First Time Reaction to Metallica - Blackened ( Remaster) 

This is an awesome song. However, what you're picking up on is the lack of bass. This album is notorious for the fact that they cut the bass track down to almost nothing, which took the punch out of the sound. There's a whole story behind it, and it's always bothered me too. However, the song is still great. Shortest Straw and Harvester of Sorrow off this album are also excellent.

If you're driving and this comes on, AND you're NOT speeding - you are not human.

this song is raw and heavy and i love it, best metallica album imo

This is the epitome of true thrash metal. The off timing. Pure RAWNESS. The true "elements" as you put it, is PURE metal in all its definitions. Metal has soooo many aspects, so many uncharted territories. Many people get stuck in the beliefs that metal has structure. Yet metal, true metal breaks ALL the rules and that's why true metal heads LOVE Heavy Metal. We love it ALL!!

Weirdly enough… That sound goes well with the whole album concept and artwork. (Don’t know if it was intentional) but it’s genius imo . It’s my favorite album from them .

The guitar sound on here is some of the BEST EVER. The heavy crunch is unmatched.

Their best album imo.

The best apocalypse song of all time. The lyrics are a masterpiece, so well written.

Trust me....this sound grows on you. And it is missing something....Cliff Burton on bass.

This album and the previous 3 I can listen to in their entirety anytime.

First studio album after Cliff died, (aside from the cover album they put out.) I think it's the bass and Lars change on the drum sound. I still like this song and the album, but there is a noticeable difference from their old sound with Cliff.

That off feeling you’re getting is the fact that Cliff died and they were Hazing their new Bassist. They purposely turned Jason’s Bass down in protest or in grief of Cliffs death. There is a lot of controversy surrounding this track because of this and the fact that it’s the first track off the album. Lastly the song is sooooo much better live because they mitigated all the stuff they did when they recorded the song. I challenge you to not only listen to the rest of this album but watch the live in Seattle 89. You won’t be disappointed!

There are remasters on RU-vid with bass. It's an entirely different beast.

Fouth and best album, IMO, came out when I was 21 and I wore it out, this is one of my favorite tunes!! They opened with this LIVE for years!!

Lars and james turned the Bass right down on this album... you should check out And Justice ForJason where someone put the Bass mix up. YOU NEED TO CHECK IT OUT MAN.

My last Metallica album, I bought, was the Metallica (Black...5th) album. So I guess it's safe to say I was an early (first five albums) Metallica fan. That one there, their fourth, is a really good album. Yeah, "the sound" might be for the bass tracks nearly fully muted. There were just issues surrounding the producing and mixing on this one.

What you're missing is the bass. Jason Newstead's 1st album with the band and someone made a call to turn the bass track way down on the entire record.

I love this band and have seen them live 4 times going back to 88 monsters of rock tour. After the black album it was hard for me. Im an early Jason Newsted Flotsam and Jetsam fan. I just wish he could have been used more on this album.

This is perhaps the best Metallica song of all time in my opinion

My brother and I bought this song for "Rockband" back in the day. We played the hell out of it! Yes, the mix is a train wreck. It absolutely deserves a proper remix and Jason's bass. Thanks Lars...

Dude, Google And Justice For All's production. It's a whole thing...

Their first major headlining tour was for this album, I saw it twice since it came to town 2 times.

I got the original vinyl (first release)... I am old. Such great memories. Thank you.

"It feels like it's missing something" - Speak to Lars on that one. The thing it's missing is the bass, same with every other song on the album.

I was in high school from 86-90 and got into Metallica in 84. RTL was one of my first albums ever purchased. When I was in high school, Metallica was a bunch of nobody’s, and only myself and about four others in my High School even knew who these guys were. I was the only one who wore a Metallica patched up Jean jacket every day. I used to collect rare Metallica albums back then. I still have my collection stored away somewhere... it’s composed of Different colored vinyl albums of Creeping Death & Jump in the Fire as well as picture discs of the first three albums and whiplash, bootleg concert recordings (including Cliff’s last show), interview picture discs, double LP’s, etc... all purchased back in the late 80s. I remember When AJFA came out, we had about 10-15 more students in the school that suddenly became fans. I knew things would never be the same from that point on. Once they hit the mainstream and became popular (pretty much from 1990 and on), I pretty much lost interest, as the nostalgia of being in that small exclusive club of fans was gone. But I still like to reminisce once in a while.

