Customer Reviews

Ride the Lightning

5 star:		(706)
4 star:		(86)
3 star:		(24)
2 star:		(8)
1 star:		(16)

 

 

When I first bought this album, it instantly became my favorite. I thought it was incredible, and that nothing could ever touch it. Well, since then I have changed my mind. I have found a lot (but not a whole lot) of albums that are just as good as this one, and even better. But, make no mistake, this is one of the greatest albums ever made, for sure. When the acoustic intro to "Fight Fire with Fire" starts out, you might think you bought the wrong album, but then the heavy guitar hits you like a ton of bricks, and before you know it, you're thrashing around, destroying everything in sight. The guitars are very tight, and awesome solos abound. Cliff's bass is very menacing (if not a bit hard to hear). Lars doesn't stand out much, but he does a pretty decent job. There isn't a bad moment on here, but the highlights would have to be the classic "For Whom the Bell Tolls", the amazing ballad "Fade to Black", and, one of the greatest thrash songs ever, "Creeping Death". It all amounts to what is simply one of the greatest thrash metal albums ever made. There is a great deal of argument as to which Metallica album is the best. Many seem to think that "Master of Puppets" is the best, but I am very adamant in my decision that this is their finest moment. If pressed, I would say that this one and MOP are close to equal. I certainly prefer this one to "Kill Em All" and "And Justice for All", but MOP is a very close call. Anyway, if you love great metal, this is one album you should definitely buy. If you like this album, and want to hear more great metal, I would recommend "Powerslave" by Iron Maiden (which came out in the same year as RTL, by the way), "Reign in Blood" by Slayer, "The New Order" by Testament, "Among the Living" by Anthrax, "Peace Sells..." by Megadeth, "Cowboys from Hell" by Pantera, and anything by Iced Earth. Man, this was great metal. I wish more people did stuff like this today.

This cd, like Metallica's "Master of Puppets" was re-mastered by DCC and sounds just as awesome. I know many metallifans are skeptical about purchasing these re-masters, but to my ears, the superior sound quality is there and is noticeable. I have owned a recording of this album (Ride the Lightning) on either record or cd since 1984, and have heard it probably a million times since then. When I heard the remastered cd version today, I heard many things that I hadn't heard before. For example: The clarity in the intro solo by Hammett on "Fade to Black, the way Cliff Burton's roaring, howling lead bass was meant to stand out on "The Call of Ktulu", crisper drums and background vocals on "Creeping Death" and "Trapped Under Ice" are just some of the many sonic improvements on this cd. I understand that it's a lot of money for a cd that most people who are fans of the band already own. But if you are a long time or serious fan/collector, this is a true must have. If you are on a tight budget, or think the standard cd sounds good enough, don't bother. The cd also features re-packaging just like the original album (right down to the original megaforce records label in the upper right hand side of the back cover), though the differences are minimal from the standard issue cd, but noteworthy to the serious fan. I can only hope and pray that the horrendously recorded "And Justice For All" receives a similar treatment in the very near future.

Metallica's second album, 1984's "Ride the Lightning," was the first real metal album I ever bought. When I bought it, I was looking for a really heavy album, so when the first track began with an acoustic intro, I was sorely disappointed. Luckily, however, I skipped to the next song, the title track, and its booming intro brought a big smile to my face. Ah, nostalgia.

With 1983's "Kill `Em All," Metallica helped create thrash metal; but they followed up their debut with their sophomore album, which was released only a year later. Most metalheads have given it the credit it deserves, but I feel "Ride the Lightning" is still somewhat underrated, since the album that followed this one was "Master of Puppets."

"Ride the Lightning" is still fast. Most of it shoots by like...well, lightning; but it's slower, darker, heavier and more mature than "Kill `Em All." James' voice is somewhat lower than it was, and his lyrics are improved. As the above Amazon editorial review mentions, James discusses several different ways to die: Armageddon, capitol punishment, suicide, being trapped under ice, etc.

