I get a kick out of doing these posts. Today I'm looking at Loudersound's ranking of Metallica's studio discography.
Original article: https://www.loudersound.com/features/metallicas-albums-ranked-worst-to-best
11. ST. ANGER (2003)
What they say:
What they say:
"Is it predictable that St. Anger is rock bottom of another list like this? Yup. Is it still justified? Sadly, still yup. Metallica's most hated album is far from the complete write-off many would have you believe; 'Frantic' and the title track still go hard, songs like 'Invisible Kid' and cult fan fave 'Dirty Window' could have been world class with more work and the countrified re-dub of 'All Within My Hands' the band have experimented with in recent years shows there's a decent little song hiding under there. Of course, none of that can cover for compositions that feel messy and disjointed and one of the most infamously disastrous production jobs in metal history. Artistically, St. Anger is an interesting chapter in Metallica's career at least: a raw, ugly cry from a band on the edge. Musically? This just ain't it, no matter how you try to paint it."
What I say:
I agree with a lot of this entry. St. Anger is definitely the worst Metallica album if we're not counting the Lou Reed collaboration project, Lulu (which we're not). But I'm kind of glad the authors, (Merlin Alderslade and Rich Hobson), also mentioned the fact it's not as terrible as the average metalhead claims it to be. It's one of those records that seems to make more sense to me as time passes by. It'll always be bottom-of-the-barrel Metallica, sure, but there's still some positives to be taken away from this record. Like the authors say, many of these tracks do indeed "go hard" because St. Anger is undoubtedly a legitimately heavy album. There's many riffs scattered throughout songs like 'Frantic', 'My World', ' Some Kind of Monster', 'Dirty Window' etc. that will totally kick your ass, and I actually like James' angrier-than-usual approach to his vocals on the record. I also stated in my own review that I admire the fact the band even dared to record an album like this at that stage of their career; they had massive mainstream appeal and success throughout the '90s, then they release this heavy, grimy, garage metal kind of record with zero radio-friendly tracks whatsoever. It's a product of the state the band were in at the time of course, but still - there was no way the biggest critics were ever gonna be completely on board with it.
That said, even if I do like St. Anger more than the average listener, there's aspects of it that do suck. It has a reputation for a reason. I can deal with a lot of the production's different angles, but Lars' drum snare sound will always be terrible. It sounds like he's clanging pots and pans on every song! Also, I get that the boys were going for a stripped-back garage band kind of sound here, but a lot of these tracks are far too long for their own good. Expect a lot of repetition, and for the first time ever, there's almost no guitar melodies/solos to speak of!! Did Kirk Hammett have anything to do with the recording of the album?! The lyrics can be cringey in an edgy teenager kind of way, and even if I can tolerate the album myself, it's hard to win the haters over and get them on my side... because I can't really argue with anyone for not liking St. Anger!
10. RELOAD (1997)
What they say:
"When Reload hits the mark, it does so in style. 'Fuel' might be basic as hell, but it remains a wonderfully simply, full-throttle burst of heavy metal adrenaline; 'The Memory Remains' packs not just one but two of Metallica's most earwormy moments (both its iconic chorus and Marianne Faithfull's "Da da da daaa da, da daaaa" refrain); 'The Unforgiven II' is a more than worthy sequel to its predecessor and an outstanding power ballad in its own right. That all said, Metallica's confidence in their leftover material at this time was just a tad too optimistic, because Load's sequel is packing way too much filler. James Hetfield's wonderful lyrical streak was at least still in full flow, but even he wasn't enough to save Reload from feeling largely unnecessary."
What I say:
I agree with the placement within the ranking, I just don't agree with some of the details. I was never a 'Memory Remains' fan, as I find it cheesy and Marianne Faithfull's contribution just sounds old and cranky to me. And honestly, I don't care for 'The Unforgiven II' either - it's one of my least favourite tracks on the album. I'll back him up and say that 'Fuel' is great for the same reasons though, and kinda timeless.
