13 Great Songs About Death

By the time of 1984's Ride the Lightning release, Metallica were the new, exciting act to follow. Their 1983 debut Kill 'Em All was received favourably, and earned them comparisons to Judas Priest and the Misfits, owing to its speed and aggression. The sophomore started in the same vein, albeit with a sense of maturity thanks to input from bassist Cliff Burton and his knowledge of musical theory.

Hit track four though and that's when things start to change. Metallica's first ballad, 'Fade to Black' discusses suicidal thoughts and contemplates whether or not life is worth living. With a heavy reliance on acoustic guitars, the song was written after some of the band's gear had been stolen. Songwriter James Hetfield was himself in a dark place as the theft resulted in him and his bandmates having to restart from scratch.

Hugely popular with fans and a staple of Metallica's live shows, 'Fade to Black' has continued to be an important song for the band as it was the song played when Hetfield had his pyrotechnics accident in 1992 as well as the last song Jason Newsted played before leaving the band in 2001.

Many acts have added their own twist to the track, including Boysetsfire, Apocalyptica and Disturbed.