Buy for
$10.94
(8 items)

Release date: 27 July 1984
Style: Bay Area thrash metal

Rating:

9.2 | 2285 votes

Owners:

3006 have it
82 want it
4 trade it


01. Fight Fire With Fire
02. Ride The Lightning
03. For Whom The Bell Tolls
04. Fade To Black
05. Trapped Under Ice
06. Escape
07. Creeping Death
08. The Call Of Ktulu

Top 20 albums of 1984: 1
Top 200 albums of all time: 2

Reviews (2)
Lyrics (8)


Line-up
James Hetfield - vocals, rhythm guitar
Lars Ulrich - drums
Kirk Hammett - lead guitar
Cliff Burton - bass, backing vocals


Additional info
Produced by Metallica.
Assisted by Flemming Rasmussen and Mark Whitaker.
Engineered by Flemming Rasmussen.
Recorded and mixed at Sweet Silence Studios, Copenhagen, Denmark, during spring 1984.
Mastered at Masterdisk by Bob Ludwig.

Cover concept: Metallica
Cover design: AD Artists

Guest review by
Iced Iñigo

Rating:
10
With this album Metallica confirm their total control on Thrash Metal and their consolidation like an international band. In this album the band members were fully adapted to each other and make a more mature and considerably better musical album. The lyrics of this album are also better than in the last one, they do not speak now about headbanging, blood, and those things, in "Ride The Lightning" they speak about personal problems like in 'Fade To Black' . Other tracks are inspired by H.P. Lovecraft and the movie 'The Ten Commandments' like 'Creeping Death'.

Read more ››
published 22.09.2003 | Comments (46)

Guest review by
ponderer

Rating:
10
1984. Talk about a band and an album being so far ahead of their time that they would be hallmarks in the history of metal...

Ride the Lightning was nothing less than a nuclear bomb dropped in American metal laps. We'd heard Judas Priest and Sabbath, but nothing could have prepared anyone for what was coming full force out of San Francisco in '84. Since Kill 'em All had limited success in the underground, most people still hadn't heard of the Bay area thrashers who were busy forging a new metal scene stateside. With the launch of Ride the Lightning and heavy touring, Metallica were set to take stage as one of the more brutal premier metal acts.

Read more ››
published 06.07.2008 | Comments (36)

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Comments

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Comments: 48  
Users visited: 1363  
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SatanSon - 21.12.2009 at 13:55  
  I can speak for many, but Metallica was and is the Band that actually influenced most or better say all hard, heavy, death metal bands. They made metal what it is today. They said they are going to take over the world and yes they did. Lots and lots of people heard of Metallica (even people who do not listen to Metal), but many didn't heard of Death, Judas Priest, Slayer, Megadeth (people who do not listen to Metal). They may not be so heavy today, but they are the pioneers of New hardcore Heavy Metal.
Metallica RULES!!!!
Jay-WalKeR - 18.04.2010 at 07:20  
Rating: 10 This album should always be part metal top 10 albums.
Thrasher - 19.06.2010 at 14:13  
Rating: 10 Nothing to say , it's the best best best best thrash metal i've heard, ever!!!!!
BoxCar Willy - 05.07.2010 at 19:26  
Rating: 9 One of my first metl albums (I'm sure many others aswell) great album which influenced many a great metal band.
RideTheLightning - 10.10.2010 at 05:23  
  Greatest Album - EVER
Ra88 - 09.11.2010 at 22:42  
  I have so many great memories of being a teen in the 80s, growing up with such epic albums as Lightning. I still have my blue jean jacket with all of the Metallica and Testament artwork I airbrushed. It probably still has whiskey stains on it too! For me, there can be no equivalent to that era.
mz - 20.12.2010 at 09:57  
Rating: 9 Early albums of metallica are classic after classic and this album contain some great tracks. the best one is "for whom the bell tolls"&"fade to black".base line is just great.
Angelic Storm - 20.12.2010 at 21:33  
Rating: 10 Simply, this is hands down, my fave album by Metallica. They became more melodic and adventurous with this album, while somehow also upping the sonic violence from the first album with "Trapped Under Ice" (complete with Exodus riffs written by Kirk Hammet!) and the absolutely crushing "Fight Fire With Fire". "Master Of Puppets" is the Metallica album most lauded by fans and the press, but for me, Lightning is their absolute best.
Phantom Lord - 14.02.2011 at 05:16  
Rating: 10 Metallica fucken kills
melisa - 11.04.2011 at 00:15  
  Best Album ever - Period.
Void Eater - 11.04.2011 at 00:48  
  Worthy of all the praise heaped upon it. When listening to this album, it almost seems like Metallica is worty of their status as the worlds biggest metal band. An absolute classic of metal.
megametallic0710 - 07.05.2011 at 03:27  
Rating: 10 Ride the lightning is simply metallica's best album ever. It's not master of puppets. This is the real deal
Orfain - 22.05.2011 at 12:40  
  I Love this Album
And I Love MetallicA For Ever
Death_95 - 11.06.2011 at 17:55  
  Metallica is my 2nd favorite band of all time, but I've always thought that they're most popular songs are the slowest : Fade To Black, One , Nothing else matters, The Unforgiven, The Day that never comes (It's not really slow but the other songs on Death Magnetic are a lot faster) ..
I dunno, I think Metallica's most popular songs are their worst.
Fade To Black is the most boring song on the album, Why do people love it so much , it's not even trash...
On ...And Justice For All, One is the only song on the album that is slow, the 8 other songs don't have any slow moments... I don't understand.
I don't need to comment on Nothing Else Matters lol, you know what I mean.
ErnilEnNaur - 28.07.2011 at 18:54  
  Finally bought this one. I was born in 1989 and by the time I became aware of the existence of metal, Metallica had already sold their souls, so for the longes time I felt dirty about listening to anything from them. Fortunately I discovered the awesomeness of RTL and finally acknowledged that they were a great band. Ride The Lightning is arguebly their best album and much better than MoP. They didn't go downhill with Metallica, nor did they go downhill with AJFO (Sorry, Marcel), they went downhill after this album. Not because Master of Puppets is bad, but because RTL was just so damn good. You can only make your best album once and this was their best album.