While there is filler here, I don't think there's as much filler as the authors' claims. And while I do think Load is the superior album, I reckon the band had every right to be confident enough to release Reload as the standalone record it is. It's a good album. Not great, but good. How can you not talk about the outstandingly atmospheric acoustic ballad 'Low Man's Lyric'?! Or how about the fun up-tempo rocker 'Prince Charming'? Oh, and 'Devil's Dance' is cool too, with lots of groove. I guess I'm a little confused as to whether or not Loudersound actually genuinely like this album or not. I re-reviewed it a couple of years back and gave it a solid 7/10. That still sounds about right to me.
9. DEATH MAGNETIC (2008)
What they say:
"Critics were delighted with Metallica's return to more traditional heavy metal fare (and solos!) when Death Magnetic arrived five years after the spectacular misfire of St. Anger. In the cold light of day, it's undoubtedly superior to its predecessor, featuring some full-on metal bangers ('That Was Just Your Life', 'Cyanide') and two genuinely great power ballads in 'The Day That Never Comes' and the severely underrated 'The Unforgiven III'. Unfortunately, Death Magnetic as a whole is held back by two pressing issues. Firstly, while a clear improvement on St. Anger, the production is really poor, Lars' drums still sounding like they were recorded using kitchen utensils. Secondly, and not for the first or last time, many of the songs just go too long. 'The End of the Line', 'All Nightmare Long' and 'The Judas Kiss' are all solid tracks pulled down by meandering riff repetition, while forgettable instrumental 'Suicide & Redemption' feels particularly self-indulgent at a whopping ten minutes. Decent, but far from a classic."
What I say:
Ahh, now I have more disagreements to make here! While I'll take 'The Unforgiven III' over 'II', it isn't talked about because nobody asked for it in the first place. Also, how can you say that the songs on Death Magnetic are too long yet say nothing about St. Anger's repetition and overblown song lengths?! I find DM's songwriting is usually on-point and the lengthy tracks are justified because they're really good. I definitely disagree with the statement about 'The End of the Line', 'All Nightmare Long' and 'The Judas Kiss' being "pulled down by meandering riff repetition". Maybe to the average pop fan they're long and meandering, but there's a lot going on musically in all these tracks, and Hetfield's riffing is arguably the most creative since ...And Justice for All.
That said, I do agree with the botched production mention. I honestly feel that hiring that overpaid clown of a producer Rick Rubin in the 21st century is entirely pointless. He did Slayer good in the '80s, sure, but I just don't think his compressed sonic style does rock and metal justice anymore. I can't speak for all the stuff he does within other genres, but he should stay the hell away from heavy metal these days. Death Magnetic sounds flat - still far better than St. Anger, but the album would be a bona fide Metallica classic had it been produced differently. Still, I think this is a great record and aside from 'Unforgiven III' and 'Suicide & Redemption', is the band's best set of songs since the Black Album.
8. HARDWIRED... TO SELF-DESTRUCT (2016)
What they say:
"Hardwired... to Self-Destruct was both a refreshing reminder of Metallica's ability to pen top-tier metal hits and frustrating further evidence of the problems that come with their now trademark lack of self-restraint. The first half of the record in particular is filled with killer material, from the groovy, Load-ish power of 'Now That We're Dead' and epic, anthemic closing moments of 'Halo on Fire'. The second half, however, is a big letdown, the likes of 'Confusion', 'Am I Savage?', 'ManUNkind' and 'Murder One' largely plodding and toothless (a particular shame given the latter's status as a tribute to the legendary Lemmy Kilmister). Luckily, 'Spit Out the Bone' turns up right at the end to finish things on a big high. What a rager."
What I say:
Their double album, and the authors are 100% correct when they state the first half is far stronger than the second. Of the 12 tracks across both halves, the first 6 are all superb. They range from short and sweet ('Hardwired'), proggy and melodic ('Atlas Rise!', one of my all-time favourite 'Tallica tunes), plus catchy and groovy ('Dream No More'). And the production is a definite improvement over Rubin's shoddy workmanship with Death Magnetic. Shame then, that the cracks do show on the second disc. Agreed that 'Spit Out the Bone' is a total cracker, but 'ManUNkind' is in my opinion, one of the better tracks on the album - so I can't agree with that part of the article. It's not that disc 2 is a letdown, it's just overshadowed by the tremendous first half of the record. Musically, the whole record is relatively similar to that of Death Magnetic, but I think the former is more refined overall and as a result, the better album of the 2.
