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The Black Album, Load, and Reload


Vincent Vega

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The "Black Album" aka Metallica, Load and Reload, are probably the three most controversial albums Metallica ever put out. The Black Album is generally considered by the mainstream to be a classic record and was a megaselling album, making Metallica a household name throughout the whole '90s and establishing them as one of the biggest bands in the world. However, Metallica fans, metal fans and rock fans are divided on it to this day. I don't think many hate it, but most seem to be divided on it. Some see it as a total classic, a metal masterpiece, a great record; others see it as the beginning of Metallica's decline, the last decent record, and view it and the years surrounding it as when Metallica "sold out" to the mainstream and went commercial.

Load and Reload (viewed by Hetfield as a double album, just released in two parts) are even more controversial as people seem to have a range of emotions regarding those albums, from utter hate and disgust to love. They moreso than any albums represent a drastic departure from the norm from Metallica and basically have Metallica playing in a totally different genre (classic rock/country/western as opposed to their traditional thrash metal) along with much deeper and more introspective lyrics. It's the last time they ever drifted from their traditional approach. Some praise the albums for showing just how creative and daring Metallica could be, how they could expand their musical horizons; Others completely loathe the albums and view them as Metallica further selling out or giving in to the Alternative music scene of the '90s or just plain losing their balls with age.

How do you feel about these three controversial records by Metallica? I actually think Metallica and Load are their best records..... :popcorn:

Edited by Vincent Vega
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Black Album - I don't get why this album is so popular. It's got a ton of filler and the singles (apart from The Unforgiven) aren't that strong. Enter Sandman, Sad But True and Nothing Else Matters are awful. The only other song on the album after Unforgiven I enjoy is My Friend of Misery. I legitimately find this album to be their worst besides St. Anger and Reload.

Load - First half of the album and Outlaw Torn are good, but the second half is pure filler. Shit like Cure, Wasting My Hate and all that never should have made it past demos.

Reload - Only good songs are Low Man's Lyric, Fuel and Unforgiven II. Should've dropped some of the filler from Load, put those three on it plus The Memory Remains even though I don't really like it and scrapped everything else.

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Black Album - Metallica's strongest singles, but that's it. You get Enter Sandman, Sad But True, Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters. The rest is pure shit. PURE SHIT.

Load and Reload - Even more so than UYI, they've should have been a single album. Too much filler. Who the fucks enjoys Fixxxer or Attitude? Who the hell wakes up a goes "I'm gonna rock me some Carpe Diem Baby today! HELL YEAH!!" Gimme a break... Yet Fuel is probably Metallica's best song and other songs such as Memory Remains, Unforgiven II, Hero Of The Day, Until It Sleeps, etc... are amazing songs. If it were a single album, it'd be one of Metallica's best, maybe their third best, after Ride The Lightning, which is their best BY FAR, IMO, and MoP, which has a couple of fillers.

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I'm not a Metallica fan or of metal in general. I have The Black Album and Reload in my iTunes but I only like a handful of songs. Fixxxer and Low Man's Lyric are my favorites. And I like the obvious Enter Sandman, Nothing Else Matters and Unforgiven 1 and 2. That's about it really.

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Black Album - Metallica's strongest singles, but that's it. You get Enter Sandman, Sad But True, Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters. The rest is pure shit. PURE SHIT.

Load and Reload - Even more so than UYI, they've should have been a single album. Too much filler. Who the fucks enjoys Fixxxer or Attitude? Who the hell wakes up a goes "I'm gonna rock me some Carpe Diem Baby today! HELL YEAH!!" Gimme a break... Yet Fuel is probably Metallica's best song and other songs such as Memory Remains, Unforgiven II, Hero Of The Day, Until It Sleeps, etc... are amazing songs. If it were a single album, it'd be one of Metallica's best, maybe their third best, after Ride The Lightning, which is their best BY FAR, IMO, and MoP, which has a couple of fillers.

Um, I do. Fuel is one of Metallica's best songs? No wonder I disagree with your opinion. Fixxxer is one of their best songs and an extremely personal song for James and the band. And Load is my second favourite Metallica album, so someone liking these albums isn't exactly impossible.

