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List Price: $45.98 | | Label: Sony / Bmg Japan
Salesrank: 612621
Released: November 17, 2003 |
| Our Price: $45.98 |
| Used Price: $39.99 |
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| Media: Audio CD |
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Metallica Track Listing:
1. Enter Sandman
2. Sad but True
3. Holier Than Thou
4. Unforgiven
5. Wherever I May Roam
6. Don't Tread on Me
7. Through the Never
8. Nothing Else Matters
9. Of Wolf and Man
10. God That Failed
11. My Friend of Misery
12. Struggle Within
Editorial Review:
Japanese exclusive reissue of 1991 album packaged in a miniature LP sleeve. Features 13 tracks including 1 bonus track, 'So What'. CBS. 2003.
Description of Metallica:
Called "the Black Album" by many (due to its monochrome cover), Metallica marks the group's entrance into the mainstream, with shorter songs, simpler song structures, and slower tempos overall. That said, this is an excellent album, featuring some of the best songwriting Metallica has ever done. "Enter Sandman," "Wherever I May Roam," and "God That Failed," despite being slower and more groove-oriented than the band's earlier work, feature the same heavy riffs and heavier rhythms that have always been a feature of Metallica's music. The band goes introspective with "Unforgiven," and proves that they can write a ballad with "Nothing Else Matters," which succeeds better than one might expect. Overall, this is a high-energy album despite its laid-back approach, and is in many ways superior to the previous . . . And Justice for All, which was weakened by overly complicated song structures and mediocre production. -- Genevieve Williams
Metallica Reviews:
Bob Rock makes Lars and James swing 
2009-11-22 - I was on a long drive recently and listened to all of the Metallica albums in order up to Live...Binge, and I must say that it made me realize what a huge difference Bob Rock's production and attitude made for these guys.
The original band was far better, for my money: Cliff and Mustaine vs Kirk and Newsted? No comparison. But Rock saw where this band's real power lies: founders Ulrich and Hetfield. He clearly knew how to bring out their best in the studio, and he definitely mic'ed Lars' kit like no one before or since. Maybe the best huge drum sound since Bonzo. Massive.
Plus, these tunes are among the best these guys ever wrote. I especially love Sad But True. What a huge riff, and Ulrich's drumming is truly awesome. This track exemplifies the main gift Bob brought to these guys, though I've never heard anyone mention it: he taught them how to swing.
While listening to the first Metallica albums I get a little worn out sonically because everything is so on top of the beat. Everyone is pounding but those songs could be even heavier if there was more rhythmic push-pull, a la early Sabbath and middle Zep. Rock saw this and showed Lars how to pull back in the pocket a bit, which makes Hetfield's incomparably heavy rhythm riffs thunder like never before. Just listen to the huge pockets on Sad and Sandman. That's a new zone for Metallica, and I don't think they've topped it since.
Nothing against Kirk or Jason, they're both decent, but they're playing with probably the best metal drummer and metal rhythm player of them all, so it's hard not to seem somewhat pedestrian. Hammett's solos get pretty boring after a while to me, but oh well. Newsted does lock in well with Lars' kick drum here, and that brings a lot of weight to the proceedings.
I got caught driving in a sudden blizzard in the Rockies last week at 3 am and could barely see ten feet down the highway, so I put this album on and turned it up to 11 to keep me sharp. I will never forget that hour. Total whiteness meets total blackness; the focus and ferocity of the music really got me into the zone as I went over a high mountain pass and slowly came out of the snow. The perfect soundtrack to hair-raising intensity.
I should mention that I saw a show on the first leg of this tour, and it remains one of the top five rock shows I've ever seen, of about two thousand. They were on fire and went off at least six times. Most bands get there once a night if they're lucky.
I don't much care for their work since this album, but as peaks go, this is Everest among metal albums. The best drummer/rhythm team in heavy rock at their zenith.
But you gotta play it loud, with a subwoofer.
Booooommm!
Metallica Angellica, The Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters
2009-11-12 - Sometimes the most meaningful truths can be expressed in the simplest words and one such sentence can affect and change the lives of millions. The message of Nothing Else Matters is straight forward: Be your own man, live your life however you choose and allow others the same. The message of The Unforgiven is: Don't let the rules of bitter fools change you into one of them.
Although I don't listen to Metallica albums and I am not sure how much we could have in common besides sharing our superstar city, once I heard Nothing Else Matters I was blown away by the power of their expression coming through. The Unforgiven is another beautiful song on this album. I am sure there is much more great music here but the speed of those expressions exceeds my ability to follow it correctly...these days. Obviously I could listen to the music of Metallica and Iron Maiden and Judast Priest for a week and be completely in tune with it and hooked on it again. Let's just say that it would collide with my present life style too much. I am quite aware that all of the above music rules its territory and I used to spend time there. After listening to Nothing Else Matters and The Unforgiven for a while I ended up getting all the Metallica albums in the middle of 1990s, looking for jewels. I ended up making my Metallica- light compilation in 2000 putting all these mellow, emotional and spiritual songs (for them and for most of you guys most likely) together so myself and some other sissies like me can say they also listen to Metallica. I am giving this Black Album (1991) five stars for Nothing Else Matters and The Unforgiven alone. So, here it is, Metallica Angelica:
1. Nothing Else Matters, eidt (1:40)
2. Turn The Page
3. The Unforgiven
4. Low Man's Lyric
5. Bleeding Me
6. Nothing Else Matters
7. Fade To Black
8. Untill It Sleeps
9. Whiskey In The Jar
10. The Unforgiven 2
11. Mama Said
12. Astronomy
13. Nothing Else Matters, edit (1:40)
Underrated, a great release, though
2009-10-20 - I actually just bought this a few days ago, deciding to give it another chance. I have been on a metallica kick recently. I saw them on this album tour 18 yrs ago and have been a fan since the very early days. I still have the no life to leather demo, so I go back a long time. Maybe age has softened me. When this came out in '91 I hated it with a passion. I was so entrenched in death metal (still am) and thrash that this release felt like a betrayal for being such a loyal fan, The band gave up their thrash roots and were influenced by Bob Rock way too much. Well if the band wanted to still put out a thrash album they could have at that point. It was not like Bob Rock was pointing a gun to the members heads, the band was just way too easily influenced with him at the helm. It's a shame. A bunch of these songs I still feel would have been better if they were thrashed and speeded up. Anyway, enter a more mellow band. The band experimented with simpler song structures with a pretty massive production. I do like the production on this and the guitar sound is amazing. Songs are super catchy, enter sandman, the amazing sad but true-killer riff, the unforgiven, struggle within, nothing else matters, all catchy numbers. The band quickly made millions of new fans with this release and enter sandman started to get played at baseball and football games across the world. I have opened up over the years more, and feel this is a great record. I don't think it holds a candle to their first 4 releases or death magnetic, but I do feel that it's a great heavy record in it's own right.
It's Good 
2009-10-07 - I had this on cassette tape when it first came out. This is viewed as a sell out, as Metallica gained widespread mainstream acceptance. Key tracks are: Enter Sandman, Holier Than Thou, The Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters. While before for most of the 80s they were an acrhetype speed/thrash metal band, here the songwriting is more pop oriented, scoring several hit singles. My only complaint is it's just old. But it still holds up.
Black Album
2009-09-25 - This is the greatest CD to ever hit the entire universe. No doubts about it. Nothing can touch it and will never ever be able to touch it garenteed.
