Metallica, Ride the Lightning is 40 today.

[The Natural]

Rare I make an appearance this section of the board. Ride the Lightning by Metallica is one of the best albums ever made. I go back and forth whether Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets is better. Best song on Ride the Lightning? For Whom the Bell Tolls or The Call of Ktulu. I'm going to listen to the album when this goes through.

[zendragon]

Lighting in Better than Puppet's for my money. Don't care for thing that should not be and Fade to Black being a far superior song. Also might take Call of Ktulu over Orion. Picked up the limited editon vinyl yesterday 

[BobbyWhioux]

Creeping Death is their best song.  There, I said it.

[Curt McGirt]

I'm gonna say THIS...

Overrated.

(The album, not "Creeping Death". But then I guess I am saying that too?)

Edited July 28 by Curt McGirt

[southofheavy]

My favorite Metallica record. I used to jam this tape at my Grandma's kitchen table, drinking red Kool-Aid, eatin' cheese slices and readin' comics. 

Escape RULES. I don't give a hoot what they're tryin' to say. 

[zendragon]

I'm going to their benefit show at the youtube theatre, smallest venue I've ever seen them in

[RazorbladeKiss87]

On 7/28/2024 at 1:37 AM, southofheavy said:

My favorite Metallica record. I used to jam this tape at my Grandma's kitchen table, drinking red Kool-Aid, eatin' cheese slices and readin' comics. 

Escape RULES. I don't give a hoot what they're tryin' to say. 

Yeah, "Escape" is my favorite Journey record too!

Oh, wait.. 

This is honestly the Metallica (Pre-"Black Album") record I've listened to least. Kill 'Em All just grabbed me the most and by the time I was getting more in to metal, I'd moved on to Slayer and then black metal. One of these days I need to just go through the first few Metallica albums.

[Phantom Lord]

Creeping Death is probably the best live song they play period. Especially back in the 90's when Jason would be all DIE DIE DIE MOTHER FUCKER DIE.

I was the Orion fest where they played Ride the Lightning in it's entirety and Escape is a good song that I wish they would do live again.

Guitar Tone wise I think Ride is probably the best sounding album with Master of Puppets a close second.

[NikoBaltimore]

Ride the Lightning is my favorite early Metallica album and quite possibly my overall favorite.  I mentioned it before in the metal thread but that helped my ass out in high school, especially when on a Greek island and I would have a hour plus by myself to ponder life and everything.  What can I say, the three songs from "Fade to Black" to "Escape" was just what a depressed 13-year-old needed.

As for the songs themselves "Fight fire with Fire" is an immediate punch to the face that never lets up until the end of "For whom the Bell Tolls".  Then after the three songs mentioned above you get another punch in "Creeping Death" and "Call of Kthulu" which just lets one's imagination run wild.  I've heard FTTBT on every live show and it rules so much.  But I unfortunately never heard Creeping or Kthulu live.  The former I always was assumed was because Rob doesn't bring the fire to it like Newstead would.  The latter was...well...I'm not sure why aside from maybe time.  But if I can afford the high ticket prices and go to another show maybe that will be the time they bust one or both of them out.

On 7/27/2024 at 8:30 PM, Curt McGirt said:

I'm gonna say THIS...

Overrated.

(The album, not "Creeping Death". But then I guess I am saying that too?)

I don't want to discount this take but I am curious in what way it is.

[Curt McGirt]

This goes into my problems with Metallica in general, but after a furious opener the songs just sort of plod. It's a slow album, songwriting aside... and some of that songwriting is pretty sucky to me. I'd say I like about half of it -- "Fire", "Fade", "Bell", "Ktulu". I'm not even much a fan of "Creeping Death". But then, it's not my kind of thrash; I was always a Slayer kid. The only Bay Area stuff I REALLY like is the first Exodus, first Death Angel, first Testament, and that's pretty much it. 

But Master? All of that sucker is perfect. And I like most of Kill Em All and even Justice. So could be I'm just weird.

[Curt McGirt]

If it helps make more sense of the thought process, here is my favorite thrash album: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oms2mT_JWMY

[NikoBaltimore]

2 hours ago, Curt McGirt said:

So could be I'm just weird.

I don't know if there's necessarily a divide but I have heard from some over the years that wildly prefer one early album over the other.  Some are Lightning folks but I've heard some prefer Kill or Master though it wasn't necessarily shit-talking any particular album.  It's like anything else that it comes down to different tastes in albums.  So yeah, nothing weird at all there.

Besides, with the stuff you're into I never pictured you a Metallica guy growing up anyway so being a Slayer kid definitely tracks.

[Shartnado]

On 7/27/2024 at 4:06 PM, The Natural said:

Rare I make an appearance this section of the board. Ride the Lightning by Metallica is one of the best albums ever made. I go back and forth whether Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets is better. Best song on Ride the Lightning? For Whom the Bell Tolls or The Call of Ktulu. I'm going to listen to the album when this goes through.

I'll take The Call of Ktulu or Fade to Black. Those two have been very important songs to me, for totally different reasons. Of course, the album was already something like 10 years old (no, exactly 10) when I have heard it at (one of) my best friend's place.

Edited August 1 by Shartnado
It was out in '84, heard it '94

[Shartnado]

On 7/28/2024 at 1:30 AM, BobbyWhioux said:

Creeping Death is their best song.  There, I said it.