7. 72 SEASONS (2023)
What they say:
"For the third time in a row, Metallica put out an album that was solid as hell and packing plenty of great moments, but a bit bogged down by a lack of incisive editing and at least a couple of tracks that just didn't quite measure up. What can't be in any doubt, however, is that 72 Seasons is the best-sounding Metallica album in over 25 years, the likes of its rollocking title track, the triumphant 'Lux AEterna' and majestic album closer 'Inamorata' sounding truly stadium-sized under the bedded-in fingers of Greg Fidelman. Papa Het's voice also has no right sounding this good this far into his career, the band's talismanic frontman bellowing like a vengeful mountain god during the pounding 'If Darkness Had a Son'. A couple of minutes snipped off here and there and a little more ambition on the musical side of things and this could have been special. As it is, 72 Seasons is still pretty damn decent."
What I say:
Yes, this is definitely the best Metallica album of the more recent ones. And yes, 72 Seasons contains Hetfield's best vocal performance in years. He also mentions that a few minutes could have been shaved off the final product - yeah, he's probably right in some ways. The authors are giving this record plenty of praise then, but I think I hold it in higher regard. There is absolutely nothing wrong with the production (it's superb), but honestly I think it sounds pretty damn similar to Hardwired overall - and that's just fine with me. I find it surprising that he didn't mention Hardwired's rock-solid production now that I think about it. Whatever! The songs are really strong from start to finish - some are awesome, like 'Too Far Gone?', 'Lux AEterna', 'Crown of Barbed Wire' and the aforementioned proggy centrepiece, 'Inamorata'. Just a fantastic record from modern times. Metallica get far too much shit by default from devoted metal dudes, but I'm unashamedly a massive fan, and have been since I was at school. 72 Seasons pleased the fanboy in me greatly when it dropped, and I still play most of these tracks regularly more than a year on.
6. LOAD (1996)
What they say:
"Throwing caution to the wind following the absurd success of The Black Album and confirming that their thrash metal days were well and truly behind them (at least for now), Load saw Metallica dip their toes into everything from grunge to alt-rock to country. The result is a deeply fascinating record that unquestionably features some of the Four Horsemen's most boldy realised leaps of faith; both the emotional 'Bleeding Me' and album-closing epic 'The Outlaw Torn' remain deservedly thought of as two of the most compelling compositions of the band's entire career. There are missteps for sure, and it's a little too long overall, but for many, Load remains the point where Metallica were still truly blazing their own trail and letting ambition guide their creative impulses. It also features some of Hetfield's most impactful lyrics, his introspective self-dissection reaching a new level of insight and raw vulnerability."
What I say:
Personally I think they've placed Load a little too high on their list, but I don't really care. I'm still a fan. It's just nice to see this massively underrated album get the praise it deserves for once!! This album is absolutely 100% nothing like anything the band wrote and recorded back in the '80s - hell, it's not even that comparable to the Black Album if we're being honest. They sure aren't putting the 'Metal' in 'Metallica' on Load!! No, this is a diverse album full of tracks that shift genres (the claims of 'grunge', 'alt-rock' and 'country' are honestly true) and don't try to sound like anything the band had recorded previously. By all means call them sellouts; at this point they didn't even look like the same band that recorded Master of Puppets some 10 years prior! But the fact of the matter is, there's a lot of interesting, creative songs here that stand the test of time.
Favourite tracks for me include up-tempo rocker 'Ain't My Bitch', the heavy blues romp that is '2 X 4', the moody and unsettling 'The House Jack Built', foreboding single 'Until it Sleeps' and the atmospheric epic 'The Outlaw Torn'. Yes, the album is different - and it doesn't always hit the mark. But Metallica sound mature and accomplished on Load, and also unashamed - they pulled it off, and a result the album's a good 'un. Unlike Megadeth when they followed in similar fashion with 1999's Risk!
