I laughed so hard when he said that but then I wondered “wait, did he really say that or did I mishear it?”. Thanks for confirming. That was a great line.
THIS entire mix is brilliant. As a retired pro audio engineer (medical reasons), I am convinced this song is the best mix on the record. Possibly the best of their entire discography. Between the unique instrumentation, the incredible blend of different layers of guitar/amplifier combinations which are CONSTANTLY in motion-shifting in and out of audibility, subtly vying to be the dominant guitar tone at the appropriate moment-as well as the incredible number of bussed harmonising vocal tracks (both overdubs of Het, AND tracks of Jason’s reverb-drenched, otherworldly growls and shrieks) which also move strategically in and out of the mix to emphasise different lyrics with different vocal moods and textures… I’m trying to imagine what this mix would’ve looked like if it were all charted out on the mix window of Pro Tools or Logic Pro. It would have had to have been absolutely mad. Just legendary. But the best thing about it is that NOBODY snapped it to a goddamned grid, or auto-tuned any of the vocal tracks. Despite all the wizardry Bob Rock accomplished at the mix desk, it STILL sounds-somehow-like an organic band. The studio effects are subtle and insidious. I did not fully appreciate the mix of this track till I heard it again after an (unintentional) ~10yr hiatus from listening to this record as I studied more eccentric, abstruse, and abstract musical styles and artists, during which time I’d ALSO ,coincidentally, been professionally trained as an audio engineer and had in fact worked for several years for an indie label just outside of Nashville. I just happened to be at a party at a mate’s place on a (rare) Saturday night off, and this song popped up in his iPod playlist just as I was exiting one conversation and gearing up for another. (Read: ‘I was quietly sipping a quadruple Scotch, away from the others, whilst enjoying one of my custom high-nicotine cigarettes and debating whether to take another Dexedrine to keep me in the game, or whether to instead pop a Klonopin to start taking the edge off all these damn Dexedrine capsules and begin winding down for the night.’) The point is, it was a moment of quiet with just this song and I, alone together on my pal’s fire escape for the first time since (probably) my mid-teens. The thing that first grabbed my attention ( I missed the intro ‘cos it was a party, but I remembered it well enough that I knew even back then that some of those sounds in the beginning (especially the ‘anvil’ tone…it actually sounds more like a heavy carbon-steel mallet striking an anvil, mixed with a recording of a 20kt atomic blast from ~ 2.5 km) were absolutely brilliant samples) was the snare, which actually made me jump briefly (remember: days without sleep; full of speed) because they sounded-for a moment, like gunshots. The song suddenly had my full attention, and I realised I’d never listened to it with my newly minted professional ears (I’m talking about training, of course. I naturally have ‘superhuman’ hearing, which has been a gift and a curse throughout my life. Even now, in my 40s, though I’ve lost a couple dB/kHz of (very) high frequency, and a couple dB/Hz of bottom end, I still have better hearing than the average 18-yr-old male human. Even though I’m no longer a pro engineer, I still record my own music, so I still keep the same ear-cleaning routine I did when I was a pro, and I have my old studio headphones, and I sometimes just spend an afternoon or evening analysing mixes as a for of meditation and as a means of preventing my skills from lapsing.
Also, this is one of my favourite of Lars’ performances. He kept the rhythm steady, but he would also hit those stellar accents on cymbals, and use those snare rolls during the chorus sections to shift between the more vigorous section of the chorus (‘I’ll take my time anywhere;’ etc.) and the more sparse, reflective-sounding bit in which James says, ‘Wherever I may roam / Where I lay my head is home’. The overall composition is very nearly perfect.
That applies to him, but it's not their former 'free thinking' credo anymore, they betrayed that or faked it before, to make the channel blow up first@@kajabrill2404
The entire band was on their A game for this song. Some of James’ best lyrics. One of Lars’ best drum performances. Some of Jason’s best bass playing on both four string and TWELVE string. And not one but TWO of Kirk’s best solos ever.
