Metallica's Reviews
...And Justice For All (Average Rating: 9.18 out of 10)
Metallica's Swan Song (Rated this album with 10 out of 10)
Reviewed by
janitor-x
from Colorado Springs, Colorado United States
"...And Justice for All" was Metallica's best and last great album. They mastered their unique blend of heavy metal, hardcore, and progressive rock and produced one of the greatest albums of all time.
The darkness and doom come through with deafening clarity. This may be due to the recent loss of their friend and bass player, Cliff Burton. The pain of that loss may have been channeled into the song writing and lyrics. The sadness and depression are converted into a passionate rage."Energy derives from both the plus and negative" shouts James Hetfield in "Eye of the Beholder." That statement defines the whole purpose of anger and depression-based music. This album is a great example. Love songs and party songs that are considered uplifting are usually based in denial and mindlessness.
"Blackened" blasts off the album at hyper speed pummeling. The title track builds up and crumbles just like the statue depicted on the cover. "Eye of the Beholder" is an in-your-face, methodical stomping.
Unfortunately, Metallica released their first music video for the song "One." It put the song in the Top 40 singles at the time and pointed the masses in their direction, which eventually helped corrupt them. However, it's one of the greatest metal songs of all time. Like "Sanitarium" and "Fade to Black" it was a ballad turned into a vicious assault. When they speed up half way through the song, it's one of the most furious few minutes in the history of rock and roll.
They continue buzz sawing right through your head with "The Shortest Straw," a nihilistic provocation. "Harvester of Sorrow" chops down anything standing in its way without hesitation. The sinister "Frayed Ends of Sanity" is a violent warping of the mind. "To Live Is to Die" cuts right into the bone and is chilling and beautiful at the same time. "Dyers Eve" closes the album with the most manically angry song Metallica ever wrote. Hetfield's sandpaper voice spews the very definition of angst.
People complain about the low production value of this album. Metallica didn't need high quality production to make this album stand up. Their music and emotion were more than enough. That's the mark of a great album by a great band.
Buy this album on Amazon at $13.99
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