Exit Light, Enter Night: Metallica (aka The Black Album) by Metallica — Review
Let’s get something straight. Everyone from your nan to the postman to Longboi knows of Metallica. You may not know Metallica well, but you’ve definitely heard of them.
For the metalheads out there, Metallica are titans, behemoths, legends of rock and the thrash metal from whence they sprung, inspiring many other bands in their wake. The band was formed in Los Angeles, later relocating to the Bay Area of San Francisco, (since considered a thrash metal hotspot). Founding members rhythm guitarist/singer James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich (SIT DOWN, LARS!) went through a host of instrumentalists before settling on lead guitarist Kirk Hammett, and bassist Cliff Burton (the current incarnation featuring Robert Trujillo in Burton’s place). Though their road has been rocky, highs and lows abounding, they’re still going strong in 2021, with a new album currently in the works.
Now, I know that there are people for which metal might not be their thing, and that’s perfectly fine. Personally, much of the more extreme side of metal isn’t my cup of tea. But Metallica’s self-titled fifth album, known unofficially as The Black Album due to its distinctive jet-black sleeve, is for me and many other metalheads, one of metal’s more accessible records.
The first four Metallica albums are all worthy of reviews and praise, but it was their fifth album that changed the game.
There are many stories about the recording process of the fifth album; I’ll spare you the details, but famed producer Bob Rock pushed the band to their limits, and through all the pain The Black Album was created.
The Black Album deftly bridges the gap between standard 90’s rock and the metal of Metallica’s past, providing what metal enthusiast and comedian Andrew O’Neill refers to as ‘a gateway drug’ in The History of Heavy Metal. On a first listen, the riffs may sound alien, the production unorthodox, the speed and power of the songs unnerving. But all 12 songs are their own, legendary, pure metallic bangers.
We start with the now iconic opener Enter Sandman. Having sung this on stage, I can assure you it’s as exhilarating to perform as to listen to. Lyrically, the song concerns nightmares, the Sandman entering the sleep of a child to spook them silly, but this song is the stuff of dreams. The riff starts off quiet and unassuming, then slowly builds up into a terrifying groove to which you can’t help but headbang to. Enter Sandman is credited with Metallica’s rise to the mainstream. It’s a departure from the raging speed and ferocity of their previous content, cementing Metallica as global icons. Hetfield’s voice is characteristically gruff here, adding venom to both this song, and the subsequent Sad But True. The main riff is too powerful for superlatives, It’s primal, monolithic and most of all, heavy. The greatest one-two punch of an opener in metal’s history.
Holier Than Thou, is, in my mind, the closest thing you can get to surf-based rock (think ‘Misirlou’ by Dick Dale, the theme from Pulp Fiction) with Metallica. It’s pacy, tetchy, and sonically punchy. The Unforgiven, is, according to Classic Rock ‘a true masterpiece,’ and I wholeheartedly believe it. The Western theme rumbles in some form throughout the entire song, from the little guitar noodles at the start and during the chorus, to the dynamics worthy of the late great legend Ennio Morricone, a long-time inspiration to the band. Lyrically, it’s a stunning and powerful story of liberty, manipulation and bitterness.
A song about the life of the band on the road is up next, Wherever I May Roam. Again anchored by a strong central riff, and pounding drums, you could almost feel the wheels turning under a tour bus, the flickering light in distant cities beckoning further. This is followed by Don’t Tread on Me, a strangely patriotic song for a band who rejected authority and the government on their previous album, beginning with a guitar rendition of America, from West Side Story. A chunky shuffle beat rockets through this anthem of American pride, linking to the rattlesnake on the album’s cover. The song most reminiscent of their thrash past is next, Through The Never, also the title of their semi-concert film released in 2013. The lyrics might not be their finest, but with a song that speeds like a freight train (except for a crushing mid-section), who needs lyrics?
Next, Nothing Else Matters, a Metallica ballad. At first, it was questioned. Why would Metallica, of all bands, produce a ballad? Whatever the cause (a love song from James to his girlfriend), it’s a touching and romantic song, pledging loyalty to someone you love through thick and thin, amid the ‘things they say,’ and the ‘games they play.’ With the addition of Michael Kamen’s orchestral arrangements, this song is another stone-cold Metallica classic. In my humble opinion, this is the most accessible, and commercial song, along with Enter Sandman, on the entire album. It divided opinion, with some hardcore fans saying they hate the song for this precise reason. I, for one, love it; it proves they can paint in colours other than black.
The last four songs are less well-known, but each has its own merit: Of Wolf and Man is a semi-serious tale depicting a werewolf transformation, with a grounded earthiness that seems to come straight out of a horror movie. Next is The God That Failed, a darker song than most of the others on the album (in part due to the rumbling opening bassline) concerns Hetfield’s troubled relationship with religion as a result of his upbringing. He blames God for life’s meaninglessness, spitting ‘Deceit, deceive, decide just what you believe’ with anguish, making this song one of the most impactful of the album. My Friend Of Misery goes to show what Jason Newsted brought to the album, the central bass riff and structure being his only writing contribution. It’s brooding, moody and blissful at times, yet tinged with a sadness that permeates. The album’s closing track, The Struggle Within, ends on a high, another rapid-fire tune that showcases Hetfield’s emotional vocal range with Ulrich’s speed and pace. The song is haunting with hints to mental instability, seen in the chilling lyric ‘you seal your own coffin.’
And that’s it. Twelve songs of pace, power and even poignancy packed into just over an hour. From the sonic punch behind the first two tracks, to the sweeping grace of The Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters and the melancholy of The God That Failed, this album contains songs for everyone. As shown by a variety of artists such as Miley Cyrus, Ghost and Royal Blood celebrating its 30th anniversary this year, by contributing to its tribute album The Blacklist.
Metallica have had their lows, but this is definitely a high for any fan, be they into adventurous progressive epics; pulse-pounding bloody metal, or exploring brave new worlds via power metal. I sincerely hope that you’ve been inspired to listen to it, and, if you like it, explore more of their albums and the genre (and diverse seemingly infinite subgenres) as a whole. Metal is for some an acquired taste, so I say to all those who think ‘Yeah, I’ll have a listen to this,’ to have an open mind. But if you like it?
I’ll see you in the mosh pits.
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