10 Best Metal Ballads Of All Time

There have been metalheads the world over ready to brand Metallica as sellouts for years. Compared to other heavy acts like Slayer, these thrash legends' dabblings with the mainstream on songs like Nothing Else Matters and The Unforgiven have sparked wonder in some fans and outright disgust in others. However, they did end up reaching the perfect balance one time on Ride the Lightning.

Opening up with the subtle hint of acoustic guitar, Fade to Black has pretty much everything you could ask for in a thrash metal ballad. As the opening guitar solo opens up to James Hetfield's verses, we get a bleak look into the mind of a protagonist as he starts to nullify his life and contemplate suicide. Despite the redemption arcs of many ballads, this one does not have a happy ending, with our character realizing he doesn't want to die right when it's too late.

The message is certainly haunting as hell, but the rest of the band really knows how to make the story play out, going for sadness in the verses and meaty anger in the breakdowns. The outro alone might be one of the most stirring melodic passages of Metallica's '80s period, with every member (yes, even Lars) contributing to this internal sense of despair that comes with depression. In that respect, this might be more than just a simple slow Metallica song. This is up there with some of the single greatest pieces of music this band has ever made.