Album of the Day

With their second studio album, lightning struck for Metallica – released on this day in 1984, RIDE THE LIGHTNING would earn the band a label deal with Elektra and set them on the path to heavy metal stardom. Cut in Copenhagen, Denmark with co-producer Flemming Rasmussen, the collection was a major step forward from the quartet's debut; the arrangements display greater harmonic complexity, and James Hetfield's lyrics have broadened in scope to touch upon social issues including the terrors of modern war (“For Whom The Bell Tolls”) and capital punishment (the title track). Metallica's bold sonic experimentation was all the more impressive given that the band's gear had been stolen three weeks before they hit Denmark, and tour commitments gave them less than a month in the studio. Despite these hurdles, RIDE THE LIGHTNING went on to become a thrash metal milestone.