LightningStrike Album Review: Ride the Lightning - Metallica

This is my first album review you guys. No need to feel wrong about it.

LightningStrike Album Review #1

Anyways, this is Metallica 2nd album.
Info according to Wikipedia:
Release: July 27, 1984
Recorded: February 20 – March 14, 1984
Studio: Sweet Silence Studios (Copenhagen, Denmark)
Genre: Thrash metal
Length: 47:28
Label: Megaforce

Let's do this.
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Fight Fire With Fire:

Hmm. Well first thing that comes here is just a soft riff for about 30 seconds or something. Now we're going to the more insane stuff after that. Now we're talking. It's like the whole band is up to something. Are they feeling stressed? No. They're just making an insane metal tune with fighting fire. "Do. un. to others. as. they've. done to you. But. what. the hell is. this. world. coming to?" Now the lyrics are telling us ok here we go. I like how much effort they put in this song, it just feels so right when it comes to things happen like, the world is in danger kind of stuff. I have a creative mind kind of so, there's that. "Fight fire with fire... Ending is near" Oh I see. They're describing the end of the world. Now this is a good start I guess. I also like how they say the lyrics. It's very unique too. Second verse is shorter and it's a half shorter than the first one as we know. After that second chorus we finally meet another riff. And oh yeah after that is a really nice guitar solo. Nice job there!.................. Oh this is the instrumental. On to the 3rd verse and it's another short one. They explained God's laughing which makes it... Wow! So insane that I just looked up. (Not really). They also have something unique in the next chorus too. Repeating the title 8 times. And no it's not like what you think. If you listen to it, it's just insane. After that we get the bomb dropping sound coming from the guitar and James blowing on the mic making an explosion sound. This song is so hard it has to do that. Wow, it's just... Nicely done.

Ride the Lightning:

Opening riff. Not as unique as last time but it works fine. "Guilty has charged" I think I know where they're going for this one. Is someone getting executed or something? "Death in the air. Strapped in the electric chair. this can't be happening to me." Yes, i'm right. And that lyrics is just like the album cover just right. I thought it was some weird tower but it's actually the electric chair. "WHO MADE YOU got to say" hmm. No explanation. Don't worry about what happened there. I also love the chorus. "Flash before my eyes. Now it's time to die. Burning in my brain. I can feel the flaaaaaaaaaames" Now this is getting good. I like how they put it into a unique style at that time. I think i'm more appealed. 2nd verse and we get it. The lyrics are about getting worried about getting executed for doing something wrong. Very confident I must say. It's done just right. After that is the Instrumental OH WAIT. "Someone help me. OH PLEASE GOD HELP ME! They are trying to take it all away. I don't want to die." Yep. It's just the same feeling am I right. Actually it's perfect just the way it is. We need more original songs and this is one of them. I call this the hallowed be thy name of Metallica. Oh yes. And I LOVE that riff at the real instrumental. It feels pretty unique I must say. Great guitar solo. It's not as insane as last time but it's still awesome. It makes different parts through it and it doesn't suck. "Someone help me. OH PLEASE GOD HELP ME" That again and now to the 3rd verse after a few more of the same riff. And oh boy now we're getting ready as we are going through this. What's different in the end? Let's see. Repeating that riff from the beginning. And that's it. Now I gotta say. This is very greatly done.

For Whom the Bell Tolls:

We all know what this starts with. That's right. Bells. Bell dinging and guitar riffing. And that riff in the beginning is not only one of my favorite riffs of this album, it's also one of my favorites of all time too. As the riff repeats 8 times in the into, and after that has it without the riff 4 times and goes into a different tune another 4 times. And then things about to get awesome again with other riffs. That's roughly half of the entire song! "Make his fight on the hill in the early day. Constant chill deep inside. Shouting gun, on they run through the endless grey." Now this is a good start on the lyrics. Early day fight? Shouting?... Gun? In a fog? That's right. It's just beautiful. It might be another one of those war songs I guess. I also like the chorus too. "For whom the bell tolls.Time marches on (on on on). For whom the bell tolls". And yes it's another small instrumental. Second verse? Exactly what happens predictably after the first verse except very deep for this one. "Take a look to the sky just before you die" hey, I think that's exactly what we thought about with ride the lightning. Right? Eh. And after the chorus second time we meet the ending which is roughly about a minute long. Random guitar noises everywhere. A bit of bells. And the music fades away. Very nice. I'm actually starting to think song after song this album might get even better.

Fade to Black:

Now there are a lot of people that say this is the best song on this album, but to be honest it's not my personal favorite on this album but it's a good masterpiece. Opening riff? Very great and relaxing especially for a metal album. Very awesome guitar there too you know. Yes, very beautiful there. Lyrics starting? "Life, it seems, will fade away. Drifting further, every day. Getting lost within myself. Nothing matters, no one else" You see, it's another one of those serious critical songs. They're always good. I also like the riff after that too. And that's the first verse it's depressing in a good way and it's a masterpiece just like "One" however. Second verse? It talks about the comparison between what it used to be like and what it's like now but in a dark way. That's basically another really strong and critical way of making the lyrics beautiful. Now we're entering this awesome instrumental and that riff at the edge of it is so unique and it also appears in the lyrics after that. "No one but me. Can save myself. But it's too late. Now I can't think. Think why I should even try" Yes thank you so much for that beauty. You know what actually. This can actually be one of my personal favorite Metallica songs. I also like how he says "bye" while the voice fades away. After that, the rest of the song is the 2 minute instrumental. Now i'm sorry, 7 minutes long? 2 minute ending instrumental? You know what. We're getting there. Wait until I review and justice for all and we will compare this and one. So yeah, this really is mind blowing!