"Fight Fire with Fire" has the aforementioned acoustic intro, but it's just a tease-it doesn't last. The power chords fade in and the song becomes a breakneck speed, with rip-roaring, almost Slayer-esque guitar work. Lyrically, this songs seems to be about the Apocalypse.
"Ride the Lightning" is the album's most popular single. It's another thrashy number, with booming rhythms, fiery chug and churn riffs (which go from fast to faster to slow to fast), and an awesome, lengthy Hammett solo. "Ride the Lightning" has good lyrics about being executed by the electric chair, and it also has a surprise ending, but most of this song is an instrumental.
"For Whom the Bell Tolls" is slower paced, but still loud and heavy. The first two minutes of this song is an instrumental, beginning with a bell ringing, then the heavy, repetitive, churning guitars kick in. This song has another good, winding solo near the end.
"Fade to Black" is really morbid because it has depressing, introspective lyrics about suicide. It begins with a distant guitar solo, but the acoustic strums actually make the first part of this song rather pretty. (Pretty in a dark and depressing way, but pretty nonetheless.) The choruses still have heavy riffs, and the end is an ascending and cascading solo.
"Trapped Under Ice" is very fast paced with another short but sweet guitar solo near the middle.
"Escape" has vocals which make it radio ready (it has good vocal hooks). Most of the song has propulsive riffs with thunderous drumming, but the choruses are slower.
"Creeping Death" begins with machine gun guitars and drumming, before changing to another fast beat with guitars that burn straight ahead. And, of course, there's another stellar solo near the end.
"The Call of KTULU" is the album's instrumental. In my opinion, this song IS as great as "Orion" (from Metallica's next album, "Master of Puppets,") and it's a very good way to end the album. It starts out slowly and ominously with wind wooshes, but then it suddenly becomes a lot faster. This song builds well and has superb guitar and drum work.

So, this disc is another wonderful landmark album and it's still one of the best C.D.'s of the past two decades. All of the qualities of a classic metal or thrash metal album are here: long songs (about 6 minutes per song), rapid fire riffs, ripping solos, an instrumental track, and even some acoustic guitar licks. In conclusion, if you want a complete metal collection, or if you just like heavy metal, you need this album more than you need your next breath.

First, I must say that "Ride the Lightning" is one of the best heavy metal albums ever released. The songs are incredible, the song writing is untouchable, and the lead guitar work is masterful.

The standard issue Elektra Records version of Ride the Lightning WAS remastered by Elektra technicians back in 1995. However, after being remastered, the album seemed a lot less heavy and there seemed to be a "jagginess" so to speak in the overall sound. But this isn't really noticable until you hear the near-perfect remaster by DCC.

The difference between this and the standard issue CD is the overall sound of the music. The music now sounds like it was recorded especially for CD (which cannot be said for the Elektra version). The sound seems more polished and eliminates most of the "jagginess" in the sound, and the dynamics are accentuated perfectly. For example, the intro solo in Fade To Black now really blends together and sounds like it should - Kirk's guitar work dynamically interlacing with the acoustic guitar (in the standard CD, the intro solo seemed detached somewhat). These things may not mean much to most people, but to me it makes listening to the album more enjoyable. Highly recommended if you have the money.

When I first heard Metallica, I was like 8. I saw 'One' on Muchmusic one night, just browsing channels. Little did I know, that I would later be a huge fan of this band with a video I didn't really understand (it rhymes, and yes, it's a corny line).

Anywho, Metallica's RTL album is definitely one of their best. Although millions say that Master Of Puppets, AJFA, my personal fave, or the Black album are the best, RTL, like these others, has an incredible sound that truly brings out the best of this Heavy Metal band.

Fight Fire With Fire; the first track. Leading in with the famous 'soft' opening riffs, this song flys into a heavy, fast paced song that almost never lets up. A very good choice to start things off.

Next is the title track, Ride The Lightning. Much like 'Fire', it is fast paced and heavy, although it seems to slow a bit at the bridge, another Metallica trait. Still, one wicked track.

