Heavier Than Heaven

Released in the year 1983, this was Metallica’s first album and as the name implies the record is jam-packed with head banging, lightning fast riffs and scorching solos that stunned the metal establishment.

By no means Metallica’s best album albeit “KILL ‘EM ALL” was a great debut for the future demigods of the metal world. At the beginning, Hetfield sounds like a woman who’s just got her labour contractions and the songs on the first side aren’t catchy either.

But “Jump in the Fire” redresses matters, with its fret gnawing riff-work and brain thawing solo; it is undeniably a killer by its own. The real live-wire of this record is the track “Whiplash” which was played with super fast, manic-fury and relentless riffing. “(Anesthesia) …Pulling teeth” was unleashed by the legendary bassist of the band, Cliff Burton, it is a terrific bass solo and is very famous amongst all the thrash-metal heads. “Motorbreath” is catchy, but “Seek and Destroy” is without doubt the first ever track by Metallica that made the fans scream for more! All things considered, this record was the perfect start for the band’s success as the world’s greatest thrash-metal band for the next twenty five years and is unquestionably one of the strongest ever metal albums ever recorded even to this day!

Commonly referred to as ‘Led Zeppelin 4’ or ‘Zoso’ or ‘untitled fourth album’, this album depicted Led Zep at its acme. Jimmy Page decided not to name this album as he felt naming an album had no meaning at all. The band felt that the contents of the album would speak for itself. How true they were, this album can be sited as one of the best albums that has shaped a phenomenon called ‘rock’. Jimmy Page incorporates beautiful and sense stimulating guitar solos into a number of songs and Robert Plant leads very well with his mystifying voice. Just 30 seconds shy of the 43 minute mark this album has 8 tracks each of which are beautiful in their own right. The best way to describe the greatness of this album is by saying that the worst song of the album ‘Four sticks’ is itself very good. The album begins with ‘Black Dog’ which is definitely a great opener and is followed by ‘Rock and Roll’. No fan of Bonham must miss the drum solo at the finish of ‘Rock and Roll’. Another great song goes by the name ‘Going to California’. Any one who loves listening to folk rock would love this. However any review of this album is incomplete without mentioning the greatest track on the album (as well as the greatest track ‘Led Zep’ ever came out with) ‘Stairway to Heaven’. This song created a lot of controversies back then. Some claimed that this song had hidden meaning which can be deciphered if the song is played in reverse. All said and done, no one could deny the fact that this song solely defines Led Zeppelin and is the greatest rock song ever written with a heart melting guitar solo and childish, yet beautifully weaved lyrics.

This album is quite simply, a real surprise album. The dying beast of thrash metal has suddenly been given the elixir of life by a vintage performance by the metal band of the planet! Some people might beg to differ, but roaring, growling, monster vocals, a sea of blazing guitars, pounding drums and a fresh rawness gives this album an almost surreal feel. Bristling with aggression and intensity this album takes off like a fire-breathing monster spewing destruction and fury in its wake! The opening track ‘Frantic’ is just what it is!! The album is so aptly named ‘ST.ANGER’ which is the next track. Then comes ‘Some Kind of Monster’ with Hetfield’s voice like the rough and tough of old, the monstrosity and the intensity of it all is elevating. However the highlight of the album is the power anthem ‘Dirty Window’. Hetfield growls like a monster, the guitar and drums spit anger and venom. ‘Invisible Kid’ is quite simply astounding. ‘The Unnamed Feeling’ is a fire-cracker on the album and ‘All within My Hands’ is a perfect finisher. Metallica sounds harder, louder and thrashier than ever and Ulrich’s drums sound as if he is intent on destroying a sewer pipe. This definitely is a landmark album whose significance will be felt later.

