Metallica - Ride The Lightning

If Kill 'Em All was a raw statement of intent, 1984’s Ride the Lightning was the proof that Metallica were more than just speed-obsessed kids. Recorded in Copenhagen with producer Flemming Rasmussen, this album saw the band—particularly bassist Cliff Burton—introduce melody, acoustic textures, and complex structures to the thrash blueprint. It was a massive leap forward that broadened their range without sacrificing an ounce of their aggression.

This Blackened Recordings reissue is pressed on 180-gram vinyl and features audio remastered in 2016 from the original analog tapes. It preserves the specific, icy atmosphere of the Sweet Silence Studios sessions, where tracks like the ballad-turned-crusher "Fade to Black" and the epic instrumental "The Call of Ktulu" were born. It’s an essential bridge between their underground beginnings and the massive complexity of their later work.