Metallica are probably the most well known heavy metal (?) band; selling tens of millions of albums over the years. They started off as innovators of thrash and speed metal. They eventually progressed into a more progressive metal band but still retained their edge and their fan base continued to grow. After 1988's ...And Justice for All, Metallica pared down its progressive metal sound growing slicker and more produced, resulting in radio-friendly heavy metal. By the end of the 90's, Metallica was established as the pioneer of modern metal, but are now more popular with grade school kids than with their original fan base who felt betrayed by their more recent modern rock sounds. I have followed the band since their beginning, buying "Kill 'Em All" as a new release. I'm still with them today, despite what my friends might say! (Oh wait, did I just admit that out loud?) (-:

Metallica-Kill 'Em All (Elektra)

1."Hit the Lights" (4:17) 2."The Four Horsemen" (7:08) 3."Motorbreath" (3:03) 4."Jump in the Fire" (4:50) 5."(Anasthesia) Pulling Teeth"-instrumental (4:27) 6."Whiplash" (4:06) 7."Phantom Lord" (4:52) 8."No Remorse" (6:24) 9."Seek & Destroy" (6:50) 10."Metal Militia" (5:05)

Yes, I was there when this was a new release. I was in high school and my friends and I thought "Whiplash" was the coolest and fastest song on the face of the earth. It was originally released on Megaforce. I had the original album with the silver label in the middle. It was loads (no pun intended) of fun. It was the album that started it all for these pimply faced guys. This album set the standard for thrash and speed metal for years to come. "Kill 'Em All" still sounds good today.

This was the band's debut album, after Dave Mustaine (Megadeth) got booted and was replaced by Kirk Hammett of Exodus. The original line-up with Dave did record one song for the original Metal Massacre compilation.

I also had the cd re-issue on Elektra with the two bonus tracks from the original "Garage Days Revisited/Creepin Death" EP. Sold it to some guy who begged me to for enough money to buy a few new cds. I went to the store, found this copy on cd used for $5.92. What a deal. Of course, the two tunes off the re-issue were later released on "Garage, Inc." YA!

Metallica-Bay Area Thrashers (ACD/154.431)

1. "Introduction" (:38)
2. "Hit the Lights" (3:54)
3. "Seek and Destroy" (4:55)
4. "Motorbreath" (3:14)
5. "Phantom Lord" (3:34)
6. "The Mechanix" (4:27)
7. "Jump in the Fire" (3:44)
8. "Metal Militia" (5:10)
9. "Documentary/Interview" (4:45)

Got some new information on this bootleg from a reader of my page:

"Bay Area Thrashers" by Metallica is actually a forgery. The songs are from the "No Life 'til Leather" demo from July '82 and the crowd interaction is from a few bootlegs, including Sept 18th, 1982 and October 18th, 1982, both of which are pretty commonly available. I have never heard the interview, just the songs, so I have no idea when/where that is from also the band shot on the front is absurdly wrong :-) -Ultra Boris

So, I guess I now have a bizzare cd copy of the 'No Life Til Leather' demo with some crowd noise thrown in between songs. Have to agree about the genius in packaging. I actually thought that cover was freaking hilarious, albeit typical for a bootleg. Thanks for the info Levente.

Metallica-Ride the Lightning (Elektra)

1."Fight Fire with Fire" (4:44)
2."Ride the Lightning" (6:36)
3."For Whom the Bell Tolls" (5:10)
4."Fade to Black" (6:56)
5."Trapped Under Ice" (4:03)
6."Escape" (4:23)
7."Creeping Death" (6:36)
8."The Call of Ktulu"-instrumental (8:52)

This one was originally released on Megaforce as well, before Megaforce was bought out by Atlantic. I owned one of those copies because I bought it as a new release. I guess it would have been worth something had I not sold all my crappy vinyl. In any case, this is a masterpiece, in my opinion. I couldn't even count how many times I have listened to this one. "Fight Fire with Fire" is one of the fastest songs ever. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" is an incredible song! "Ride the Lightning" and "The Call of Ktulu" have Dave Mustaine listed in the credits as a writer. Of course at this time, both bands were at each others necks.

Metallica-Master of Puppets (Elektra) 1."Battery" (5:10) 2."Master of Puppets" (8:38) 3."The Thing That Should Not Be" (6:32) 4."Welcome Home (Sanatarium)" (6:28) 5."Disposable Heroes" (8:14) 6."Leper Messiah" (5:38) 7."Orion"-instrumental (8:12) 8."Damage, Inc." (5:08)

As if Metallica could top the masterpiece that was "Ride the Lightning" they release "Master of Puppets." To my amazement, they actually topped an album that I swore could never be topped. The songs are a bit more progressive and a bit longer. Every song blew me away. Over time this album hasn't grown old, with the exception of the instrumental "Orion. It's still one of my all time favorites. Anthrax used a small sound byte of the title cut for thier rap-joke song "I'm the Man." One of the greatest heavy metal albums ever created. Also one of the most innovative metal albums ever.

