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175 of 183 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Rage Before The Machine!, June 10, 2003
After an extended layoff period and a classic `covers' ep, Metallica returned with a vengeance on AND JUSTICE FOR ALL. All the anger and sadness they held in on the death of bassist Cliff Burton was unleashed on the record buying public. The album is full of seething vocals and complex chord and tempo changes, with melody at its centre. Lars Ulrich (drummer) and Kirk Hammet (lead guitar) have never played better. Unfortunately for new boy bassist Jason Newsted, the house producer Fleming Rasmussen buries his contributions way into the mix, so it sometimes sounds like he's absent. However, this complaint aside, if you wish to hear some truly angry heavy metal way before `Rage Against The Machine' raised its collective voice in protest, check out the true rage and beauty of this release.BLACKENED - Starting, as the two previous Metallica albums on a deceptively soft note, this anti -war track suddenly roars to life with a snarl at it's heart, courtesy of James Hetfield. Jason Newsted's bass sounds like a buzz saw as Hetfield's spits out horror filled images: "Fire! To begin whipping dance of the dead". The abrupt change of pace in the track's middle only goes to prove what an impressive drummer Lars Ulrich can be. Kirk Hammet's lead solo incredibly shows an improvement since the `Master of Puppets' album. An intelligent update of the `Ride the Lightning' leadoff track, `Fight Fire With Fire'. AND JUSTICE FOR ALL - Another soft build-up into a shout of protest. This time the target's the buying off of justice and the corruption of the system. The chorus is a total damnation of the unfairness of it all. Lars pounds every part of his kit in a display of virtuosity that only some metal drummers can manage. This track may be around 9 minutes in length, but I guarantee you'll be transfixed for that amount of time. "Hammer of justice crushes you, overpower . . ." Indeed. EYE OF THE BEHOLDER - A strident track decrying the erosion of freedom and rights.Again, the chorus grabs you by the throat and won't let go." Freedom . . . with their exception!" The beat on the track is very militaristic. ONE - The first Metallica song with an accompanying video. This has got to be my favourite Metallica song of all time. The tale of a soldier who has stepped on a land mine and now is an armless, legless, and blind vegetable. You can almost hear the desperation, the pain and the fury of being hooked up to a life support machine in Hetfield's vocal performance. The track goes from heavy ballad to out- and-out thrash with a deft flick of the wrist. Kirk's searing lead break and Ulrich's machine gun drumming compliment the tune perfectly. SHORTEST STRAW - Powerhouse, fast paced monster about paranoia, ostracism, being the victim of witchhunts and blacklisting, and mental pressure. The one thing that's a certainty on Metallica albums, are catchy choruses and `Justice . . .' has plenty of those. HARVESTER OF SORROW - A lumbering evil tune about child abuse and how a victim can repeat what has happened to them on the next generation. The rhythm section sounds like an `Imperial Walker' crushing all under foot. I especially like the `answer vocal' on the chorus. FRAYED EDGE OF SANITY - Beginning with a musical in-joke (the band plays `The Guards' March' from `The Wizard Of Oz') then revving up for a tale of paranoia sliding into mental illness. This is pure head banging material with a literate edge. TO LIVE IS TO DIE - A fitting epitaph to supreme bassist Cliff Burton (the lyrics are his), the band puts all they have into this mournful, melodic cruncher of an instrumental that ranks up there with `Pulling Teeth', `Orion' and `The Call Of Ktutlu'. May he always be sadly missed. DYER'S EVE - A thrash masterpiece to end the album. This is a scream of rage towards parents who dictate and censor without supplying love or encouragement. Hetfield's voice spews venom and the track's instrumentation is stabbing, relentless. One final roared, "Go!" and the album is finished; leaving you emotionally spent. What a musical ride.