I'm a professional belly dancer, and I actually choreographed a dance using this song. Metal isn't my first choice when selecting my dance music, but this song stood out to me. I thought it was cool that you mentioned belly dancers in the opening of the music!😘💕
My Friend Of Misery off this album is a perfect example of being different while staying in your lane, album-wise. The bass is up front and is heavily featured, it’s a slow-cooked rock epic that builds and builds until it pops with an amazing bass solo. Inamorata is another good one.
I went to see Metallica in Central Park in 2022 and during this song when James says “By Myself But Not Alone” I was the only one in the crowd who yelled “ I ASK NO-ONE”. Everyone looked at me like if I didn’t know the song 😂😭cause James don’t say it he lets the crowd say it lol
You guys hit the nail on the head in regards to the Black Album having more of a groove than their previous albums; the songs were less thrashy but still heavy in a slower way. Great reaction as always, and Merry Christmas!
@@JamesEvans-uh7nu Load & Reload are decent to me. Just not Metallica sounding. Would be considered good albums from another band imo. St Anger is unlistenable
My favorite Metallica song hands down! So raw, so original, such a vibe. The lyrics are just beautiful. So primal, so powerful, forever imprinted on my soul. “Roamer, wanderer, nomad, vagabond, CALL ME WHAT YOU WILL” 🤘🏽🤍
Watching y’all react to Metallica is the closest experience I’ve found to hearing Metallica for the first time! Goosebumps again.🎁🎄 The Metallica of reaction channels🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
Do not listen to this song while driving without cruise control engaged....guaranteed speeding ticket....hell....I would probably have to press the pedal even with cruise on....
I travel for work around the country for construction and this song definitely has a special meaning to me with how often I’m sleeping In Random hotel rooms across the nation. This song can generate a mindset that is perfect for sustainability being away from “home.” “Where I lie, my head is home” is actually a beautiful quote that anyone can take and apply to their life
13:42 man, this part always gives me the bloody chills.. "carved upon my stone, my body lies, but still I roam, yeahyeaheaazhh !" This is rock’n’roll and metal at its finest here, being so free than even on death, your spirit is still there, freely roaming !
Great reaction. Has always been my favorite song on the black album. You're right they did keep it groovy and more palettable to more ears to expand their fan base and get on the radio more. Which is why they sold the most records and sold out more concerts after this. Merry Christmas guys! Thanks for what you do.
I still remember the controversy caused by this album, coming as it did a few years after the greatest metal album of all time, And Justice For All. A totally new sound, new direction, it really split fans. It also gained them millions of more fans across the world, and precipitated one of the longest world tours ever. I wasn''t a massive fan initially - I don't like change! --- but looking back, it was the right decision for them to make. It propelled them into a new stratosphere of fame, and propelled metal into the 21st century. The band is very special.
Two things: 1) Christmas Day? Must be a Metallica video on Lost In Vegas. Reliable as Mom's Christmas ham. 2) While I am one of those fans that prefers earlier albums, there's no denying the power of this album. It's maybe not a very good "thrash" album, but it's a phenomenal rock album. This thing is massive and classic in a way that a lot of hard rock albums just can't be, because of their limited mass-audience appeal. And that's what a lot of headbangers like about heavy metal - it feels like outsider music for outsiders, and if you grew up an outsider, that can mean a lot to you. But it's short-sighted of my fellow metalheads to not acknowledge that an album like this, by the biggest metal band to ever exist, did more to sustain heavy metal as a genre and inspire new metal musicians, than anything else. That's important. And even if I might prefer the thrashier stuff, there's no denying that some of the songs on the Black Album are absolutely savage - and "Wherever I May Roam" is one of them. Check out "Of Wolf And Man", if you haven't already.
This song has some of the most creative and catchy drum fills ever put onto tape. Say what you will about Lars, but he plays only what the song needs. Always.
This is the cherry on top of Christmas for me. Belly full, gifted and socially full. Now to unwind to the GOAT of reactors do a new Metallica song. Merry Christmas guys ❤
This song is one of the most perfect songs I've ever heard. The feel and the lyrics match so well, and it captures what being a musician on the road feels. You can tell this one wrote itself. So smooooth.
