Metal Reviews

Which is better, IYO?

I have to, for the record, go with Load. The songs were better written, tighter, and had more direction. By contrast, with the black album, it sounded like Metallica was sort of stuck in limbo between hard rock and heavy metal. Because of that, a lot of the songs sounded a bit awkward.

Anyway, what does everybody else think?

Definately the black album. It's not a slice of utter brilliance as an album as a whole, but its got some undeniably brilliant tracks on it. I could never get into Load, it's my worst Metallica album aside from 'the disk who shall not be named'

I'm also thinking at the same wavelenght here. I clicked on Black Album without a second thought.

The Black Album. It has Nothing Else Matters, which is fun to play.

I love both albums, but the Metallica with actual metal in it's music is far better. Load and Reload should have come out under a different name, I've always thought.

The Black Album. That's a genuinely good album, while Load has some really bad songs like Mama Said and the abominable "The Outlaw Torn" which is so fucking boring it could have been on St. Anger.

neither, both kind of suck.

No. It's too good for St. Anger.

Well, I definitely have to disagree with you there, mate. That's actually my favorite song on Load, as well as one of my favorite Metallica songs of all time.

Load at least sounded sincere. I can't say the same for the Black album, it just sounds like over-produced and heavily contrived pap. Load may have sucked, but it at least sounds like something they truly wanted to do.

I really ilke the Black Album and the making-of released in VHS of it.

It's a shame Metallica didn't do "Two years in the life of" in 1989. Can you imagine the same kind of material, but this time focusing on Justice? Man ....

I'd say The Black Album, because it has a few half-decent songs on it. It's still pretty damn boring though.

Load because it's a sincere album while the Black Album was the closest thing Metallica ever did to selling out.

Glad to see that somebody sides with me here.

Now, if only somebody would've voted "Hit" in the Diabolus... poll.

NEVER !!!

IMO The Black Album. Not only the obvious choice, but the first metal album I thoroughly listened through.

Load is better for the type of album it is than the Black Album is for the type of album it is.

Definitely, The Black Album. That was the first metallica album I listened to. TBA was a solid metal release. Contrary to some of the posts, I feel Load sounded forced. Metallica, still sounded like themselves on TBA, but in Load, the music wasn't that good and James changed his vocal style. From "barking" into the mic, he actually started "singing". He sounded less aggressive. Not to say that it is a bad thing, but just that I didn't feel it suited him. Many weak tracks on Load too. But, it still has a classic track in Until It Sleeps.

...And Justice and the Black Album are the only two Metallica albums I really like at all. Some of the songs on TBA are just fucking amazing. Never been a big Metallica fan, though. I don't even like anything on Kill 'Em All, except for a few moments. Never did anything for me, just sounded like slightly uninspired 80's thrash.

Though, I guess I did enjoy Ride The Lightning.

Black album all the way. However, Load does have a very strong opener in "Aint My Bitch".