...And Justice For All

Not only is it considered a progressive album, it is also Metallica's most political. It's right there in the title, ...And Justice For All. A lot of this CD has to deal with the way that Metallica sees our Justice System, corrupt.

This is shown in the title track, ...And Justice For All. This epic 9 minute something song shows their pure hatred towards politics and the people who run them. I really like this song and the message but it is an extremely long song. That's saying a lot for Metallica considering most of their songs are around 7 minutes long. But for the 9 plus minutes they play they never show mercy.

Away from the politics but still in relation is the song, One. Many of you who play Guitar Hero may have seen it on GH III. The is about a man in war who steps on a landmine and is basically blow up. He has no arms or legs, he can't see, hear or talk. He just lies in a hospital bed waiting for death to come, praying someone will pull the plug. This song is really depressing, and impressing, not trying to rhyme on purpose. Anyway, this is also a song that goes from slow to fast or hard. Similar to Fade to Black and Sanitarium.

Kirk Hammett, lead guitar, has a series of guitar...fiddles, as I like to call them. Working up and down the fretboard at a nice smooth pace, while James plays the verses in the background. Lars is playing what sounds like a harder beat, but really flows with the song. It melts together, and they're in sync. Of course like Metallica always does they ease their way into a heavy, fast section that makes you want to get up and throw yourself around. During this section of One they put you in the mind of the wounded soldier, James sings, " Landmines, have taken my sight, taken my speech, taken my hearing! Taken my arms, taken my legs, taken my soul, left me with life in hell!" Suddenly Lars throughs down a series of snare hits, bring Hammett into a solo that you won't soon forget.

The whole album is furious. One of their best, and the last great CD Metallica has put out other that their latest comeback, Death Magnetic, which is good, but nothing like Justice.