Load turns 30!
To all my fellow Metallica fans…
This hard rockin’ album was released on June 4, 1996.
This is an image of the cover art for the album Load by Metallica. Copyright Elektra.
For Load, Metallica strayed away from their Thrash Metal roots in favor of a Hard Rock sound. The band members became influenced by non-Metal artists during the writing process, resulting in an array of musical styles such as Southern Rock, Blues Rock, Country Rock, Alternative Rock, and Grunge. The band also changed their playing styles, with lead guitarist Kirk Hammett playing rhythm guitar parts for the first time. Compared to previous albums, the lyrics on Load are more personal and reflective, resulting from lead singer James Hetfield's internal struggles and personal life. The recording sessions for Load were more relaxed and productive, resulting in almost 30 songs being recorded. While a double album was considered, the band decided to split the material into two albums; half appeared on Load, and the other half was released as Reload the following year. Metallica adopted a new image during the period, which included short hair, leather jackets, and make-up. The new look and change in sound were criticized by many fans before Load's release. Nevertheless, Load was a commercial success, topping the charts in over 15 countries and spending four consecutive weeks at number one on the US Billboard 200 chart. The album was certified 5× Platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America in 2003. Four singles were released: "Until It Sleeps", "Hero of the Day", "Mama Said", and "King Nothing"; the first became Metallica's first and only US Top 10 hit. The band supported the album on the Poor Touring Me tour (1996–1997) and by serving as the headliner for the 1996 Lollapalooza festival.
Source: Wikipedia.org
While Metallica’s image and style in 1996 seemed more like those of Jane's Addiction, the band did provide us with some truly great tracks. I have seen Metallica in concert twice, including thirty years ago at Lollapalooza. Songs like “Until It Sleeps” still take me right back to that hot day and night at Longview Lake.
Source: YouTube themetallicastuff