Ride the Lightning

I’m not sure what I can say about this album. It’s one of those classics that pretty much everyone has heard—and if you haven’t, do yourself a favor today. This album has all the aggressive melodic energy I want out of metal, and I adore the more delicate parts, like “Fade to Black”, one of the most beautifully dark songs I’ve ever heard.

Tied first with Paranoid for the best metal album for me. Metallica crushed the game with this album that mixes genius with sheer power. The first four tracks are timeless, with riffs and solos that are instantly recognizable and an atmosphere that's unparalleled, like on Fade to Black, or the monstrous For Whom The Bell Tolls.

Side B is a bit meeker in comparison. Not to say that the songs are bad, but there's probably nothing that compares to the onslaught of the first four songs, other than the side A of Paranoid. These songs are more of a demonstration of Metallica's ability to flirt with mainstream ideas for a composition, and safer leaning towards familiar territory with an instrumental track like Call of Ktulu, which I'm not a fan of, but can't hate on because it's a well written and played track.

A really potent album, and a thrash peak, Ride The Lightning is a dark and terrifyingly electric performance art piece from start to finish that I wholeheartedly recommend.