I love this album top to bottom. Great riffs and poetic lyrics.

Right after the end of a song about nuclear annihilation, I got a Disney cruise ad. Wonderful timing, RU-vid.

I really appreciate your honestly. For me this is one of my favorite Metallica album. Battery has fancy elements like its great solo for example but is not the best song imo. I suggest you react to "To Live is to Die" to taste Cliff Burton genius and have a beautiful trip.

The beginning of the song and the album is so good, that reverse riff is awesome.

I saw Metallica in '89 and this one sounded great live but you're not alone in your critique of the studio version. Great reaction. I like it when reactors give their honest opinions instead of trying to please everybody.

I love this album. Saw them on this tour. It was a killer show!

This is an amazing album, they mixed it like that on purpose but the solution is simple. Just listen to all the songs from this album LIVE, specifically the Seattle '89 concert. It sounds wayyyy richer and heavier.

😢 Why no love for Blackened. Nah to each thier own.

As a ten year old listening to this album when it came out, my mind was blown 🤯

This is the album where you just hit play from the beginning take a long road trip and let it play all the way through! It might take you a couple of days, but well worth it, and you’ll have all of these drunk deeds in your head for the rest of your life!

The first time I saw MetallicA live they opened with this song after the iconic Ecstasy of Gold song with the scene from The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly. Blackened live sent chills down my body and the roar of the audience and being among them was amazing.

I heard that back during that time California was going through a phase where everything had that crunchy sound with little bass. Something about everyone was doing coke and high pitched crunchy songs sounded better. Fun fact, the guitar intro was actually played backwards. Some better songs are Whiskey In The Jar and No Leaf Clover.

I saw them last month! 15th and 16th live Metallica shows for me. They didn’t play this but they played Orion and Whiskey in the Jar. It was live in theaters. They’re making a cd and a live movie from those shows. Pantera opened. I’m still hurting.

I'm surprised by your reaction. I used to feel the same way about this song... I slowly liked more and more of Metallica's song as I've acquired a taste for that type of music now they've creeped their way up my list to one of my favorite bands, and blackened is in my top 5 Metallica songs for sure... ps i agree with you though its missing a little bass guitar

i first heard this just after it was released... i was only into punk, i had heard about metal but didn't get it... when i heard this i got it

I remember going to see them in my home town back in '89...I was 19 ....they toured with Danzig

You nailed the analysis, what they were missing was their prolific Bassist Cliff who tragically died just before the making of this

whaaaaaat ,the song sounds great ,it sounds heavy as helll

Perfect Thrash Song

Way to go Joe! 😋 hey I’m a patron, wanted to request the full album stream lol. I’ll request something via d cord, is that your preferred method? TnT⚡️ This was my first thrash show btw

There's no such thing as a Metalhead who hates Metallica. However, there are metalheads who say they hate Metallica

I remember I was twelve years old, and a friend of my school let me his walkman with that song. It was the very first one I listened and I was shocked. He copied me (yes sorry James) the whole album and after 33 years, it is still my favorite one. Esteban, thanks a lot for that

It's supposed to sound that, he's singing about the end of the plant, mass destruction, hell fire and brimstone. Pretty sure it would be a very pleasant experience.That's what the distortion conveys! Chaios terror, pandamonium

This and shortest straw are my 2 picks on this record, blackened is a great tune

That's why it's sooooo great... because it sounds RAW 💪💪💪💪🔥🔥🔥🔥

2:44 - THE best hook known to man. There is NO better. “to begin, whipping dance of the DEAD ….. “ Hands down, the BEST song the boys ever wrote and performed.

