Load is the sixth studio album by the American thrash/heavy metal band, Metallica. The album lasts a duration of 78:59. It was released on June 4, 1996 under the record label known as Elektra Records.

Lineup:

James Hetfield – lead vocals, rhythm guitar

Kirk Hammett – lead guitar

Lars Ulrich – drums

Jason Newsted – bass

Production:

Bob Rock – producer

James Hetfield – producer

Lars Ulrich – producer

Brian Dobbs – engineer, assistant engineer, mixing

Randy Staub – engineer

Jason Goldstein – assistant engineer

Kent Matcke – assistant engineer

Mike Fraser – mixing

Matt Curry – mixing assistant

Mike Rew – mixing assistant

George Marino – mastering

Paul DeCarli – digital editing

Mike Gillies – digital editing assistant

Chris Vrenna – digital editing assistant

Chris Vrenna – programming

Background:

Load shows a completely new direction for the band as it utilizes a groove driven hard rock sound that differs from the band's earlier metal and thrash metal sound. Many fans of the band were thrown off by this and immediately dismissed the album and would call it Metallica's weakest effort. Many fans also accuse the band of simply selling out by adjusting their sound to a more popular rock sound.

The band decided to bring back Bob Rock to produce the album. Metallica decided to experiment by writing bluesy guitar riffs and using a more minimalist approach to drumming by simplifying it. Hetfield's lyrics on the album are his most introspective yet and demonstrate his terrific lyricism.

Load debuted at 1 on the Billboard 200 where it remained 4 consecutive weeks. The album has since gone 5x Platinum in the United States. Each track will be rated as follows: Awful, Very Poor, Poor, Below Average, Average, Above Average, Good, Great, and Superb. Here are my thoughts on each track:

Track Listing:

1. "Ain't My Bitch" 5:04

I love the energy this song employs to start the album off. I enjoy the rhythm and the catchy guitar riffs it employs. It does not have the staying power of other Metallica openers because it simply does not get better after the first listen. It is a solid start to the album though.

Grade: Above Average

2. "2 X 4" 5:28

This song has some awesome bluesy guitar riffs throughout, but lyrically it is lacking. It is definitely a southern rock song with its bluesy guitars and vocal delivery, but it is a very repetitive listen. It is an okay song, but there is nothing that really makes this a remarkable track.

Grade: Average

3. "The House Jack Built" 6:38

Now comes one of the most lyrically impressive tracks from the album. It speaks about how addiction can cripple a person. The atmosphere of the track perfectly fits the subject it speaks about. I really love the way the song seems to constantly build up to its chorus. This is one of the best songs from the Load and Reload period.

Grade: Great

4. "Until It Sleeps" 4:28

This is another lyrical beast off of the album. It is a very dark and atmospheric song with lots of lyrical imagery and excellent music qualities that fit the song so well. The chorus is very memorable and while the guitar solo is very simple, it still works really well.

Grade: Superb

5. "King Nothing" 5:29

This may just be the most catchy song from the entire album. The chorus is phenomenal and I also enjoy the heavier sound the track has. The beat is great and will make anyone nod their head up and down. The guitar work is also pretty nice on this song.

Grade: Great

6. "Hero of the Day" 4:21

This is another lyrical giant from the album. I love Hetfield's vocal delivery because of how emotional he sounds. The slower pacing and the softer guitar tone is a nice touch during the verses. The guitar solo is fantastic as well.

Grade: Great

7. "Bleeding Me" 8:18

Now comes my favorite song from the entire album. It is a really unique song in the Metallica discography and sounds like no other. I love the atmosphere and the guitar tone. The mix of lighter and heavier guitar riffs. I also like how the song constantly builds up for its massive chorus. The lyrics are also excellent. The guitar riff breakdown around 5 minutes is fantastic. The guitar solo is amazing and is definitely the best from the album.

Grade: Superb

8. "Cure" 4:54

This song is definitely employs that hard blues rock guitar riffing. I do not like Hetfield's vocal delivery though. It feels a little awkward. The song's pacing is fine but not great. Overall, it's a decent track.

Grade: Above Average

9. "Poor Twisted Me" 4:00

This song may employ some really nice bluesy guitar riffs, but it can be a somewhat boring listen. I do not like Hetfield's voice at all because of its distortion. The song just meanders for four minutes and does not have anything very special about.

Grade: Poor

10. "Wasting My Hate" 3:57

The opening guitar riff is actually pretty great and it definitely has some energy. Sadly, after this the song definitely loses its charm as it becomes another boring listen. It is not a terrible song, but it lacks interesting qualities others have on the album.

Grade: Poor

11. "Mama Said" 5:20

This may be the most beautiful song from the entire song. It has an acoustic guitar that sounds fantastic and it employs more of a country genre feel to it. This will definitely detract the metal heads, but this is a unique experiment that went right for Metallica. The emotional vocal delivery is really nice as well.

Grade: Good

12. "Thorn Within" 5:51

The guitar riffs may just be my favorite part about this song. The chorus is very good and definitely the most memorable part of the song. The verses are a bit repetitive though. This song could have been great, but I do not like the overall placing of this track. The guitar solo is solid though.

Grade: Average

13. "Ronnie" 5:17

There is definitely a really nice southern blues guitar riff employed throughout this track. It has some of the southern rock style story telling as well. The chorus is also fairly catchy as well. It is a unique track with some really nice guitar riffs and I also enjoy the pacing of the track.

Grade: Above Average

14. "The Outlaw Torn" 9:48

The guitar riffs in this song are absolutely fantastic. I really enjoy the atmosphere and buildup the track has as well. Hetfield's vocal delivery is very well done as well. The guitar work is really outstanding on this song. The solo is executed to perfection and I love the guitar tone that is used. It may be a really long track, but all of its musical elements come together to make one of the finest tracks from the entire disc.

Grade: Great

My Verdict:

Load is an album that is most often viewed as a sellout album that is one of Metallica's worst efforts. I tend to disagree. I actually enjoy Metallica changing up their sound and experimenting a little bit. It definitely does not match Metallica's previous four albums, but it is unique and has a lot of quality songs throughout.

My main complaint with the album is its length. Metallica should have cut at least a few tracks from the album to make this a more interesting and enjoyable listen. It is definitely an inconsistent album, but there are definitely plenty of really good tracks.

Rating: 7 / 10