Metallica’s ‘…And Justice for All’ Anniversary: A Fan Looks Back

It's Metallica's ...And Justice for All anniversary. I wanted a fan to mark the occasion, so I turned to the biggest one I know: my brother.

Nate's a few years younger than me. A "Xennial," if you will. His intro point to Metallica was, like many fans of his age, the Black Album. But it didn't take him long to dive deep into their discography and fall in love with their earlier catalog. Metallica is the reason he and his friends started a metal band. I asked him to share his thoughts on AJFA, and here's what he said.

"I got into Metallica after the Black Album in '91, specifically the song and the video for "The Unforgiven." That started the obsession. Then seeing the "One" video on Headbanger's Ball on MTV? That was just like...whoa, what?! Once I realized they'd been around since the '80s and had pioneered thrash metal, and once me and the boys discovered ...And Justice for All? It was game over."

"At the time I remember thinking it blew the Black Album away. It was so fast. Furious. Heavy. The drums on the album are amazing. I know it gets a lot of flack for the bass, and I remember as a young bass player trying to figure out the basslines for the songs and it was impossible! There was none! You couldn't pick them out in the songs, they were just drowned out in the mix. I had to buy the bass book to figure them out."

"I also remember mom driving me up to York Beach in dad's GMC Jimmy to hang out with my friend Joe, the guitar player in our band Lunacy, for the day. And I remember specifically always bringing the AJFA tape for that ride, and playing it over and over. Fully obsessed. And when the band had been at it for a couple of years and we were invited to play the 8th grade dance, we covered "Harvester Of Sorrow."

That's right. My kid brother, 14 years old, with his 14-year-old buddies, ripping through "Harvester Of Sorrow" live at an 8th grade dance. I might be on the radio, but I'll never be as cool as Nate. Thanks, Nate, for sharing your early history with Metallica and your memories of ...And Justice for All. I'll bet a lot of like-minded Metallica fans share your sentiments.

And here I was, thinking the greatest rock album from 1988 list would be a short one. I was wrong, wrong, wrong.

Heh. "I Was Wrong," from Social Distortion's 1996 masterpiece White Lights, White Heat, White Trash. No, that one doesn't make the list. Wrong year. 1988 is the year in question, so we're focusing on albums that turn 35 in 2023. It's the latest in my anniversary-celebrating series of the 12-Inch Poll. We've already started the conversations--which are ongoing--about the greatest albums of 2003, 1998, 1993, and 1983. You can cast your votes for those if you haven't yet on the 12-Inch Poll page.

1988. I was 11 years old, and just starting to test the waters outside of what was in my parents record collection and what they'd put on the car radio (it was WBCN, of course). MTV played a part, and MTV played a ton of music videos from Cheap Trick, so I knew they'd be on the list for Lap Of Luxury, which is a fine late-80s entry in their discography. Ditto on Living Color's Vivid. Still love that one. Those, plus the obvious '88 choices from Metallica and Bon Jovi, were my short list. Couldn't think of much else.

Then I dug into this list of 27 Albums that Turn 35 in 2023 and my list started getting a lot longer. Not only was '88 stacked with regards to rock, it was diverse! Tons more metal than I remembered. And even though this is pre-Seattle grunge explosion in '91, there's a lot of strong alternative and modern rock standing side-by-side with the hair metal and traditional rock bands.

I think you'll be surprised by some of the albums on the list. Take a look, cast your vote, and if I left one you love off, hit the ROCK 92.9 Facebook or Twitter and let me know.

Released on January 18, 1988

Released on September 19, 1988

Released on April 12, 1988

Released on November 29, 1988

Released on April 11, 1988

Released on August 23, 1988

Released on May 23, 1988

Released on February 2, 1988

Released on May 3, 1988

Released on January 19, 1988

Released on September 7, 1988

Released on May 3, 1988

Released on November 7, 1988

Released on October 31, 1988

Released on October 10, 1988

Released on May 20, 1988