# Well recorded Metallica songs?



## spyders03 (Jan 5, 2013)

What are some well recorded Metallica songs? I was listening today and thought that "One" wasn't that bad, but what are some others? Also, I heard that the new "$8.99" album was actually pretty well done, anyone heard this album also?


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## Guest (Oct 24, 2013)

S&M album is spectacular....


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## Avalanche (Jun 13, 2006)

The problem I always had with any tracks off the Justice album was the complete lack of Bass Guitar. There has been plenty of controversy over the years concerning the production on that album.

I always though the production on the Black album was good.


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## decibelle (Feb 17, 2011)

Yes, the new album, Through the Never, is an excellent album. You heard right. Get it. Go listen to it. Bring an extra pair of underpants.


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## spyders03 (Jan 5, 2013)

I do like s&m, and the album is pretty good too! :-D

I thought the black album isn't horrible, but the drums in it are so... not alive... I'll have to check out some of the justice tracks again also.

And I'll have to get the new album also, I really want to see the movie, needed to see when it comes out again. Thanks Ally



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## Earzbleed (Feb 10, 2013)

Avalanche said:


> The problem I always had with any tracks off the Justice album was the complete lack of Bass Guitar. There has been plenty of controversy over the years concerning the production on that album.
> 
> I always though the production on the Black album was good.


Yeah. I have to cut hell out of the treble and boost hell outa the bass for most of my Metallica albums. Same with a few Motorhead albums too.


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## chithead (Mar 19, 2008)

spyders03 said:


> I do like s&m, and the album is pretty good too! :-D
> 
> I thought the black album isn't horrible, but the drums in it are so... not alive... I'll have to check out some of the justice tracks again also.
> 
> And I'll have to get the new album also, I really want to see the movie, needed to see when it comes out again. Thanks Ally



Agreed, the drums on some Black album songs sound like an electronic set.


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## Neil_J (Mar 2, 2011)

If you go to the Dynamic Range Database and search for Metallica, you'll be able to see how well each album (and the different masterings for each album) sound, in the context of dynamic range. Death Magnetic actually holds the record for one of the most compressed songs in the entire database (right next to Skrillex and other groups that push the boundary if what's considered "music"). 

http://www.dr.loudness-war.info/index.php?search_artist=Metallica&search_album=

Any of the albums in green are a good place to start.


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## spyders03 (Jan 5, 2013)

Neil, I've seen the dr database, and that's actually what peaked my interest in the newest album, just didn't know how accurately that actually translated into being well recorded

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## Neil_J (Mar 2, 2011)

spyders03 said:


> Neil, I've seen the dr database, and that's actually what peaked my interest in the newest album, just didn't know how accurately that actually translated into being well recorded


It's obviously not everything but to me the dynamic range is extremely important. A high dynamic range doesn't mean the recording is perfect, but a bad dynamic range certainly means the recording isn't perfect.

If you have a lot of watts in your midbass and sub, and the whole thing gets loud, you will really start to appreciate good dynamic range. Two great tracks to compare the original to the remastered (squashed) recording, is Dire Straits Money for Nothing, and Michael Jackson Billy Jean. Play both the original and the remastered back to back and it's night and day. Especially if you reduce the volume on the remastered so that the RMS of both is the same.

The other cool thing I like about the DR database is that you can find other masterings that have better dynamic range, if you're willing to shop in places other than Amazon and Best Buy. Ive had great luck on Half.com, eBay, and indie record stores. For example, some hipster albums that sound positively great but compressed to hell (Gotye Making Mirrors, Lana Del Rey Born to Die). But you find that the vinyl is not nearly as compressed. I happen to already own the vinyl, and am trying to find some time to rip them with Audacity.


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## Neil_J (Mar 2, 2011)

I also thought that it was cool that the new NIN album was mastered twice and released together, radio and an audiophile. I haven't heard it yet but want to listen to both, back to back, in my car, full-tilt.


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## ChrisB (Jul 3, 2008)

The DCC 24 Kt. Gold version of Master of Puppets is pretty good! I also have a DVD-A conversion of The Black Album that isn't too bad. I hated Justice, so I can't comment on any reamasters because I refuse to listen to them.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

The new album is pretty good. I wouldn't call it an audiophile release by any stretch, but for live Metallica it's pretty stellar. The DR numbers reflect the compression/peak limiting applied to the recording and a slightly bloated low end, but it is decently dynamic and clean otherwise. Lars has been guilty of being a lazy sloppy drummer but on this one he's pretty good. Hetfield's voice isn't what it used to be but he's not bad here. "Orion" is the best song in the whole set, IMO.