Trapped Under Ice:

4 minute song and what do we start with? Another unique riff? You guessed it. Also I am kind of confused about the many-plucks-in-one notes. Those kind of make me uncomfortable. But it's still awesome. Actually that might give the meaning because the lyrics describes how freezing it is to be in a situation like this making the guitarist shivering or something like that. It's about being in a super cold area where it's like foggy, cold, makes your blood turn into ice or something like that. It's the most freezing metal song you would ever hear in your life! "Freezing! (Freezing), can't move at all. Screaming (screaming), can't hear my call. I am dying to live. Cry out, I'm trapped under ice." Woah! Totally dark! I love it. Next verse it describing dying in the cold. And describing what it looks like too. The instruments Sure are playing it so tough! And after the chorus' second time is one of the most unique bridges I have heard kind of. And after that is an instrumental with extreme Metallica THRASH! 3rd verse is a lot more extreme! It's finally meeting it's freeze! After that we have the chorus twice. And also... "I'm trapped under ICCCCCCCEEEEE" Nice lyric end there. Over all of this, it's in my opinion a lot more extreme than fight fire with fire because it's about FREEZING!

Escape:

Opening riff is great and the opening lyrics is about living in society while being shy and that person doesn't what to be like that. So that person decides to escape that society. Have you ever had problems like that in your life? I know right? Especially when you call it ring of stupidity. That's clever. I also like the tune on the chorus as well. And the lyrics are about wanting freedom. "Out for my own, out to be free. One with my mind, they just can't see. No need to hear things that they say. Life is for my own to live my own way." Now it's like people like what you hate and hate what you like kind of stuff, you know. Second verse really does describe how it feels like being a shy person in school. If you're very unique and you're shy because you have troubles through society. This is the song for you. It describes it just right. Wow, I really need to stop being shy. This is getting me! "See them try to bring the hammer down" Hey! The bells are back! Well it's not the same as the bells from for whom the bell tolls. I also like how deep the vocals are with those lyrics. After that is another instrumental in another song. Great guitar solo. And the opening riff again and then a siren sound appears. "Life is for my own to live my own way" those lyrics repeat while the sound keeps on going as everything of it fades away in the end. I got to say, this song deserves to be shown to shy people. Just to let them know how they really feel, am I right?

Creeping Death:

The opening riff is... Again... Really good. The into gets a bit more epic and the lyrics are very noticeable about history. "SLAVES! Hebrews born to serve to the pharaoh. HEED! To his every word live in fear. FAITH! Of the unknown one the deliverer. WAIT! Something must be done four hundred years." This is genius lyrics right here with genius tone. The chorus is about demanding to kill the first-born pharaoh son. I know right, Those days were strict. Second verse uses the same tone except with the story about the prophet Moses. Now that we understand what two verses are like, we can tell the theme to this song is ancient Egypt. Metallica is just giving history you guys. This is just very unique. After the second chorus? We get it. Another instrumental with another awesome guitar solo. It looks like all of these songs has these now. Bridge? Probably the most insane one on the album. The crowd is repeating the word "DIE" while the bridge lyrics are going. "Die by my hand. I creep across the land. Killing first-born man." Wow. Ancient Egypt was... Very, very strict back in that time. I'm glad I didn't exist at that time you know. After that is the 3rd verse with something a bit different from the other 2. It's about that guy entering through the doors with lamb blood all over it in an intense way. Just beautifully dark. And then, yeah the chorus' 3rd time. And what do we end the song with? That's right. The same riffs going different with brilliant guitar effects. And a big finish after that too.

The Call of Ktulu:

Now this is the last song on the album. It's just an instrumental song, no lyrics on this one. By the way, what's Ktulu? I don't care. The opening is relaxing and the time is getting a bit deep as we go through. The relaxing into is 1 and a half minutes long and after that is an intense version of that riff including with that weird sound that keeps on appearing each 3 or 30 seconds or something like that. It's just some awesome riffs with the same tone including with a few weird little sounds that keep on appearing a bit. The tone is just like every song on this album, it's hard, it's brilliant and it's also defining thrash at it's best. There are a few parts with the instruments playing that riff softly and some others that are playing it hard. Now this is thrash metal right here. As the 8 minute song continues, the riff plays soft in an intense way then after that the opening riff appears again. Including with with... A xylophone? And it's going slower as the drum beats rapidly from soft to loud. Then yes, the tune is intense again. And that's how it finishes the album.

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Overall, This album is very intense, very epic, and very thrash. I find the songs like living in negativity in different ways and describing them in beautiful and accurate ways. If you're one of those people who are struggling in life, this is an album for you to find out your struggles. Oh, and if you're not worrying about they lyrics, this is an album for those that want to hear thrash loud especially with it's basics. It's thrilling, it's awesome, it's Metallica. I love it. And if you're finding the meaning of these songs, then that means you probably found your answer. I found mine in the song Escape but my personal favorite song in this album has got to be Ride the Lightning even though a lot of people say Fade to Black. So there we have it. This album is a metal masterpiece.

Comments

Excellent job, John! You should work for NME or Rolling Stone. A+! - visitor (2/1/2019)

Thank you - visitor (3/7/2019)

Ktulu is a mythical monster. The bass sounds Cliff made in the song are supposed to be Ktulu’s roars. - visitor (7/21/2019)

Noice review - visitor (7/30/2019)