After the complex, progressive "math-metal" of ...And Justice for All , the band felt they had pushed thrash to its limit. They weren't looking to get softer; they were looking to get heavier by getting simpler. 1. The Arrival of "The Bob"
While the music got groovier and slower (the "snails-pace" of "Sad But True"), the lyrics moved inward. James Hetfield moved away from social commentary and toward personal demons. was originally a private song James wrote for his girlfriend while on tour; he didn't even think it was "Metallica enough" to play for the band. Bob Rock heard it and insisted it was a masterpiece. 4. The World Turns Black metallica_black_album_full_album_1991
The story of Metallica’s 1991 self-titled record—universally known as the —is one of a band intentionally destroying their own boundaries to become the biggest musical force on the planet. After the complex, progressive "math-metal" of