I saw them on this tour. I had seen many concerts with friends and no adult supervision before, but for some reason, I went with a younger guy who worked with my dad. I was easily the youngest in the audience, and my dad's friend was the most clean-cut. The audience was predominately made up of burly, denim, and leather bikers with long hair and beards. Armored Saint, a sludge band in medieval costume, opened, and Cliff was still alive, playing his bass thunderously. The riffs were fast and furious, and I think my ears are still ringing today!
I had a brief foray into metal, and I loved this gig. But, I think, as metal got more dark, angry, and death-obsessed, it was the opposite direction I was going (not too long after that Metallica gig, I was experimenting with psychedelics and doing a deep dive into 1960's hippie psych!).
Your comparison to Master of Puppets was spot on, highlighting Ride the Lightning's foundational significance. Although it's just my opinion, another album that could be compared in terms of genre-defining impact is Slayer's Reign in Blood. I loved your writing style and how you approached this—brilliant.
Thanks for the kind words, Jon. Also, thank you for reminding me about Reign in Blood…. it’s one of Slayer’s best. Perhaps you’ll have something to look forward to in the future ;)
I saw them on this tour. I had seen many concerts with friends and no adult supervision before, but for some reason, I went with a younger guy who worked with my dad. I was easily the youngest in the audience, and my dad's friend was the most clean-cut. The audience was predominately made up of burly, denim, and leather bikers with long hair and beards. Armored Saint, a sludge band in medieval costume, opened, and Cliff was still alive, playing his bass thunderously. The riffs were fast and furious, and I think my ears are still ringing today!
My goodness, it sounds like quite an experience. I’ve never seen them live. Hopefully, I can change that in the near future. Thanks, Michael! :)
I had a brief foray into metal, and I loved this gig. But, I think, as metal got more dark, angry, and death-obsessed, it was the opposite direction I was going (not too long after that Metallica gig, I was experimenting with psychedelics and doing a deep dive into 1960's hippie psych!).
Your comparison to Master of Puppets was spot on, highlighting Ride the Lightning's foundational significance. Although it's just my opinion, another album that could be compared in terms of genre-defining impact is Slayer's Reign in Blood. I loved your writing style and how you approached this—brilliant.
Looks like I’m late to the party for this one :)
Thanks for the kind words, Jon. Also, thank you for reminding me about Reign in Blood…. it’s one of Slayer’s best. Perhaps you’ll have something to look forward to in the future ;)
Gotta set some Slayer on the docket before the end of the year now …
Thanks Jon! Shout out to @Evan McCrea, who did a great job with this essay. :)
Fantastic stuff!
Thanks for reading Steve! :)