My Rankings of the Metallica Albums from Worst to First (*indicates favorite songs)

#8 ReLoad

"ReLoad" 1997

Fuel*

The Memory Remains*

Devil's Dance

The Unforgiven II*

Better Than You

Slither

Carpe Diem Baby*

Bad Seed

Where The Wild Things Are

Prince Charming

Low Man's Lyric

Attitude

Fixxxer

This is a terrible Metallica album. This is the only one I didn't buy. The tracks on this money grab were supposed to be on the "Load" album, which was gonna be a double album, but they decided to split them up and charge people twice. If they would've taken the best songs off of this and best from "Load" and just made one full length record I would rank the album overall pretty high. This was a big disappointment.

#7 St. Anger

"St. Anger" 2003

Frantic*

St. Anger*

Some Kind Of Monster

Dirty Window

Invisible Kid *

My World

Shoot Me Again

Sweet Amber

The Unnamed Feeling

Purify

All Within My Hands*

I was really anticipating the release of this album after the debacle of the "Load" and "ReLoad" albums, so when it came out I really loved it at first. Then it began to grow on me the opposite way. The PING! sound of Ulrich's drums were cool at first, then they got annoying. Also, the rehab lyrics that Hetfield broke out were at times lame. Somebody get this guy a drink. It's a load and power full album but the bass parts were mixed low in Newsted's absence and there were zero guitar solos. Ouch.

#6 Load

"Load" 1996

Ain't My Bitch

2 X 4*

The House Jack Built

Until It Sleeps*

King Nothing*

Hero Of The Day*

Bleeding Me*

Cure

Poor Twisted Me

Wasting My Hate*

Mama Said*

Thorn Within

Ronnie

The Outlaw Torn

This is another record that just doesn't hold up. I fully understand that the group grew up, changed, expanded, but come on! I want fast and hard from Metallica. A lot of people really liked this album because of all the chances they took on it. I really like a few songs and like I said if you take a few off of "ReLoad" and put them on this, then cut the fat off, you've got a great album.

#5 Ride The Lightning

"RideThe Lightning" 1984

Fight Fire With Fire*

Ride The Lightning*

For Whom The Bell Tolls*

Fade To Black*

Trapped Under Ice

Escape

Creeping Death

The Call Of Ktulu*

At first I really hated this album. It's the last one I bought and it has really grown on me. It feels like a fatter version of "Kill 'Em All". This album feels big and still keeps the speed ramped up. After the making of this recording both Ulrich (drums) and Hammett (guitar) took lessons and you can really tell on the next album, "Master Of Puppets".

#4 ...And Justice For All

"...And Justice For All" 1988

Blackened*

...And Justice For All*

Eye Of The Beholder*

One*

The Shortest Straw*

Harvester Of Sorrow*

The Frayed Ends Of Sanity*

To Live Is To Die

Dyer's Eve*

This was the first Metallica album I ever listened to. I was in 8th grade and my cousin Jeremy broke it out on me. I was blown away. Metallica was supposed to be for "headbangers" and "stoners" but once I started hearing this shit on nice car systems I was hooked. Jeremy used to joke that skipping through songs on "...And Justice For All" was like fast-forwarding through five tapes. He wasn't kidding. Every song is like an hour long. "One" is the only song they play in it's entirety in concert. They play medley-mega-mix of four other songs. I don't blame 'em. "...And Justice For All" holds a special place in my heart. It was the first (the group's fourth) album and I love it.

#3 Metallica

"Metallica" (The Black Album) 1991

Enter Sandman*

Sad But True*

Holier Than Thou*

The Unforgiven*

Wherever I May Roam*

Don't Tread On Me

Through The Never*

Nothing Else Matters*

Of Wolf And Man*

The God That Failed

My Friend Of Misery*

The Struggle Within*

If someone told me to choose three albums as the soundtrack to my highschool experience, they would be Nirvana's "Nevermind", Dr. Dre's "The Chronic" and Metallica's "Metallica", also known as The Black Album. I can pop this beauty in and it still sounds so good. This record is a major change, good or bad, from their first four releases. This was a much more pop record. The songs were much shorter and streamlined. Lyrically Hetfield kept it pretty light compared to say "...And Justice For All" and the band seemed tighter, better produced. I know a few people who think The Black Album was the beginning of the end for Metallica. This album sold a zillion more than all their previous stuff combined. Reality is that because of this album Metallica became mainstream for better or worse and to a lot of people that spelled trouble. I don't care. This is a great album.

#2 Master Of Puppets

"Master Of Puppets" 1986

Battery*

Master Of Puppets*

The Thing That Should Not Be

Welcome Home (Sanitarium)*

Disposable Heroes*

Leper Messiah

Orion*

Damage, Inc.*

I've owned more copies of this album than anything I've ever owned. I had it twice on tape and twice on cd. I've listened to this album so much I think I could play each member's parts for them if my life depended on it. Seven of the nine songs are truly perfect. The speed, the power, the growth from the first two records is just awesome. This to me is best sounding of all eight on a great stereo. "Orion" on a system that hits is spectacular and "Damage Inc." just straight out crushes. Up until this past year this was my favorite Metallica album. I wouldn't be surprised if it goes back to the top my list this time next year.

#1 Kill 'Em All

"Kill 'Em All" 1983

Hit The Lights*

The Four Horsemen*

Motorbreath*

Jump In The Fire*

Anesthesia - (Pulling Teeth)

Whiplash*

Phantom Lord

No Remorse*

Seek And Destroy*

Metal Militia*

Bonus Tracks:

Blitzkrieg*

Am I Evil?*

The thing that puts this masterpiece in first are the two bonus tracks. "Blitzkrieg" and "Am I Evil?" are my two favorite songs on this bad mother fucker. They sound so young and play so fast. Of all the records I think this one fits in the best today. It's heavy but more in an alternative rock way today. It's super fast but lucid and free-flowing. If this came out today it would be huge. It feels fresh and stripped down compared to all the other albums. Metallica's sound got larger and larger until The Black Album, so when you pop this in you can really feel the propulsion and ferocity. Plus, it sounds like it cost about ten dollars to record which just adds to the nostalgia. "Kill 'Em All" is the champion as of now.