P.S. I love Fade To Black, but the solo at the end is very predictable and boring, which is unusual for a solo that is this highly regarded. Not saying it is overrated, just saying it isn't anything special.
AbelTete - 06.08.2011 at 01:26  
  The best.....
Ace Frawley - 06.08.2011 at 07:38  
Rating: 9 I just noticed that I was the 666th visitor to this album listing. I feel suitably special.
BeastOfMetal456 - 12.08.2011 at 18:12  
  I was listening to this album today, and I have to say that I feel a little sympathy for Metallica. They're definitely among the 3 greatest metal bands of all time, no argument.
Cynic Metalhead - 14.09.2011 at 00:17  
Rating: 9 . 'Nuff Said.
lepare - 28.09.2011 at 06:13  
  Metallica is the best!
skeletorissatan - 30.09.2011 at 16:04  
  One of the best albums ever. I love this one.
masterofpeace95 - 03.11.2011 at 01:27  
Rating: 10 DEFINITION OF THRASH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!BEST METALLICA ALBUM EVAR!!!!!!!!!!!
@gent_-_orange - 18.12.2011 at 22:28  
Rating: 9 I never was a massive Metallica fan. But the earlier stuff is legendary for a reason. Very good album.
Valentin B - 07.01.2012 at 18:49  
Rating: 10
Written by Angelic Storm on 20.12.2010 at 21:33

Simply, this is hands down, my fave album by Metallica. They became more melodic and adventurous with this album, while somehow also upping the sonic violence from the first album with "Trapped Under Ice" (complete with Exodus riffs written by Kirk Hammet!) and the absolutely crushing "Fight Fire With Fire". "Master Of Puppets" is the Metallica album most lauded by fans and the press, but for me, Lightning is their absolute best.

also imo better than Master of Puppets, I think that's when they started abandoning their true thrash roots for a much more progressive structure to their music, which culminated of course with ..And Justice for All.

this however, is ball-tripping thrash, with the best song on here imo being "Creeping Death", which is imo Metallica's best and most innovative songs.

@Angelic Storm Kirk also probably wrote the infamous "Die by my hand" part in Creeping Death, it was actually the chorus of an early obscure Exodus song called "Die by his hand".
Angelic Storm - 08.01.2012 at 02:23  
Rating: 10
Written by Valentin B on 07.01.2012 at 18:49
@Angelic Storm Kirk also probably wrote the infamous "Die by my hand" part in Creeping Death, it was actually the chorus of an early obscure Exodus song called "Die by his hand".


Kirk did write the music to that section, although Gary Holt (Exodus' guitarist) has claimed in an interview that the lyrics "Die by his hand..." were written by him and was annoyed that he wasn't credited for it!
teniva - 19.01.2012 at 04:43  
  I freackin' love this album!
Pondscum - 19.01.2012 at 16:54  
  I flip flop between this and Master Of Puppets as to which album I feel is Metallica's magnum opus. Hearing this for the first time back in 1985 was a spiritual metal awakening for me.

