AND JUSTICE FOR ALL ALBUM REVIEW

 

Best thrash album of all time 

By terrr, December 7th, 2020

Metallica's legendary fourth album, entry point to thrash for many people through its amazing songs, the epitome of thrash metal, and a very good example for songwriting and structure. You guessed it, And Justice For All. Undoubtedly, Metallica's best album and also one of the best albums in thrash, rivalled only by a select few masterpieces. This time they're here to take off that green paint from the halls of justice and distribute it to all. I just wish they left it at this and called it a day after their renowned live performance in Seattle.

The only people you find calling this album shit with a shit rhetoric themselves are the people who think hating Metallica is cool while listening to the worst that thrash has output themselves. Because it's coool!

Metallica was a band that was not only thrash but above thrash, rivalled by almost none in this genre. This album only solidifies that position they used to have. It doesn't fall into any of the potential traps that plague nearly the entirety of the genre, whether it's generic, unoriginal songwriting or soulless, "look at how tough I can sound with my stupid high-pitch voice" kind of vocals. Not only that, but this also beholds some of the most emotional and meaningful pieces Metallica has ever written, namely "One," "Harvester of Sorrow" and "Dyers Eve."

The instrumentation is beyond this world, especially the guitars. The riffs are heavy, technically complex, very original and incredibly powerful. James Hetfield and Jason Newsted make wonders in songwriting here, especially when thrashing hard in Blackened and Dyers Eve. The guitars also sound incredible with a unique, low-end leaning tone, which should be an example for any modern band. Not only that, but most of the solos are also listenable and not random pentatonic garbage (or Dave's "look at how fast I can shred" stuff) unlike those in the records prior to this. The clean sections are unique and sound great thanks to their highly progressive elements. It's also great that you can hear the bass in those.

Regarding the foundational instruments, the drums and the bass, they're the only problematic parts of this record. There's the massive problem of the bass not being present, and on a smaller scale, the drums being a tad bit too loud. I can understand why they'd cut out the bass since their guitar tone here already sounds like it's supplemented with bass, but it still creates a major hole when listening to this, especially as a musician. It's just ironic there's no justice for the bass in a record that's named And Justice For All. The drumming on the other hand sounds tight and is Ulrich's finest. While chaotic just like Ulrich's previous efforts, it's chaotic in a good sense here. A highlight to the bone-crushing drums in Dyers Eve.

I cannot overstate how amazing Hetfield's vocals used to be. They were decent in Kill 'Em All, great in Ride The Lightning, an example for thrashers in Master Of Puppets and is a very good example for any musician in this record. The vocals are passionate, angry, perfectly placed in the mix, and sound amazing. He sounds pissed off at all times, and his calmer singing profound in One is also mesmerizing. His voice really sets the atmosphere for this record. It's almost perfect. His lyrics are also excellent, poetic and make good points regarding real issues that are still relevant. And no "just a rhyme without a reason" unlike the previous album.

The songwriting is great, the tones are amazing, and the sound is great. The bass is the only problem regarding the sound.

I often only talk about uniquely good or otherwise notable tracks in albums instead of going over all of them one-by-one, but this album is full of classics. Here goes.

The album begins with the hypnotizing, unique intro of Blackened instantly thrashes you up without mercy around thirty seconds in. With its powerful primary riff, fast verses, strong chorus, exciting bridge and one of the best solos Kirk Hammett has ever written, the opening track Blackened is the best song in this album and best Metallica song overall. The follow-up tracks And Justice For All and Eye of the Beholder are slow and not that energetic, but they're okay and very cool to listen to the first few times. "One" is a half-ballad that gets very heavy halfway into the song. Its clean sections are beautiful and well-written, choruses are powerful and the first two solos are great. It only gets better after it gets heavy. The Shortest Straw is a cool thrasher, nothing much to say about it. Harvester of Sorrow, one of the slower tracks here is a real banger, with its powerful clean sections that blend in perfectly with the rougher sounds, overall heaviness of the track and the emotional music. To Live Is To Die is Metallica's either best or second-best instrumental, rivalled strongly by Orion. Dyers Eve is the album's second highlight after Blackened, with its fast, powerful, unique with its double-kick drumming, which is something Lars never does again, and filled with anguish through Hetfield's voice. The album ends quite abruptly with this, but it's a powerful ending regardless.

It's amazing. It shouldn't even be a debate, this is Metallica's best album.

Highlights: Blackened, One, Harvester of Sorrow, Dyers Eve.

***Disclaimer*** 

I do not own any copyright for any of this material!

Copyright belongs to Metallica and Blackened Recordings! 

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Metallica - ......And Justice For All Full Album

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