In the fall of '86, while touring in Scandinavia, the band's tour bus skid off an icy patch of road and flipped over. Cliff Burton, the band's bassist, was thrown out and was crushed underneath the bus, killing him instantly. Metallica lost one of the best bassists ever and a dear friend as well. The band soon went searching for a new bassist, and finally selected Jason Newsted of Flotsam & Jetsam, who has been with them ever since. They released an EP of covers called "Garage Days Re-Revisited," which I used to own on vinyl, but never felt the need to fork out the money for the ridiculously priced, out of print cd.

Metallica Mach II with Jason Newsted on bass.

Metallica-...And Justice for All (Elektra) 1."Blackened" (6:40) 2."...And Justice for All" (9:44) 3."Eye of the Beholder" (6:25) 4."One" (7:24) 5."The Shortest Straw" (6:35) 6."Harvester of Sorrow" (5:42) 7."The Frayed Ends of Sanity" (7:40) 8."To Live is to Die" (9:48) 9."Dyers Eve" (5:12)

At this point Metallica were the Kings of Metal. (or was that Manowar?) "...and Justice for All" is heavy, epic length, progressive, and even melodic. Nobody would classify Metallica as a progressive metal band but this album was more progressive and more technical than most of what would be called "progressive metal." "...And Justice for All" is one of the all time greatest metal discs.

Metallica-Dynamic Live/Live in Canada 1989 (bootleg)

1. Blackend" (5:35)
2. "For Whom the Bell Tolls (4:18)
3. "Welcome Home (Sanitarium)" (5:59)
4. "Harvester of Sorrow" (5:05)
5. "Eye of the Beholder" (7:46)
6. "Master of Puppets" (7:32)
7. "One" (6:41)
8. "Seek & Destroy" (6:22)
9. "And Justice for All" (9:01)
10. "How Many More Times" (1:05)
11. "Creeping Death" (7:53)
12. "Fde to Black" (6:40)

As bootlegs go, this isn't a bad one. I've actually heard officially released discs that sound as bad. In any case, Metallica were at the top of their game here, so this is a nice live offering. I'm not sure if this is a complete show, but it seems pretty close to what I remember from this tour. "How Many More Times" is a portion of a Led Zeppelin song.

Metallica-Metallica (aka The Black Album) (Elektra)

1."Enter Sandman" (5:29)
2."Sad But True" (5:24)
3."Holier Than Thou" (3:47)
4."The Unforgiven" (6:26)
5."Wherever I May Roam" (6:42)
6."Don't Tread on Me" (3:59)
7."Through the Never" (4:01)
8."Nothing Else Matters" (6:29)
9."Of Wolf and Man" (4:16)
10."The God that Failed" (5:05)
11."My Friend Misery" (6:47)
12."The Struggle Within" (3:51)

Metallica went more mainstream with this one, which meant they weren't on the cutting edge of heavy music any more. A lot of people complained. There was also a lot of controversy over hiring producer Bob Rock, who's known for turning metal bands, such as Motley Crue, into crappy pop-metal. Well, he did not succeed on this album because this is a great metal album in my opinion. Of course the populous at large caught on as well and this album sold over ten million copies. Favorite songs are "Sad But True," "Don't Tread on Me," "Wherever I May Roam" and the awesome "The Stuggle Within." Least favorite song "The God that Failed."

Metallica-Wherever I May Roam -single (Vertigo)

1. "Wherever I May Roam" (6:46)
2. "Last Caress/Am I Evil?/Battery" -live (11:59)

Walked into a local cd shop and the owner flopped this on the table and asked if I was interested in it. I said, "how much?" He said, "Free!" Free is good. Short little ep in a nice digi-pack from Australia. "Am I Evil?" is a Diamond Head cover.

Metallica-The Unforgiven -single (Vertigo)

1. "The Unforgiven" -album version
2. "Killing Time"
3. "The Unforgiven" -demo version

I can't remember exactly where or why I bought this. "Killing Time" is a cool Sweet Savage tune that was only released as a b-side, but later showed up on "Garage, Inc." The vocals on the demo version of "The Unforgiven" are terrible, but according to the liner notes, James was just working out the lyrics and vocal melodies at the time of this recording.

Metallica-Load (Elektra)

1."Ain't My Bitch" (5:04)
2."2 X 4" (5:28)
3."The House Jack Built" (6:39)
4."Until it Sleeps" (4:30)
5."King Nothing" (5:28)
6."Hero of the Day" (4:22)
7."Bleeding Me" (8:18)
8."Cure" (4:54)
9."Poor Twisted Me" (4:00)
10."Wasting My Hate" (3:57)
11."Mama Said" (5:19)
12."Thorn Within" (5:51)
13."Ronnie" (5:17)
14."The Outlaw Torn" (9:52)

I had hopes held high that Metallica would release an album that would resurrect metal, as at the time grunge was ruling everything. (Grunge sucks!) I went out the day it was available and bought the pre-release "Until it Sleeps" with the Motorhead cover "Overkill" b-side. Let's just put it this way, my first reaction was, "Metallica has completely sold out to alternative." I was bummed. Well, to tell the truth I still went out and bought the album the day it was available and although it's miles away from everything they had done before, it's not terrible. Rob Rock had now succeded in destroying the Metallica of old, however. Well, the Motorhead tune was cool anyhow.

