Metallica promoted the album on the Bang That Head That Doesn't Bang European tour in late 1984, and on its North American leg in the first half of 1985. Ride the Lightning received a positive response from music critics, who saw it as a more ambitious effort than its predecessor. It is the last album to feature songwriting contributions from former lead guitarist Dave Mustaine, and the first to feature contributions from successor Kirk Hammett.
The overall recording costs were paid by Metallica's European label Music for Nations because Megaforce was unable to cover it.
Beyond the fast tempos of its debut Kill 'Em All, Metallica broadened its approach by employing acoustic guitars, extended instrumentals, and more complex harmonies. Bassist Cliff Burton introduced the basics of music theory to the band and had more input in the songwriting. The title was taken from a passage in Stephen King's novel The Stand, in which a character uses the phrase to refer to execution by electric chair.Īlthough rooted in the thrash metal genre, the album showcased the band's musical growth and lyrical sophistication.
The artwork, based on a concept by the band, depicts an electric chair being struck by lightning flowing from the band logo. The album was recorded in three weeks with producer Flemming Rasmussen at Sweet Silence Studios in Copenhagen, Denmark. Ride the Lightning is the second studio album by American heavy metal band Metallica, released on July 27, 1984, by the independent record label Megaforce Records.
0 kommentar(er)
