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Metallica - Ride The Lightning review



Reviewer:
10

3631 users:
9.24
Band: Metallica
Album: Ride The Lightning
Release date: July 1984


01. Fight Fire With Fire
02. Ride The Lightning
03. For Whom The Bell Tolls
04. Fade To Black
05. Trapped Under Ice
06. Escape
07. Creeping Death
08. The Call Of Ktulu

1984. Talk about a band and an album being so far ahead of their time that they would be hallmarks in the history of metal...

Ride the Lightning was nothing less than a nuclear bomb dropped in American metal laps. We'd heard Judas Priest and Sabbath, but nothing could have prepared anyone for what was coming full force out of San Francisco in '84. Since Kill 'em All had limited success in the underground, most people still hadn't heard of the Bay area thrashers who were busy forging a new metal scene stateside. With the launch of Ride the Lightning and heavy touring, Metallica were set to take stage as one of the more brutal premier metal acts.

Although Mercyful Fate had the black metal scene covered over in Denmark, and Judas Priest were busy taking us Beyond the Realms of Death in the UK, nobody stateside had really stepped up to claim the rights as heaviest, loudest and fastest in North America. Metallica were more than willing and had plenty of that young, in-your-face raw energy which was needed. Jaded early on by what were being called sellouts and bands that weren't taking the music seriously enough, Metallica shoved Kill 'em All in everyone's face which was just raw fury. Now it was time to tighten the screws, refine the music a bit more, and create an album which would showcase their talents along with their already raging, furious speed.

Ride the Lightning is an experience in raw, fast and furiously played music which holds few if any punches. Fight Fire With Fire is a musical onslaught. They filled our ears and rooms with their blasting guitars and relentless drumming from song 1. As a 14 year old kid I had to stand up and say, "HOLY SHIT!!!" out loud a few times. That's not to say Ride the Lightning isn't without a musical flaw. For Whom the Bell Tolls is a standard musical affair without much to offer the more advanced musician, but the rest of the cd is headlong into chunky, fast e-chords and double bass drumming. The themes are great, the ambiance is perfect, and the timing spot on throughout. Had the band not had one of Joe Satriani's prodigal sons in Kirk Hammett, I think the music would have been severely lacking and forgettable.

Metallica would soon peak with their next offering Master of Puppets which would showcase all of their skills as budding progressive metal musicians, and see the end of an era for a band that was built on rage and fury. The untimely, tragic death of Cliff Burton on the road in Europe would be a major catalyst in the direction the band would go afterward. Their mounting popularity gave them a chance to finally make some money and with the money came all the trappings of a secure life which unfortunately came out in their music after ...And Justice For All. The band and their music would never be remotely close to the raw intensity of Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. I'm grateful to have grown up musically during this era and to have had the chance to witness it all firsthand.

Written by ponderer | 06.07.2008




Guest review disclaimer:
This is a guest review, which means it does not necessarily represent the point of view of the MS Staff.

Guest review by
Iced Iñigo
Rating:
10
With this album Metallica confirm their total control on Thrash Metal and their consolidation like an international band. In this album the band members were fully adapted to each other and make a more mature and considerably better musical album. The lyrics of this album are also better than in the last one, they do not speak now about headbanging, blood, and those things, in "Ride The Lightning" they speak about personal problems like in 'Fade To Black' . Other tracks are inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and the movie 'The Ten Commandments' like 'Creeping Death'.

Read more ››
published 22.09.2003 | Comments (48)

Guest review by
TheH2K
Rating:
9.2
Metallica's second effort, called Ride The Lightning, was released in 1984. The American band verged it in an international scale, projecting that the real brutality is not merely limited through fast tempos, and other musical procedures can be tested.

Ride The Lightning widely presents musical and lyrical progress, with more mature songs than Kill 'Em All. Metallica consciously developed more political and social lyrics; the songs are not about metal music itself, demonic contents or violence anymore. Solos are better-shaped and riffs are impeccable, and most importantly bass lines won't leave any space for critics.

Read more ››
published 06.06.2020 | Comments (2)


Comments page 2 / 2

Comments: 37   Visited by: 248 users
22.09.2010 - 22:38
JohnDoe
Account deleted
Written by Valentin B on 19.06.2010 at 11:44

This fucking album is ridiculously good. 6 incredible tracks and 2 decent ones? FUCK YEA


which are only decent?
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22.09.2010 - 23:03
Rating: 10
Valentin B
Iconoclast
Written by Guest on 22.09.2010 at 22:38

Written by Valentin B on 19.06.2010 at 11:44

This fucking album is ridiculously good. 6 incredible tracks and 2 decent ones? FUCK YEA


which are only decent?

this might be cliche, but Escape and Trapped Under Ice. actually i see Trapped to be quite good though
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22.09.2010 - 23:08
JohnDoe
Account deleted
Cliche indeed

Knowing I'm looking for trouble but For Whom the Bell Tolls is my least favourite song on this album.
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22.09.2010 - 23:17
Rating: 10
Angelic Storm
Melodious
*In Elvis voice* "If you're looking for trouble..."

Seems like James isnt the only one who doesn't like "Escape". lol

I dont think I can pick a least fave song from this album, I love all the songs pretty much equally. xD
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23.09.2010 - 07:13
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by Angelic Storm on 22.09.2010 at 22:35

My fave Metallica album. xD

I totally agree with "Trapped Under Ice" and especially "Escape" being hideously underrated songs. The latter has never been played live because James has stated before in interviews that he doesnt like it.


I find that statement about Escape never having been played live weird. Cause I somehow remember them playing it live in The Netherlands in either 1984 or 1985 during their club tour.
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05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

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23.09.2010 - 11:28
Rating: 10
Angelic Storm
Melodious
Written by Marcel Hubregtse on 23.09.2010 at 07:13
I find that statement about Escape never having been played live weird. Cause I somehow remember them playing it live in The Netherlands in either 1984 or 1985 during their club tour.


Well, if thats true, thats the first time Ive ever heard of it being played live. Ive seen it stated on several ocassions, that it was never played live. Though I obviously personally cant substantiate that.

"Trapped Under Ice" had only been played live 4 times (all 4 times on the RTL tour) before they played it last year in Glasgow. What is certain, is James saying he doesn't like playing the song when he was asked why they never play it. (Escape)
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08.05.2016 - 21:00
Rating: 9
Bad English
Tage Westerlund
Quote:
Ride the Lightning was nothing less than a nuclear bomb dropped in American metal laps


awesome comparing like this, its true, whit out those bands wont be metal as its now, they were mainstream and changed all, nice worlds
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Stormtroopers of Death - ''Speak English or Die''
apos;'
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I better die, because I never will learn speek english, so I choose dieing
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