I
first heard this when my good friend Russ put it onto a tape for me. I think I
still have that somewhere actually. After hearing Metallica / The Black Album,
Russ taped this for me and it put me off the band so much that it stopped me
checking out their earlier stuff (especially their second and third albums
which I eventually found to be fantastic).This is a loooooong album, with some reaaaally long songs. One is clearly the centrepiece, and is probably one of the best rock singles of the late 1980s. Kirk Hammett’s guitar work, especially on the intro is superb, and shows off the melodic edge he would have picked up from taking guitar lessons from Joe Satriani in the mid-1980s.
I think the one thing that holds this album back is a very tinny, weak drum sound on certain songs. Take the opening song Blackened. When that ethereal intro gathers momentum and the drums come in, it should kick ass. Instead, it feels jokey and amateurish. The bass is also dialled down significantly on the album - something that angered newbie Jason Newsted, with reason, upon its release.
Hit: One
Hidden Gem: To Live Is To Die
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