Who doesn’t like Blackened. This is my favorite of the album. Nothing goes better with Metallica than a large Chic Filet combo.

Like how you let it play through. Every one of the first 4 albums are works of art in their own way. Every one is a cover to cover no-skip. Edit: For example, this is the opening track.

The production on that album got the same reaction you had from everyone when it dropped. That thing you said was "missing" is bass guitar.

I always loved the production

I have this tape in my corvette and it's the only tape i play when i want to drive real fast! Bose speakers at 95% sound great... almost painful!!!😂

The guitars aren't muddy, they're scooped. The mids are scooped out, and it's intentional. The whole album is like that, and I love it. It sounds like the air is being sucked from the room. Also, you're likely noticing the absence of Bass, which is a valid issue, but it does work IMO

I can tell exactly what is missing: BASS GUITAR. Sad part is; it was intentional. The producer actually had a proper mix ready to go; and Lars made him change it. Lars made him lower the bass to almost nothing, and he specifically wanted this sound.

It might have been mixed for vinyl originally. This song grows on you.

This album followed the death of Cliff Burton, their original bassist. As a joke on Jason(now a former bass member), because he was hazed harshly while the other members were overcoming the loss of Cliff; Lars went to the mixer and turned Jason's bass down so much that it's damn near non existent. And what makes it worse, is that Jason actually wrote the riff for this song and some others on the record.

Metallica is a band that has done things on their terms❤ they have earned the right to be different and their albums are some of the all time best and proved why they are in the rock hall of fame❤. They have gone through triumphs tragedies and have faced so much adversity other weaker bands would have crumbled years ago and they are strong

James and Lars pushed forward in the mix, while Jason was damn near buried.

I love me some Metallica 🤘💥🏆

Fourth album and first album with Jason Newstead who replaced Cliff Burton after his untimely death in '86

Some people complain that the album after this album was when they sold out. I have never heard anyone say anything bad about Justice though

Have you listened to the song (and watched the video, which by the way, there are two versions of this video) for the song "One" from this album? Also, this was the first album to feature Jason Newstead on bass. Jason joined the band after the death of Cliff Burton. For everyone album, Metallica, among almost every rock and metal band, aim for a specific sound. This is the sound they aimed for in this album. Most of the tracks are solid.

Lol i wasnt feeling it neither! Its cool you try and react. Metallica and GNR share some fate lol. Awesome T!

Its interesting your picking up on it without knowing, shows how much in tune you are. However i remember this album coming out & I just listened to it & thought it was heavy. Its only been in the RU-vid age that i heard anyone go on about it.

Oooooooooowwweeeee youre in for a treat

There’s a “Covid” version by Metallica called Blackened 2020. Good video to watch if you have a few mins to kill. Nothing like the beast this song is, you’ll understand when you see it.

no mids in the guitar

Incredible intro song from a phenomenal album.

I personally never noticed anything, except it was much "crisper & clearer" than the previous 3 albums which was very "bottom heavy". I have heard so many different production styles due to listening to so many bands who go through producers as often as they go through booze and women, that after a while I just stopped fussing over the sound, unless it was REALLY bad. At any rate, if something was really off-kilter - too much treble, too much bass, too much mids - I'd run it through my editor and play with the EQs a little bit. "Something is missing" Well, it seems, according to many fans, this album suffered from the BASS being completely reduced to almost nothing. Again, I never noticed cos it was just another "production style" to me. I could barely single out any given instrument anyway back in the day this stuff was new, so that probably aided in my obliviousness. I have also noticed that many "remastered" albums are just a scam or a gimmick ; some do sound better, but many sound exactly the same or much worse. Tip : If you ever do Scorpions stuff from the 80s (1979-1990), avoid the "remastered", cos that was one catalog that turned out awful. The originals were better.

My jam in the Army back in the 90s.

