METALLICA — Ride the Lightning (review)

METALLICA — Ride the Lightning album cover Album · 1984 · Thrash Metal Buy this album from MMA partners
5/5 ·
Stephen
Bridging the rawness of "Kill Em All" and the maturity level of "Master of Puppets", this second release by Metallica is simply a metal perfection. It seems that they evolve to a better phase after the debut, but what makes this record glows is on the "Creeping Death" track alone. Written by the whole band after inspired by the God's plague on the Egyptians from the movie "The Ten Commandments" and the book of Exodus, this song is a mandatory part on each of their gig setlist and became my all-time fave Metallica track. From the ruthless roar of "Slaves, hebrews born to serve" to the slaughtering chops of "Die by my hand!", "Creeping Death" unleashed a fearsome slash of classic Metallica wrapped in a grandiose composition.

Another bright spotlight of the album is "For Whom The Bell Tolls" and "Fade To Black". "Bell" started with Burton's savvy slapping and a gigantic gong, the song quickly burst into an electrifying doom-ambient rhythm. "Fade" is a beautiful gem with a sorrowful acoustical intro that gives me goose bumps at times. This is probably their first attempt of creating a ballad and the song flows smoothly before erupted with an explosive Hammet solos which cited as one of the best metal solos of all time.

"Fight Fire with Fire" and "Trapped Under Ice" seems like a contrast yin-yang title but both of them possessed the same typical demonic thrash riffage. While "Call of Ktulu" is probably my least favorite track of the album, actually nothing bad about it at all, it's just an instrumental track that I listen occasionally depends on my mood. Hard to say anything bad about "Ride The Lightning" except this, together with "Puppets", is definitely the peak moment of Metallica.
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