James Hetfield is never given the credit he deserves as a vocalist (people are usually too busy debating about whether or not Kirk Hammett's solos are good or not, as if that's even the point). And “Fade To Black” is so gorgeous, the chord progression so perfect, and the song is even more beautiful because it never loses its bite or devolves into a token ballad. “Trapped Under Ice” is as much punk as it is thrash no band has ever been able to pack as much desperation into a song since. Ride The Lightning is the rare metal album that is as charming as it is powerful there is nostalgia in this record for the days when metal was fun without being a gimmick, when it was hard-hitting without being suffocating. That fine line between egotism and relativity was always one that Metallica walked quite well in their early days. There is such power in this music, such a confident swagger that somehow never becomes overbearing or off-putting. While I might roll my eyes to hear someone use a phrase like “die for metal,” I also know why they'd say it. Genres like indie, folk, etc., might be perfect for, say, breakups, with lyrics so personal that you've got to wonder if you wrote them yourself, but metal provides confederation without pandering, without considering if listeners will be able to relate or not.įor all the flak they've gotten these past two decades, Metallica's earlier work stands tall as a perfect justification of the love people have for metal. On the surface, music is meant to be enjoyed, sure, but its true purpose is to be connected with.
I think it is music in its purest form, not in any aesthetic sense but in a symbolic one. But to me, rather than being a negative, that's the very thing that makes metal so amazing. One of the biggest draws of metal is the strength and motivation that it inspires it makes perfect sense that some would need that more than others. And honestly, it couldn't have turned out any other way. Metal has always been an alienated (and alienating) genre, looked upon as a soundtrack for social outcasts who neither understand other people nor are understood by them. Mostly people seem to say that they can't connect with metal like they can with other genres and, on a certain level, I get that. You can learn more about donating via their Global Giving page.įans can preorder their copy of Dealing Out The Agony’s Ride the Lightning via the project’s IndieGoGo page.I've never understood how people who really love music can dislike metal. The best part is, it’s all for a good cause - 60% of all Dealing Out the Agony profits will be donated (with an initial $1000 starting point donation) to the Children Hospital of San Vicente Foundation to help improve the quality of care and life expectancy of children dealing with cancer in Colombia.
“I would close my eyes and come up with visuals in my head while listening to ‘Creeping Death’ or ‘Trapped Under Ice’ – it’s great to be able to pick up a brush and put down these visions – it’s almost cathartic!” “Ride the Lightning was one of my favorite albums growing up,” adds Mora. Pour over the artworks as the music fills your ears, stick them on a shelf with all your other vinyls.literally limitless opportunities of fun is ready to be had!” “Dealing Out The Agony will become the perfect accompaniment to the music itself. “It will look and feel like a vinyl record - but inside will contain eight 12×12 inch prints of pure visual violence and mayhem,” says the project’s official description. Now, Mora is releasing a new series based on the record’s follow-up, which will drop as a series of prints contained in a record sleeve. The paintings comes from artist Felipe Mora’s project Dealing Out The Agony, which already released a successful run of paintings based on Metallica’s Kill ‘Em All.
Now, one artist has decided to reimagine the songs of Ride the Lightning as a series of intense oil paintings. There are few albums as influential on the world of heavy music as Metallica‘s 1984 sophomore effort Ride the Lightning. Not only did the record break the band through to a more widespread audience, it also expanded the ways in which thrash metal could address really human experiences.