Metallica’s First Four Albums Ranked Worst to Best

Since forming in 1981, Metallica has released 11 studio albums. Most fans agree that the band’s recent work has been rock-solid. However, their studio albums from the 1990s continue to get mixed reviews from longtime listeners. The one thing that nearly all fans of the band can agree on is that their first four albums are their best.

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Today, we’re going to look at Metallica’s first four albums–Kill ‘Em All, Ride the Lightning, Master of Puppets, and …And Justice for All–and rank them from worst to best. We’re not looking at album sales, chart positions, or any other concrete, objective metrics. Instead, it’s a purely subjective ranking from someone who has spent three decades with the records.

[RELATED: The Often Overlooked Metallica Album from the 1990s You Need to Revisit]

…And Justice for All (1988)

…And Justice for All marked the beginning of a new era for the band. It was their first album with Jason Newstead and without the late, great Cliff Burton. Unfortunately, the band’s hazing of its new member led to his bass being all but mixed out of the record upon release. Despite being light on the low-end and having an overall “dry” mix, Justice is still in the running for one of the best metal albums out there. In nearly any other body of work, an album of this caliber would be higher on the list.

There’s plenty to praise on this album. The precision of the riffs, the biting social commentary that permeates both the lyrics and the album’s artwork, and the sheer ambition of the collection put it among Metallica’s best albums. Standout songs like “One,” “Harvester of Sorrow,” and the album opener “Blackened” remain favorites among many fans. Then, there’s the exceptional instrumental track, “To Live Is to Die.” Burton received writing credits on the song because he laid the bass part before his tragic death. He also wrote the short spoken-word portion near the end of the track.

Kill ‘Em All (1983)

Kill ‘Em All is one of the strongest debut records in metal history. It showcases a band that is young, hungry, and still rough around the edges. If one were looking for pure thrash metal fueled by testosterone and alcohol, this album would be the Holy Grail.

This album is packed with thrash metal classics, most of which showcased the early songwriting prowess of James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, including “No Remorse,” “Seek & Destroy,” and “Whiplash.” It also features killer tracks co-written by Dave Mustaine before he exited Metallica, including “Phantom Lord” and “The Four Horsemen.”

“(Anesthesia)–Pulling Teeth,” a classic instrumental that features Cliff Burton playing solo for nearly three minutes before any other instruments come in, is an album highlight. Those who were lucky enough to get their hands on Elektra Records’ 1988 re-issue of the album also got two bonus tracks, “Am I Evil” and “Blitzkrieg,” which pushed the album to another level.

The impact of Kill ‘Em All on thrash metal and the overall underground music scene of the 1980s can’t be overstated. It inspired countless musicians and bands and drew generations of fans to the genre. It also launched the career of one of the biggest metal bands in history. That being said, it’s not Metallica’s best early album.

Master of Puppets (1986)

The first two slots on this list were easy to fill. The upper half, however, was a bit harder. Both Master of Puppets and Ride the Lightning are among the finest thrash metal albums ever recorded. However, Lightning edges Puppets out of the top spot for reasons we’ll discuss later.

The writing process of this album was riff-driven, and it shows. James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich wrote most of the album alone. First, they assembled riffs, then they came up with a concept and title before Hetfield sat down to pen the lyrics to fit the rest of the song. This led to a new level of technicality for the band and riffs that stood the test of time. Musical influences on the album span from Black Sabbath and David Bowie to Bach.

The lyrical themes on Puppets touch on violence, abuse of power, religion, addiction, and the horrors of war among other things. It saw Metallica expanding the social commentary in their lyrics and was a clear stepping stone to the ambition they showed with …And Justice for All.

“Orion,” the instrumental on the album, showcases Cliff Burton’s bass playing like few other songs in the band’s catalog. As a result it stands as a kind of tribute to the bassist who would die in a bus accident months after the record’s release.

Ride the Lightning (1984)

Ride the Lightning lies in “sweet spot” between the rough-around-the-edges sound of Kill ‘Em All and the technical proficiency of Master of Puppets. It saw Metallica adding more complex musicality, harmonies, and acoustic guitars to their sound. This musical progression largely falls on Cliff Burton because he helped introduce music theory to the band, unlocking a more layered approach to the songwriting process. At the same time, Hetfield expanded his lyrics, becoming more socially conscious and delving into dark philosophical themes. In short, Ride the Lightning showed how much the band had matured since the release of their debut.

Ride the Lightning also established an album formula that Metallica would use until the end of the 1980s. The opening track starts with an acoustic intro before cranking up the aggression and tempo. …And Justice for All strayed from this pattern a bit with a slow, distorted electric guitar intro kicking off album opener “Blackened.” However, Lighting and the following two albums would feature a ballad at the halfway point. They also featured an instrumental as one of the final tracks. Lightning and Justice ended with instrumental tracks while Puppets included one in the penultimate spot.

Subjectively speaking, Lightning also contains some of Metallica’s best songs. “For Whom the Bell Tolls,” “Fade to Black,” “Creeping Death,” and the title track are all essential tunes for any fan of the band. These timeless tunes, combined with the growth shown by the band and the standard it set, make it the best of the four.

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