[James D.]

We seem to have a lot of Metallica fans on here, so I'm borrowing Mike's Favorite/Best poll style for music. I'll probably do these every few days because these are always a lot of fun.

My choices:

Favorite: S&M--Easy choice. It's my favorite album of all time. I don't see this album as a "Greatest Hits" album, though I suppose it could be seen as such, because it is so unique. (Besides, if it was supposed to be a "Greatest Hits" album, Kill 'Em All's songs would be there in spades.) I can listen to this whole thing on loop every day and never tire of it.

Best: Master of Puppets--For my money, the greatest heavy metal album of all time.

[Dread]

I agree with your sentiments on S&M but due to the inclusion of snoozers like Hero of the Day and Newsted being asleep at the wheel, Master of Puppets is my answer for both.

EASILY, the greatest heavy metal album of all time. It is perfect.

The S&M version of Bleeding Me, though, is quite possibly my favorite song. I gotta listen to that album again.

[D.W.]

You're both wrong. Ride the Lightning for both.

[Dread]

I see it as favorite but not best. Songwriting, production, sheer awesomeness is Master all the way.

[D.W.]

Master of Puppets is the best song they've ever written, but Ride the Lightning has numbers two (Fade to Black), three (Creeping Death), and five (For Whom the Bell Tolls).

Track by track, RTL is a better album.

[Nicolette Opal]

"For Whom the Bell Tolls" is my favorite Metallica song.

[Dread]

NicoletteOpal, on 08 February 2010 - 10:55 AM, said:

"For Whom the Bell Tolls" is my favorite Metallica song.

Ditto.

D.W., on 08 February 2010 - 10:49 AM, said:

Master of Puppets is the best song they've ever written, but Ride the Lightning has numbers two (Fade to Black), three (Creeping Death), and five (For Whom the Bell Tolls).

Track by track, RTL is a better album.

Battery, Master of Puppets, Welcome Home (Sanitarium), Disposable Heroes and Leper Messiah beg to differ.

[D.W.]

Fight Fire with Fire vs Battery - Battery, no argument there
Ride the Lightning vs Master of Puppets - Master beats every other song
For Whom the Bell Tolls vs The Thing that Should Not Be - Bell, and it's not even close
Fade to Black vs Welcome Home (Sanitarium) - Fade
Trapped Under Ice vs Disposible Heroes - Heroes
Escape vs Leper Messiah - Escape (honestly, I don't care much for either though)
Call of Ktulu vs Orion - Ktulu
Creeping Death vs Damage Inc. - Creeping Death by a million miles

Ride wins 5-3

[James D.]

Des, I disagree on the "Hero of the Day" S&M version. I think it's MILES better than the Load original. I had never liked the original, but S&M made me love it. The same thing goes for "Bleeding Me". The original is boring as hell, but the S&M version is just amazing.

As for RTL vs. MoP argument:

Battery vs. Fight Fire with Fire: Battery by light years. I'm not a huge fan of FFwF.
Master of Puppets VS. Ride the Lightning: You said it best. Master is on another stratosphere.
For Whom the Bell Tolls VS. TTTSNB: I actually like TTTSNB much more, but I'll agree that FWTBT is the better song.
Fade to Black VS. Sanitarium: Sanitarium, though I pretty much like both songs equally.
Disposable Heroes VS. Trapped Under Ice: Heroes, easily. TUI is one of my least favorite Metallica songs.
Escape VS. Leper Messiah: Leper Messiah. Again, I care not much for "Escape".
Orion VS. The Call of Ktulu: Very tough one here, but I give the edge to Orion because it has one of the most memorable bass lines ever.
Creeping Death VS. Damage, Inc.: Yeah, "Damage, Inc." is fun, but it's fucking Creeping Death. One of the greatest guitar solos ever written.

6-2 Master of Puppets.

[Dread]

I just think that Hero of the Day is a stinker through and through, regardless of the version.

I'm with James on the comparison. I say Sanitarium over Fade to Black and I've never been a fan of The Thing that Should Not Be but up against For Whom... it stands ZERO chance. I think Master is the only song in the catalogue that can beat it.

[Dread]

I'm glad this thread isn't full of a bunch of Load/Reload hate. I love those albums. Not the top tier of Metallica but not near the bottom either.

[D.W.]

Sanitarium over Fade to Black?

Lunatics.

[James D.]

Dread, on 08 February 2010 - 04:35 PM, said:

I just think that Hero of the Day is a stinker through and through, regardless of the version.

Oh, well. I still agree with you on "Bleeding Me", though. On S&M it's a thing of beauty.

[Dread]

I even like the original but it isn't an exciting song in any way. I understand that. The symphony REALLY adds to it though.

[James D.]

Dread, on 08 February 2010 - 04:36 PM, said:

I'm glad this thread isn't full of a bunch of Load/Reload hate. I love those albums. Not the top tier of Metallica but not near the bottom either.

THANK YOU.

Those albums get so much hate, but if they were in a contemporary's catalogue, they'd be loved by more people, I'd wager. I'll admit Load is in my bottom half of favorite Metallica albums, but I'll listen to "King Nothing", "Outlaw Torn", "Until It Sleeps" and "Ain't My Bitch" anytime. And Re-Load was the album that originally made me a Metallica fan, so I will always hold a special place in my heart for it. The only song I'm not crazy about on that entire album is "Where the Wild Things Are". "Low Man's Lyric" is another one of those forgotten songs that is really just a beautiful tune all around.