5. KILL 'EM ALL (1983)
What they say:
"Metallica would become far more layered and sophisticated in their songwriting as the 80s wore on, but even four-plus decades later, there's still something so primal and satisfying about Kill 'Em All's snotty, 'fuck you' attitude and relentless, proto-thrash assault. Smashing together Messrs Hetfield, Ulrich, Burton and Hammett's love of punk rock fury and NWOBHM might with the subtlety of a brick to the groin (with some not inconsiderable help from a certain Mr. Mustaine), the quartet kickstarted a movement and produced one of heavy metal's all-time great debut albums in the process. It's easy to overlook just how stacked with classic 'Tallica cuts Kill 'Em All is, too: 'Hit the Lights', 'The Four Horsemen, 'Motorbreath', 'Whiplash', 'Seek & Destroy'... plenty of bands could release all that, call it a day and consider their career a job well done. Incredibly, Metallica were only just getting started."
What I say:
Yeah, Kill 'Em All is certainly deserving of "one of the all-time great heavy metal debuts" status. Metallica really did kick things off with a monumental bang here - all the songs are classics, and extra special shoutout to Cliff Burton's amazing bass solo track, '(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth'. Many of these songs are still played regularly by the band live, and for good reason. Putting it at number 5 doesn't bug me, but calling it "proto-thrash" does. Proto-thrash is older stuff like Motorhead's 'Overkill', Judas Priest's 'Exciter', even Black Sabbath's 'Symptom of the Universe' etc., Kill 'Em All most definitely is thrash through-and-through. The whole genre began with albums such as this, Slayer's Show No Mercy, Anthrax's Fistful of Metal - and I'd also argue Venom with Black Metal way back in 1982. Either way, Metallica were already fully-fledged thrash metal by the time they recorded this debut. It sits a tad higher than the number 5 slot for me.
4. ... AND JUSTICE FOR ALL (1988)
What they say:
"Depending on who you ask, ...Justice is for all intents and purposes the last of Metallica's 'thrash' records, but sees the band turning their backs on the short, sharp shock stylings they had embraced with their debut in favour of the more epic fare that had become their bread-and-butter. The loss of bassist Cliff Burton can be felt keenly, not least in the controversial decision to completely flatten the mix of newcomer Jason Newsted's contributions, but also in the subtle shifts away from more classical-leaning compositions that Burton had contributed to the band's sound.
In its place is an almost prog-like approach to song structure, Metallica effectively crafting their own metallic symphonies with even the more straight-ahead fare of 'Blackened', '...And Justice for All' and 'The Frayed Ends of Sanity' having multiple movements and segments. Fans might still clamour for Justice for Jason, but ...AJFA shows just how hard Metallica were fighting to reinvent themselves and push their artistry to new levels, towering ballad 'One' awarding them a level of MTV-friendly success that few of their contemporaries have ever been able to match, certainly never surpass."
What I say:
This one is number 2 for me personally, but the authors' description of ...And Justice for All is pretty much spot-on. Yes, the hazing of Jason Newsted means there's almost zero bass tones to speak of. That's an issue that cannot be overlooked. Thing is though, the songs are so damn good that I almost immediately forget about the bass-less sounds every time I listen to the album. In fact, AJFA's songs might just be their best ever, even if the album's not my number 1. The thrashers 'Blackened' and 'Dyers Eve' are among their greatest, 'One' is the best ballad they ever recorded, the title track and 'The Frayed Ends of Sanity' are progressive metal masterpieces while 'Harvester of Sorrow' is a big lumbering chugger and 'Eye of the Beholder' is hugely underrated. It's like they took all the lessons they learned from the first 3 records and used that information to create what is their most immaculately-crafted work of all time. Absolute classic... but yeah, the botched production is the only thing holding it back. Still, I can live with it.
3. THE BLACK ALBUM (1991)
What they say:
"Responding to the overly-ornate compositions of their previous album, Metallica ground their sound into its essential dust on The Black Album, producing one of the best-selling records of all-time in the process. The band didn't lose their thrash entirely - 'Through the Never' and 'Holier Than Thou' have the same bulldozer-through-a-China-shop power that Master of Puppets used so excellently, while the likes of 'Sad But True', 'Enter Sandman' and 'Whether I May Roam' deliver an enormity and instantly gratifying sound that better suited the arenas they were now playing.
