Metallica - Ride The Lightning (1984)

[FireandWater]

Facts

Release Date: 1984
Run Time: 47:47
Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar: James Hetfield
Lead Guitar: Kirk Hammett
Drums: Lars Ulrich
Bass: Cliff Burton



Tracks

1. Fight Fire with Fire

It starts out slow and acoustic then it kicks you in the face. The only real problem with this track is it is kind of repetitive.

2. Ride the Lightning

One of the best tracks on the album. The guitar solo and middle section of the song is epic.

3. For Whom the Bell Tolls

In my opinion the best track on the album. The start of the song the bass is amazing. The guitar riff on this one stands out to me. The drum fills throughout the verses also shine on this song.

4. Fade to Black

There is really nothing wrong with this song. The guitars are amazing and at around the 4 minute mark on they start to feed off of eachother. Just a well constructed metal song.

5. Trapped Under Ice

The weakest song on the album. There is a reason why they hardly ever play this song on their setlists. It is just ok with nothing special to bring to a concert.

6. Escape

A solid track here with a real nice chorus that makes you want to fist pump. The best part of the song is about 20 seconds before the guitar solo where both guitars are slowly grinding away.

7. Creeping Death

Another solid track with a guitar solo that really stands out.

8. The Call of Ktulu

This is an instrumental and a fine one at that. It gives us the slow and very heavy side of Metallica. The guitars work together in harmony. The drumming isn't over done. A very nice way to end a great album.



Final Thoughts

I've always been a big fan of Metallica's early stuff. This along with Kill 'Em All are my favorite albums by them. The only real problem is that with a couple of a songs they lack substance. That doesn't matter though because the music is just so great. I'll give this a 9/10.

 

[Riff Raff]

Re: Ride The Lightning -Metallica

Fight Fire with Fire is repetitive but a very kick ass song.
Good review, the best Metallica album imo. Well before they went commercial.

 

[LG]

Re: Ride The Lightning -Metallica

One of the 3 "Essential" Metallica Albums. MOP and The Black album being my other two.

Nice presentation F&W, the songs are good, but as Riff and I have discussed before I am not a fan of their shoddy production values on their early albums which detracts unnecessarily from the recording, at least it does to me.

I'd give this one a solid 8/10.

 

[LOU/REALM]

Re: Ride The Lightning -Metallica

Im glad you are liking this album Fire and Water .... IMO .this is one of the finest heavy metal albums ever made period. It oozes class,heavyness,melody..production ....to me its faultless 10 out of 10. Should be in everyones collection !!***:

 

[LG]

Re: Ride The Lightning -Metallica

Really LOU, I find the bass and drums lacking when it comes to "oomph" on this album otherwise I would nudge my score to 9.0...I will rarely ever give an album a perfect 10.

 

[Prime]

Re: Ride The Lightning -Metallica

One of my favorite Metallica albums. And very nice write up, as always

 

[LOU/REALM]

Re: Ride The Lightning -Metallica

To me this is Metallicas finest hour LG . Some of the others are classics....but if I had to rate some of their later albums....they would be lucky to get 5/6 out of ten. Its only my opinion....Id give it 10 out of 10 just for the track "Creeping death" alone

 

[LG]

Re: Ride The Lightning -Metallica

Early Metallica is by far the best, no doubt about that LOU. I just wished a better engineer was in the studio, at least give Burton some more depth on his bass. What can I say...I want to get as close to perfection as possible in the studio.

 

[LOU/REALM]

Re: Ride The Lightning -Metallica

Hmm I will have to listen to it again and look out for the bass production LG if I find it lacking I may have to knock it down to 9 .5 .Burton was a great bass player...sadly missed.
You also have a better music system than mine LG...

 

[LG]

Re: Ride The Lightning -Metallica

^^I might have a decent rig, but you are a bona-fide singer in a band...so I always respect what you have to say.

For some reason and all I can think of is James and Kirk wanted their guitars to be far and away the dominant sound of the band. But at the expense of the bass and drumkit which isn't necessary, they are complimentary in my view and just make the whole band/album sound better.

Besides all that, no one gets more solo time live than the guitarist no matter what band it is.