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Metallica (album)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
| Metallica | |||||
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| Studio album by Metallica | |||||
| Released | August 12, 1991 | ||||
| Recorded | October 1990 – June 1991 at "One On One" studios, Los Angeles, California | ||||
| Genre | Speed metal, heavy metal, thrash metal, hard rock[1] | ||||
| Length | 62:39 | ||||
| Label | Elektra | ||||
| Producer | Bob Rock, James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich | ||||
| Professional reviews | |||||
| Metallica chronology | |||||
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Metallica (also known as The Black Album, in reference to The White Album, because of its largely black and nearly-featureless cover) is the 1991 self-titled album by the American heavy metal band Metallica. It was the band's fifth studio album.
Metallica was released August 12, 1991, through Elektra Records and is the band's best-selling album to date, with 14.95 million copies sold in the United States alone (as of July 21, 2007). In 2003, the album was ranked number 252 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.
On the cover, only the band's logo and a coiled snake (derived from the Gadsden flag - which could be seen hanging on a wall in the "One on One" recording studio where the album was recorded) are visible. The motto of the Gadsden flag, "Don't Tread on Me", is also the title of a song featured on the album.
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The Black Album was a controversial album amongst fans of the band. While the album and the band were critically praised and commercially successful, some fans expressed disappointment in the new direction taken by Metallica. Gone for the most part were faster staccato riffs during verses and throaty vocals found on the band's first four albums; the overall speed and complexity of the music was greatly reduced. The Black Album presented a more radio-friendly, commercially accessible Metallica, especially evidenced by the ballad "Nothing Else Matters". Moreover, following the success of "One," the breakaway single from their ...And Justice for All album, five videos were released from the Black Album. ("Enter Sandman", "Nothing Else Matters", "Sad But True", "Wherever I May Roam" and "The Unforgiven").
The lyrics of The Black Album, written by James Hetfield, were much more personal and introspective in nature than previous Metallica albums.[citation needed] This trait continued on subsequent Metallica albums for the most part. For example, "The God That Failed" dealt with Hetfield's mother's death from cancer and her Christian Science beliefs which kept her from seeking medical treatment. "Nothing Else Matters" expresses the connection Hetfield felt with a girlfriend while out on the road. The album also ended Metallica's tradition of including a lengthy instrumental track on each album.
Metallica was produced by Bob Rock, who was originally asked to mix the album as the band was impressed with his work as producer on the Mötley Crüe album, Dr. Feelgood.[3] Initially, the band was not interested in having Rock produce their album, but changed their minds as Ulrich stated; "We felt that we still had our best record in us and Bob [Rock] could help us make it."[3] The Black Album's sound was a marked difference from the stripped down production of the previous album. Rock altered the band's working schedule and routine so much that they swore never to work with him again. The animosity and tension between band and producer was documented in the documentaries A Year And A Half In The Life of Metallica and Classic Albums: The Black Album. Both explore and document the intense and merciless recording process that resulted in the Black Album.
Despite the controversies between the band and Rock, he continued to work with the band up until, and including, the 2003 album St. Anger.
Metallica won their third Grammy Award for the Black Album. Many felt the band should have won a Grammy for their ...And Justice for All album - the band was nominated in the "Best Hard Rock/Heavy Metal" category, but lost to Jethro Tull. When accepting the Grammy for the Black Album, drummer Lars Ulrich made a point of thanking Jethro Tull for not releasing an album that same year. However, Tull did release an album that year, titled Catfish Rising, but it did not see the same critical success as Crest of a Knave.
The world tour following the Metallica album, initially dubbed the Wherever We May Roam Tour and then later the Nowhere Else to Roam Tour, saw Metallica on the road for the next three years. The tour was in part documented in the A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica documentary, as well as the 3-CD, 2-DVD (or 3-VHS) boxset Live Shit: Binge & Purge.
All songs written by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich except where noted.
- "Enter Sandman" (Kirk Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) – 5:32
- "Sad But True" – 5:25
- "Holier Than Thou" – 3:48
- "The Unforgiven" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) – 6:27
- "Wherever I May Roam" – 6:44
- "Don't Tread on Me" – 4:00
- "Through the Never" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) – 4:04
- "Nothing Else Matters" – 6:29
- "Of Wolf and Man" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) – 4:17
- "The God That Failed" – 5:09
- "My Friend of Misery" (Hetfield, Jason Newsted, Ulrich) – 6:50
- "The Struggle Within" – 3:54
- "So What?" (European and Asian release bonus track) – 3:08
- "Enter Sandman" – 1991
- "Don't Tread On Me" - 1991
- "The Unforgiven" – 1991
- "Nothing Else Matters" – 1992
- "Wherever I May Roam" – 1992
- "Sad But True" – 1992
- James Hetfield – rhythm guitars, vocals, lead guitar on "Nothing Else Matters"
- Kirk Hammett – lead guitars, sitar on "Wherever I May Roam", rhythm guitar on "Nothing Else Matters"
- Jason Newsted – bass
- Lars Ulrich – drums
- Michael Kamen – arrangement of orchestration on "Nothing Else Matters"
| Year | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|
| 1991 | The Billboard 200 | 1 |
| Year | Song | Chart | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1991 | "Enter Sandman" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 16 |
| "Enter Sandman" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 10 | |
| "Enter Sandman" | Modern Rock Tracks | 28 | |
| "Enter Sandman" | UK Top 40 | 5 | |
| "Don't Tread on Me" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 21 | |
| 1992 | "The Unforgiven" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 35 |
| "The Unforgiven" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 10 | |
| "Nothing Else Matters" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 34 | |
| "Nothing Else Matters" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 11 | |
| "Wherever I May Roam" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 82 | |
| "Wherever I May Roam" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 25 | |
| "Sad but True" | The Billboard Hot 100 | 98 | |
| "Sad but True" | Mainstream Rock Tracks | 15 |
- ^ http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:q9txlfge5cqo
- ^ Q magazine, issue 253, released in August 2007
- ^ a b Rosen, Craig. The Billboard Book of Number One Albums. Billboard Books, 1996 ISBN 0-8230-7586-9
Categories: All articles lacking sources | Articles lacking sources from October 2006 | Articles that may contain original research since September 2007 | Wikipedia articles needing style editing | All articles with unsourced statements | Articles with unsourced statements since September 2007 | Metallica albums | 1991 albums | Elektra Records albums