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20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
BEST METAL ALBUM IN EXISTENCE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, August 5, 2003
This is without a doubt (in my opinion) not only the best Metallica album in existence, but It is the best metal album in existence.BLACKENED- Like previous first Metallica tracks, it slowly builds into absolute mayhem as James screams anti-war lyrics. Lars stays busy, and really shines on this song. This is my favorite Metallica song of all time. AND JUSTICE FOR ALL- This is by far one of the most sophisticated, intricate, and complex metal songs ever. Clocking in at over nine minutes, this song takes you on the ride of your life, and when its finally over, you are left, shocked at what you just heard. You cannot count the changes in pace/tone on one hand in this song. This is definately a song that Kirk shines on. EYE OF THE BEHOLDER- Another awesome song with some great lyrics. "You can do it your own way, as long as its done just how i say." ONE- The first Metallica song with a video made for it. Also one of their best songs of all time. Goes from semi-ballad like to all out headbanging thrash metal. In the last few minutes you cannot help but headbang. SHORTEST STRAW- Great overall song with some awesome riffs and drum kicks. The chorus fits perfectly into the tone/atmosphere that the song creates. HARVESTER OF SORROW- Slower, more violent song about how people who are abused as children sometimes bring that abuse to the generation following theres. One of my favorite songs on the album. FRAYED ENDS OF SANITY- Great headbanging song, you will headbang, just because the rhythm of the song begs you to. Great all around song with awesome riffs and great vocals. TO LIVE IS TO DIE- This song is an ode to Metallica's late bassist Cliff Burton. Though its an instrumental, its incredibly heavy and works into a heavy ballad style song. DYERS EVE- This song and BLACKENED are the fastest songs on the album. Lars shows what he's made of in this song, and you can't help but give him props for being able to play drums as fast as he does on this song. The song is about parents to dictate to their children, and do not offer encouragement. IF YOU DO NOT HAVE THIS ALBUM, BUY IT!!!!!!!!!!!
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13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Metallica's Last Thrash, October 11, 2006
THE BAND: James Hetfield (lead vocals, guitar), Kirk Hammett (guitars), Lars Ulrich (drums & percussion), and new member Jason Newsted (bass) formerly of Flotsam And Jetsam (replacing Cliff Burton, R.I.P.).
THE DISC: (1988) 9 tracks clocking in at approximately 65 minutes. Included with the disc is a 10-page booklet containing song titles/credits, song lyrics, band pictures, one 'gavel' drawing containing band member faces, and thank you's. This is Metallica's 4th studio album. All songs written by Hetfield, Hammett, Ulrich and/or Newsted. Recorded at One On One Studios, Los Angeles, CA. This would be Flemming Rasmussen's last album produced with the band (Bob Rock would follow). The Japanese (import) version contains a bonus track - a Diamond Head cover, "The Prince". Label - Elektra.
COMMENTS: "...And Justice For All" was the last classic Metallica album of the 80's. It was also their final attempt at thrash metal (once the 90's rolled around and producer Bob Rock entered the picture, the band took a more "mainstream" metal approach). The majority of songs are long with complex riffs... borderline progressive. Let me first say that for years, this disc sat on my shelf. I thought it was over-produced; I didn't like Ulrich's snare drum (sounded cheap and tinny) or his double bass (sounded shallow and metallic - partly due to a coin taped to the drum skin where the foot pedal hit); Newsted's bass was nonexistent (the standard explanation for this combines Newsted's absence from the mixing sessions where he could have voiced his opinion, and the lingering issue of his "newness" within the band following the death of Burton); there were three songs that I just could not get into ("Eye Of The Beholder", "The Shortest Straw" and lightning fast "Dyers Eve"); and the articles I read about the 3 original band members hazing and not accepting newcomer Newsted was infuriating... call if fun, call it pranks, call it cruel - Newsted simply did not deserve this kind of treatment. Newsted (or anyone else who took the job) had two choices - put up with the crap or leave. From the outside looking in, Burton's loss was tragic, but the way Hetfield/Ulrich/Hammett handled the situation afterwards seemed uncalled for. As far as "...And Justice For All" is concerned though, it's taken a decade to grow on me and finally realize there are some brilliant songs here. In my opinion, "One" is one of Metallica's finest songs in their entire catalog. "One" has an awesome slow beginning, tells a great story of an injured soldier, and ends in fine metal thrash form (not to mention one of the more memorable MTV videos)... all in all featuring great guitar work (intro, rhythm and solos). "Blackened" is an underrated gem of an opener. "To Live Is To Die" is the other masterpiece (almost 10 minutes long) - riffs and spoken words written by Cliff Burton (his last written testament) - this song has great riffs and 7 minutes of jamming before any vocals... reminiscent of something taken right off "Master Of Puppets". The title track also resembles something from "Puppets". "...And Justice For All" chart success - hitting #6 on Billboard's "Top 200 Albums" from 1988, as well as the song "One" hitting #35 on Billboard's Hot 100. There's good and bad here... this album is still considered a classic and essential. If not only for the songs "One", "Blackened" and "To Live Is To Die" (4 stars).
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