While Kill 'Em All was definitely a great release, and fun as hell to listen to, it had its share of inconsistencies that hampered it from being a definite classic, namely a few songs that had a boring pace, and the fact the lyrics sometimes left a little something to be desired. The next year Metallica would go into the studio once again and this time the result is much more focused, a darker, more serious release and what I consider one of Metallica's twin classics in Ride The Lightning.
This album definitely has a much more serious tone to it then the previous one, with songs about plagues, nuclear warfare, death, depression etc. The riffing is much more precise and the production values are a lot better. James and Kirk have definitely stepped up their game as far as their guitar playing is concerned. James also sounds a lot better vocally. The bass is still thunderous and thick. Once again Lars is just kind of there, while the drums are excellent they aren't anything particularly special.
The best thing about this album is that every track is great, and the flow of the album is perfect. The compositions are extremely well written, there isn't a single throw-away riff to be found and all the leads and solos fit in extremely well into the song. It never feels disjointed and it never seems to lag. Every song is memorable and classic. Even the instrumental is great.
So all in all this album is a towering inferno of melodic thrash metal, a ferocious beast of an album that stands as a testament to how great Metallica once was, and also serves as the standard by which to judge their subsequent releases of the 90s. Anyone who only knows newer Metallica take a trip back to 80s and take a ride on this electric monster of an album. I'm off to headbang until I get whiplash. Until next time STAY METAL!
98/100
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