Even with that, the band also found a whole universe of depth and artistry with huge ballads like 'The Unforgiven' and 'Nothing Else Matters', the latter even setting the stage for the band's orchestral S&M thanks to some sublime arrangements by Michael Kamen. Naysayers might point to The Black Album as the point where Metallica stopped being Our Band, but therein lies the rub: Metallica were always to ambitious, too commercial and just too damn big to be satisfied with being the biggest fish in a small pond."
What I say:
Hmm. A lot to take in here. The 1991 self-titled (or Black Album, whatever floats your boat) is by no means one of my favourites, but it does have a handful of songs that I do consider to be among their greatest. The sound has been drastically streamlined now, but the melodies and structures can sometimes equal perfection on this album. 'Whether I May Roam' for example, is outstanding. It's far catchier and more simplistic than what they were doing on AJFA, but James' vocal arrangements are amazing, the riffs are heavy and it also contains my favourite Kirk Hammett guitar solo of all time. Other tracks like 'Enter Sandman', 'Holier Than Thou', 'Through the Never' and 'Sad But True' are perfect metal songs for people who don't necessarily listen to metal all that often. No wonder this album sold by the bucketload. Oh, and Bob Rock's production is perfect. HOWEVER, this album's popularity is also a bit of an issue for me. As someone who regularly attends metal and rock concerts, festivals, even likes to check out rock-themed bars and pubs etc., you just can't escape a lot of these songs either. As good as they are, I really don't need to hear 'Enter Sandman' for the billionth time in my life now. I'm bored of it. Also, the ballads 'The Unforgiven' and 'Nothing Else Matters' are good ones for sure, but again, they've been played to death and I almost always skip them now.
The whole "Naysayers might point to The Black Album as the point where Metallica stopped being Our Band" thing is probably true for a lot of old-school fans who were there from the beginning. This doesn't affect me; I'm too young to have been around in the '80s as a metalhead, and I loved Metallica just as much as their earlier stuff when I first started getting into the band as a teenager. But I can understand why some of the earliest fans might feel that way. I will argue that despite Metallica's high points, there's a filler track or 2 on here as well ('Of Wolf and Man', 'The God That Failed'). So really, this is a classic album with moments of songwriting genius... again, they technically did sellout, but many of these songs are just factually brilliant whichever way you look at them. BUT, for personal reasons, it's inescapable popularity does grind on me somewhat, and the album still has some lesser tracks. I do think it's kind of overrated, but then I just listen to 'Whether I May Roam' and then remember why!
2. RIDE THE LIGHTNING (1984)
What they say:
"There's still a youthful rawness to ...Lightning that captures the sparks flying between a youthful Hetfield, Ulrich, Burton and Hammett, the band already extricating themselves from their peers by sheer dint of having the finest songs and most ambitious compositions around. The album's title-track is effectively a dry-run for the epic grandeur the band would ride so thoroughly on follow-up Master of Puppets, while For Whom the Bell Tolls and Creeping Death awarded Metallica their first genuine arena-sized anthems. There are also moments of respite and reflection; 'Fade to Black''s anti-suicide ballad might have ruffled feathers with the full-speed-or-nothin' brigade, but the song's beautiful composition, reflective lyrics and undeniable breakout headbangable moments showed that they had plenty to say and weren't afraid to take chances on themselves."
What I say:
It's my own number 1, but really it's hard to argue with anyone else's top pick if they chose any of the first 4 albums. Ride the Lightning has more sentimental value to me over any other Metallica album, because it was the first one I really sank my teeth into and enjoyed. It's one of the album's I credit with in shaping my own musical journey and tastes, and you won't hear a bad word about it from me. I love all the songs (even 'Escape'!). And I agree with the description from the article; Metallica were already ambitious in their songwriting way back in 1984, as 'Fade to Black' and instrumental 'The Call of Ktulu' demonstrate. But it didn't make them any less metal, it just made them smarter than the majority of their competition.