Metallica-Unplugged (cdr bootleg) 1997

1. "Nothing Else Matters" (6:33)
2. "Low Mans Lyric" (7:17)
3. "Helpless" (4:17)
4. "Four Horsemen" (5:10)
5. "Poor Twisted Me" (3:39)
6. "Nothing Else Matters" (6:32)
7. "Creeping Death" (4:45)
8. "Tuesdays Gone" (8:50)
9. "Last Caress" (4:18)
10. "Mama Said" (4:26)
11. "Fade to Black" (8:02)
12. "Tuesdays Gone" (7:48)

Metallica unplugged sounds like an oxymoron to me. Still, the songs all seem to work well in an acoustic setting, with the possible exception of "Creeping Death." I'm not sure that this song couldn't work in an acoustic setting, but it doesn't on this disc. Perhaps the band was just goofing around to much on this track. Many of the tracks are hindered by the band's clowning around during the songs. Favorite song here is probably "Helpless" and the blues take on "Four Horsemen." The sound quality of this bootleg isn't bad, being taken from various FM broadcasts. According to the liner notes, track 1 was recorded at Virgin FM Studios, Longon 11/97, tracks 2-9 KSJO Studios, London 12/97, track 10 BBC Studios, London 11/97 and tracks 11-12, Bridge Benefit, Mountain View, CA. "Tuesdays Gone" from this bootleg also appears on "Garage Inc." Lots of guest stars on this disc including Corrosion of Conformity's Pepper Keenan, Lynyrd Skynrd guitarist Gary Rossington and Blue's Traveler's John Popper on harmonica.

Metallica-Reload (Elektra)

1. "Fuel" (4:29)
2. "Memory Remains" (4:39)
3. "Devil's Dance" (5:18)
4. "Unforgiven II" (6:36)
5. "Better Than You" (5:21)
6. "Slither" (5:13)
7. "Carpe Diem Baby" (6:12)
8. "Bad Seed" (4:05)
9. "Where the Wild Things Are" (6:52)
10."Prince Charming" (6:04)
11."Low Man's Lyric" (7:36)
12."Attitude" (5:16)
13."Fixxxer" (8:15)

I don't think this one is as bad as everyone is saying it is either. "Fuel" is a cool punk influenced song that reminds me of Motorhead. "Devil Dance" is a slow heavy dirge that is cool as well. "The Memory Remains," however, annoys the crap out of me, what's up with that lady's voice? OK, it's not as good as "Master of Puppets" but it's not bad either.

Metallica-Garage Inc. (Elektra)

Well, this was cool, I didn't have to fork out the money for that expensive out-of-print "Garage Days Re-Revisited." It was also very cool that they included the Motorhead tunes they performed at Lemmy's birthday party. I never even knew Motorhead covered Queen's "Stone Cold Crazy," but they do a decent version. As a matter of fact, disc 2 is a great collection. I could have done without the stupid Anti-Nowhere League song, "So What." The only purpose for that song is to be obnoxious, although the line "I sucked an old man's..." sounds pretty funny coming from Metallica. Disc 1 is not bad either, I especially dig the Thin Lizzy cover "Whiskey in the Jar." I know a lot of people hated the Bob Segar cover "Turn the Page," but I liked it. Was it an obvious attempt at getting a radio hit? Probably, so what! They did a good version. The Black Sabbath cover ("Sabbra Cadabra") is incredible. A total of four Diamond Head covers, a band who obviously influenced Metallica's early years. Oh yeah, almost forgot, the Skynyrd cover SUCKED!!!

Metallica-S&M (Elektra)

I suppose that S&M is Metallica trying to be innovative once again, like they were with the progressive metal of "...And Justice for All" and the speed metal monster "Ride the Lightning." In April 1999, Metallica performed two concerts with the San Francisco Symphony orchestra, and the result was this two-disc collection The best tracks here are the older songs, not just because I personally like them better but because they have a compositional style that works well with the symphonic instruments. "Master of Puppets," "Call of the Ktulu," "One," and "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and even "Battery" sound richer and fuller with violin, trumpet, clarinet, harp, trombone, and flute accompaniments. Most of the black album material on just doesn't work as well. One exception to that rule is "Fuel," which is the best song off "Reload." This version actually works real well with the Symphony backing it up. I was a bit disappointed at the lack of "Kill 'Em All" material, as it would have been interesting to hear "The Four Horsemen" or "Whiplash" backed with the flutes and brass.

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