The next two songs, For Whom The Bell Tolls, and Fade to Black, possibly the two best songs on the album. For Whom the Bell Tolls is like AC-DC's Hells Bells, for the only reason that they have the bells. This track has excellent lyrics, a very eerie riff and excellent drums. Quite possibly, the best song off the album. But, wait, there's more...

Fade to Black. If you are a die-hard Metallica fan, you'll know that the band pretty much re-invented Metal Ballads. Here's one of many. Fade is all around an excellent song, the intro is especially catchy. This ballad brings out the best in Metallica, and, personally, sends chills down my back. Along with For Whom The Bell Tolls, the two songs are the best off this album. But, it's only half over.

Trapped Under Ice, fast paced, heavy, and, well, unnoticed, for the most. This song, which opens with a solo, unlike the others, not only completes the Black Magic combo, Fire( Fight Fire With Fire), Lightning (Ride The Lightning) and, of course Ice (Trapped Under Ice), but also plays out much like Fire and Lightning, fast paced through and through, and heavy. This particular track, seems to have a couple solos in it, courtesy of Kirk Hammet. A track worth listening to.

Then, as we wind down, Escape comes in. Escape plays out slower than the other tracks, and sounds like RTL, if it were slowed down a bit, the way the lyrics sound. Escape, in my opinion, is kind of just filler. It does have its strong points, but its not a song I'm particularly fond of. However, the riffs and drums sound good, so, please, don't pass this track by.

The last song with lyrics, Creeping Death, opens fast, with very good drums. This song has very good drumming, and for this album, it is the best of any song. But, hat my opinion. Good riffs, and good lyrics. Also a great track, but which one isn't? Fast paced and heavy, like most of the songs, its an excellent way to wind down the album, although, I would've swapped its place with Escape.

The end to this exceptional musical masterpiece, is the instrumental, The Call of Ktulu. Many fans say that it is, not a very good instrumental. Clocking in at nearly nine minutes, who could blame people for not finding it that good? Well, I find it is a very good instrumental. The guitars create some very good sounds to give this instrumental a little bit of an evil edge, something that adds to the track. Drumming sounds a little bit like the rest of the album, as far as the way they are played, not by their sound. Ktulu winds the album down slowly, while still keeping a fast paced sound to it. It isn't so heavy though. But, nonetheless, it brings perfect closure to the album.

8 tracks of some of the finest Heavy Metal music can be found on this album. If you are a Metallica fan, new or old, grab this album. You won't be sorry...

I used to hate heavy metal and detest it as pure noisy trash. Then one day I found an audio tape of "Ride the Lightning" for a bargain price and decided to buy it. That tape is long worn out, and I had to buy a CD to replace it!

"For Whom the Bell Tolls" is, in my opinion, a classic Rock song, to be loved by any Rock music lover, not only heavy-metal lovers. It is strong and powerful. It is my Metallica favorite, and worth the price of the entire disk.

The contrast between the opening notes and the body of "Fight Fire With Fire" is interesting. It gives this song its special flavor.

My next favorite is "Creeping Death", for its fast rhythm and melody.

All songs on this album have easily-listened-to melodies despite their heavy-metal coating, unlike pure heavy-metal albums such as "Master of Puppets", "...And Justice for All" and "Kill 'em All". Only the Black Album (named simply "Metallica") competes with it, but about it I'm gonna write a seperate review. I also quite liked "Load", though it is more complicated.

In short: I recommend "Ride The Lightning" for anyone looking for something that is more than pure "heavy metal", something that has beauty and brilliance.

Metallica is boldly and appropriately named as it's virtually impossible to have any meaningful discussion about the Heavy Metal genre without any mention being made about the vast impact that this band has made over the 80s and up to the mid 90s. They lifted up the genre from mindless, juvenile topics of wild sex, drugs and fast cars to discussions about serious topics from the meaninglessness of war to environmental disasters and so forth. What U2 did for pop/rock, Metallica did for Metal in blending intelligent topics with very, very good musicianship and hence making the genre more accessible to a much wider audience than ever before. In doing so, they extended the life of Metal and ensured an audience at a time when people were more interested in synth-pop ala Eurythmics, Depeche Mode, Howard Jones etc. Metal owes a great debt to this band for ensuring the endurance and evolution of the genre to what it is to this day.

