Wednesday, October 26, 2011

499 - Metallica - Metallica - 1991

I struggle with this album. In a vacuum, it's a really good traditional metal album. There are a few annoying slow songs, but face it, most good metal albums have them. Also, as with many good albums that clock in over 60 minutes, the last few tracks start to blend together.

But these minor flaws are not what brings this album down. There is an intangible here, and it is not a good one. Since music and it's enjoyment involves emotions and mood, this intangible hurts this album's ranking.

This album suffers from it's legacy, and that is why so many metal fans of my era dislike it. This album seemed to cause a wave that killed metal temporarily. Just look at the 1990's and you'll see a dearth of good metal albums, and for some reason, this album serves as a signpost for that end. On the bright side, I believe it was this dearth that opened up so many of the great albums and bands from the late 1990's and early 2000's, but that doesn't absolve Metallica and this album of its sins.

As such, "The Black Album" lands at 499. As a side note, if not for Mariano Rivera, it may not have cracked the list.

4 comments:

Hofacker said...

Wow - sour grapes. If your boys in Maiden ever sold that many albums you'd think it was great. TBA is scorned by metal because everyone wishes they were as awesome as the MIGHTY METALLICA MACHINE!!!

demogorgon said...

U r not troo

Metal Mark said...

It's an okay album. And justice for all soured me on Metallaca three years before this came out. The thing that killed abotu the black album was basic it was and not in a good. So many songs were kind of oversimplified style where I lost interest after a minute or two. Metal was dying before this album though. Too many lame bands were getting contracts and a lot of veteran acts were toning down by 89-91.

Lars said...

Hey, buy our album and we'll autograph it.