10 Musical Left Turns NOBODY Saw Coming

4. Load - Metallica

As the 90's were beginning, Metallica were basically bulletproof. The band had just finished an album run of classic thrash metal throughout the 80's and released The Black Album in 1991, which saw almost universal praise.

When grunge and alternative became the new norm though, Metallica began to switch up their style a bit. On their next offering, Load, the band started borrowing some cues from the alternative scene such as downtuned guitars, more thoughtful lyrics, and even mixes of country and blues into their sound.

This left their core fanbase feeling betrayed and branding the band sellouts. That really sells the record short though. The album is flawed for sure, but the band tackles incredibly dark topics such as alcoholism, drug addiction, and even people with god complexes.

Another complaint is Kirk Hammett's playing style is much different on this album. He seems to be channeling less Joe Satriani and more Stevie Ray Vaughan, but it seems deliberate. This bluesy style is a great form of artistic restraint, which suits these songs much better than his typical shredding style.

Far from Metallica's greatest moment, Load does not deserve the rancour it's received over the years.