This version of the 1984 album comes in a mini-lp replica sleeve (mlps) design which is very, very well executed and is one of the best that I've ever seen. The gatefold sleeve is made from very good quality thick cardboard and assembled so well that you don't fear it coming apart easily once the glue starts to get old. Also included is a 12 page booklet with all the lyrics in Japanese. For the English ones you'll need a good magnifying glass to read it from the gatefold sleeve itself which very faithfully replicates the original lp design.

Unfortunately, the sound quality is the same as it was in the original release and hence has not been remastered. Although good by 1980s standards, the quality is not as good as what we have become used to with all the releases that have been well remastered these days. For this reason, although the content is very good, I cannot give this version 5 stars as it's hard to justify the value proposition here as you are effectively paying for the mlps design only if you already have the album. I suppose if you don't already have this or if you are a big fan of well-designed and executed mlps sleeves then you may be tempted to cough up the mulah for this. If the sound had been remastered and hence improved over the original cd, I would have no hesitation to give this the full 5 stars and to recommend that you part with your hard-earned dough for this. With "For Whom the Bell Tolls" and "Fade To Black" you are getting two of Metallica's best ever tracks here and again contentwise you can't fault this album but you'll have to decide if the overall value proposition of this version of the album is worthy of the upgrade.

I bought this CD about a month ago and back then I thought it was good, if unexceptional. Over time, this album grew on me until I now regard it as metal perfection. Ride the Lightning combines the rapid-fire riffs of Kill 'em All with some slower moments in track 4, Fade to Black. Another exceptional part of Ride the Lightning is its flow. Fight Fire with Fire gets me pumped up with its insanely fast riffs. Then the tempo slows a little with the title track and a little more for For Whom the Bell Tolls. It settles way back for Fade to Black then picks up again for Trapped Under Ice. Escape is easily the worst song on the album, but that's not to say it's bad, it's just that the others are so good. Escape's faults are forgotten with the great,heavy track Creeping Death. Finally comes Call of Ktulu. I think this is the true masterpiece of the album. It's the best instrumental Metallica has done (it blows Orion out of the water). After that 9 minute tour de force you can sit back and feel proud to own this masterpiece of metal.

Though this album is constantly over looked, which is a shame. This is one of the greatest metal albums the world has ever seen. None of these songs prove to be a disapointment, and they all have you wanting to play them again and again. And ofcourse amoung these is my personal favorite, Fade to Black. This song's deep lyrics and message ring true to many. Mettallica has always been able to portray and bring out feelings which is showcased in this song.

Metallica's debut "Killém All" was an angry thrashing beast that displayed an abundance of youthful aggression, while hinting at more subtle possibilities within its underbelly. "Ride the Lightning", while still thrashing hard at times with grand metal flair, is a far more mature release, and is the real commencement of the hugely commercially successful Metallica institution. This is the Metallica that managed to be both critically praised for their musicianship and inspired songwriting, while unearthing their lofty position within a whole generation of adoring fans. This was not just rebellious teenagers bashing their instruments and screaming irrationally like so many outsiders would try to suggest of the metal genre in general. This was intelligently crafted music, with genuine themes (the death sentence, suicide, even Egyptian based) and creatively fashioned tracks with varying tempos and feel. It's an extremely important album in Metallica's history and an extremely important album in metal history itself.

"Ride the Lightning" has lost none of its power today, over 20 years after its release. The title track, "Fade to Black", "Creeping Death" and "The Call of Ktulu" are simply some of the band's finest tracks, all being part of the band's staple live set for years to come. The only thing that stops "Ride the Lightning" from being my personal favourite Metallica release are the slightly less drool inducing "Trapped Under Ice" and "Escape". Yet even those tracks are far superior to anything the band has released in about the last 15 years.

James, Kirk, Lars and Cliff made history with this album and no metal fan should be without it. It's one of those exceptionally rare moments where a few individuals can join so seamlessly, all playing a vital role and fulfilling a vision in unity. An undeniable classic.