Commercial success - So what?

In the genre Heavy Metal (and all its different varieties) there is a very interesting phenomenon: when a tape is commercially successful, they lose some of their fan base. The otherwise proverbial, unswerving loyalty of followers is often not as great as you think when suddenly everywhere loudly "Sale!" is shouted (at least "officially" because I'm sure that a lot of "fans of the first hour", who want to have suddenly nothing to do with the band, behind closed doors, the more successful things enthusiastically listening).

Now I'm also a fan of heavy metal (mainly Thrash, Power and Black Metal, a little Death Metal and Industrial), and not just since yesterday or - to stay with the example of this review - the first time "since I Enter Sandman "heard. Nevertheless, I never the question of the musical quality of the plain "Metallica" presented titled black album. There are two reasons for me: firstly, I do not understand what to do it as a fan of a difference to me how many people see my favorite band well. I do not care less whether the new Metallica CD No. 1 or No. 100 of the charts is. And exactly this approach leads me to the second reason: the stubbornness with which some insist, have to sound like Metallica. I myself - as already mentioned - among other things thrash metal fan. With thrash this record has not much to do. But that does not me, if that's true songwriting. In such a case, for me there is no genre boundaries more songs that I like, I like just, no matter what style they are written and how many people they still like otherwise. In this respect, I have no problem with the first 5 to call (!) Albums of Metallica as well. The phase after that is another story - but I do not feel as well as consistently bad as some others.

Of course it is strange if the Metallica concert suddenly a very different audience emerges, as you'd expect that. And of course it is a heavy metal fan rather among its peers, I admit frankly. But this "problem" is regulated mostly by itself, at least if there is the next trend, the real fans are left again that not only go there because it's hot.

A somewhat long introduction, but perhaps those benefits that really do not know the album or the band (heck yes even give) and wondering how many reviews are really to understand.

The "Black Album" in my ears even offers a very balanced mix of heaviness and melody - two factors that have always been decisive for the music of Metallica. If the musical development of the band until 1991, you look at, you can see the process quite well, which led to "Metallica". Uncontrolled panache and hardness, there was my opinion only on the debut "Kill 'Em All", everything that came after it shifted more towards control and melody (naturally enriched with sometimes more, sometimes less hardness). Especially the song that's good to watch.

"Metallica" begins with "Enter Sandman", a hymn beyond compare, on the already divorced the first spirits above mentioned reasons. Nevertheless, I have seen in a Metallica concert yet anyone who does not sing along with this song or even is so consistent and the hall exits when the oh-so trendy Mainriff is intoned. The same applies to the groove monster "Sad But True" and the typical semi-ballad "The Unforgiven," which go catchy and stuck there. Also "Wherever I May Roam", "Do not Tread On Me" (with his "West Side Story" bonds and critical text) and "Of Wolf And Man" can totally convincing, of Radio suitability I can here In any case do not realize all that much. Also well done are "The God That Failed" and "My Friend Of Misery", one of the few taken down by Jason Newsted songs. After all, good average, the slightly declining in the overall context "Holier Than Thou" and "Through The Never".

At failures or fillers I can only "The Struggle Within" and above all "Nothing Else Matters", the only "correct" Ballad of Metallica account (this song is probably the largest proportion of "sell-out-cry" account, I personally find it compared to the classic semi-ballads just boring, though it very good mood makes live).

All in all, a record that reveals itself very quickly, as opposed to "real" radio pop music but not hear after the third time will be boring. Thus, "Metallica" a stark contrast to his predecessor "... And Justice For All", which was much less accessible (but still by no means worse).

For me would be the 4.5 star, I just therefore the mainstays on 4 because my first three albums (each in his own way) but liked it better for a bit.