10 Underrated Metal Albums Of The 1990s

It's almost become a cliche for Metallica fans to hate the "sell-out" albums from the band. Though there is a good amount of praise thrown at the band's million-selling Black Album, their experimentation with other styles of hard rock led to most seasoned metalheads jumping ship. With the benefit of hindsight though, Load is a worthy successor to the band's Platinum older brother.

The first complaint people have of the album is it sounding like the band going grunge, but it's actually closer to heavy rock than anything else. Tracks like "The House Jack Built" and "Bleeding Me" show the band mixing up the formula with more bluesy material interwoven with the heaviness we know and love. Even some of the band's drastic departures like "Mama Said" still have a poignancy to them, with James Hetfield pouring his heart out over a breezy acoustic guitar.

The album also has its fair share of heavy cuts on it, like the uptempo shuffle of "2X4" and the ominous closer track "The Outlaw Torn." Kirk Hammett's solos on this record are some of his most emotional as well, as he takes on a certain character to his leads that wasn't present in the band's early years. Load is certainly not one of Metallica's best moments, but the hate that has been thrown its way is definitely unwarranted.