MetallicaBest Metallica Albums Ranked

Master of Puppets (Remastered)

fantano

10

“The pinnacle of thrash metal, technically brilliant and emotionally powerful.”

Master of Puppets (Remastered)

pitchfork

10

“In 1986, Metallica released inarguably one of the best metal records of all time. Newly remastered with live takes and demos, the album’s riffs, power, and mania remain as potent as ever.”

Ride the Lightning (Remastered) [2016 Remastered Version]

pitchfork

10

“In a monumental one-two punch, Metallica set the blueprint for thrash metal and then gave the genre its worldview with its first two records—reissued in deluxe sets that feature alternate mixes, demos, and live shows.”

...And Justice for All (Remastered)

pitchfork

9.3

“Written after the death of bassist Cliff Burton, Metallica’s infamously abrasive masterpiece gets its 30th-anniversary treatment at a time when its sociopolitical rumblings are painfully relevant.”

72 Seasons

consequence

9.1

“There's a level of self-editing and consistency that slots 72 Seasons ahead of St. Anger, Hardwired, and Death Magnetic as, if not the best Metallica album of the 21st century, the best thrash album by Metallica of the 21st century. It's the sound of a band having fun, laying into a ton of riffs and embracing its own legacy as metal masters.”

72 Seasons

nme

8.0

“In 1983, four long-haired, leather-clad adolescent misfits from California recorded a thunderous debut album they called ‘Metal Up Your Ass’. Before it was released, their spoilsport label convinced them to change its name to ‘Kill ‘Em All’. While the new title may have made a lot of sense from a commercial perspective, it could never capture the band’s essence quite as well. Even forty years on, ”

Metallica (Remastered)

Gunnar

8.4

“**💭 Thoughts:** Metallica’s self-titled 1991 album, also known as “The Black Album” is one of metal’s most iconic albums. I like this album, and all of the vocal and instrumentals are perfectly fine, however my personal preference is when Metallica plays at faster booms, like on *Ride the Lightning* or *Master of Puppets*. Not my favorite Metallica album, but definitely a classic. **🎶 Tracklist Review** 1.) Enter Sandman 🟣 2.) Sad But True 🟣 3.) Holier Than Thou 🟢 4.) The Unforgiven 🟢 5.) Wherever I May Roam 🔵 6.) Don’t Tread On Me 7.) Through the Never 🔵 8.) Nothing Else Matters 🟣 9.) Of Wolf and Man 🟢 10.) The God That Failed 🟢 11.) My Friend of Misery 🟢 12.) The Struggle Within 🔵 ──────────────────── **🤔 Track Rating Scale** 🟣 Favorites — My favorite song(s) on the album 🔵 Loved — Really enjoyed it and will revisit often 🟢 Liked — Enjoyed it, but it’s not one I’d revisit often 🟡 Mixed — Has some good moments, but also some bad, most likely won’t revisit 🟠 Disliked — Didn't enjoy it much, won’t be revisiting 🔴 Hated — Will skip every time ⚪️ Interlude, etc — Not rated as an actual song ──────────────────── **🏅 Ranking Scale** 10 — Perfect 9 — Exceptional 8 — Great 7 — Good 6 — Decent 5 — Average 4 — Below Average 3 — Poor 2 — Bad 1 — Awful 0 — Unlistenable”

Master of Puppets (Remastered)