9:38 - That is called BASS GUITAR! lol People always like to rag on bassists and the bass guitar as not needed - well, this is the result! This is Blackened with bass in it - feel that wholeness!!! ---->> ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-h85k0VcFB8c.html Try listening to a fan mix on YT of this song or ANY song from this album where they boosted the bass guitar a bit, it has that punch you were describing as being absent!!

on YT there is AND JUSTICE FOR JASON .... check it out, its the album with the BASS where you can HEAR IT !!

Cliff Burton was the original bassist He died a few months before this album was recorded Jason Newstead replaced him but they Not allow him to have any sound on the albumBecause they missed cliff so much That is the reason for the unique sound of this album It's so unique and I love it and And further on further albums Jason was included

The first album without Cliff Burton. The was the "We still got it!" Album. Shame they never made more albums after this. ;-P

Top 10 Metallica track and one of the greatest 80s thrash songs full stop.

And Justice is a classic 88. Lars rudiments are crazy

Look for the And Justice For Jason version on youtube. a fan remix that put the bass parts back in the mix. As someone who is already so used to the original mix it sounds a little too different for my liking, like he overcompensated in the other direction a bit too much. But u might dig it, I dunno.

You should do one with only Halloween songs 👻 🎃 when its time for that holiday. Not only Metal songs. But two that MUST be included are King Diamond ”Halloween” and VOITH ”On The Night Of Halloween”.

This was the intro track on the album, one album after Cliff Burton had passed away so there was a certain type of energy into this. But they buried the bass because of Cliff’s death. Listen to And Justice for Jason . As in Jason Newstead.

Blackened was an incredible song

I love seeing different cultural reactions to Metallica.

This album is the point where some fans said no thanx I'll stick to the first three albums (me). Some said ok I'll keep going with this. And some discovered Metallica for the first time because of this album being more approachable to a wider audience.

Justice was the last Metallica album I went nuts for. And its is my fave...the then Black Album came out, it was ok and after that I didnt like the change. It wasnt like it sucked or was bad, it just wasnt me.

Check out Live.....And Justice For All in Seattle '89, the stage & Liberty falls apart🤘

You also listened to the remastered version

This is a masterpiece.

this was their first album without Cliff Burton and there was essentially no Bass in the mix. Jason Newsteads track was left out and he even came up with the riff.Good Observation!

One of the best album ever in music history

Check out And Justice for Jason, its this entire album but with Jasons bass turned back up. He was actually a really damn good bassist but they had him turned almost all the way down on this album.

After listening to it more and more, this tone is my favorite metallica tone. Only thing missing is the bass on the album.

Black album they went commercial to get played on the radio and get paid $$$$……. Still like it , Load and forward they slipped for my liking ! 🔥❤️🎸 seen them 8 times from the beginning and only once after Load 🙁 Cliff was the soul of there sound R.I.P. 🥲

Lol, welcome to my first time hearing the album! My first questions were: 1) What the fuck did Lars do to his drums??!? 2) Where the hell is the goddamn bass??!?!?!? But then i chilled out and learned to appreciate the direction they took to the point i'ts my second favorite album in Metallica's Big Five albums😄

The production is perfect. I love it.

one of the greatest albums of all time

It's funny, when this album came out in 1988 I absolutely loved the production. It jumped out from the headphones and hit you in the face like nothing else at that time. I thought it sounded much better than Puppets that was very soft and warm and filled with reverb. Metallica was already the number one metal band in the world so many bands followed Metallica's lead and jumped on the dry and reverbless production style (Pantera, Prong etc.) so it became "a thing". I only realized the bass was almost completely missing years later. To bring the bass up in the mix would require altering Hetfield's guitar tone quite a bit and it wouldn't be the same anymore. People comment on how poorly they treated their new bassist with the mix but hey, the they still let the new guy write the first riff you hear on the album. That's still cool.

This is a great song on probably my favorite album. Try 'Dyer's Eve' which is possibly my favorite Metallica song- definitely in my top 3.