Metallica: Ranking Every Album's First Song
5. Blackened - …And Justice For All
A grim premotion about a world ravaged by nuclear war, the opening song to Metallica's fourth album ...And Justice for All sets the stage for a record all about the fears and anxieties facing the world in the mid-80s.
Most famous for songs like "Harvester of Sorrow", "Eye of the Beholder", and "One", ...And Justice for All is considered one of the band's best releases and it gets off to a great start with "Blackened".
Structured almost like symphony, the song has distinct movements that takes listeners through the various stages of the story. Not only does it contain some of Hetfield's most haunting lyrics, but it also features some stellar guitar work from Hammett, who shreds like his life depends on it in the guitar solo.
The band clearly like this song a lot, as they named their own record label after it. Fans still enjoy it too and "Blackened" is still a fixture of the band's setlist to this very day.
A great start to a great album, "Blackened" has stood the test of time amongst the Metallica faithful and is still as good as it was when it was terrifying doomsayers back in the 80s.