Gunnar

9.0

“**💭 Thoughts:** *Master of Puppets* is often regarded as the greatest thrash metal album of all time, and for good reason. No misses—just an absolute classic. If you haven’t listened to this yet, you’re missing out. While I don’t believe this is the best thrash metal album, or even the best album out of Metallica’s “holy trinity” (*Ride the Lightning*, *…And Justice For All*, and *Master of Puppets*), it’s still most certainly arguable. **🎶 Tracklist Review** 1.) Battery 🟣 2.) Master of Puppets 🟣 3.) The Thing That Should Not Be 🟢 4.) Welcome Home (Sanitarium) 🔵 5.) Disposable Heroes 🔵 6.) Leper Messiah 🟢 7.) Orion 🔵 8.) Damage, Inc. 🟣 ──────────────────── **🤔 Track Rating Scale** 🟣 Favorites — My favorite song(s) on the album 🔵 Loved — Really enjoyed it and will revisit often 🟢 Liked — Enjoyed it, but it’s not one I’d revisit often 🟡 Mixed — Has some good moments, but also some bad, most likely won’t revisit 🟠 Disliked — Didn't enjoy it much, won’t be revisiting 🔴 Hated — Will skip every time ⚪️ Interlude, etc — Not rated as an actual song ──────────────────── **🏅 Ranking Scale** 10 — Perfect 9 — Exceptional 8 — Great 7 — Good 6 — Decent 5 — Average 4 — Below Average 3 — Poor 2 — Bad 1 — Awful 0 — Unlistenable”

...And Justice for All (Remastered)

Gunnar

9.3

“**💭 Thoughts:** The hooks for the songs on this album were masterfully crafted, as were the riffs. Definitely one of the best thrash metal albums ever. One critique I will give is that I feel the songs are somewhat long, but to be honest it really doesn’t matter that much to me. **🎶 Tracklist Review** 1.) Blackened 🟣 2.) …And Justice For All 🔵 3.) Eye of the Beholder 🟢 4.) One 🟣 5.) The Shortest Straw 🔵 6.) Harvester of Sorrow 🔵 7.) The Frayed Ends of Sanity 🟢 8.) To Live Is To Die 🟢 9.) Dyers Eve 🔵 ──────────────────── **🤔 Track Rating Scale** 🟣 Favorites — My favorite song(s) on the album 🔵 Loved — Really enjoyed it and will revisit often 🟢 Liked — Enjoyed it, but it’s not one I’d revisit often 🟡 Mixed — Has some good moments, but also some bad, most likely won’t revisit 🟠 Disliked — Didn't enjoy it much, won’t be revisiting 🔴 Hated — Will skip every time ⚪️ Interlude, etc — Not rated as an actual song ──────────────────── **🏅 Ranking Scale** 10 — Perfect 9 — Exceptional 8 — Great 7 — Good 6 — Decent 5 — Average 4 — Below Average 3 — Poor 2 — Bad 1 — Awful 0 — Unlistenable”

Ride the Lightning (Remastered) [2016 Remastered Version]

Gunnar

10

“**💭 Thoughts:** Began by the iconic opener “Fight Fire with Fire,” this album includes some of the greatest riffs thrash metal has ever seen. This album is truly a classic, and personally my favorite Metallica album, and maybe even my favorite album across all metal. **🎶 Tracklist Review** 1.) Fight Fire With Fire 🟣 2.) Ride the Lightning 🟣 3.) For Whom the Bell Tolls 🟣 4.) Fade to Black 🔵 5.) Trapped Under Ice 🔵 6.) Escape 🟣 7.) Creeping Death 🟣 8.) The Call of Ktulu 🔵 ──────────────────── **🤔 Track Rating Scale** 🟣 Favorites — My favorite song(s) on the album 🔵 Loved — Really enjoyed it and will revisit often 🟢 Liked — Enjoyed it, but it’s not one I’d revisit often 🟡 Mixed — Has some good moments, but also some bad, most likely won’t revisit 🟠 Disliked — Didn't enjoy it much, won’t be revisiting 🔴 Hated — Will skip every time ⚪️ Interlude, etc — Not rated as an actual song ──────────────────── **🏅 Ranking Scale** 10 — Perfect 9 — Exceptional 8 — Great 7 — Good 6 — Decent 5 — Average 4 — Below Average 3 — Poor 2 — Bad 1 — Awful 0 — Unlistenable”

...And Justice for All (Remastered)

Liquify05

9.5

“This album is incredible for being the first after the death of Cliff but what I will say is that it’s not a 10 it’s very close, the tracks are stellar and give an amazing feel throughout the whole thing, tracks like Eye Of The Beholder with insane beginnings make the album a great. So I enjoy it very much”