…And Justice for All

I didn't really like metal growing up. A bit like jazz in a way, the *real* fans seemingly do their bit to put people off by not liking the music in the correct way.

It's fast, it's loud, it's frantic and I love it.

Notable for losing the Grammy to one of the more mediocre Jethro Tull albums. Which was an unfair situation for Metallica, but also extremely funny.

Finally, I thought, when I saw Metallica show up...
This is the band that I've seen live more than any other mayor act, and always had a great time!

Albums... that is not where their strength lies... I adore the song "One" as it is just raw as shit, and bangs you from left to right to up to down.
Rest of the album I could have easily skipped... but that is my opinion.
3*** just because of One

This album is the most technical out of all Metallica records. The problem with it, in my opinion, is not the production like everyone says. I actually think that the charm of it is in the fact that it sounds like it was produced in a garage. The problem is that, compared to Master of Puppets (which I personally think it doesn't have a single bad song), this album has some songs that feel like fillers, and those became popular (for example, Harvester Of Sorrow: nothing special about it, but fans love the shit out of that song). Songs like One, And Justice For All, Blackened and Dyers Eve are the ones that elevate this record. Anyway, this is Metallica at its best time in their career, and this album is great.

Every song is a dark epic. Brutally powerful and quite overwhelming, as is its intention. Lars Ulrich's drum sound was unique and genre-defining, Hetfield's vocals (though for me, somewhat monotonous) reflect the disturbed, unending torment, anguish, and anger that embody the victims in these songs: damned, despised, dismissed. Much od the al;bum could be described as over-complicated, but I get the sense the band is feeling its way through uncharted musical territory, and when they hit the sweet spot between excessive indulgence and grand artistic statement, it's pretty sweet. At the time, really experimental, and WAY more serious than a lot of Metal that had come before and in that, paving the way for more extreme genres.

This is a good metal album. Overall I think it’s just a little bit too long. I think I prefer Master of Puppets and Ride The Lightning to this. Favorite songs were the title track, One, and To Live Is To Die

The multi-sectional feel of the title track pushes this album just the tiniest bit into prog metal. It’s still thrash, of course, but there’s a lot more going on creatively and expressively than just thrash. Also, the themes, like the music, are complex, with a lot of pessimism, political and war commentary, and explorations of death. This all weaves through the album and holds it together as a masterpiece, but “One” is the track that exemplifies the message of this studio document.

I really doubted I would be able to get all the way through this one. It's a tough listen. I don't mind some of the riffage and the drumming but the vocals are truly terrible and the guitar solos made me want to laugh out loud. Those are the high points. I felt physically ill while listening to this.

A transition from the epic melodic thrash of Master of Puppets to the all-conquering hard rock of the Black Album, this album has elements of both but isn't as a good as either. Still, it goes very hard - some huge riffs, some gnarly shredding, some awesome harmonic leads, some quiet somber moments that build anticipation, and tight tight playing throughout. One is really the only stand out song but the whole thing rips.

I just can't handle two Metallica albums in a week.

All these guitar riffs, licks and solos, it's a massive wankfest... and I loved every minute of it! 🤘

Damn

Sounds like Metallica. I know people love the 80s Metallica, and I don't disagree necessarily, but I feel like this album in particular is basically one song that's an hour and five minutes long. Maybe that's what they were going for? I don't know. I mean fast double bass drum and guitars chugging nonstop gets a little wearing when there isn't really anything to break it up. Guitar solos are brilliant, if a little derivative. One and Harvester of Sorrow are the only songs that really stand out on this one. Also I think the production could have been better. For an album that was trying to be heavy the mastering seems like it was a bit tinny or something. Like it could have been fuller and they needed more lows and low mids in the mix. I might come back to this one day but I'd have to be in the right headspace.

An underrated thing that this generator has led me to being able to do is understanding a bit more when an album has bad (or "bad") production. That doesn't mean I understand why people would say such a thing all the time, but I can wrap my head around it most of the time. Metallica is no stranger to this accusation, famously with the drums on St. Anger (which if you can't hear the issue with those things after a few moments of listening you're deaf) and today's album, ...And Justice for All. I mean, it certainly isn't as bad as that album, but where is any of the oomph with this album? It just feels so stringy with nearly no bass in sight, and it can come off as hollow. Does that stop the album from having good tracks? No, the opener is great, and One is basically Metallica's Stairway to Heaven, but a lot of the remaining tracks get repetitive with nothing to really set them apart, as you get the same guitar-drum shtick with each song, and the length of the album despite only having nine tracks just means it's all the more noticeable. I love the inclusion of an acoustic guitar in this album, it really helps break up the monotony, but they seem scared to even toy with the idea of a full song of something more mellow, and I understand why, but that's what makes it hard to stomach too much Metallica at once for me. I do sound overly negative here, as I tend to when I have glaring issues with an album, but this is still a solid metal album from the band, with tracks I do think deserve their iconic status. I just struggle to give this more than a more middle of the road ranking, when I know bands like Anthrax and Megadeth will do far better ranking wise once I get them on here.

Metallica’s …And Justice For All is their fourth and most ambitious album. It features some of their longest and most complex songs, such as Blackened, One, Harvester Of Sorrow, and the title track. The album explores themes of injustice, corruption, and oppression with a dark, heavy, and technical sound.

However, the album also suffers from some flaws, such as the poor production quality, the absence of bass guitar, and the tediousness of some tracks.

This album is often underrated in Metallica’s discography, as it is sandwiched between two classics: Master Of Puppets and the Black Album. It is a great example of progressive thrash metal and deserves more recognition, but it is not as accessible or enjoyable as their other works. I appreciate the album for its ambition and intensity, but I prefer to listen to their more balanced and dynamic albums. Therefore, I give it a solid 3 stars out of 5.

Bare One er 5 stjerner værd

3 days apart from each other (thank you randomizer), I've given both "Master Of Puppets" and "...And Justice For All" a good few (re-)listens and have to admit that this one really falls short in comparison.

Both albums, like 'Ride The Lightning' before that are built along the same premise:
1) Start the album with a fast and heavy song
2) Bring a few of the epics (8 to 9 minute songs) interspersed with some slower songs
3) Bring out one instrumental
4) Finish with a fast and heavy banger

But while Metallica went from the Thrash to more Black Sabbath-like rhythms, the songwriting remains great, it's the tinny and empty production sound that really stops this album from being a masterpiece. Without Bass, without soul, without input besides Lars and James.

This was not my thing at all. Other than One, all the songs sound the same and are, frankly, boring. I just don't think I like metal (or more specificially, don't like Thrash metal) Oh, and the mix is terrible. Drums sound like shit and there is no bass at all.

I thought this was ok, but there is a bit of a cringe factor for me with Metallica. I much prefer Master of Puppets and the Black Album. I agree with the reviews that mention the bad mixing, the band sound like they're playing inside of a tin can. The only songs that stick out to me are "One" and "Harvester of Sorrow".

I think I read somewhere that they have 4 albums in this book, too many! Master of Puppets and the Black Album would suffice. They could have included two other metal artists instead. No Tool albums in this book, really!?

It's amazing to me how this album never seems to draw me in. So much happening, but it never clicks. Could be because many of the songs sound similar to me. Could be the COMPLETE LACK OF BASS. Whatever it is, I've never been big on this album. "One" is a really cool song (particularly the end part), but most of the rest just sounds like the same song over and over. Giving it a 3 because I don't mind hearing it, but never feel an urge to seek it out. Maybe I'd consider a 4, but have to remove at least a star since they removed the bass.