Load

Load is a work on which METALLICA, not relying on thrash speed alone, sought a new weight using thick groove, bluesy riffs and introspective singing. The songs breathe long, and James Hetfield’s voice moves between rawness and fragility. Including a renewal of the visual image, the band chose a bold change. The gloomy melody of “Until It Sleeps,” the heft of “King Nothing” and the lyricism of “Hero of the Day” show the band’s new breadth. Songs like “Ain't My Bitch,” “Bleeding Me” and “The Outlaw Torn” breathe a richer, more organic expression too. The change is bold, but the strength of the riffs and the band’s playing do not waver in the least. By taking distance from prior expectations, it is an important record that greatly widened METALLICA’s breadth as a rock band.