METALLICA

…And Justice for All (reissue, 1988)

After their bass player Cliff Burton died in a bus crash in 1986, the most popular thrash metal band in the world nearly broke up. Instead, Metallica soldiered ahead on their fourth album and hired Jason Newsted to replace Burton. …And Justice for All remains their most pivotal and arguably their most divisive album. On one hand it expands the band’s attack and deepens the angst of James Hetfield’s songwriting. On the other, it set a precedent for stifling production and boneheaded drum sounds, which makes this 30th-anniversary edition an opportunity to correct some of those studio mistakes. Kirk Hammett’s guitars crunch a lot harder, increasing the relentlessness of “Eye Of The Beholder” and “Harvester Of Sorrow”, but Newsted’s bass is still lost in the mix. Worse, Lars Ulrich’s snare drum still turns your stomach on opener “Blackened” – and not in a good way. Extras: 8/10. Lots of demos, rough mixes, studio jams and live numbers that show how powerful the new lineup sounded away from the studio.