Metallica Album by Album: Martin Popoff on the Band’s Best, Worst & Most Overrated Records
- Eric Senich
- 53 minutes ago
- 1 min read
Metallica Album by Album is more than a trip through one of heavy metal’s most celebrated catalogs—it’s an opportunity to reconsider the creative decisions, controversies, and reinventions that turned Metallica into one of the biggest bands in the world. In this episode of Booked On Rock, acclaimed rock author and historian Martin Popoff joins me to discuss his book Metallica: Album by Album, tracing the band’s evolution from the youthful aggression of Kill ’Em All and Ride the Lightning through Master of Puppets, …And Justice for All, the blockbuster Black Album and the dramatically different direction of Load and Reload. Along the way, Martin weighs in on Cliff Burton’s influence, Bob Rock’s impact, whether Metallica ever truly “sold out,” and why Ride the Lightning gets his vote over Master of Puppets.
The conversation continues through some of the band’s most debated work, including St. Anger, Death Magnetic, Hardwired… to Self-Destruct and 72 Seasons. Popoff explains why he never hated the notoriously divisive St. Anger, questions the reputation of the Black Album, discusses criticism of Lars Ulrich’s drumming, and considers how James Hetfield continues to generate memorable riffs decades into Metallica’s career. The episode finishes with a rapid-fire round covering Metallica’s best, worst, most underrated and most overrated albums, favorite performances and essential songs. Watch the video or listen to the audio episode below for a provocative journey through more than four decades of Metallica.
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