first two minutes of the song. The nastiest riff of them all is featured in the chorus, and some wild guitar playing closes this war song out.
"Fade To Black" is a personal favorite of mine, one of the best songs on the album, and one of the very best songs Metallica's ever written. Some sad but beautiful acoustic guitar work opens with a lovely electric solo. Mournful but poetic lyrics occupy the verses, then comes a powerful chorus riff. More great guitar soloing fills the rest of the song out.
"Trapped Under Ice" is another heavy song about struggle, featuring some dirty riffage and wild soloing that definitely makes itself worthy to be on the album.
"Escape" is a more melodic, radio-friendly sounding song, but nonetheless a great track, as well. A bit shorter and a pretty cool song.
"Creeping Death" is a song that defines thrash metal. This is an overall great song that you gotta hear. Its lyrics refer to the Seven Plagues in the story of Moses in the Bible, and the thrashing riffs pummel their way into your brain. And, as always, Kirk Hammett shows us why he's an amazing guitarist when he screeches out those awesome guitar solos.
"The Call of Ktulu" is a nine-minute, progressive instrumental. A cool way to end the album, it has an odd but mesmerizing tone that features some mighty and powerful riffs and drums, alongside solos that give the song quite an epic tone. I personally prefer "Orion" off "Master of Puppets", but this song is definitely a great one, too.
So as you can see, "Ride The Lightning" is undoubtedly a classic metal album. I've seen it ranked as being one of the top ten metal albums of all time, and when you give this a listen, you'll see why. All of the tracks are very strong, the songwriting's great, as are the singing, guitar-, bass-, and drum-playing. Get this, along with the other three Metallica releases in the '80s, and even "The Black Album" if you're interested. Overall, this is a very strong and solid album that I would recommend to all fans of thrash metal, and heavy metal in general. Good job to the 'tallica guys! Thanks for the time, and peace.
4337128
Trivium has released what I believe is the (almost) best metal release of 2006...

Only one thing knocked "THE CRUSADE" down to second best...

Lamb of God's "SACRAMENT", released back in August

(Please read my review of SACRAMENT to find out why).

Now let's go back to "THE CRUSADE"...

My first exposure to metal music was back when I was 12...

Def Leppard's "Pyromania"...

At that moment, I thought "Rock of Ages" was the heaviest most agressive heavy metal song of all time...

A year later 1984...an old friend of mine came to my house and said "you need to listen to this; it's like nothing you've heard before".

When I saw the cover of this album, I was completely stunned with the name of both the band and the album...

Metallica, Ride the Lightning...

Fight Fire With Fire, Creeping Death, Fade To Black...

At just 13 years old, my true metal education had begun...

This was music, true music...Nothing was more aggressive than this...NOTHING !

And this was just the beginning...

A year later(1985)...Enter "Hell Awaits" by Slayer...Again I was completely blowned away by the precise musicianship portrayed by this band (and I was just 14 !)...

And Metallica and Slayer had not even released their best 2 albums yet...

"Master of Puppets"(1986) and "Reign in Blood"(1986)...

No other type of music, (metal or non-metal) got close to the type of music that bands like Slayer, Metallica, Exodus or Anthrax produced during the 80's.

The guitar solos, the pounding drums, the lyrics...everything about it was...in one word...AMAZING !!! These were true musicians...PERIOD !!!

Those were the 80's and then...there were the 90's...

Metal got boring...Only Pantera was heavy, but you have to admit, they were no Slayer or Metallica (from the 80's)...

Since the days of "Puppets" and "Blood", metal has not seen the aggressiveness, the power, the adrenaline that characterized those classics...UNTIL NOW !!!

The resurrection of Metal has begun...

Trivium's "THE CRUSADE" is as good as "Ride The Lightning" (not as good as "Master Of Puppets") and after seeing them perform live on 10/20/06 at the Gothic Theater in Englewood, CO...I must say that the feelings I had when I first saw "Ride The Lightning" back in 1984 are coming back...

Trivium has changed since "Ascendancy" (yes), but for the better!!!

Mark my words, they are the next Metallica...and if they learn from the mistakes that Metallica has made ("LOAD" and "RE-LOAD"), they could become even better than Metallica (remember, Trivium's average age is 20), they can still produce their own "Master Of Puppets".

You MUST buy this CD if you want to be part of this new resurgence of metal...

If you know what a "mosh" part of a song is, and want to have that feeling again...then you MUST buy this CD...

Because we have been waiting for this for many years...FOREVER LOUD !!!

