Text written by WikiBrother Hariel Fontenelle
To understand how Metallica recorded The Black Album , we need to go back to 1980. Yes, back in 1980, when two little boys were in a room listening to Judas Priest . Those two innocent little boys were called Lars Ulrich and James Hetfield .
With the turn of the decade about to happen, music was sensing that it was going to change again, something that had already been natural in previous decades. We can cite as an example when the guitars of psychedelic rock with extremely complex notes were replaced by a simple three-chord guitar with an absurd aggressiveness.
The new wave of British heavy metal was invading the minds of the boys who dreamed of creating a heavy metal band. Lars, a Dane, had a greater knowledge of music due to having spent a good amount of time in Europe. James, on the other hand, took advantage of this to learn and refine his musical taste.
Let's jump ahead 10 years and stop in 1990. Metallica was the biggest band in the world at the time, going head-to-head with Guns N' Roses and young Axl . The band had already recorded four excellent albums: the aggressive Kill 'em All , the heavy Ride the Lightning, the thunderous Master of Puppets , and the controversial All Justice for All .
It's a fact that the loss of one of the greatest bass players this planet has ever seen greatly contributed to the change in the band's sound. Mr. Cliff Burton , a virtuoso, a father figure to the rest of the band, showed that Metallica would follow a different path from other groups, but when the fateful and tragic accident occurred, Metallica's destiny would change forever.
In 1989, Metallica played a show in Seattle, yes, the city of grunge years later. This is my favorite Metallica show because it shows how the band was capable of putting on a great show despite the problems. One day, Kirk Hammett , the band's guitarist, was listening to Mötley Crüe Dr. Feelgood (1989) This album caught his attention because of its sound and especially the clean sound of the instruments.
Metallica wanted to enter the last decade of the 20th century with something that would become timeless, an album to shock people. So on August 12, 1991, Metallica's greatest album, the Black Album, with a very strange cover, let's be frank. But James Hetfield explained that the cover was designed that way so people would pay attention to the music and not the cover. It worked very well, as Metallica's biggest hits are on this album, such as "Enter Sandman," "Nothing Else Matters," "Sad Bud True," among others.
Metallica broadened their horizons with this album; previously seen mainly among thrash metal fans, it was now being acclaimed by a more pop-oriented audience. MTV was essential to the album's success. Radio also played an important role in the appreciation of this masterpiece. Nostalgic fans hated this release, claiming that Metallica sold out to make a lot of money, and as a result, many people abandoned the band, tore their shirts, and spat on stage at some shows. The truth is, you either love this Metallica album or you hate it.
I started listening to Metallica because of him, but when I listened to the older albums I went crazy. I had never heard such a powerful sound as on the band's first albums. Even though I really like Ride the Lightning, I have to say that despite the difficulties and prejudice, the Black Album is a great record that opened the doors for what was to come.
Whether you agree or not, this achievement broadened the band's audience, infuriating older fans and exciting new ones. What came after the Black Album will be written by me at another time. Thank you for taking the time to read my first text, best regards!
*This text was written by a Wikimate and does not necessarily represent the opinions of the site's authors.