Listening to this album tonight is an experiment for me. I haven't heard it in many years. I wasn't a fan of it when it came out, in fact I remember when "Sandman" was released and watching the video with friends and saying "What is this?!?" It needs to be said that I am big early Metallica fan, up to Justice. So I was like a lot of hardcore Metallica fans at the time and rebelled against the new direction they had taken. I was in my last year of highschool when this came out and I felt cheated or betrayed by my heroes. I was 18, I didn't know my ass from my elbow.
So over the years I have tried again and again to like, get into, or even find anything I like about this album. I never have. Up until now perhaps. I am almost forty, I have mellowed, my musical tastes have broadened considerably since my youth. So I think it might be a good time to re-evaluate this album and give it one last fair shake.
If I can't get into it or find something redeeming on it for me then I will never cross this bridge again. I will gladly stay behind as an "oldschool" Metallica fan and continue to enjoy the first 4 albums + E.P.
I will report back once I have finished listening.
Update: I tried, I really did. I even listened to the album twice. I just can't do it. I just can't get into the "Black Album". I will say that it is not a total loss, there are a couple songs that are ok. Struggle Within is up tempo enough to get my foot tapping, and Holier Than Thou gallops along at a decent enough pace that I found my head bobbing along. That damn snare sound gets really tiring after Sad But True is over. The production is, well, BIG, overblown if you ask me. There are no memorable riffs for me, and the ones that are there are pretty weak to begin with. To me it doesn't sound like a metal album, it sounds like a big overblown hard rock record. Obviously that was what they were going for. But, as Lars would say "it sounds stock!".
I am glad I won't have to put myself through this ever again. I always second guessed my judgement on this record and thought; well, 20 million people can't be wrong, maybe I am just missing something. Nope, I'm not missing anything. I am happy being on the other side of the fence, and not liking anything past Justice. There are millions that make up for my lack of love, and that's fine with me.
Sorry for taking up space with my little rant, I feel better now.
LOL! -That is a great soundtrack to the European soccer championship running at the moment.
-Cheers!
Well, you forced me to give some better exaples of contemporary fine german music:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wir_Sind_Helden (I like them)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rammstein (sounds like nazi but is not! -Anyway not my type of music)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reinhard_Mey (singer-songwriter)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Subway_to_sally (gothic)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kraftwerk (o.k. Kraftwerk is kind of classical music -think Beethoven here )
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