And Justice For All - Metallica > Reviews > No justice for the bass!

Author's product rating:   

Originality
Lyrics
Quality and consistency of tracks
How does it compare to the artist's other releases
Value for Money

Advantages:	Hetfield's new voice, Classic songs (e,g, One)
Disadvantages:	Flat mix with very little bass guitar being audible

Recommend to potential buyers:

yes

Full review

This album showed that Metallica were changing. The music was more structured and polished, they were starting to grow beards and there was a new member to the band. However, this new member, Jason Newsted, may as well have not been on the album. Instead of the clearly defined bass riffs in the past by Cliff Burton this was just a flat wall of sound. You need an incredibly well trained ear to hear the bass guitar at all, something that I don't have.

Aside from that the album is amazing. The lyrics are better thought out and the solos are amazing, from the tapping frenzy of 'One' through to the shared responsibilities on 'To Live Is To Die', a song co-written by the former bassist.

This album was also there last mixture of Speed and Thrash metal. It carries on very strongly from the precedent set by 'Master of Puppets' and 'Ride The Lightning' where their music cane into its own.

This album wasn't perhaps the best debut album for their new bass player but it is certainley worth having just for the power of the lyrics and sheer aggression that is contained in the guitars and Hetfield's new voice.