It's time to bang your head again !!!
1004672
Yes ! Yes! Yesss!!!!! I love this damn album. From beginning to end it has you wondering what will this genius think of next. It has been a long time coming for Megadeth and finally they have conquered Metallica. Maybe not in record sales but for damn sure with intensity and the well-earned respect he deserves from die-hard fans like me. I've been a fan of Megadeth since I was 12 and wasn't really impressed with albums like Risk and Cryptic Writings. Their last two offerings have been some of their most intense, inventive and dominant albums. System has Failed picks up where "World Needs a Hero" left off and with an opener(Blackmail the Universe) remniscent of material from "So Far, So Good, So What" they definately fill the void and bitter taste in my mouth that St. Anger left. You can almost feel his anger and raw emotion that he puts in songs like"Tears in a Vial". He grips you with his stylishly sung clean vocals but then pummels you at the same time with thrashy riffs and blistering thrash solos that haven't seen the light of day since the "Rust in Peace" era Megadeth. One of the tracks that stood out the most to me was "Truth be Told". Dave Mustaine is an excellent songwriter and any body who says this is more of a solo Dave Mustaine effort is a retard. DAVE IS MEGADETH YOU MORON!!!!!!Always has, always was, and always will be until he is dragged kicking and screaming to his grave. ALL HAIL THE KING OF THRASH METAL!!!! EAT YOUR HEART OUT JAMES HETTFIELD
1958528
Listen up people!!!! For all you Slayer, Sepultra, and what I call "Thrash with Class" bands, fans will be happy to know that once again someone has proven that this music scene has NOT and will NOT die. The Haunted rip out incredible, burning guitar riffs and pound you with excellent double bass drumming. You will not be cheated by these guys...A total blessing for mosh fans that like their music talented instead of noisy. "Undead" will take you back to Reign in Blood days and include a slight Beneath the Remains flashback. This band is so tight!!!! I just cannot say enough about them. I truly miss this type of metal. They refresh the soul with a balance of speed, power and vocal lines that you can actually understand what is being said. Great work guys...I anxiously await many more releases from this band. Death and growler (Napalm, Cannibal etc...) fans might as well stay away....this band has WAY to much talent for your listening interests!!!!Cla! ssy Speed Metal FOREVER!!!! (I know 'cuz I'm a 35 yr old professional guitarist)
1075711
fast technical guitars, chug guitars, melodic guitaring, raw high scream with low grawls in places that fit perfectly and precision drums that are catchy as hell. two singers have never sounded so good in metal grindcore band, this band is a jem to be found by those who love brutal metal with great grove, rthym and handfulls of breakdowns. for fans of, Summers End, Through the Eyes of The Dead, Darkest Hour, The Taste of Blood

THIS IS A MUST HAVE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
3571935
I am a great fan of Metallica's 80s metal. I have heard all of their albums and this best there is. If you are planning on buying a Metallica CD you should buy this one
3504810
How good is this album !? This is one of the best albums i've ever heard. It's ranking up there with Nellyville and Justified, choreographed music at it's best. If you take old metal kings Metallica and their new album and compare it with Mastodon, it's laughable. Mastodon pukes all over everybody and everything. There is not a second of bad music here.
I must get new trousers.
PS. I saw them live before i had heard them, and their performance will make Neil Young look like Iggy Pop and/or Rolling Stones.
1436633
this meshuggah album is one of the births of this style thrash aks any metal fan...as for the guy who said metallica's new stuff is better than meshuggah you need to open your ears. i gurantee that metallica had the one and only meshuggah in mind when they made st.(horrible album)anger..i cant describe this band in so little words but all i have to say is technical.when i first heard this band i heard chiors of devastation and thought how original the sound was compared to alot of other bands that came out in 1991.but with age this band just gets better i think everyone who is a metallica fan should not take offense to what i said because i truly do respect metallica, but i think everyone should respect meshuggah for their sheer talent...
2622424
Holy crap is all I can say when it comes to this mutha. This is my favorite Metallica album because it is raw and it is GOOD! For a bunch of young'uns, they had the wickedest chops around! They should start releasing singles off of this baby right now in 2004, cuz they'd beat the fertilizer out of today's bunk.  Hit the lights really kicks the album off, and 4 Horsemen just sends shivers down my spine, cat! Seek and Destroy tops my list cuz of 1. The kickass intro and 2. the rest of the song! Every song except whiplash is EXCELLENT, and the only reason i'd exclude that one is cuz of repetetiveness.  I dig on the bass guitar, and I worshipped Cliff Burton from the get-go once i popped this album in. If only my band would realize what kickin' music really is!
4952283
Now, I know what you all may be thinking, but before you pass judgement please hear what I have to say. Most people might say that Metallica culminated their career with "Master" or "Justice" and haven't returned to the good ole days in more then a decade, but in my opinion, the "Black" album was the pinnacle of creativity for Metallica (listen to "The Struggle Within" for pointers). From Kirk's soaring solos, to Hetfield's destructive rhythm guitars right down to Newsted's rumbling bass lines, the Black Album had everything that we Metallica fans longed for for 3 long years.

All this to say that what was started on "Steelbath Suicide" has now culminated on "Stabbing the Drama". The boys in Soilwork have matured to the point that it is no longer about playing the fastest riff or double bassing your songs to death, it's about the song itself. Soilwork have taken the best of all five albums and assorted "B-Sides" to create their defining album. This album challenges the ears, catching you off guard one minute and then dropping you right back into a thundering breakdown, before plunging you right into the chorus with Bjorn singing three vocals lines intertwining with one another as the guitars fill the left over space (not much) with soaring melodies. It's the kind of album you want everyone to hear, including your grandmother....it's that GOOD!

