10 Perfect Rock Albums Of The 1990s
6. The Black Album - Metallica
Even though people didn't want to admit it, the start of the '90s was about to be a rough time for metal. Since the grunge revolution killed off all hair metal, there were a select few like Pantera that were willing to fly the flag for what metal stood for. With their backs against the wall, Metallica managed to move away from their trashy roots and into rock history on the Black Album.
Thinking that they couldn't capture their live energy on record, the goal was to work with producer Bob Rock and create something that sounded unlike anything else they had created. Along with some more pop friendly hooks, there's never a moment on this record that doesn't feel like Metallica from skin to core, like when they're about to rip your face off on a song like Sad But True.
It's very rare that you get an album like this that's able to please across the board like this. While plenty of metal fans will be satisfied with the heaviness of songs like Holier Than Thou, the delicate touch of The Unforgiven and Nothing Else Matters are what made this album the ambassador for what heavy music could be. Congratulations metal fans. You now have your equivalent of Dark Side of the Moon.