Metal Storm logo
My Metallica Power Rankings
Album index | Top albums | Bottom albums | Album charts | Top lists | Staff picks


Thumbs up: 0
Everybody on the internet has an opinion of Metallica. Here's mine.

Created by: bj_waters | 08.10.2011


1. Metallica - Ride The Lightning
Pure metal perfection. All eight tracks are winners. Yes, even "Escape." This was the first Metallica album I listened to and it took me a bit to appreciate it, but now I recognize it as one of the best metal albums of all time.
2. Metallica - Death Magnetic
Seriously, this has some of their best material since 1984. While the second half remains kinda forgettable (except for "My Apocalypse," of course), the rest is great stuff that I would not hesitate to call thrash.
3. Metallica - ...And Justice For All
This album has really grown on my over the years. While the lack of bass does hamper it, I like all the noddly, proggy bits. It's not perfect, but features some incredible riffing and songwriting, I think.
4. Metallica - Metallica
The band's most popular album. I know it might seem crazy to put it this high, but this is some pretty consistent stuff. However, I will say that it has dropped for me in the past few years, as some songs don't quite stick with me as well as they used to ("Sad But True" being one that I've gotten tired of hearing).
5. Metallica - Kill 'Em All
The original thrasher. While "Metal Militia" is amazing, the rest are varying degrees of okay. "Jump in the Fire" and "Motorbreath" are fun, but the rest get credit simply for being thrash when there was little thrash around.
6. Metallica - Master Of Puppets
Some might be surprised to see this one so low, but here's the deal: a few great songs do not a great album make. Sure, "Battery" and the title track are classics, but I feel the rest of the album is really average. I know people call this the band's masterpiece, but I don't really hear it.
7. Metallica - St. Anger
This placement is no joke. When I was going through their discography the first time, I listened to this right after Load/Reload and thought it was a breath of fresh air. An extremely stale, repetitive and grindy bit of air, but enough to feel like the band was alive again. While the songs could do with some serious editing and refinement, I think there's good material hidden on this album. I highly recommend looking up the STANGER2015 project on YouTube as proof that this album had potential.
8. Metallica - Hardwired... To Self-Destruct
So after the solid Death Magnetic and a few questionable choices, Metallica get back into the studio to give us a very generic double-album that is clearly too long for what they're trying to do. It's Load/Reload all over again, though I will say that "Atlas Rise" and "Moth Into the Flame" are solid tracks. Disappointing for sure.
9. Metallica - Re-Load
Load and Reload are almost on the same level. Reload gets the higher rank simply because "Fuel" is so catchy and "Prince Charming" is interesting, so that's two decent songs in the midst of a snooze-fest.
10. Metallica - Load
Seriously, I almost fell asleep when I listened to this album the first time. And I'm a guy who enjoys new age like Enya. "King Nothing" is probably the only track worth a listen on here. Everything else is just so mediocre and tired.
11. Metallica - Lulu [Collaboration]
Yup, I have no trouble agreeing with everyone that it's probably the worst thing Metallica has participated in. It was an interesting idea that insisted on remaining esoteric, with no real way for the general audience to grab onto what was going on or why. Atmospheric, but completely forgettable.


Disclaimer: All top lists are unofficial and do not represent the point of view of the MS Staff.
[ More lists by bj_waters ]



Comments

‹‹ Back to Lists
Comments: 6   Visited by: 23 users
01.08.2012 - 00:24
bj_waters

I would have figured at least some kind of response by now regarding this list, but I guess people don't notice lists until they hit the forums.

I admit that I haven't listened to Lulu yet, but I don't even know if I'll list it when I do. Isn't it more of a Lou Reed album that simply features Metallica? I guess I'll find out when I listen to it.
Loading...
01.08.2012 - 16:43
Marcel Hubregtse
Grumpy Old Fuck
Written by bj_waters on 01.08.2012 at 00:24

Isn't it more of a Lou Reed album that simply features Metallica?


No, it's a collaboration. Metallica wrote music for the album. Although once they saw the bad reviews they tried to put a pin on it by claiming it was all written by Lou Reed and they were just hired mercenaries to play the music and siing along.
----
Member of the true crusade against European Flower Metal

Yesterday is dead and gone, tomorrow is out of sight
Dawn Crosby (r.i.p.)
05.04.1963 - 15.12.1996

Loading...
16.10.2012 - 03:15
bj_waters

Updated to explain why I'm not including Lulu, not that I've listened. I doubt I'll ever listen to it again. It's kind of a shame, really: I spent most of the time wishing that James was singing instead of Lou Reed. It might have been half-decent that way. Oh, well.
Loading...
24.03.2019 - 10:23
JoHn Doe

A unique list here, I'm surprised you haven't got negative responses here
I would list them different, but I'll say you got guts and kudos for that!
----
I thought the two primary purposes for the internet were cat memes and overreactions.
Loading...
29.03.2019 - 07:17
bj_waters

Written by JoHn Doe on 24.03.2019 at 10:23

A unique list here, I'm surprised you haven't got negative responses here
I would list them different, but I'll say you got guts and kudos for that!


Heh, thanks. This list is pretty old, though. I should update it, now that we have Hardwired.
Loading...
22.06.2021 - 10:18
bj_waters

After all these years, I've finally come back to this and updated it. I've added Lulu and Hardwired, as well as rewrote some of the blurbs and switched two albums around. I'll probably update this again when(ever) that new Metallica album comes out.
Loading...

Hits total: 1919 | This month: 3