“Cliff played For Whom The Bell Tolls all the time. The rest of us would stiffen up and go, ‘What the heck was that?’” The stories behind every song on Ride The Lightning, in Metallica’s own words

Metallica in 1985.

Metallica’s landmark debut album Kill ’Em All was ground zero for the thrash metal scene, but they weren’t hanging around for anybody. Their second album, Ride The Lightning, was released just a year and two days later, on July 27, 1984.

That record instantly opened up a gulf between Metallica and the rest of the burgeoning thrash pack. Sure, it had the energy, power and vodka-fuelled velocity of its predecessor, but it also had the kind of ideas, ambition and confidence that the competition couldn’t even dream of. Metallica may have laid down the markers for this new scene, but it was clear that there was way more to them than just thrash metal.