We know when you think of holiday cheer, Metallica is the first thing that comes to mind, so we’re doing a Metallica-themed Advent calendar to help put a little metal up your ass as we make our way to Christmas.
There is a lot going on with …And Justice for All, Metallica’s fourth studio album. Most notably, it was the first album with new bassist Jason Newsted, who came on after original bassist Cliff Burton tragically died in a bus crash in 1986.
Speaking of the bass, this album has also been occasionally panned for having what is essentially a nonexistent bass throughout. The story goes that James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich requested the bass to be mixed so low to essentially be inaudible, and to this day, no one really knows why. Ulrich and Hetfield themselves have given a variety of answers on the subject, and they swear it wasn’t to piss off Newsted, but it’s pretty strange nonetheless.
Despite the bass controversy, …And Justice for All is yet another artistic triumph of Metallica’s early days, their fourth and final true thrash album, which only went eight-times platinum. I’d say it’s my least favorite of their early albums; it’s great, and it’s an epic experimental journey, but it does have the feel of Metallica searching for the last vestiges of what they could do within the genre they created five years ago. From here on out, it was time to evolve – or sell out, depending on who you ask.
Album Essentials
- “Blackened”
- “…And Justice for All”
- “One”
The Metallica Advent Calendar
Day 1: No Life ‘Til Leather (1982 Demo)
Day 2: Kill ‘Em All (1983)
Day 3: “Blackened 2020”
Day 4: Ride the Lightning (1984)
Day 5: Metallica on The Simpsons
Day 6: Master of Puppets (1986)
Day 7: Lars Ulrich’s Drumming
