Analysing Metallica's ".....And Justice For All"
Yeah.....ok. You guys are thinking "what the hell?!?" I was working an emergency call earlier this morning and heard "Frayed Ends Of Sanity" on the metal station I listen to on my satellite radio. It got me to thinking about how I felt about the album when it came out, later on, and now. When I first picked up the cassette (goddamn!......how old school is that??) I was taken by suprise. For it's time, that was one of the heaviest albums out and it recieved a lot of mainstrem press. The riffs were monsterous, the vocals were angry, and the drumming was good. I had always been of the opinion that Lars Ulrich was very over-rated as a drummer. When I got it, my opinion was changed.........for a time! Later on, the riffs still as monsterous, the vocals still as angry, yet word circled around that Lars cheated on his double bass in the studio (programming his drum triggers to multiply his bass hits!!!!) which not only angered me because of my first initial reaction to the album, but reaffirmed my stance on Lars being over-rated. Listening to the whole album this morning, front to back, I came to this conclusion: for the time and still even now, "....And Justice For All" is still a heavy ass, angry fuckin' album. The riffs from Kirk Hammet and James Hetfield were pretty much spot on conveying anger and emotion. Lars' drumming, although he cheated, did have some good ideas. He would change tempo mid riff to illicit a different feel and vibe to the song. This a computer cannot think to do. The double bass......although not entirely his, did fit. I only wish Jason Newsted's bass could have come through. Turning the bass up on a radio will show he was playing some pretty good stuff underneath the guitars. The overall album does stand the test of time and was a fresh and exciting look into what thrash could have become. I only wish Metallica would have never lost their sack and kept up with what was on that album. Honestly......I still hearken back to "Blackened", "One", and the rest of the album for inspiration.........