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Tarfumes.com - Metallica
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List Price: $18.98
Our Price: $8.99
Your Save: $ 9.99 ( 53% )
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
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Average Customer Rating:  
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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0075596111324
Label: Elektra / Wea
Manufacturer: Elektra / Wea
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Elektra / Wea
Release Date: 1991-08-12
Studio: Elektra / Wea
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Editorial Reviews:
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Japanese edition of their multi-platinum 1991 smash album that spent four consecutive weeks at #1, with the bonus track 'So What'. 13 tracks, also featuring the top 40 hits 'Enter Sandman', 'The Unforgiven' & 'Nothing Else Matters'. A Sony Records release.
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Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:
Summary: Mainstream Metallica
Comment: Before I get into the meat of my review, I must acknowledge that this album was one of several that distanced the "hardcore" Metallica fans from the band. Many felt betrayed by the band, which they had seen as moving away from their thrasher metal roots. This is indeed true; the album is very radio-friendly. That said, the album on its own is very solid, whatever your opinion of how it compares to the band's previous work.
From the distinctive opening noted of "Enter Sandman" all the way to the end notes of "The Struggle Within," there is not a bad song on this album. Several Metallica staples, including "The Unforgiven," "Sad But True" and "Nothing Else Matters" also make appearances on the album.
I know the above-mentioned "hardcore" fans find a positive review of this album a heresy, but for many who have never sampled metal before - myself included - this acts as a gateway album for getting into Metallica. An avid fan myself now, I would have never delved into "Ride the Lightning" or "Master of Puppets" if I hadn't heard "the black album" first.
Customer Rating:
Summary: A gem, despite what some might say
Comment: First off, let me say that I am not a metalhead at all. I barely know anything about the genre. But I like Metallica. And I refuse to accept the claim that this album is a sellout just because it doesn't thrash like Master of Puppets (which is a masterpiece). Sure, it doesn't, but that's an unfair reason to insult an album. It isn't as fast or hard, and it isn't as good, but it's got some of the best songs Metallica ever made.
First and most obviously is "Enter Sandman." Like many others, I was introduced to the band via that song. Granted, the year was 2006 rather than 1991 and it was off my friends' iTunes rather than the radio or MTV. But my first exposure to the band was through that song's ominous, crawling riff. It's a great song, too. That riff is classic stuff. It was one of the album's five major hits, and I'm unashamed to say I love all five of them. This means not only "Sandman," "Sad But True" (which probably has the best riff on the whole record), and the Eastern-informed "Wherever I May Roam," but also both "The Unforgiven" and "Nothing Else Matters." There go all my credentials. "The Unforgiven" is a classic power ballad, maybe not as good as "Fade to Black" or "Sanitarium" but still a fine, deeply emotional piece of work. And "Nothing Else Matters" is probably the most melodic track in the group's history.
Those are the big highlights, along with the groove-metal monsters "God That Failed" and "My Friend of Misery." But I enjoy just about every song on this album, other than the rather lame closer "Struggle Within." I guess the thrash songs are a bit generic compared to previous albums, other than "Holier Than Thou" (another good song), but I think "Through the Never" and the underrated "Of Wolf and Man" are worthy songs. Even the jingoistic, rather hypocritical "For Whom the Bell Tolls" rewrite "Don't Tread on Me" (interesting how a band who took a decidedly anti-government stance is now firmly endorsing the gulf war) is solid enough. After all, it's got the same riff as "For Whom the Bell Tolls," and THAT is a guitar riff. Even if it's recycled.
This album really doesn't deserve the bad rap it gets with some fans. I think it's an example of the group branching out, rather than selling out. And it's good! One of the classics of the '90s.
Customer Rating:
Summary: One of their best albums ever!
Comment: I am a Metallica fan since the late 80s and the black album IMO is one of the best they have released. Enough said as most of the praise, positive comment and feedbacks have already been mentioned on this comments section so I suggest you start reading others comments.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The Great Sellout?
