When your band name literally has the word “metal” in it, you’re setting up some major expectations in the heaviness stakes. However, Metallica quickly flourished beyond their snot-nosed thrash roots and showed no fear of other soundscapes, to the delight of many a fan and the chagrin of many a gatekeeper. From the youth-charged sprint of Kill ’Em All to Load’s moody introspection, there’s plenty of variety in the Four Horsemen’s canon.
So – while such bruising tracks as For Whom The Bell Tolls, Master Of Puppets and Enter Sandman have all played their part in pushing metal forwards – that’s not what we’re talking about today. Instead, below is a celebration of Metallica’s most sensitive and soft-hearted moments. These are the five times James Hetfield crooned, Lars Ulrich went easy on his kit and Kirk Hammett had the restraint not to lacerate the listener with solo after solo, listed in chronological order.
