The memory remains...

Nostra Dam
Dec 29, 2020
9 min read

Updated: Jun 7

Metallica is an American band formed in 1981 in Los Angeles and originally composed of James Hetfield, Lars Ulrich, Dave Mustaine and Ron McGovney.

The band released their first album "Kill ‘Em all" two years later in 1983 and for a first try, it was a real masterstroke. The album will be a global hit and literally explode the notoriety of the group overnight. Album which paradoxically will struggle to produce any Single of global class ...

Success confirmed and amplified the following year in 1984 with the release of the album "Ride the lightning", album which will do even stronger than its predecessor but which will also struggle to produce an exceptional first Single. Just like the album "Master of puppets" which was released in 1986.

They will have to wait for the year 1988 and the release of the album "... And justice for all" to see their efforts finally rewarded globally on the Singles side. To start with “Harvester of sorrow” which leaves the same year. But it was above all the Single "One", which was released a year later in 1989, which finally gave the group his first global mega hit.

The consecration, the real one, came three years later in 1991 with the release of the album "Metallica", album of all records for the group. Starting with the record sales of the latter, especially in the United States where it will sell more than 16 million ! But also by the record number of mega hits it will generate with no less than 5 over 3 distinct years !

“Enter sandman” and “The unforgiven” in 1991, “Nothing else matters” and “Wherever I may roam” in 1992 and finally “Sad but true” in 1993 !

We will have to wait for 1996 to see the release of the next album "Load", an album with less success but which will still sell more than 5 million in the United States alone. And who will especially produce what will surely remain as their biggest Single success with the title “Until it sleeps”. And to a lesser extent “Hero of the day”.

Exceptionally, the group released a new album "Reload" the following year in 1997. Album with almost equivalent success than its predecessor but which will still be stronger on the Singles side. With 3 mega hits, “The memory remains” in 1997 and “The unforgiven II” and “Fuel” in 1998.

The year 2000 saw them sign one of the main titles of the soundtrack of the film Mission Impossible 2 with the title "I disappear". Title that will add an additional star to an already fairly extensive list !

You would have thought that the adventure would end there but it was very bad to know them. They come back in 2003 with a new album called "St Anger" and once again the success is there ! In particular thanks to 3 enormous Singles which are "St Anger" and "Frantic" in 2003 and "The Unnamed feeling" in 2004.

Then it was the turn of the album "Death magnetic" to put them back in the spotlight once again in 2008 with two new huge Singles "My apocalypse" and "Cyanide".

An adventure that will continue even for the next decade, but that's another story.

To discover or rediscover...

Discography (among others ...) :

80s Decade :

Whiplash 1983
Jump in the fire 1984
Fade to black 1984
For whom the bell tolls 1984
Master of puppets 1986
Harvester of sorrow 1988
One 1989

90s Decade :

Enter sandman 1991
The unforgiven 1991
Nothing else matters 1992
Wherever I may roam 1992
Sad but true 1993
Until it sleeps 1996
Hero of the day 1996
Mama said 1996
Ain't my bitch 1996
King nothing 1997
The memory remains 1997
Better than you 1998
The unforgiven II 1998
Fuel 1998
Turn the page 1998
Whiskey in the jar 1999

2000s Decade :

No leaf clover 2000
I disappear 2000
St. Anger 2003
Frantic 2003
The unnamed feeling 2004
Some kind of monster 2004
The ectasy of gold 2007
The day that never comes 2008
My apocalypse 2008
Cyanide 2008
The Judas kiss 2008
All nigtmare long 2008
The unforgiven III 2008
Broken, beat and scarred 2009

2010s Decade :

The view 2011
Junior dad 2011
Lords of summer 2014
Hardwired 2016
Moth into flame 2016
Atlas, rise ! 2016
Now that we're dead 2017
Spit out the bone 2017

2020s Decade :

All within my hands 2020
Lux Aeterna 2022
Screaming suicide 2023
If darkness had a son 2023
72 seasons 2023
You must burn ! 2023
Too far gone ! 2023
Until it sleeps 2025

Tracks :

1983 ... the first steps. The least we can say is that this group that came out of nowhere is not there to make it in the lace. Oh no ...

1984 ... after a first track that went completely unnoticed, the group finally arrives to make talk about him. Certainly in a very limited way, but it's always better than nothing ...

1984...a title which very subtly mixes strength and finesse and which clearly shows all the potential of the group in these 2 areas...

1984...it's clear that this group really has something more than the others. And we will quickly see it in the years to come...

1986 ... it is clear that with such sound and overspeed, recognition in this decade of 80 will be difficult. A little suicidal, the little guys anyway ...

1988 ... suicidal or precursors ? Because what made their weakness during this decade will make their strength during the following decade. And what strength !

1989 ... it took them 6 long years to find the style, and above all, the sound that goes well but now that it's done, the result will be to say the least...bluffing. With the key, a first global mega hit, just that !

1991 ... a transition to the 90s which will take place under ideal conditions to say the least ! The group simply landed here one of the biggest successes of all its discography and saw its rating literally explode internationally. MAS-TER-FUL !

1991 ... an explosion on the international scene which makes them one of the biggest phenomena of the moment at the planetary level. Who would have believed it when we remember their beginnings ...