Comment: This album has been labled as the moment Metallica "sold out." I've heard that phrase so much I'm almost not sure what it means anymore. And to the die-hard fans that creamed their pants for Master of Puppets and Ride The Lightning, I guess I can see your point. Gone are the days of speed metal, the riffs are slower, the tempos much mellower, the bass isn't nearly as epic as when Burton played (RIP). But to completely knock the band and the album is being overly harsh. This is a great album if you take it in context. It's not trying to be a thrash album, it's not supposed to be a speed metal album, and if that's all you really want from Metallica then I'd advise you stay in the 80s, cause that sound won't be created again...not even by Metallica. I don't like this entire album, I consider 3 or 4 songs to be filler, but the good songs are damn good and that makes up for the filler. The solos are much slower than in previous albums but they have that epic sound to them that Metallica hinted on with ...And Justice For All but never fully reached. And while the slower songs like Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters have grown old on me (their solos haven't), there's no denying that Sad But True, Wherever I May Roam, and Enter Sandman are just great cuts. Sadly, the one attempt of a sped-up tempo (Holier Than Thou) falls flat in my opinion and I wish they would've just left it off the record. In any case, this is an epic album and one of the all time classics. It's also quite possibly the last good album Metallica will ever make...so cherish it for what it is.
Customer Rating:
Summary: The album that immortalized Metallica is great despite some calling it a "SELL OUT"
Comment: California based metal titans Metallica released their self-titled fifth album better known as "The Black Album" in August of 1991.
By 1991, Metallica(which comprised by then of drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist/singer James Hetfield, lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bass player Jason Newsted) were real hard and heavy metal's sledgehammer (along with slayer, Megadeth and Iron Maiden) amidst a hair metal trash and boy band infested world with a myriad of classic albums like Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets and And Justice For All.
After the success of And Justice For All, the band spent all of 1989 on the road and then took a sabbatical in late 1990 and early 1991 to record their now classic contribution to rock and roll history with former Motley Crue and The Cult producer Bob Rock (whom had also recorded albums for Aerosmith and Bon Jovi and would subsequently work with Metallica until 2003's St Anger).
Would this album be the album it was cracked up to be or was it what some fans called "SELL OUT CITY", read on and find out as I did in 1991.
We begin the album with the superb rocker "Enter Sandman" which is now a rock radio staple and the song's lyrics are about a young child who fears falling asleep to avoid the nightmares to come. Today, many baseball relief pitchers (namely Mariano Rivera of The Yankees) use this song as their entrance music to put their opposing teams to sleep to clinch the save. Next is another great rocker out of "Sad But True" which is slower in tempo but but nice and heavy. Next is one of the album's highlights "Holier Than Thou" which is a fast rocker, sounds like 1980s Metallica. Hammett's solo scorches here. Next is a song called "The Unforgiven" which was musically inspired by music heard in the Clint Eastwood spaghetti western movies done by Ennio Morricone. The song is a great song and Kirk's electric guitar work counterpointing James' classical guitar work in the intro and section before the main guitar solo is amazing. Next is "Wherever I May Roam" which was another great rocker and (like Enter Sandman, Sad But True and The Unforgiven) was a major rock radio smash. "Don't Tread on Me" closed the first half of the album (cassette versions) and is another great stomping rocker.
The second half of the album begins with the great rocker "Through the Never". Next was Metallica's first true ballad "Nothing Else Matters". The song featured James singing in a low octave and he does a great lead guitar solo near the end of the track. The song also featured orchestrations by the late Michael Kamen (whom had done orchestrations for bands like Pink Floyd, Queen, Rush and Queensryche among others) which was hauntingly beautiful. That track was also a rock radio smash upon release. Next is the rocker "Of Wolf and Man" which was a great rocker and lyrically inspired by the movie Wolfen. We slow down the tempo but still rock with "The God That Failed" which is a great song (and was their first track done a half step down from . Next is "My Friend of Misery" which is another great rocker. We end with another rocker "The Struggle Within" which is a killer fast and heavy song with a great solo from Hammett.
Metallica's self-titled effort a/k/a The Black Album became the band's best selling album with 14 million copies sold in the US alone to date and was also the band's first studio album to hit #1 in the US where it stayed for four weeks. The album would forever immortalize the band as one of metal's greatest bands.
RECOMMENDED!
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