It makes me sad to think how wrong this band went.
musicalkaratekid - 05.02.2012 at 19:56  
Rating: 9 I think i've decided that this is slightly better than 'Master of puppets'...just personal preference. 'The Call of Ktulu' alone makes this album worthwhile.
NocturnalStalker - 27.02.2012 at 16:29  
Rating: 9 For me this is the best Metallica album. Partly due to the fact that it was the first album of this band I ever heard. And partly due to the fact that all the songs on it left a great impact on me.
I'm not a Metallica fan. I never was and never will be. But still I consider Ride The Lightning to be one of the greatest metal albums ever recorded.
Vod52 - 02.03.2012 at 19:48  
Rating: 10 Kill'em all is so good but that one is better
Neiluria - 31.05.2012 at 22:20  
Rating: 10 Another major pillar of metallica ! It's crazy !
RokBoks - 03.08.2012 at 07:15  
Rating: 10 Just a badass album that would pretty much set up thrash for the time. My favorite tracks: Fight Fire With Fire (favorite song of all time, Vader does a badass cover of it), Creeping Death, and For Whom the Bell Tolls.
/5
Lit. - 03.08.2012 at 07:48  
  The S & M version of For Whom The Bell Toll just ruined the original for me. Curse you, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Curse you to heck.
K†ulu - 03.08.2012 at 14:04  
Rating: 9
Written by Lit. on 03.08.2012 at 07:48

The S & M version of For Whom The Bell Toll just ruined the original for me. Curse you, San Francisco Symphony Orchestra. Curse you to heck.

You are saying it so as if you have no choice but listen to the S&M version... as for me, I love that concert. Many songs sound differ but in no case are they ruined, but to each his own.
Mr. Doctor - 03.08.2012 at 15:08  
  I have a hard time understanding how a version you don't like of a song can ruin the original one... You just... you know... Listen to the one you like and problem solved!
Troy Killjoy - 05.08.2012 at 03:15  
 
Written by Mr. Doctor on 03.08.2012 at 15:08
I have a hard time understanding how a version you don't like of a song can ruin the original one... You just... you know... Listen to the one you like and problem solved!

Because now when he listens to the original version he's reminded how poor it is compared to the other version. I think he's lamenting the fact that he used to enjoy the original version but in comparison to the orchestral edition it's bad.
Mr. Doctor - 05.08.2012 at 18:22  
 
Written by Troy Killjoy on 05.08.2012 at 03:15
Because now when he listens to the original version he's reminded how poor it is compared to the other version.

I read it the other way around. That he finds he SM version so shitty even listening to the original one makes him feel bad.
LordHypnos - 11.10.2012 at 04:35  
Rating: 9 Almost perfect album... Escape is the only weak track here.
RattleSnake - 24.11.2012 at 19:47  
  Best album .. for me ...
megadeath13 - 08.12.2012 at 21:21  
  This is their best album ever!
blacksabbath109 - 14.12.2012 at 22:53  
Rating: 9 Excellent
Dentura - 20.02.2013 at 22:50  
Rating: 9 Definitely one of their best achievements. Some of the songs on here are better (for me at least) than their MoP counterparts (Fight Fire With Fire > Battery for example).
Azarath - 21.02.2013 at 11:51  
Rating: 9 Metallica's best album. Puppets has the better one-two punch opening ("Battery" / "Master of Puppets"), but Lightning does the rest (the slower heavier 3rd song, the ballad, the instrumental...) better.

And "Creeping Death" followed by "The Call of Ktulu" is a hell of a way to close an album.
BoxCar Willy - 22.02.2013 at 00:54  
Rating: 9 I haven't listened to this in at least 2 or 3 years. I finally did today, and I forgot how killer it actually is.
Bad English - 23.02.2013 at 01:43  
Rating: 9 Seems this album is better producded(shood I saw was better producded? ) because music quality is better, all is better, and seems band still keep ''on old sound'' like in 1th one, but lil better quality
Songs are good all classics, metallica seems went to way 6-8min songs lil longer than standart thrash, my fav is from whoom the bell tolls, creeping death, light the lighting, and fight fire whit wire, now I start like fade to black. 1th metallica ''ballad'' I didnt like that song years ago
Aristarchos - 28.02.2013 at 18:37  
Rating: 10 Thrash is not one of my favourite genres, it is often too much only about aggression, but Metallica do it with so much variation, mix their thrash with slower parts, and add great melodies, so it's impossible to resist. My favourite thrash album.
Maco - 09.03.2013 at 01:05  
Rating: 10 Their masterpiece.
In Bone Factory - 12.03.2013 at 10:00  
Rating: 10 Best Metal Album 4 Me \m/

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