Ride the Lightning

Ride the Lightning
Studio album by Metallica
Released	July 30, 1984[1]
Recorded	September 1983 - June 1984 at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark
Genre	Thrash metal
Length	47:18
Label	Megaforce Elektra
Producer	Metallica, Flemming Rasmussen
Professional reviews
All Music Guide link Q magazine
Metallica chronology
Kill 'Em All (1983) Ride the Lightning (1984) Master of Puppets (1986)

Ride the Lightning is American thrash metal band Metallica's second album, released on July 30, 1984 by Megaforce Records and re-released by Elektra Records on November 19, 1984.^[2]

Impact and Acclaim

Ride the Lightning is often hailed by fans as a classic of the thrash metal genre ^[3], and a vital bridge between the band's albums, Kill 'Em All and Master of Puppets, pushing the thrash metal of the debut into progressive territory more fully-realized on Master of Puppets and ...And Justice for All. Ride the Lightning retains the speed of Kill 'Em All on songs like "Trapped Under Ice" and "Fight Fire with Fire", but also contains the first of Metallica's longer, more symphonically arranged tracks, such as "Fade to Black" and the nearly 9-minute closing instrumental "The Call of Ktulu". Ride the Lightning was listed at #3 on a list compiled by metal-rules.com of the Top 100 Metal Albums of All Time and #5 by IGN Music on the Top 25 Metal Albums.

Track listing

1. "Fight Fire with Fire" (James Hetfield, Cliff Burton, Lars Ulrich) – 4:45
2. "Ride the Lightning" (Dave Mustaine, Hetfield, Burton, Ulrich) – 6:37
3. "For Whom the Bell Tolls" (Hetfield, Burton, Ulrich) – 5:10
4. "Fade to Black" (Hammett, Hetfield, Burton, Ulrich) – 6:57
5. "Trapped Under Ice" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) – 4:04
6. "Escape" (Hammett, Hetfield, Ulrich) – 4:24
7. "Creeping Death" (Hammett, Hetfield, Burton, Ulrich) – 6:36
8. "The Call of Ktulu" [Instrumental] (Mustaine, Hetfield, Burton, Ulrich) – 8:54

This was the final album to feature songs co-written by Dave Mustaine. He was fired from the band for alcohol-related problems prior to the recording of Kill 'Em All.

Personnel

• James Hetfield – rhythm guitar, vocals, acoustic guitar on "Fade to Black"
• Lars Ulrich – drums
• Kirk Hammett – lead guitar
• Cliff Burton – bass, lead bass

Singles

• "Fade to Black" was released as a promo single in 1984.
• "For Whom the Bell Tolls" was released as a promo single, with two versions of the song, an edited version on side A, and the album version on side B.
• "Creeping Death" was released as an EP, with the B-side also known as "Garage Days Revisited" (precursor to 1987's "The $5.98 E.P.: Garage Days Re-Revisited"): covers of "Am I Evil?" (originally by Diamond Head) and "Blitzkrieg" (originally by Blitzkrieg).

Charting Positions

Album

References