10 Metal Albums That Shouldn't Have Been Great (But Totally Were)

27th September, 1986 was one of the darkest days in metal history. It was the day that acclaimed and beloved Metallica bassist Cliff Burton tragically died after a hideous bus crash in the Swedish wilderness.

This was, obviously, an almost unbeatable blow that came to a band that was in its prime, hot off the ground-breaking Master of Puppets (1986) and a giant tour with Ozzy Osbourne: Metallica's last ever supporting slot on the road.

For a time, it seemed that there would be no fourth album from these metal titans. However, eventually, there was: ...And Justice for All (1988).

Not only was the album their first with new (and very publicly hazed) bassist Jason Newsted, but it also marked the band's total departure from the primal, raw sound that brought them to the game with Kill 'Em All (1983).

Instead, ...And Justice for All was clean, clever and, above all else, experimental, crafting what may be the first ever progressive thrash record thanks to cuts like a nine-minute title track and an eight-minute power ballad with "One".

However, ...And Justice for All's legacy now speaks for itself. Instead of being vilified for the chances it took, the album is lauded as an immense turning point in metal's history, showing that heavy music could be socially conscious and... intelligent?!