Metallica

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Lore & Background

Recording sessions took place at One on One Recording Studios in Los Angeles over eight months, frequently finding Metallica at odds with new producer Bob Rock. The band was impressed with Rock's work on Mötley Crüe's Dr. Feelgood and hired him despite initial reluctance. Rock encouraged the band to record collaboratively rather than individually, suggesting live tracking and harmonic vocals for Hetfield. The tension was documented in A Year and a Half in the Life of Metallica and Classic Albums: Metallica – Metallica. The album cost US$1 million to produce. The troubled production coincided with Ulrich, Hammett, and Newsted divorcing their wives; Hammett said they channeled those feelings into the music.

In Their Own Story

The band wrote songs in two months in mid-1990, with ideas originating during the Damaged Justice Tour. Four demos were recorded on August 13, 1990: 'Enter Sandman', 'The Unforgiven', 'Nothing Else Matters', and 'Wherever I May Roam'. 'Enter Sandman' was the first song written and the last to receive lyrics. On October 4, 1990, a demo of 'Sad but True' was recorded. Recording began in October 1990 at One on One Recording Studios, with about a week at Little Mountain Sound Studios in Vancouver. Final overdubs and mixing took four weeks at A&M Studios in Hollywood in June and July 1991. Hetfield stated: 'What we really wanted was a live feel.' Rock insisted on as many takes as needed—roughly 20-30—selecting the best parts and editing them into cohesive tracks. The drum parts were kept; everything else was overdubbed.

Reader's Guide

The album's lyrics, written by James Hetfield, were more personal and introspective than previous albums. 'Enter Sandman' is about 'nightmares and all that come with them' according to AllMusic's Chris True. 'The God That Failed' dealt with the death of Hetfield's mother from cancer and her Christian Science beliefs. 'Nothing Else Matters' was a love song Hetfield wrote about his ex-girlfriend while on tour. Instruments not usually used by heavy metal bands, such as cellos in 'The Unforgiven' and an orchestra in 'Nothing Else Matters', were added at Rock's insistence. Rock also raised the volume of the bass guitar, which had been nearly inaudible on ...And Justice for All. Newsted said he tried to 'create a real rhythm section rather than a one-dimensional sound.' Ulrich avoided 'progressive Peartian paradiddles' and used a basic sound similar to Charlie Watts and Phil Rudd.

Did You Know?

• The album's working title was 'Married to Metal' as a running joke about Hammett, Ulrich, and Newsted's divorces.
• The cover features a coiled snake from the Gadsden flag, whose motto 'Don't Tread on Me' is also a song title on the album.
• The band played the album in reverse order during the 2012 European Black Album Tour.
• In December 2019, Metallica became the fourth release in American history to enter the 550-week milestone on the Billboard 200.
• The album was remastered and reissued as an expanded box set in 2021.