The Black Album is also amazing. If you think My Friend Of Misery and The God That Failed are shit, then you need help with defining your musical tastes. No metal fan that I know prefers those kinds of singles over the actual well-written songs on the album. Not to mention Through The Never and The Struggle Within.

That being said, I do agree that if Load and Reload were a single album of their best songs, I'd love it. It would be my favourite Metallica album. Just like GNR with the Illusions. Unfortunately, that's not the case.

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short version:

black album- dog shit

load- appropriately named, horse shit

reload- even more appropriately named, whale shit

Metallica were already making a name for themselves, with And Justice For All they sold millions of copies, true AJFA slowed down and wasnt nearly as fast as RTL and MOP. Thrash isnt all about speed, its about aggression. Slayer had slowed down with South of Heaven, Sodom had some mid paced stuff on Persecution Mania,

There is a reason why you hear the phrase "i dont like metallica or metal but i like..........(insert 1 of the 3 album titles)

It was watered down, stripped down, dumbed down whatever you want to call it for the masses to consume. Metallica used to bash bands like motley crue yet for the black album they hire their producer.

Their is only 1 song on the black album i like and listen to and that is The Unforgiven,(my friend of misery is alright as well) the rest is bullshit with horrific lyrics, i mean how are the people responsible with writing great lyrics in songs like master of puppets and fade to black writing shit like holier than thou and enter sandman?

Load is metallica trying to join the alt rock craze of the mid 90s, on the album cover we see a band that once had long haird, wearing band shirts and jeans, showering themselves with beer, now cutting their hair, wearing suites with polished shoes, drinking wine and smoking cigars

the music is even more horrifying and stripped down for mainstream people to get attracted to. on this album their is 1 decent song( bleeding me) and 1 good song (the outlaw torn)

Now for reload, it is so bad if metallica thought these songs were too shit to be on load what were they thinking about when they decided to release a whole album of them? $$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$ is the correct answer, still got to sell to those hipsters and pop fans

no redeeming songs on this pile of shit, and for the love of god james please quit trying to "sing" because you fucking cant. Lars, take some drumming lessons.

these albums get

jesus-facepalm-facepalm-jesus-epic-demotivational-poster-1218659828.jpg

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depends on which Metallica you prefer....I was never a fan of thrash so I am not a fan of the early albums everyone loves.

w

The Black Album was the one that got me into Metallica and is a metal classic and the ones that followed are better than the critics claim IMHO....

i tend to agree that if youre into more hard rock type of music you will find these albums easier to get into, if you were a grunge fan of the 1990s load and reload would be appealing no doubt

i love thrash but i still hate death magnetic lol musical tastes are weird sometimes

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I like Metallica Black and Load the most I think because those are the records I listen to the most. I did enjoy the other early albums and even reload but don't reallly listen to them much. The Black album is so amazing to me. I just think it is one of the all time classic albums much like Megadeth's Countdown to Extinction album is a classic.

I really liked Load it took me a little to get over the shock of the style change and the hair cuts but the album grew on me. It was a great album even if it was more of a alternative rock/hard rock/country western ablum I enjoyed it.

There is some cool songs that came out in that time period.

Edited by rocker rockstar
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Kill Em' All is just a garage album, like a demo tape. The only truly great songs on there are The Four Horseman, Whiplash and Seek and Destroy. I would go:

1/ Master of Puppets

2/ Ride the Lightning

3/ ...And Justice For All

4/ 'The Black Album'

5/ Load

6/ Death Magnetic

7/ Kill Em' All

8/ Reload

9/ St Anger

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1. Master of Puppets

2. Load

3. ...And Justice For All

4. Metallica

5. Ride The Lightning

6. Death Magnetic

7. Reload (If this album had less filler, it would be way higher)

8. Kill 'Em All (Don't get me wrong, I love this album at times, but it has aged poorly)

9. St. Anger

Ride The Lightning is a great album, no doubt, but IMO, Metallica really hit a stride with Master of Puppets. If Creeping Death had been on MoP, it would be even better (which is hard to imagine).

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