Review by Adam M on August 14, 2025.

Metallica – Ride the Lightning

This album really brought Metallica to the forefront and was revolutionary for the band because it had the instrumental song near the end of the disc and harboured a very specific style for the band.  This is certainly a more interesting album than their debut and something of an epic work for the style at the time.  It is very dynamic and an interesting listen.

The album has great musicianship with classical sounding guitars that resonate with inventiveness and interest.  It also has great drumming by Lars Ulrich and a classic vocal performance by James Hetfield that would only be improved in the future.  This is the first of an excellent series of three albums for the band that would define the genre.

In terms of flaws the album is not as amazing as its direct successor.  It is more raw-sounding and perhaps not as huge sounding as Master of Puppets.  It is still an epic listen with tons of memorable moments like "Fade to Black" that is excellent to listen to.

All in all, this is a fantastic album that is one heck of a classic thrash release.  It is not the best thrash album ever, but a pioneering album for the style and one of the great genre releases to be found.  Fans of Master of Puppets and ...And Justice For All will find something to like here.

Rating: 8.1/10