1. MASTER OF PUPPETS (1986)
What they say:
"If you drilled down into the atomic structure of heavy metal, the genre's evolution and its watershed moments, you'd probably find Master of Puppets embedded at the core. Black Sabbath might have kickstarted the genre almost 16 years earlier, but Metallica codified metal with their third studio album in ways that are evident in the sheer mind-bending number of bands who have professed an undying love for the album over the subsequent decades.
"If you drilled down into the atomic structure of heavy metal, the genre's evolution and its watershed moments, you'd probably find Master of Puppets embedded at the core. Black Sabbath might have kickstarted the genre almost 16 years earlier, but Metallica codified metal with their third studio album in ways that are evident in the sheer mind-bending number of bands who have professed an undying love for the album over the subsequent decades.
Thrash gone cinematic, Master... refined and reinforced everything Metallica had done with their second album but bigger, better, harder and yes, more metal. From the delirious rampage of 'Battery' to the tooth-gnashing militaristic blows of 'Disposable Heroes' and careening violence of 'Damage Inc.' to the iconic title-track, Metallica never again sounded as all-conquering as they would on Master of Puppets, slower efforts like 'The Thing That Should Not Be' introducting a sludgy dynamism that showed the band's toolkit was varied.
Again wetting their beaks with ballad 'Welcome Home (Sanitarium)', Metallica were carrying themselves away from being anybody's back-up to instead be absolute champions in their own right. A tour with Ozzy Osbourne helped cement them as metal's Hot New Things and even the tragedy of the crash that took bassist Cliff Burton couldn't slow the unstoppable machine the band had set into motion by writing an album so undeniably massive and untouchable that it basically created a division between themselves and just about every other metal hopeful at that point. A serious contender for the greatest metal album of all time, it's no overstatement that the spirit of Master echoes in everything from Machine Head's The Blackening to Gojira's Magma and just about any other grandiose, epic metal effort put to tape. You can all rest easy: the Master is here."
What I say:
The predictable critics' number 1 pick for any Metallica list, and often the top choice for any generic mainstream critics' ranking for the greatest metal albums of all time. An undeniably important album in the shaping of metal, but it's also not really that different from what they were doing on Ride the Lightning 2 years prior. I think if I'd started with Master instead of RtL, then it could well be my own favourite, but as it stands, it's not. Both are absolute classics, but like the self-titled, there's songs on here that are still played to death to this very day, particularly the title track which I'm sick to death of, and ballad 'Welcome Home (Sanitarium)' kind of irritates me nowadays. But they're not bad songs in any sense of the word (they're amazing), it's just a personal issue that stems from being a metalhead for more than 2 thirds of my life. So yeah, not gonna argue with Loudersound's placement, but it's number 3 for me.
The only thing that annoyed me here was the authors' shoutout to Machine Head's The Blackening. If ever there was an overrated album with journalists, it's the fucking Blackening from critics' favourite little metal band in the world, Machine Head!! The same band that also produced the utter turkey that is Supercharger!! I will never understand their obsession for that fucking band.
Overall this was a fairly predictable list with no real surprises or any serious disagreements from me - even if my own ranking is quite a lot different. Metallica is nowhere near a top 3 for me personally, but it was such a huge record for the band I can still see why it ranked so high in this article. And it was nice to see the respect for Load. The only real disagreement for me was seeing Hardwired above Death Magnetic - naaaahh! I can't really justify that choice! Hardwired is a fine album, but it's definitely patchier than it's predecessor. Maybe the critics' choices are always fairly similar, but there's a lot of great albums in this discography that I often see fans' own favourite picks differ a lot from one another. Anyway, this is my own list:
11. St. Anger (2003)
10. Reload (1997)
9. Hardwired... to Self-Destruct (2016)
8. Load (1996)
7. Death Magnetic (2008)
6. Metallica (1991)
5. 72 Seasons (2023)
4. Kill 'Em All (1983)
3. Master of Puppets (1986)
2. ...And Justice for All (1988)
1. Ride the Lightning (1984)
