The Kings of Thrash: Ranking Every METALLICA Album

SUMMARY

METALLICA is a band that requires no introduction. They are amongst the most well-known, and influential heavy metal bands of all time. As the unofficial leader of thrash’s “Big 4” (along with SLAYER, MEGADETH, and ANTHRAX), METALLICA is also one of the most commercially successful bands of all time. Even non-metal fans know who they are, and likely know some of their material.  The band has had its share of stumbling blocks, dud albums, and controversy but continue to proudly represent the heavy metal community.

So, we decided to do our part in continuing to promote one of the greatest metal bands of all-time, by ranking every METALLICA album!

CRITERIA

1. Average Professional Review Scores (i.e. Publications)
2. Average User Scores (AllMusic.com)
3. My Personal Scores
4. % of songs on each album I love

• Each Album was graded out of 10 points for each category (40 points total)
• After grading and ranking, I re-listened to every album and took notes before deciding on a final list

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#10 Reload (1997)

METALLICA’s seventh studio album was essentially a collection of songs that didn’t make the cut for their prior album, Load. Neither of these albums is remembered fondly and Reload proved to be more of the same as the previous release: a band that had almost entirely moved away from their thrash metal style and replaced it with a hard rock mashup. Journalist Martin Popoff described the album’s songwriting as  “dull, unfinished, unrealized”. Needless to say, the style didn’t suit the band, nor did it sit well with fans. Despite being their worst record, Reload did have a few notable tracks including “Fuel” and “The Memory Remains”, both of which remain on their live roster.

#9 Load (1996)

In 1996, the year before the release of Reload, came an album that surprised and horrified their fanbase. Gone was their thrash metal style that had previously been a core characteristic. In its place was a more exploratory album, featuring influences from genres such as blues rock, country, and alt rock. This alienated much of the band’s fan base and disappointed most listeners. Ultimately, “Load” will be remembered as a repetitive, uninteresting and poorly executed album. It also marked the start of long-running theories that the band had “sold out” for fame and fortune.

HIGHLIGHT: “King Nothing”, “Until It Sleeps”

#8 St. Anger (2003)

After a six-year music drought, METALLICA returned with St. Anger in 2003. It had a sense of passion and inspiration not felt on the prior releases (Load and Reload), and there was a renewed sense of aggression from the band. St. Anger also had an authenticity stemming from Hetfield’s struggles with addiction at the time, making the album feel relevant. Unfortunately, questionable songwriting and production decisions didn’t lend to a very digestible or well-liked album.

The sound production has also been noted by numerous critics as historically bad; with the drums receiving particularly harsh critiques. Brent DiCrescenzo of Pitchfork criticized the drums saying that Lars Ulrich was “playing a drum set consisting of steel drums, aluminum toms, programmed double kicks, and a broken church bell. The kit’s high-end clamor ignored the basic principles of drumming: timekeeping”. He also added, “Hetfield and Hammett’s guitars underwent more processing than cat food. When they both speed strummed through St. Anger, and most other movements, [Hetfield and Hammett] seemed to overwhelm each other with different, terrible noise. Also the duration of most songs made it boring to hear them.” 

Highlights: “Frantic”, “St. Anger”, “Some Kind of Monster”