Metal Reviews

For the most part I can honestly see why everyone reveres Older Metallica for their first 3 opuses. So lets not get into how "legendary" they are as they are obviously standalone releases. I just wanted to know what went through you (the listener's) mind as you played their albums for the first time.

Ride The Lighting was literally the first metal album I ever listened to when I was... nine maybe? And it left an absolutely HUGE impression on me. I didn't convert to hard rock / metal for a couple years, but the memory of hearing that abrupt shift from happy acoustic rock to straight up thrash on Fight Fire With Fire for the first time will always stick with me.

Justice >Their first 3

Haven't actually heard Kill 'Em All, but based on the few songs I've heard, that statement is still relelvant.

Ride The Lightning was my first Metallica album, and I didn't really like it at all. After that, it took me quite a while to warm up to them, so after that I listened to Ride The Lightning again and I loved it.

Justice > that, though.

Kill Em All and Ride the Lightning are classics, everything else is decent to pure garbage. Mostly pure garbage though.

I honestly was never impressed.
Heard Kill 'em All when it was released, and it just fell short.
weak, tinny, generic... me and and a freind of mine was turned onto it by some scrub and after listeneing to it, we both agreed that they would be signed to a commercial label within a year... lo and behold, signed by Elektra in 84...
so much better stuff to caress your ears with circa early 80's...

meh, to each their own, I suppose.

First Metallica I ever heard was the self-titled. Wonderful at the time, fell out of love with it when I got into heavier stuff but rediscovered it later and it's a great album still.

My first experience with them was with the black album. It took about 3-4 listens for me to start liking it. I still think the album is damn good. Sad But True is such an underrated song. By the time I listened to their thrashier stuff, I had already listened to stuff from Slayer, Kreator, Megadeth, Nuclear Assault and a few others. So, I feel their earlier stuff to be good, but over rated. Kill 'Em All never did anything but irritate me. I think AJFA is their best work to date.

I think my opinion when i started to get into metal (Metallica and Iron Maiden were my first real metal experiences..) I didn't really like their earlier stuff. I thought the black album was great..

I guess I just became a more experienced listener to metal and started to like thrash a whole lot more because nowadays I only listen to their earlier stuff, and don't really care for their newer offerings. Black album is a good album though..

Exactly. I was never impressed with Metallica, but I remember the first time hearing "Heresey" by Paradox and thinking to myself, whoah, this is way better than Metallica.

I basically listened to nothing but Metallica for a year before starting to explore other metal. While I can't remember my impressions of specific albums at that time I obviously liked what I heard enough to completely kill my interest in any other kind of music for years.

Master of Puppets got me into metal but honestly I can't listen to it anymore. I just can't stand Metallica at this point.

I have always liked 'em, mostly because of the sheer quality of the songwriting but I also liked Hetfield's voice. They always had an ear for melodies and riffs that would find mass appeal. That is still talent regardless of your opinion on whether they "should", and something which many bands would do if only they could.

Also they were not even thrash in a pure sense, so comparing them to something like Bay Area thrash or German thrash is disingenuous. As I recall, originally they were labelled speed metal. I mean just consider their influences - NWOBHM, traditional heavy metal, punk/metal (Misfits/Motorhead), and judging from the many epic melodies and song structures employed, likely Classical as well. Definitely some mass appeal in there!

BTW - to comment on early Metallica is to also comment on Dave Mustaine.

Grew up with them so much I can't remember ever not being a huge fan.

Ride The Lightning is great, Master Of Puppets is pretty good, but in AJFA, they got everything right... except the bass.

But still.

Killing! Is mah buisness and buisness is goood!

Yep, far superior.

Old Metallica was some of the first metal I ever heard. For a long time a thought they were one of the greatest bands ever. I've greatly broadened my horizons since then, but while I may not think they are the greatest thing since sliced bread, the early Metallica albums are damn good. I agree with Legacy about AJFA. It's my favorite of Metallica album. The songwriting is just so good.

That, but with MOP as my favourite. It was the first Metallica album I really listen to, and the album that introduce me to thrash.
First Metallica is overrated? Yes. First Metallica is bad? No way.

I listened to MOP for the first time when I was 9, and was completely blown away from the power of the music, especially in songs like Battery, Disposable Heroes and Damage Inc. I still listen the first four albums from time to time, and never goes old. Brilliant!

Would be nice if AJFA and Death Magnetic were remastered and re-released. I don't even know if remastering could fix AJFA .. but still.

I remember when i was 10 my dad got me master of puppets for christmas. I didn't stop listening to that album for like 6 months. I thought it was the best album i ever listened to. I didn't get into other metal until high school though.