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Metallica’s ‘Ride The Lightning’ Turns 35

July 27, 1984. Metallica releases their second album, which ends up being a more impactful debut then their actual debut. Last week, I wrote a bit about Metallica’s debut, Kill…

July 27, 1984. Metallica releases their second album, which ends up being a more impactful debut then their actual debut.

Last week, I wrote a bit about Metallica's debut, Kill 'Em All, which was released on July 25, 1983. So let's do the math: Metallica debuts on record in July of '83 and, within a year, they've toured, written a new batch of songs, recorded them, and released a new album. Why can't bands still operate like this?

Here's the most impressive part, though: the speed at which Metallica's sound evolved over the course of a year. Kill 'Em All was straight-up thrash metal. Those elements were still present on Ride The Lightning, but they now resided alongside a more nuanced approach to melody and arrangement (credit bassist Cliff Burton for introducing the rest of the band to rudimentary music theory).

So what do you end up with? A metal album with, dare I say it, balance. And the first step Metallica would take toward the mainstreamed, commercially-successful sound that would manifest on 1991's The Black Album. Get an idea of some of that balance below.

adam12Writer
Adam 12 is the Program Director of Boston's ROCK 92.9, heard weekdays from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. He's been flexing his encyclopedic rock knowledge in New England for over 2 decades, both on-air and online, at WBCN, WFNX, Boston.com, and indie617. At ROCK 92.9, he keeps you in the know on the big stories from the Boston music scene and writes about great places to eat, drink (beer), and to spend time outdoors in and around Boston.