A double dip of Metallica this week.
Ride the Lighting was a period of major growth for Metallica. It was during the creation and recording of this album that saw the band mature musically, both technically and stylistically, and instead of the more one-dimensional sound of Kill Em All the songs became more compositionally complex. These advances were in part thanks to producer Flemming Rasmussen (who would produce the next two albums as well), and also bassist Cliff Burton’s knowledge of music theory. Hetfield and Ulrich, in particular, developed a greater understanding of harmonics, melody and composition.
While their jam sessions “riff tape” were the source for many of the riffs on the album, the band also expanded their lyrical themes, including several songs based on or inspired by literature – For Whom the Bell Tolls was based on the Hemmingway novel; Creeping Death is based on Exodus 12:29; the instrumental The Call of Ktulu was inspired by H. P. Lovecraft's book The Shadow over Innsmouth. The album title itself was taken from a passage in Stephen King’s The Stand (awesome novel). RTL also contained their first venture into the power ballad genre with Fade to Black. As usual, the bulk of the writing was Hetfield and Ulrich, but this album also contained the last Metallica co-writing credits for former guitarist Dave Mustaine (Ride the Lightning, Call of Ktulu) and the first writing credits for Kirk Hammett.
One thing I didn’t know (or didn’t remember) is that prior to the recording of this album, the band offered the vocalist job to John Bush of Armored Saint because Hetfield was uncomfortable with his vocals. Had Bush not stuck with Armored Saint, how different things might have been.
Quick facts:
Released July 27, 1984
Recorded February 20 – March 14, 1984
Studio Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark (Ulrich’s home country)
Flemming Rasmussen – production, engineering
US sales are 6mil/6x Platinum
This album is kind of down the list of my favorite Metallica albums but it was an important period of maturity for the band. That growth and maturity becoming quite evident on their next release – Master of Puppets.