Ever since "Natural Born Chaos", these boys have restored my faith in "Metal" and "Stabbing" has continued that trend. This guys seem to have no sense of letting up at all and I hope and pray that they continue to challenge the music scene and continually keep raising the bar, because there is a reason why bands like "In Flames" and "Soilwork" are so popular...it's because they rip and shred and people recognize it and acknowledge it.

I used to buy every Metallica album sight unseen (or unheard for that matter) and as tough as it is to admit this, that stopped happening after St. Anger and when I look back on it, should have stopped happening after the Load/Reload days. It's with heartache that I say that, were it not for Soilwork. I dedicate this review to you guys, thanks for keeping the heart of metal alive. With Respect from a devoted Soilworker!
4727767
When I heard that Metallica was releasing a new album and it was going to be called Death Magnetic I was so scared. I really thought it was gonna be a complete dupicate of St. Anger, So at first I hesitated of buying this album mainly because of hearing no guitar solos and that god awful Snare Drum in St. Anger. So how did I approach myself of buying this album I borrowed my friends the day it came out and listened to it one good time. To tell everyone the truth I was not disappointed at all at this album. I absoloutely love this album, It was almost as if I just put Ride, Kill, Master, and Justice in all at once. So as soon as I gave the album back to my friend I went out to buy the album. So my suggestion to anyone and every Metallica fans out there, This album is a complete Masterpiece compared to St. Anger, So if your ready to relive your childhood with Metallica as you once did with Kill, Ride, Master, and Justice. Do yourself a favor and go pick up a copy of this album. Believe me you want be disappointed. =)
1252538
I gotta admit, I ran across this band when I learned that Helloween has a new album out and I went on Amazon to search when they have it for sale. Under the  "other suggested bands section", Holy Grail was listed. So then I went on youtube to listen to them to see how good they are, and I was like Holy Grail!!!!  This lads are awesome!!!! I got to admit the truth is these young men have talent, hands down!!! Their musicianship and skills are out of this world, and from my point of view, they could be the next generation band like Metallica or Iron Maiden. The Vocalist has an awesome voice and he can sing the high notes that probably only Rob Halford or Warell Dane could come up with. This is a heavy metal band that should be in your collection, so go buy the CD, its worth the money.
4087833
Metallica has put together another great box release.  Along with Binge and Purge and last year's concerts in Mexico, they have put out some of the best stuff ever.  Great sounding without being too polished sounding.  Go by Best Buy first, just bought a copy from them today.  No need in spendnig 189.00 or higher.
3138173
This is the best thrash album that I have ever heard. This is one of the best Metallica albums that they ever came out with.(between Master of Puppets or And Justice for all). This album came out mouths before Cliff's death(basses) so this was the last album that he did with the band. The tracks listings on the record are Battery,Master of Puppets(those two are my favorite songs from the album),Thing that should not be(an awsome heavy metal song),Welcome Home(very good ballad form the record),Disposable Heroes(great song to get your head going to the music),Lepper Messiah(another one of my favorites),Orion(the best instrumental that Metallica ever made)and Damage(not my favorite but a good song the least to say).That is it, if you want Metallica at its best go out and buy this album or go out and buy And Justice For All. This is a must have for any Metallica fan anywhere
3639244
Wow, what can you say about avenged sevenfold, there such a talemted band. its crazy, amazing guitar riff's, amazing vox, awesome bass, and f**king amazing drums. the reverend is by far the best drummer that is around. Hes so talented. and you all know it.
If you haven't heard of avenged sevenfold but are a fan of Metallica, In Flames, Pantera, you should definitly pick up "waking the fallen", you will be blown away after the 1st track..well 1st REAL track titled "unholy confessions" To those of you who boght it, rock on, to those of yu who didnt, what are yu waiting for?!
Favorite tracks;
unholy confessions
chapter four
descerate through reverance
and I won't see you tonight part 1&2
A7X FOR LIFE!
3301152
What we have here is Metallica getting re-inspired by their roots of earlier thrash metal. Though crafting 10 modern Metal epics that ride. It's pure brilliance from start to finish. "That Was Just Your Life" is the best album opener I've heard in years with a great build up that launches you into the madness of the 74 minutes to come. "The End of the Line" is my personal favorite with an incredible intro I could never hear too much of. "All Nightmare Long", "The Judas Kiss", and "My Apocalypse" are all seriously heavy tracks which will not disappoint if you're looking for Puppets/Justice era quality. "The Day That Never Comes" is a modern rendition of songs like "Fade to Black" and "One," Without loosing touch to the great feel of the Album. Cyanide is a head banger that has a killer break down ringing back to ...and Justice For All. "The Unforgiven III" brings a softer interlude with Piano and an Orchestra that builds up to one Epic guitar solo. It is a distant cousin of the other Unforgivens so If you're looking for a song just like them it might be a little different from what you expect. That being said it's still a moving track. Lastly the instrumental "Suicide & Redemption," well I think Lars Ulrich was right when he called it a "Future rock n' roll hall of famer." If you're a fan of any of Metallica's previous albums, or just a metal fan in general you will not be disappointed. Metal Album of the Decade! Buy it now!