CD Odyssey Disc 93: Metallica

Sometimes I find rating albums difficult when jumping genre to genre. I have to remind myself to feel folksy when I am listening to folk, get a rap vibe when listening to rap etc. This time, the vibe needed was metal. Having just reviewed two folk albums, it could've been a challenge.

Fortunately, I've listened to metal since there was metal, so this one comes very naturally.

Disc 93 is...Self Titled (commonly known as 'The Black Album')

Artist: Metallica

Year of Release: 1991

How I Came To Know It: My buddy Greg introduced me to Metallica around the time that the Black Album came out (although he had been listening to them for years). I didn't appreciate it as much then, but I do now.

How It Stacks Up: I have five of Metallica's first six albums (I am missing "Garage Days"). Of the five, I would put this one last. Sad but true.

Rating: 3 stars.

Let's start off this review by skipping quickly over the obvious. "The Black Album" marked Metallica's departure into a more mainstream sound, with the help of Canadian Bob Rock's production. It was their most commercially successful album, and judged by most Metallica fans as either their last good album, or their first bad one.

You can put me in the former category. I don't think "The Black Album" stands up to the juggernauts of their first four: "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning", "Master of Puppets" and "And Justice For All". Frankly, it doesn't come close.

Nevertheless, I still think it is a solid album in its own right. I like a lot of the songs, even though I sometimes find myself wishing the production more closely resembled their sound from say "Master of Puppets". In particular, I wish Lars' drumming was a bit more foreceful in places. It is a little too "snare" and not enough "bass" on this album.

Also, while they aren't my favourites, I don't mind the softer songs like "The Unforgiven" and "Nothing Else Matters". They are well written, and James Hetfield's vocals are definitely given license on these and other tracks to reach a little more, which is a good thing. Frankly, the one thing that sometimes stands between me and some of the harder metal of recent years is the guttural, totally incomprehensible screaming of vocalists. Please, people - use your words.

Then again, there are bands like Nickelback, where I wish I could neither understand what they were saying, nor hear what they are playing. Ahh...a day without bashing the crap that is Nickelback is like a day without sunshine.

But I digress...

One track that pleasantly surprised me on this listen was "Of Wolf And Man", a song about being a werewolf. Now that is a metal-worthy topic in the fine tradition of Iron Maiden!

In the end, this album is good but not great. If you don't have the four albums I mentioned above, don't buy this one - get those ones instead. If you have those four, go ahead and take a chance. Half of the people I know who like Metallica like this album, including me. I'll give it three werewolves out of five.

Best tracks:Enter Sandman, Sad But True, Wherever I May Roam, Of Wolf and Man, The God That Failed