10 Hard Rock Songs That Almost Killed Great Albums
2. And Justice For All - Metallica
Metallica pretty much rewrote the rulebook on metal in the '80s with their first handful of records. Long before a subsect of their fans accused them of selling out on the Black Album, their run of records with Ride the Lightning and Master of Puppets put them in the conversation of greatest metal band of all time overnight. When And Justice for All came out however, there were a bit more spotty moments than people might like to admit.
Though most Metallica fans are quick to point out the flaw of not having any bass guitar, that's not the only grievance to be had with this record. Being one of the more progressive entries in the band's catalog, these song odysseys get a bit on the overindulgent side on the title track. Running almost 10 minutes in length, this is by far one of the most overdone Metallica songs ever put to tape, with riffs that feel like they get hammered into your skull just for the hell of it.
Even with the pointed lyrics of a decaying America, a lot of it flies over the listener's head when they still have 5 more riffs to sift through. The members themselves have even gone so far as to admit it was overdone, with James Hetfield vowing to not play the song again after the tour wrapped up. This is far from the worst thing that Metallica have ever done, but on an album where the other epics feel punchy, this is the one song that could afford to be trimmed down by a few minutes.