Ride the Lightning

Impact and Acclaim

Though often overshadowed by its groundbreaking predecessor Kill 'Em All and classic follow-up Master of Puppets, Ride the Lightning was the vital bridge between these two albums, pushing the thrash metal of the debut into progressive territory more fully-realised on Master of Puppets and ...And Justice for All. As such, Metallica fans generally consider this the first undisputed classic by the band, though that does not disregard the breakthroughs made with the debut release Kill 'em All.

Related Topics:
Kill 'Em All - Master of Puppets - ...And Justice for All

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Ride the Lightning retains the furious speed of Kill em' All on songs like "Trapped Under Ice", but also contains longer, more symphonically arranged tracks such as the 9-minute closing instrumental "The Call of Ktulu". The diverse sound displayed here and on future releases gave Metallica more critical respect than any other metal band, and Ride the Lightning was essential to that success. Ride the Lightning is also noticeably more serious and focused than Kill 'em All, although the band would tighten their sound further on the classic Master of Puppets.

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Ride the Lightning is the first in the "unofficial trilogy" of Metallica albums that show obvious similarities in concept. The "trilogy" is considered instrumental in making metal more serious and focused on real issues, and are Metallica's most respected works. Ride the Lightning's basic concept of death and tighter, professional mentality would provide the blueprint for the classic Master of Puppets and progressive ...And Justice for All. More connections are detailed below.

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