METALLICA [AKA: THE BLACK ALBUM]

To start off, I overall do like this album for one reason: it killed thrash metal Metallica. Or should I say, Bob Rock did. As far as progressiveness goes, Metallica was on a roll. Lars Ulrich is even quoted as saying "We were getting very progressive. I mean, the songs were just getting longer and more complex. I think all we could have done if the band had carried on that way was some huge, concept album, two songs, 45 minutes each, and then where do you go?" IF ONLY THEY HADN'T MADE AN ALBUM WITH BOB ROCK! If the album after ...And Justice For All had been a progressive metal album, they would have gotten a whole new group of fans, and they might have been making good albums for the past 18 years, and they might be in the progressive metal genre on this website, and nobody would be fighting over whether or not they should be on Prog Archives! As far as the album goes, it isn't very proggy at all. The only songs worth listening to are Enter Sandman, Sad But True, The Unforgiven, and Nothing Else Matters, the best song on the album, with guitars recorded entirely by James Hetfield. This song is one of two songs in which Hetfield plays a solo, the other being the interlude solo of Master of Puppets. Might I also add the solo in Nothing Else matters is very good, fitting perfectly with the song. Overall, I would not recommend this album to any progger, only Nothing Else Matters and possibly The Unforgiven. The album s just too mainstream for even me, and Metallica is my favorite band.