Metallica's Reviews

Metallica

It deserves more than a passing glance

Yes, it definately sounds different than Ride the Lightning in that it has a more laid back sound to it. And yes, the sound of the music might have indicated that they were starting to conform to the money part of the music industry instead of "playing for the fans," as was their belief in the days of Ride the Lightning and Kill 'Em All. But sound isn't the only aspect to look at. There are lyrics there as well.

The lyrics of every song on this album deserve close attention. Maybe if some of the reviewers actually thought about what the lyrics meant, they might appreciate the songs more. "Forever trust in who you are, and nothing else matters" sounds like pretty deep lyrics coming from the band that I've seen some call "blockheaded." Many of the songs, including Sad But True and The Struggle Within, depict an inner stuggle and show that sometimes you can't even trust yourself....and that life's not always fair.

The lyrics not making sense? Is it really that difficult to see that Enter Sandman is, on the surface, about putting a child who fears monsters to sleep? It's about fear, something that everyone has. The proverbial "beasts under your bed." Not to mention that Don't Tread On Me could be interpreted as one of the most patriotic metal songs out there. "Liberty or death, what we so proudly hail, once you provoke her, rattling of her tail, never begins it, never but once engaged, never surrender, showing the fangs of rage. Don't tread on me. So be it, threaten no more. To secure peace is to prepare for war." Both the lyrics and the sound of Don't Tread On Me send a "mess with me and you won't live to see another day" attitude, much like that of the United States.

As for the cover, at first glance, it may appear all black, but if you take more than a glance at it, you'll see that the top left corner sports "Metallica" and the bottom right corner sports a coiled snake similar to the one on the Gadsden Flag of the Union during the Civil War, which happens to also bear the line "Don't Tread On Me."

On a final note, Metallica seems to have already taken care of themselves against those that choose to attack them and their music: "No more, the crap rolls out your mouth again....Before you judge me take a look at you. Can't you find something better to do? Point that finger, slow to understand, arrogance and ignorance go hand in hand....Judge not, lest ye be judged yourself." Basically, it's them that work their tails off to make it big, they've done so from the beginning. It's no easy task to come out with widely different material such as they have. And until I see those who write the really negative reviews put a band together, write music that lasts over a decade, keep the band together with at least half of the original members for over 20 years, and can generally do any better than Metallica, I think they need to grow up and enjoy the album for its good parts, not attack it for parts they don't like just because it's not like Metallica's older works. Besides, don't most people complain when a band's CD sounds like the previous one?

Buy this album on Amazon at $13.99