The energy in that riff is hard to beat, especially in '84, I'll definitely give you that!

[zendragon]

[Curt McGirt]

Since y'all are so into Metallica, you might like this one. It contains not only a complete ripoff of "Master of Puppets" but also a steal of one of the "Blackened" riffs! 

But, it's also great. Overkill are a highly underrated band, at least up until this album. Their mix of straight-up American power/trad metal (sometimes even doom!) and thrash with a mighty powerful and unique singer worked for a couple albums in a big way. "Hammerhead" from Feel the Fire you could also slide right onto Kill Em All and nobody would know the difference... unless they noticed more capable musicians were playing, I guess  Taking Over is the one you really need to get ahold of. For some reason I thought because of all the hair and the neon they were a crap '80s glam band but I was SO wrong and would have loved that album to death as a kid, passed it over so many times...

 

 

[Zakk_Sabbath]

@Curt McGirtI actually JUST finally saw Overkill for the first time last year as the 'parking lot' opener for Metallica at Giants Stadium last year, coincidentally - they were awesome! Vocals aren't my cup of tea but you can't beat their energy (especially at a hometown show - using both words very loosely lol).

We just went again to Metallica at Gillette this past weekend, and they sounded even better than last year. I think they started playing to a click track since then given the size of these buildings, because I noticed that while they sounded MUCH tighter this year (with Lars' drumming having legitimately, noticably improved) there were a few botched transitions between parts - other than that? F'n awesome. This was my 8th time seeing them, and I'd say it was def a top 3 performance-wise. Highly recommend if you can get to one of the remaining dates.

Also: I am never going to that building again. I don't care if it's All In 2025 with a Zeppelin reunion at intermission, my ass is watching at home. Show ended at 11 and we were trapped until ~3 AM both nights.

[zendragon]

On 7/27/2024 at 6:06 AM, The Natural said:

Rare I make an appearance this section of the board. Ride the Lightning by Metallica is one of the best albums ever made. I go back and forth whether Ride the Lightning or Master of Puppets is better. Best song on Ride the Lightning? For Whom the Bell Tolls or The Call of Ktulu. I'm going to listen to the album when this goes through.

Is your pet named after the metallica song?

[The Natural]

On 7/27/2024 at 7:51 PM, zendragon said:

Lighting in Better than Puppet's for my money. Don't care for thing that should not be and Fade to Black being a far superior song. Also might take Call of Ktulu over Orion. Picked up the limited editon vinyl yesterday 

 

On 7/30/2024 at 4:39 PM, NikoBaltimore said:

Ride the Lightning is my favorite early Metallica album and quite possibly my overall favorite.  I mentioned it before in the metal thread but that helped my ass out in high school, especially when on a Greek island and I would have a hour plus by myself to ponder life and everything.  What can I say, the three songs from "Fade to Black" to "Escape" was just what a depressed 13-year-old needed.

As for the songs themselves "Fight fire with Fire" is an immediate punch to the face that never lets up until the end of "For whom the Bell Tolls".  Then after the three songs mentioned above you get another punch in "Creeping Death" and "Call of Kthulu" which just lets one's imagination run wild.  I've heard FTTBT on every live show and it rules so much.  But I unfortunately never heard Creeping or Kthulu live.  The former I always was assumed was because Rob doesn't bring the fire to it like Newstead would.  The latter was...well...I'm not sure why aside from maybe time.  But if I can afford the high ticket prices and go to another show maybe that will be the time they bust one or both of them out.

I don't want to discount this take but I am curious in what way it is.

 

On 7/30/2024 at 8:09 PM, NikoBaltimore said:

I don't know if there's necessarily a divide but I have heard from some over the years that wildly prefer one early album over the other.  Some are Lightning folks but I've heard some prefer Kill or Master though it wasn't necessarily shit-talking any particular album.  It's like anything else that it comes down to different tastes in albums.  So yeah, nothing weird at all there.

Besides, with the stuff you're into I never pictured you a Metallica guy growing up anyway so being a Slayer kid definitely tracks.

 

On 8/1/2024 at 11:37 AM, Shartnado said:

I'll take The Call of Ktulu or Fade to Black. Those two have been very important songs to me, for totally different reasons. Of course, the album was already something like 10 years old (no, exactly 10) when I have heard it at (one of) my best friend's place.

I love Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets. If I was forced to say which is best, Ride the Lightning but it's damn close. For Whom The Bell Tolls and The Call of Ktulu clinch it. Honourable mention to Creeping Death.

[The Natural]

On 9/1/2024 at 11:37 AM, zendragon said:

Is your pet named after the metallica song?

I'd like to say yes but no. Orion, our girl dog who just turned three has a little white spot on her head and my sister thought it was like the Orion star. Orion is her full name but we shorten it to Offy which I prefer. It was my sister who came up with the name.

[RazorbladeKiss87]

On 9/16/2024 at 7:24 AM, The Natural said:

I'd like to say yes but no. Orion, our girl dog who just turned three has a little white spot on her head and my sister thought it was like the Orion star. Orion is her full name but we shorten it to Offy which I prefer. It was my sister who came up with the name.

Was hoping she was named after the Elvis impersonator!