Music Banter - View Single Post - Metallica

Vertigo · 08-03-2012, 05:55 AM

Metallica - …And Justice For All (Elektra Records, 1988)

I have, up until recently, always considered Master of Puppets to be their pinnacle, however recent plays of …And Justice For All has reawakened my passion for this album and changed my opinion.

…And Justice For All is Metallica’s fourth studio album and was certainly their most difficult on a personal level, following the untimely death of Cliff Burton. With only the $5.98 EP as a warm up, it was down to new bassist Jason Newstead to step into the very large shoes left behind. Ultimately, it would be live performances that would give Jason the opportunity to make his mark on the band - surprisingly, for a thrash album with quite a heavy sound, it is somewhat renowned it's low bass - which was of great disappointment to him.

As with the previous two albums, there is an underlying theme – political and legal corruption. “Halls of justice painted green, money talking, power wolves beset your door, hear them stalking” – with the title track Hetfield and co.’s eyes were fixed firmly on the issue of money spinning the wheels of justice.

The album’s flagship single ‘One’ would prove to be Metallica’s first venture into the world of shooting videos for songs as well as having an impact on the singles charts with a very respectable number 13 in the UK. Along with 'Harvester of Sorrow' it became a virtual mainstay in their live sets.

The one main criticism of the album from the media and fans alike was that the songs were too long (the title track alone clocking in at over nine minutes), something that the band found problematic when touring the album. Having said that I personally don’t think that this detracts from the album, conversely I find it gives it more depth. Each track tells its own story, creates its own atmosphere and just wouldn’t have had the same impact if they were, say, four minutes long.

The album closes with two very different, but equally significant tracks. ‘To Live Is To Die' would be the last Metallica song to give Burton co-writing credits, with the ending lyrics “Cannot the Kingdom of Salvation take me home” etched on Burton’s memorial stone. On the back of this comes the seething anger of 'Dyer’s Eve', a vitriolic outburst against parental control and manipulation in which, seemingly, Hetfield can barely repress his own resentment.

It’s a very dark, broody album and one which I think represented a change in Metallica. Other than the slightly tongue in cheek intro to ‘Frayed Ends of Sanity’ the album shows the band maturing, albeit in their music and not their personal lives.

08-03-2012, 05:55 AM	#1 (permalink)
Vertigo Music Addict Join Date: May 2012 Location: North West England Posts: 167	Metallica - ...And Justice For All Metallica - …And Justice For All (Elektra Records, 1988) I have, up until recently, always considered Master of Puppets to be their pinnacle, however recent plays of …And Justice For All has reawakened my passion for this album and changed my opinion. …And Justice For All is Metallica’s fourth studio album and was certainly their most difficult on a personal level, following the untimely death of Cliff Burton. With only the $5.98 EP as a warm up, it was down to new bassist Jason Newstead to step into the very large shoes left behind. Ultimately, it would be live performances that would give Jason the opportunity to make his mark on the band - surprisingly, for a thrash album with quite a heavy sound, it is somewhat renowned it's low bass - which was of great disappointment to him. As with the previous two albums, there is an underlying theme – political and legal corruption. “Halls of justice painted green, money talking, power wolves beset your door, hear them stalking” – with the title track Hetfield and co.’s eyes were fixed firmly on the issue of money spinning the wheels of justice. The album’s flagship single ‘One’ would prove to be Metallica’s first venture into the world of shooting videos for songs as well as having an impact on the singles charts with a very respectable number 13 in the UK. Along with 'Harvester of Sorrow' it became a virtual mainstay in their live sets. The one main criticism of the album from the media and fans alike was that the songs were too long (the title track alone clocking in at over nine minutes), something that the band found problematic when touring the album. Having said that I personally don’t think that this detracts from the album, conversely I find it gives it more depth. Each track tells its own story, creates its own atmosphere and just wouldn’t have had the same impact if they were, say, four minutes long. The album closes with two very different, but equally significant tracks. ‘To Live Is To Die' would be the last Metallica song to give Burton co-writing credits, with the ending lyrics “Cannot the Kingdom of Salvation take me home” etched on Burton’s memorial stone. On the back of this comes the seething anger of 'Dyer’s Eve', a vitriolic outburst against parental control and manipulation in which, seemingly, Hetfield can barely repress his own resentment. It’s a very dark, broody album and one which I think represented a change in Metallica. Other than the slightly tongue in cheek intro to ‘Frayed Ends of Sanity’ the album shows the band maturing, albeit in their music and not their personal lives.