Project 1001: June 10, 2024; Metallica (The Black Album) by Metallica
Hush little baby, don't say a word / And never mind that noise you heard / It's just the beasts under your bed / In your closet, in your head.
Metallica is one of my favorite bands. I own at least a dozen of their albums. Metallica is a masterpiece to me. No filler, nothing weak. I’ve listened to this record many, many times and will continue to listen for years to come.
A lot of Metallica fans who were there from the beginning were dismayed at the change in style on this album; some even accusing the band of ‘selling out’. That’s understandable. However, doesn’t an artist have the right to explore their art in any way they choose? Wouldn’t it be less interesting if artists avoided evolving and just did the same, formulaic music they always produced? If Metallica hadn’t evolved, it’s possible they would have grown bored and disbanded. No Metallica fan would want that! By evolving they went from arguably the greatest thrash band to one of the greatest bands, regardless of genre, in the history of recorded music. We should embrace and celebrate that! Don’t you agree? Share your thoughts, please.
And, oh by the way, Metallica, also known as The Black Album, sold over 30 million copies.1 The people have spoken with their wallets. In 2020, the album became just the fourth to appear on the Billboard 200 album chart for 550 consecutive weeks.2 By the end of its debut week, Metallica reached No. 1 in 10 countries and spent four consecutive weeks at the top of the Billboard 200. It has since become one of the best-selling albums worldwide, ever, going 16 times platinum.3
Enter Sandman, to me, is one of the greatest all-time songs of all time. It’s instantly recognizable. And Nothing Else Matters is probably the best power-ballad in metal history.
Writing for Spin magazine, Alec Foege said Metallica is a burnished black gem.4
In Rolling Stone Robert Palmer wrote, “the band is expanding its musical and expressive range on its own terms. This can only be a positive step for a group that is effectively bridging the gap between commercial metal and the much harder thrash.”5
Classic Rock Review wrote this:
“Metallica would … make many in the ever-changing industry reconsider the scope of genres which have mass appeal. The album would be a major influence for the post-grunge sound of the mid to late nineties and be the absolute pinnacle of Metallica’s long and successful career. As Hammett simply referred to it; “it is our Dark Side of the Moon”.”6
Iron Maiden singer Bruce Dickinson had this to say about The Black Album:
"Ourselves, Judas Priest and Pantera all reached a crossroads where we had the chance to really step up to the next level. But none of us had the balls to do it. Metallica did, though. You have to give them huge credit for grabbing the opportunity when it came up, taking the risk and deservedly reaping the enormous rewards. You cannot underestimate their achievement with this album.
“It’s one of those seminal albums that just gets it right. It’s extremely well-produced, and every note on that album is totally under control. I admire how they did it, and what they did with the songs, and it was very effective: it undoubtedly did help push metal into the mainstream.7
Who are any of us to doubt Bruce???
My rating:
Metallica clocked in as the eighth best album of the year on the Pazz and Pop list for 1991.8
The Grammys presented the band with a trophy for Best Metal Performance on February 25, 1992.9
Metallica released five singles from this album. Here are their chart performances:
Enter Sandman spent 20 weeks on the Billboard chart peaking at #16.10
The Unforgiven lingered for 17 weeks on the chart reaching #35.
Nothing Else Matters: 15 weeks peaking at #34
Wherever I May Roam: 7 weeks, #82
Sad But True: 1 week at #98
The Black Album was released August 12, 1991.
Topping the Billboard Hot 100 that week: (Everything I Do) I Do It For You by Brian Adams.11
Unforgettable: With Love by Natalie Cole topped the Billboard Album chart.12
Hot Shots! was the box office champ that week followed by Double Impact and Terminator 2: Judgment Day.13
TV viewers were tuning in to 60 Minutes, Roseanne, Murphy Brown, Cheers, and Home Improvement.14
Crowing the NY Times Bestseller Fiction List: The Kitchen God’s Wife by Amy Tan, The Firm by John Grisham and Heir To The Empire by Timothy Zahn.15
In the sports world of August 1991: John Daly won the PGA Championship, Dave Winfield hit home run #400, Carl Lewis runs 100m in a world record 9.86 seconds at and Mike Powell breaks the 23-year-old long jump record with 29' 4½"the World Championships.16
Enjoy and listen without prejudice. Cheers!
All the songs on this playlist are standouts. Here are three highlights:
All the videos for this playlist are available here: You're Welcome 93; The Black Album by Metallica
On Prime: 93. The Black Album by Metallica
Here is a deep dive by the Professor of Rock