Fade to Black

One of the classics, ‘Fade to Black’ has suicidal feelings, something which Metallica’s frontman James Hetfield himself acknowledged. Heavy metal fans, especially angst-ridden teenagers instantly connect to the brooding lyrics of the song, which touches upon issues of loneliness and suffering.

Creeping Death

‘Creeping Death’ is all about heavy riffs and lighting fast solos. An engrossing song rich with Biblical motifs, ‘Creeping Death’ is certainly one of best live songs in the arsenal of Metallica.

For Whom The Bell Tolls

This metal heavy number, whose intro was written by Metallica’s late bassist Cliff Burton was inspired by Ernest Hemingway’s novel by the same name. What’s most striking about ‘For Whom The Bell Tolls’ is its bone crunching signature riff that makes it perfect for headbanging.

Welcome Home (Sanitarium)

‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium)’ dwells upon madness and insanity – the trappings of human mind. The song has harsher lyrics and equally harsher vocals, which conjure an image of helplessness.

Master of Puppets

If you are a sucker for thrash, ‘Master of Puppets’ is the perfect song for you. The song bewares substance abusers of what drugs can do to them – they take complete control of one’s senses and make people their slaves. ‘Master of Puppets’ enjoys a cult status, courtesy loads of aggression and extreme style of playing that catapulted the band into mainstream circuit.

One

The theme of ‘One’ is war, where a soldier comes across his personal demons. The song tells the tale of a soldier, who is battling for his life in a war torn zone, with sounds of machine guns, choppers and exploding bombs adding to his horrors.

Sad But True

A dark and sinister number, ‘Sad But True’ is a classic drop-D tuning based song, whose crunchier riffs and heavy sounds make its menacing lyrics look all the more sinister.

Enter Sandman

If you have ever been afraid in your life, ‘Enter Sandman’ will give you goosebumps as it recounts the dread through the eyes of a child. One of the seminal songs of Metallica, ‘Enter Sandman’ is celebrated for its anthemic riffs, hooks and power drumming, that create a wall of sounds.

Nothing Else Matters

For those who think that Metallica is all about ‘seeking and destroying’, ‘Nothing Else Matters’ can take them for a big surprise. A soft rock ballad, ‘Nothing Else Matters’ touches upon the personal lives of Metallica – the band, who yearns for its loved ones as it remains months away, busy with concerts, tours and recording sessions.

The Unforgiven

A seminal song from ‘Metallica’, ‘The Unforgiven’ dwells upon human suffering, which keeps haunting till death. The song is unique because of its distorted verses and a soft, melodic chorus that sets it apart from ‘One’, ‘Fade to Black’ and ‘Welcome Home (Sanitarium)’.

Compiled By Aman Kanth