Limited 180gm vinyl LP pressing. Digitally remastered edition of the second studio album by Metallica, originally released in 1984. The album was recorded in three weeks with producer Flemming Rasmussen at the Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. The artwork, based on a concept by the band, depicts an electric chair in the midst of a thunderstorm. The title was taken from a passage in Stephen King's novel The Stand. Although rooted in the thrash metal genre, the album showcased the band's musical maturity and lyrical sophistication. This was partly because bassist Cliff Burton introduced the basics of music theory to the rest of the band and had more input in the songwriting. Instead of relying strictly on fast tempos as on Kill 'Em All, Metallica broadened its approach by employing acoustic guitars, extended instrumentals, and more complex harmonies.
Metallica turned the metal world on its ear with their debut album, KILL 'EM ALL and then blew its mind with the follow-up, RIDE THE LIGHTNING. The riffs and arrangements are more intricate, the lyrics are more intelligent and biting and James Hetfield's growl is meaner. The set starts out with two tunes that would have been right at home on KILL 'EM ALL, but the next two are slower and more involved. "Ride The Lightning" is a slow (by Metallica's standards) dirge about the futility of war. "Fade To Black" is a ballad (!) that builds to an instrumental coda featuring the guitar melodies that the band would later base their sound around. It's also Hetfield's first attempt at singing in tune. The most ambitious song is a dense instrumental, "The Call Of Ktulu," that starts with a single arpeggiated guitar and slowly adds layer upon layer, building in intensity until it all comes crashing down nine minutes later.
Metallica: James Hetfield (vocals, guitar); Kirk Hammett (guitar); Cliff Burton (bass); Lars Ulrich (drums).
Recorded at Sweet Silence Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark in Spring 1984.
- Format: Vinyl
- Released: 04/15/2016
- Genre: Rock / Metal
----
Tracklist
| A1 | Fight Fire With Fire | 4:44 |
| A2 | Ride The Lightning | 6:36 |
| A3 | For Whom The Bell Tolls | 5:10 |
| A4 | Fade To Black | 6:56 |
| B1 | Trapped Under Ice | 4:03 |
| B2 | Escape | 4:23 |
| B3 | Creeping Death | 6:36 |
| B4 | The Call Of Ktulu | 8:52 |
