Review by Adam M on September 13, 2025.

This was a revolutionary album for the band because it introduced an even more epic style and this would be the last time they utilized this type of a fashion. It has a nice performance by Jason Newsted and a sort of concept album flavor to it that is fascinating. The songs such as “One” are revolutionary and essential for the genre.

In terms of musicianship, there are good performances in terms of strong guitar playing and as usual great vocals from Hetfield. However, the entire affair is brought down by a production job that is less than stellar and muddies the sound of the work. Still this has fancy playing and powerful performances.

In terms of flaws, there is the obvious aspect of production which is better on the previous album Master of Puppets and a huge letdown. Later albums would not nearly have the same level of musicianship however, so this album stands out as a very important and essential one for the thrash genre.

All in all, this is a strong thrash album with epic song structures and really powerful performances that is one of the band’s best. Though not as well put together as Master of Puppets or Ride the Lightning, it is still a strong album in the band’s catalogue and necessary listening. People that liked the previous albums will like this one.

Rating: 7.9/10