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Reviews 364 Approval 85%
Soundoffs 7 News Articles 1 Band Edits + Tags 22 Album Edits 105
Album Ratings 355 Objectivity 93%
Last Active 04-29-20 1:18 pm Joined 10-01-04
Review Comments 4,805
| Ride the Lightning v Master of Puppets
A blow-by-blow comparison between Metallica's two best and most famous albums. Agree? Disagree? Leave your comments below! | 1 | Metallica Fight Fire With Fire / Battery
Each album opens with a rip-roaring, take-no-prisoners calling card, designed to get heads banging straight away. But while Battery is a timeless thrash anthem, Fight Fire With Fire is somewhat more mundane, and one of the weakest songs in a nearly flawless album. Master takes the early advantage.
WINNER: Master of Puppets
TOTAL SCORE: Ride 0 - 1 Master | 2 | Ride The Lightning / Master of Puppets
The battle of the title tracks is only a contest because of how good Ride the Lightning (the song) is. Up against arguably the best-known thrash metal song of all time, however, it hardly stands a chance. 2-0 Master.
WINNER: Master of Puppets
TOTAL SCORE: Ride 0 - 2 Master | 3 | For Whom The Bell Tolls / The Thing That Should Not Be
The two Track #3's each slow down the tempo and aim for something a little more atmospheric, with stellar results. Which one wins in this particular battle ultimately comes down to preference - but while Thing That Should Not Be is a very good track in its own right, Bell is just that little bit more memorable, allowing Ride to claw one back and get back in the game.
WINNER: Ride the Lightning
TOTAL SCORE: Ride 1-2 Master | 4 | Fade to Black / (Welcome Home) Sanitarium
The toughest-fought round in this blow-by-blow battle sees two of the best metal ballads ever written duke it out - and the results are unsurprisingly inconclusive. There is just no separating these two tracks in terms of quality, and any choice will come down to mere preference. Round #4 ends in a tie.
WINNER: DRAW
TOTAL SCORE: Ride 2-3 Master | 5 | Trapped Under Ice / Disposable Heroes
Track #5 is the first point at which the albums differ in terms of structure. Where Ride offers another basic, catchy, neck-breaking thrasher, Master adds to its list of long, involved epics with a song about the horrors of war. But while Trapped is perhaps the most underrated of all Metallica songs, Heroes is objectively the better song in all regards, and ensures Master stays in the lead in this close-fought battle.
WINNER: Master of Puppets
TOTAL SCORE: Ride 2-4 Master | 6 | Escape / Leper Messiah
Ride's weakest song goes up against one of Master's weakest...and just narrowly edges the least memorable round in this battle, to give Ride a lifeline.
WINNER: Ride the Lightning
TOTAL SCORE: Ride 3-4 Master | 7 | Creeping Death / Orion
Orion is a very good instrumental. Creeping Death is the best song Metallica ever wrote. This one is barely a contest. Ride the Lightning comes from two behind to tie the scores for the first time in this battle.
WINNER: Ride the Lightning.
TOTAL SCORE: Ride 4-4 Master | 8 | Call of Ktulu / Damage Inc.
Roles reversed from track #5, as Ride closes with an atmospheric instrumental while Master opts for a straight-up, fast-paced thrasher...and is all the worse off for it. Damage is a good track, but as a closer, Ktulu is a lot more memorable, and gives Ride the Lightning a surprise upset win right at the buzzer.
WINNER: Ride the Lightning
TOTAL SCORE: Ride 5-4 Master
OVERALL WINNER: Ride the Lightning | |
ReturnToRock
11.01.19 | To be fair, round #3 is sort of a draw too. Consider it that way if you want. It's really down to personal preference. | Casavir
11.01.19 | Fight Fire With Fire's a lot better. | DePlazz
11.01.19 | "Fight Fire With Fire's a lot better."
(2) | Emim
11.01.19 | Disposable Heroes is so good. Chimaira did a pretty decent cover of it too. | JDubb
11.01.19 | nice veal! Ride the Lightning is my favorite of the two. | Minushuman24
11.01.19 | "Fight Fire With Fire's a lot better."
(3)
Also fuck yea Call of Ktulu | TheClansman95
11.02.19 | Leper Messiah is not a weak song... Master is my favourite of the two btw | AsleepInTheBack
11.02.19 | Fun list idea, pos | ReturnToRock
11.02.19 | 'Leper Messiah is not a weak song'
I didn't say it was. I said it was one of the weakest in an insanely strong album. | Ecnalzen
11.02.19 | RtL will most likely always be my fave tallica. Master is right behind it tho.
Fade to Black wins over Sanitarium, no contest, for me. Always thought the chorus on Sanitarium was kind of weak, but the rest is very good. | ReturnToRock
11.02.19 | 'Always thought the chorus on Sanitarium was kind of weak'
What chorus? xD | Morningrise767
11.02.19 | Ride The Lighting > Master Of Puppets agreed
Also yeah cool list idea | el_newg
11.02.19 | Escape over Leper Messiah what the hell not sure many would agree with you there haha
Puppetz is my fav but they are nearly inseparable m/ | Poet
11.02.19 | Creeping Death is Metallica's best song and Ride the Lightning (song) has the best guitar riff in the intro that the band ever wrote, but Master is a deeper record. I don't think I can pick one over the other. | SeanLites
11.02.19 | For me:
Fight Fire with Fire
Master of Puppets
For Whom the Bell Tolls
Draw
Disposable Heroes
Escape
Creeping Death
Call of Ktulu
| Stormheart
11.02.19 | this is a good list but everyone knows Metallicas best song is fight fire with fire easy peasy | kalkwiese
11.02.19 | "What chorus? xD"
SANITARIUM! LEAVE ME BE!
SANITARIUM! Just leave me alone ... | Stormheart
11.02.19 | i like this guy | kalkwiese
11.02.19 | this is a good list but everyone knows Metallicas best song is For Whom The Bell Tolls easy peasy [2] | Stormheart
11.02.19 | yeah jc that song pounded hard but i wore it out, overall on first listen basis i would still say fight fire with fire is their overall best song and then fwtbt ez pz | ReturnToRock
11.02.19 | @kalkwiese oh yeah, of course. I guess I just proved your point right there xD |
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