1992 ... not necessarily their highest ranked title but surely one of the most inspired and iconic ! A marvel of finesse, something paradoxical to say the least about them. MA-GIC !

1992 ... the mega hits are now followed at an impressive speed. Everything succeeds them with disconcerting ease and it is set to last like that for a few more years !

1993 ... 'small' year 1993 with only one title on the clock but a great year all the same when we see the level of success achieved by this title. Frankly nothing to worry about especially when you see what is looming on the horizon ...

1996 ... three years will pass before the arrival of this new title. But what a title ! Here, the group obtains its direct ticket to posterity and at the same time signs one of the most emblematic titles of the decade. MAS-TER-FUL !

1996 ... a year 1996 which saw them return in a spectacular way to the front of the stage after this slight air gap of 3 years. An air gap for the less salutary given the level of success reached !

1996 ... even if this title will be the little 'hit' of 1996, the level of maturity reached by the group is at its maximum. Masters of the world little guys !

1996...this title will not be released officially but only in promotional format, resulting in a very limited success. It still deserves a little highlighting...

1997 ... a start to the year 1997 to say the least disconcerting with a level of success in the Charts flush with the daisies. Beginning of the end or air gap without consequence. The next title will tell ...

1997 ... surely not the beginning of the end, on the contrary. The group recovers himself directly and resumes its place of undisputed leader. Phew, we were scared ...

1998...another promotional piece that will pass more or less unnoticed. Once again, it also deserves to be talked about a little...

1998 ... as often with this kind of group which beats particularly hard, the Intimist songs are paradoxically of a very high level. The proof with this title ...

1998 ... Intimist pages of very short duration. Hunt the natural, it inevitably comes back at a gallop. We will not change them, that's clear !

1998 ... already 10 years at the top of the planetary musical hierarchy, a real feat. One might think that the group will only decline in the years to come. Oh no, it will be quite the opposite !

1999 ... the end of the 90's on a par with the decade as a whole. That is to say all in force and only crumbs for the competition. So who are the Bosses ?!

2000 ... an incredible title where two totally incompatible worlds mix. And yet, they managed to bring these two universes together in a masterly way. I said it well, Masters of the world ! And let's go to last like that for a few more years ...

2000 ... it's hard to imagine that the group will succeed in doing as strong as during this truly exceptional 90s decade. And yet they will come very close...

2003...we suspect that the group has no intention of changing anything, neither in its style nor in its sound. He will even tend to weigh it down a little more...

2003...the least that can be said is that the group is not doing finesse at the start of the 2000s. Overspeed, super heavy sound, in short, sensitive souls abstain !

2004 ... in any case the basic fans ask for more again and again at first sight. The level of success is still at a stratospheric level and therefore confirms the group on its current strategy...

2004... this title will pass much more unnoticed but absolutely does not call into question the control of the group on its destiny and especially its short-term future. Simple mishap as they say...

2007... who would have thought they would be able to revisit Ennio Morricone ?? And yet they will do it and the result will be far from devoid of interest...

2008...apart from the Morricone parenthesis, we will still lose sight of them for nearly 4 years, but they are again determined to pick up the adventure where they left off. A return that sees the group somewhat calmed down...

2008...hunt the natural, it comes back at a gallop ! We suspected that this relative appeasement was only a facade and that nothing had changed concerning them. The proof !

2008... an overspeed and a beating in order which delights the fans but which can only frighten the common man. Too bad because when they want they can be as effective in the softest...

2008...there is no noticeable improvement in this year 2008 concerning a possible slowing down of the tempo. So we will have to take our troubles patiently...

2008...a year 2008 which will stay as the most extensive of the decade in terms of titles. 25 years after its debut, the group's productivity remains at a high level, to say the least...

2008... on the Charts side, so far so good. The group continues to pile up hits like others pile up pearls and it will last a few more years...

2009...a decade which ends with this title and which will have seen the group succeed in maintaining himself at the highest level without too many difficulties. Hope it lasts...

2011...here they are with Lou Reed at the very beginning of the 2010 decade. A decade that will prove to be more complicated to manage than expected...

2011...a title that looks nothing like what they have offered before. Too bad they don't often have ones like that anymore...

2014... the unscrewing in the Charts is more and more visible and does not necessarily bode well for the rest of the events. Attention danger...

2016... overspeed and noise no longer pay off and are seriously beginning to marginalize them. They are unable to reinvent themselves in this decade of 2010 and this will penalize them more and more...

2016...the original fans are still there but soon it will be just them at the speed it is going. At some point too much overspeed kills overspeed...

2016...the group remains too firmly rooted in its fundamentals and refuses any change that could put him in danger. It is precisely the refusal of change that risks making them disappear...

2017...the production of titles has slowed down considerably during this decade and the results in the Charts are less and less flattering. In short, the lights are changing to orange...

2017...on this one we almost come close to the inaudible. The group has basically been in force for years and years and can no longer produce exceptional hits like in the past...

2020... who would have thought that the group would one day play it in symphonic mode ? And yet this is what they decided to do at the start of the 2020 decade...

2022...a symphonic parenthesis that only lasted for a moment. Here they are back in overspeed mode as before and the 2020 decade is therefore likely to look like the 2 others that preceded it...