Enter the new era- Metallica shed their extremisms and entered a new era of smaller songs, more melodious riffs and radio friendly music. This was the starting of a new era and a lot of diehard fans didn’t exactly welcome the change. Yet all the tracks were straight from the top drawer. ‘Enter Sandman’ a track about bogeymen and fears was a great beginning to the most successful Metallica album of all times. ‘Sad but True’ with a pro-Sabbath like militaristic march was another great track. Next is the ‘Unforgiven’, which became a monster hit. Then came ‘Wherever I may Roam’ which was pure head-banging stuff. This is the thrashiest song in the album. ‘Nothing Else Matter’ was a very risky and soulful rendition by Hetfield. It was highly sensitive and deep. It dealt with love and is a very unusual track by a band intent on serious issues. ‘Struggle Within’ was a suitable ending to an album that took Metallica to the top of the charts and established their supremacy as one of the greatest metal bands of all time. Though maybe not as defining or as complex as ‘Master of Puppets’, the Black album made Metallica known to a whole new legion of fans who didn’t exactly welcome extreme thrash.

The sister of Load, ‘Reload’ is a suitable follow up to load. ‘Fuel’ a high octane adrenaline rushing opener takes our breath away completely. Then comes ‘The Memory Remains’, another great track which deals about coping with fame and the after effects of fame. A great video on a revolving set on L.A. airport and support vocals by Marianne Faithfull made the track special. ‘The Unforgiven2’ is a worthy sequel to ‘The Unforgiven’ with great lyrics. ‘Devil’s Dance’ has become a concert favorite over a period of time. ‘Low Man’s Lyric’ a soulful Irish bar song is a real surprise on the album. Though ‘Reload’ has some great songs one can’t help but feel we had an album that were to have the best of ‘Load’ and ‘Reload’ that album would have been a real stunner. Nevertheless both the videos for ‘The Unforgiven2’ and ‘The Memory Remains’ were really top stuff and the album was as good, if not better than her sister ‘Load’. The real highlight is the final track ‘Fixxxer’ which is, in my opinion, the best finishing song in a Metallica album. Polished vocals, the occasional ‘wah-wah’ of the guitar makes this album stylish. On the whole this was an under-rated album.

‘Load’ (96’) was the most controversial Metallica album of all times. Gone was the extreme thrash, long wailing guitars and blazing bass. This album was looked down by a lot of Metallica fans who wanted another ‘MOP’, but if the band was to survive they had to reinvent themselves, and ‘reinvent’ they certainly did! This album contains some real gems. ‘Ain’t my Bitch’ is a typical fury opener with the usual beast like hunger and the blazing guitars. This album has more subtle, milder riffs and yet remains as heavy as the pre-Black album days! ‘Until it Sleeps’ is a great track, but the highlight of the album is ‘King Nothing’ that questions the priorities and attitudes of men who think they are ‘X’tra special and constantly want a lot of things. ‘Hero of the Day’ and ‘Bleeding me’ are great tracks with brought out the subtleties to the fore along with Hetfield’s polished vocals. The most underrated track of the album is the finisher ‘The Outlaw Torn’ which is a haunting track that has brooding lyrics and an excellent vocal performance by James Hetfield. A great album, where the Metallica bravely took a new path and changed the usual attire to nattier, sharper dressing, ‘Load’ was an interesting stop on the Metallica train.

This is the fourteenth studio album and the most powerful sounding record ever released by the band. Life, death, politics and war are recurrent themes of this album. The distinctiveness of the record is that each and every song was performed live and recorded in the same room and the lyrics of all the tracks go along with its melody! The album starter “Different Worlds” is a mixture of class, quality and perfection; an absolute stunner without doubt! “These Colors don’t Run” and “Brighter than a Thousand Suns” are songs with remarkable tempo changes and very thought provoking lyrics. Janick’s “The Pilgrim” reminds you of the maiden classic “Powerslave”, however it’s a super cool song with a wicked and fret melting solo. “The Longest Day” is the crunchy sounding track of the lot and has a fabulous bass-line! “Out of the Shadows” is an out-and-out killer composed by Bruce “Air Raid Siren” Dickinson! Dave’s “The Reincarnation of Benjamin Breeg” has uncovered his composing talents in a first-rate way, with ever haunting lyrics and ultra heavy riffs; this is one of the best songs f the record. The album finisher “The Legacy” leaves you dazed and flabbergasted. This is the most delightful song ever composed by the band and is the best sounding track of the record.