"Live ****: Binge & Purge", S&M", and "Live at Grimey's" are other live Metallica albums I own but "Through The Never" kicks the **** out of those. I don't get the admiration for S&M. It's horribly squashed and a mess arrangement-wise, but I see how some could like it.


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## slpery (Jan 14, 2011)

Its funny how everyone's taste is different.

My all time favourite is Justice. But have always struggled to get it to sound good.


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

ChrisB said:


> The DCC 24 Kt. Gold version of Master of Puppets is pretty good! I also have a DVD-A conversion of The Black Album that isn't too bad. I hated Justice, so I can't comment on any reamasters because I refuse to listen to them.


Agreed. The DCC release of Master and Ride the Lightning are the best Metallica recordings available. They both have better/more warm bass, and are more clean on the top end than the original album release. Ride The Lightning is significantly better than the original, DCC Master is also improved over the original, but not as much as Ride is.

A few years ago, HD Tracks had the black album in hi-res, which reportedly was sourced from the DVD-A. I have it, it sounds good, but the original release also sounds pretty good. Anything after Black is poorly recorded (and also subpar musically).

I haven't heard a better release of And Justice for all or Kill 'Em All. Justice in particular is screaming for a good remastering.


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## Darth SQ (Sep 17, 2010)

To directly answer the OP's original question, it's S&M hands down.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/S&M_(Metallica_album)


Bret
PPI-ART COLLECTOR


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## Neil_J (Mar 2, 2011)

I've never bought a Metallica album (mostly due to their crappy attitude during all the napster stuff years back). But I think you guys motivated me, I'm taking your suggestions and buying a few of the ones you've recommended. Picking the original recordings used from half.com and eBay of course


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## Earzbleed (Feb 10, 2013)

http://www.discogs.com/Metallica-Creeping-Death-Jump-In-The-Fire/release/398662
My favorite by far. Needs much less eq-ing than the others.
DR Database


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## decibelle (Feb 17, 2011)

I don't know what the deal is with S&M but I can never find a clean version of it anywhere (didn't intend on the pun :blush. All the versions I've had have had crackles and pops in them and no it wasn't on my end. Even if it was FLAC.

As far as Through the Never, my top tracks on that are Justice, and For Whom the Bell Tolls for their dynamics, and One for the bone-chilling 90-second intro. Best intro to that song out of all of the ones they've ever done, IMHO. Still makes me jump and I've listened to it a dozen times.

My only gripe with it is unfortunately on Enter Sandman, the crowd ruins it when someone gets hurt and James stops the song because of it.


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## spyders03 (Jan 5, 2013)

Yeah, I have a hard time finding a clean version of S&M too. 

I actually have a clean recording of it, remind me the next show you go to and I'll bring you one.

I also had the 24kt DCC of one of the albums when I was in High school, let one of my friends borrow it. He scratched it, then decided he would try and fix it... we all know how that ended up.


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## mr. fusion (Jan 10, 2013)

Garage Inc is a great sounding album, as is Master of Puppets


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## ISTundra (Jan 3, 2009)

mr. fusion said:


> Garage Inc is a great sounding album, as is Master of Puppets


Sorry man... I like a lot of the songs on it, but Garage Inc is a horrible album SQ-wise. it's loud and dynamically bricked. The original $5.98 Garage Days Revisited EP is pretty good, at least as good as RTL and MOP, sound-wise.


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## SHOToonz (Sep 18, 2007)

Thanks for the suggestion of Through The Never. Either the recording is fantastic or my system's better than I thought cuz the intro to One literally scared the hell out of me and almost initiated a flashback. Spectacular album, btw.


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## slowsedan01 (May 4, 2008)

Its a shame really that Death Magnetic's production is so terrible. It really is one of their greatest records since the Black Album and its unfortunate that every song was actually cut in clipping. Unforgiven III really rips. To make matters worse, because Lars is such an egomaniac he denied that there were production quality issues and said it was one of the best produced albums they've released.


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## strakele (Mar 2, 2009)

For all those who want a non-compressed-to-hell version of Death Magnetic, search for a download of the album from guitar hero (or rock band.. one of those games).

The people who made the game got the pre-mastered tracks to separate out the instruments and didn't brickwall it when they put it all together.


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