“And Justice For All” is the last of Metallica‘s first four glorious albums, a band that has conquered the world by bringing it very friendly to the layers of Metal, building one of the largest fan bases in history.
Following their masterpiece “Master Of Puppets” (1986), and the unfortunate death of bassist Cliff Burton, the band recruited Jason Newsted (who was then playing with the Thrash Metal band Flotsam and Jetsam) to record “And Justice For All,” initially with Mike Clink producing, known for producing the legendary album “Appetite For Destruction” (1987) by Guns N’ Roses, but he was fired three weeks later due to his alleged problematic attitude. Finally, Flemming Rasmussen, who had already worked with Metallica on their two previous albums, was hired as the producer.
In this work, Metallica would continue to challenge themselves to record high-caliber tracks, achieving in our opinion their last musically excellent album.
What can we listen to?
Possibly Metallica’s rawest album, complemented by a series of lyrics reflecting the human need to live in a socially and morally fair world, while also acknowledging the acceptance of a reality where impunity and political interests rule convenience. This is also conveyed through the album’s cover, an idea of vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, depicting the Roman goddess “Justice” with a scale full of money.
Metallica collectively challenged themselves to continue perfecting their Thrash Metal, optimizing their sound by drawing influence from aspects of Progressive Metal, creating masterpieces of epic length such as “One,” or the semi-instrumental piece “To Live Is To Die,” written by Cliff Burton. We hear the speed of pure Thrash Metal in songs like the opener “Blackened,” “Dyers Eve,” or “The Shortest Straw,” while also playing discreetly with tempos and rhythms to enrich the compositions.
It’s worth highlighting Lars Ulrich’s drumming, who at the time was a highly respected drummer, venturing into more experimentation with double bass pedal and even creating iconic fills like in “One,” constantly using this technique in song segments such as in “Eye Of The Beholder” or the verses of “Dyers Eve,” showcasing excellent an speed and precision. We can even hear a brief solo from him in “Blackened” before entering the bridge. Without a doubt, it can be said that this was Lars Ulrich’s most creative album in history.
And Justice for All: Brilliant Album, Imperfect Production
Despite being an excellent album that could have earned a 5-star rating, from our personal point of view, it fell short due to its production. Poor decisions were made that unfortunately remained recorded forever, the most notable being the inaudible bass of Jason Newsted, as requested to mixing engineer Steve Thompson by James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich. It’s a real shame because in unofficial fan-released remixes, Newsted’s work can be heard excellently. Among other noticeable details, there’s a very dry mix with little depth, especially noticeable in the kick drum.
However, as we mentioned earlier, the album is excellent. We can hear an exciting guitar performance, with tasteful solos by Kirk Hammett, even teaming up with James Hetfield to create epic guitar harmonies, showcasing their appreciation for bands like Iron Maiden. The clean guitar segments in “One” or “To Live Is To Die” are exquisite, adding sensitivity to the work and counteracting the rawness of its production.
On the other hand, we notice a change in James Hetfield’s voice, much more mature and introducing the characteristic tone he would adopt for the 1990s: raspy, melodic, and powerful at the same time.
The Last Metallica's Masterpiece
Although at The Rock Review, we’re fans of Metallica’s entire discography, it’s worth mentioning that “And Justice For All” was the last album where we heard their personal ambition to improve their musical sound. However, over the years, they have released very good works. It’s admirable that they have ventured to experiment with new sounds, as they did on “St. Anger” (2003).
It would be very interesting if Metallica would release a remixed version where Jason Newsted’s work could be officially appreciated. If the album is already good, this would make it even better!
What do you think of “And Justice For All”? Leave us your comments!