The record is a blend of musicmanship, adaptability, passion and spirit and is arguably one of the best heavy metal albums of the century!

This is the thirteenth studio album and perhaps the most controversial albums in the history of the band. The album cover has severely been criticized for its unsightly appearance and it was considered to be unworthy of an Iron Maiden Album cover.

“Wildest Dreams” as the album opener sounds decent and is quiet passable. Dave Murray’s “Rainmaker” has a wonderful riff-pattern and the solo of the song cannot get any sweeter! This is followed by “No More Lies”, it is unquestionably one of the best songs of the record. ”Montsegur” has a very heavy start and is loud enough to blow your head off its place! The title song “Dance of Death” is pure class and a gem on the band’s crest, the slow start of the song is followed by a very melodious bridge and superb solos played by all the three guitarists individually! Adrian’s skillful piece of composition is the lengthy “Paschendale”, the song has a classy intro and is an epic both lyrically and musically! “Face in the Sand” exposes the remorseful state of our world and is a brilliant composition by the legendary bass guitarist, Steve Harris. The album finisher “Journeyman” is the first ever acoustic song recorded by the band and it describes the whole process of writing and being a musician, very beautiful indeed! Despite all the controversies surrounding the album art, the record was a huge hit among the fans and is undeniably a fascinating album!

The sixth studio album “Somewhere in Time” and the fourth in their “golden years”, was launched at the pinnacle of the band’s fame and success. The record saw a change in the style of the sound and there was an obvious addition of synthesizer which is neither overpowering nor disturbing. The record starts off with the title song; “Caught Somewhere in Time” is an outstanding composition by Steve Harris and has a deadly opening. It’s followed by the ever stylish Adrian’s “Wasted Years”, easily the highest rated song of the record; it’s unquestionably  one of the best among the master pieces the band has timelessly produced. “Sea of Madness”; Raw opening accompanied by paced up drums and high flying vocals, this song is an absolute frenzy and sea of madness! The delightful “Heaven can Wait” was an immediate fan favorite and should be included in all the set lists as the song sounds amazing in live performances. ”The Loneliness of the Long Distance Runner” and “Dejavu” are decent songs but the band could have delivered better. Adrian’s “Stranger in a Strange Land” depicts the excellence of the guitarist’s composing and writing lyrics, and it’s tremendous nevertheless. The album finisher “Alexander the Great” is a great epic song recounting the life of Sir Alexander the Great and the hardships he faced; Deft use of the synthesizer and marvelous solos! On the whole this album was a great hit and is a classic album without doubt!

With the huge success of their previous album “The Number of the Beast”, the band was off the hook and subsequently released “Piece of Mind” the very next year. The second album of the “Golden years”, the Record is a time less and awe-inspiring master piece.

This is the first album to feature the band’s new drummer Nicko McBrain who showcases his super skills in the first of few seconds of the record opener “Where Eagles Dare” and he keeps you wondering why he is as good as Clive Burr. The album’s theme wasn’t preset, but the lyrical approach showed the band’s predilection for film and fiction. The album consists of nine songs out of which five are power-packed and are an out of the world experience to any metal-head. “The Trooper”, is a default in all of the band’s live performances and an overplayed song is a killer nonetheless. “Revelations”, a forerunner to the more famous “Powerslave” of their next album, is a breathtaking song and is solely composed by the front man Bruce Dickinson. The album single “Flight of the Icarus” is an uncomplicated song with one of band’s best ever solos. The finisher and the epic song of the album “To Tame a Land” is an outstanding track which is highly underrated, it is definitely one of the better sounding tracks of the record. Surely one of the classiest albums ever produced and mastered, this took the band into new heights and their greatness then was inexplicable.