Okay, we can't be friends anymore. :D

The Black Album was the album that got me into Metallica when I was a wee little lad and it has a couple of classics like Enter Sandman, but as a whole I don't think it holds up all that well today. I'm with B0SC0 that as full records the *Loads are actually better than the Black Album.

All of them YEAH!

I think the problem with the Black Album is that it only has 5 memorable songs. (Enter Sandman, Sad But True, Unforgiven, When Ever I May Roam, Nothing Else Matters)

The other songs vary in quality from nice to meh.

Yeah Holier than Thou and Through The Never were played live.

But than we get rather meh songs like""Of Wolf and Man" and "The God That Failed."

Is your beef with Justice is because of the downplayed Bass Track of all the songs? (And the somewhat mellow sounding snare drum)

If so people posted vids with the bass enhanced. One sounds SO much more better with its bass enhanced.

I'd even include Of Wolf And Man among the good songs, though not as good as the 5 standout songs. Unfortunately the album then takes a complete nosedive with the remaining 6 songs which just don't do anything for me these days.

The *Loads on the other hand don't have that many standout songs, but the quality is much more consistent which makes the listen more enjoyable overall. Unless of course you're not partial to the more "mainstream", blues-y sound in general, but that's more a matter of personal taste.

Ooph, well I think the drums so sterile it is depressing. Barely any punch in the bass drum. As you said no bass guitar at all. I think the songs are too long and have no real substance.

If I had to admit Metallica for me as of late does not have that substance anymore after I have been exposed to Testament, Exodus, Overkill, and other Thrash Metal bands.

What baffles me about Metallica fans is that they treat them as the only band thats "used" to be Thrash. As if they forgotten that same other Thrash bands stayed the course.

I have listened to more Metallica. So I know their songs more than any others to choose from but I like the sound of Slayer better than Metallica. Hey even God listens to Slayer.

Never was that much fan of Anthrax. Always liked Testament more.

Testament - Over The Wall

For me, it is a tie between Slayer and Metallica's early stuff. Metallica's more recent stuff sucks ass.

Funny when you look at Euro metal at the same time metallica and co came out. You realise how heavy they were not. It's quite amusing.

Most American Thrash Metal bands were heavily inspired by British Metal and Punk Bands bands like Judas Priest, Iron Maiden, Motorhead, and Sex Pistols.
Another Testament Fan :D

What do you think of Dark Roots of Earth?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qwdkmxDLFak

but even priest has a bigger live sound. Iron Maiden not so much. Especially in recent years. Saying that I have never heard anything heavier than Manowar. Remember health and safety deemed it a health risk to the sheer volume haha.

I like it and enjoyed even on first spin, Skolnick and Peterson are awesome.

Let me throw a wild card in; Anthrax WITH John Bush probably gets my vote above everything else.