From humble beginnings that encompassed dodgy drumkits and a drink-sodden Dave Mustaine, to a present that now containserm.a dodgy drummer andermhugging Dave Mustaine, Metallica have grown exponentially into one of the biggest groups of all time. Do you need to fill out an arena? Are your festival ticket sales sluggish? No problem, just get James, Lars, Kirk and Rob on stage and, to paraphrase Field Of Dreams Terence Mann: Book them, and they will come. We all know the classics; Master Of Puppets, For Whom The Bell Tolls, Enter Sandman, Call Of Ktulu. Almost anything off the first four albums, really. Any live set revisits most of these night after night, but what about the neglected, oft-forgotten songs? A group of Metallicas size, scope and decently-sized discography are bound to have one or two aural Easter eggs bound up within their history. Here for your consideration are ten of their songs that are in need of a dusting down and some serious repeat plays.
10. Mercyful Fate (Garage Inc., 1998)
http://youtu.be/hIrJ96lX0V8 Metallicas covers album was a double-edged sword. To some it represented a group getting back to their roots. To others they saw a bunch of uninspired millionaires playing for time. Either way, its difficult to deny that this well-stocked 2-CD set contains some glorious moments; none more evident than the 11 minute medley that stands as the centrepiece for disc one. Comprised of four songs by Danish metal pioneers Mercyful Fate, the medley acts as a history lesson in what made Metallica tick as sprightly young metal fans. Running the gamut of the usual themes (Satan, the ancient world, chaos and death) the transitions between each song are seamless and a show of strength from a band that constantly fights off its detractors.