I can speak for many, but Metallica was and is the Band that actually influenced most or better say all hard, heavy, death metal bands. They made metal what it is today. They said they are going to take over the world and yes they did. Lots and lots of people heard of Metallica (even people who do not listen to Metal), but many didn't heard of Death, Judas Priest, Slayer, Megadeth (people who do not listen to Metal). They may not be so heavy today, but they are the pioneers of New hardcore Heavy Metal.
Metallica RULES!!!!

This album should always be part metal top 10 albums.

Nothing to say , it's the best best best best thrash metal i've heard, ever!!!!!

One of my first metl albums (I'm sure many others aswell) great album which influenced many a great metal band.

Greatest Album - EVER

I have so many great memories of being a teen in the 80s, growing up with such epic albums as Lightning. I still have my blue jean jacket with all of the Metallica and Testament artwork I airbrushed. It probably still has whiskey stains on it too! For me, there can be no equivalent to that era.

Early albums of metallica are classic after classic and this album contain some great tracks. the best one is "for whom the bell tolls"&"fade to black".base line is just great.

Simply, this is hands down, my fave album by Metallica. They became more melodic and adventurous with this album, while somehow also upping the sonic violence from the first album with "Trapped Under Ice" (complete with Exodus riffs written by Kirk Hammet!) and the absolutely crushing "Fight Fire With Fire". "Master Of Puppets" is the Metallica album most lauded by fans and the press, but for me, Lightning is their absolute best.

Metallica fucken kills

Best Album ever - Period.

Worthy of all the praise heaped upon it. When listening to this album, it almost seems like Metallica is worty of their status as the worlds biggest metal band. An absolute classic of metal.

Ride the lightning is simply metallica's best album ever. It's not master of puppets. This is the real deal

I Love this Album
And I Love MetallicA For Ever

Metallica is my 2nd favorite band of all time, but I've always thought that they're most popular songs are the slowest : Fade To Black, One , Nothing else matters, The Unforgiven, The Day that never comes (It's not really slow but the other songs on Death Magnetic are a lot faster) ..
I dunno, I think Metallica's most popular songs are their worst.
Fade To Black is the most boring song on the album, Why do people love it so much , it's not even trash...
On ...And Justice For All, One is the only song on the album that is slow, the 8 other songs don't have any slow moments... I don't understand.
I don't need to comment on Nothing Else Matters lol, you know what I mean.

Finally bought this one. I was born in 1989 and by the time I became aware of the existence of metal, Metallica had already sold their souls, so for the longes time I felt dirty about listening to anything from them. Fortunately I discovered the awesomeness of RTL and finally acknowledged that they were a great band. Ride The Lightning is arguebly their best album and much better than MoP. They didn't go downhill with Metallica, nor did they go downhill with AJFO (Sorry, Marcel), they went downhill after this album. Not because Master of Puppets is bad, but because RTL was just so damn good. You can only make your best album once and this was their best album.

P.S. I love Fade To Black, but the solo at the end is very predictable and boring, which is unusual for a solo that is this highly regarded. Not saying it is overrated, just saying it isn't anything special.

The best.....

I just noticed that I was the 666th visitor to this album listing. I feel suitably special.

I was listening to this album today, and I have to say that I feel a little sympathy for Metallica. They're definitely among the 3 greatest metal bands of all time, no argument.

. 'Nuff Said.

Metallica is the best!

One of the best albums ever. I love this one.

DEFINITION OF THRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BEST METALLICA ALBUM EVAR!!!!!!!!!!!

I never was a massive Metallica fan. But the earlier stuff is legendary for a reason. Very good album.

Written by Angelic Storm on 20.12.2010 at 21:33

Simply, this is hands down, my fave album by Metallica. They became more melodic and adventurous with this album, while somehow also upping the sonic violence from the first album with "Trapped Under Ice" (complete with Exodus riffs written by Kirk Hammet!) and the absolutely crushing "Fight Fire With Fire". "Master Of Puppets" is the Metallica album most lauded by fans and the press, but for me, Lightning is their absolute best.

also imo better than Master of Puppets, I think that's when they started abandoning their true thrash roots for a much more progressive structure to their music, which culminated of course with ..And Justice for All.

this however, is ball-tripping thrash, with the best song on here imo being "Creeping Death", which is imo Metallica's best and most innovative songs.

@Angelic Storm Kirk also probably wrote the infamous "Die by my hand" part in Creeping Death, it was actually the chorus of an early obscure Exodus song called "Die by his hand".

Written by Valentin B on 07.01.2012 at 18:49
@Angelic Storm Kirk also probably wrote the infamous "Die by my hand" part in Creeping Death, it was actually the chorus of an early obscure Exodus song called "Die by his hand".

Kirk did write the music to that section, although Gary Holt (Exodus' guitarist) has claimed in an interview that the lyrics "Die by his hand..." were written by him and was annoyed that he wasn't credited for it!

I freackin' love this album!

I flip flop between this and Master Of Puppets as to which album I feel is Metallica's magnum opus. Hearing this for the first time back in 1985 was a spiritual metal awakening for me.

It makes me sad to think how wrong this band went.

I think i've decided that this is slightly better than 'Master of puppets'...just personal preference. 'The Call of Ktulu' alone makes this album worthwhile.

For me this is the best Metallica album. Partly due to the fact that it was the first album of this band I ever heard. And partly due to the fact that all the songs on it left a great impact on me.
I'm not a Metallica fan. I never was and never will be. But still I consider Ride The Lightning to be one of the greatest metal albums ever recorded.

Kill'em all is so good but that one is better