Metallica Army since 85 🤘James had no idea how dedicated hardcore Metallica fans took him by his word. He said they would never make music videos but little did he know the first video shoot was already scheduled before he knew anything about it. Later on at one of their concerts, someone spit in his face and called him a sellout. The Black album tour lasted for two and a half years before they realized they had been around the planet 3 times and came home to empty houses because their wives had filed for divorce. "AND THE ROAD BECOMES MY BRIDE" Sometimes we write about our future and don't even realize it.
The thing with The Black Album is that it was their first time working with producer Bob Rock, who had worked with David Lee Roth and Motley Crue, and had a mind for radio play and singles. He refined Metallica's thrash perfection (in terms of sales, at least) in to total commercial marketability, and is probably the biggest reason this album has sold like 30 million copies to date. It definitely was Metallica's transition from thrash to hard rock, but I'll be goddamned if it isn't a total banger of an album from start to finish
To me, this was the album that Metallica really figured out the perfect formula to meld their heavy riffs with songwriting that would appeal to more than just their hardcore fanbase. You mentioned "gateway drug to metal" earlier in the song and you are 1000% right! I feel like if you don't currently listen to metal, then you listen to the Black Album and you don't like it - pretty damn good chance that metal just isn't for you.
Imo The black album is a noticeable drop off in song quality from the first 4 albums. It has watered down riffs, worse songs and over produced by Bon Jovis producer But it has 3-4 pretty good songs and this is one of them, but it doesn’t have anything close to the great songs from the first 4
@@zwan2133Right there with you. Terribly overrated album of accessible metal- two words that should never go together in the same sentence. This is their 'Dr Feelgood', their 'Hysteria'-not going into the whole 'they sold out' thing, but a band that had changed into something that many of us didn't recognize anymore- and didn't want to. Their subsequent albums proved that. To be fair, James never sounded better. Unfortunately, the material had turned a corner many of us wish it never had. They weren't going to top the first four albums anyway, and for those first four albums, they deserved the massive success that came to them during this period.
@@zwan2133 I'm not gonna sit here and act like I think the black album is better than their first 4, but dude, EVERY Metallica album until the black album had big mixing/production issues. It being "over produced" is simply not true, it was, by far, the best mixed Metallica album at the time.
Production values on this album were next level. A classic. Speaking of production values, your channel is my absolute favourite of the reaction TH-camrs. Great set up, well edited, but most importantly you guys feel it. You give any genre it's dues, and can appreciate art. Keep up the awesome work guys
One of my favorite reactions from these guys - their pure joy in experiencing this song for the first time, and the in-depth conversation and head nodding that follows is just brilliant!
Absolutely lol this was my first time hearing this some w them 😂 song is just badass its def playlist staylist i need them to react to moth in to the flame next dope ass track from the same album spit out the bone was on
I was a senior in high school when this came out. Went to the record store and waited in line the day it came out. What a great time to be alived. When this album came out it was very easy to drink to. I have tears in my eyes wishing I could go back.
You guys need to check out the S&M album they did back in 99'. It was done with the San Francisco Sympathy Orchestra (composer Michael Kamen), double album with this song and a bunch of others that are better then the originals. Battery on this album is the best live performance they have ever done.
Merry Christmas guys! Definitely check out "Through The Never," "Holier Than Thou," and "My Friend of Misery." Great tracks that sound different from one another with killer riffs, grooves, hooks and fun solos.
They'd probably like the majority of this album tbh. It's the moss accessible of all Metallica's albums and easier on the ears for a first time listener. Automatic Playlist for this album for the boys
BOB ROCK Produced a masterpiece. To this day i havent heard a heavy rock metal album as good as this,i have been recording and producing for over 30 years
I was just thinking to myself today that you guys should react to this. Wild coincidence. Glad you enjoyed it! Great reaction, as always. You guys do an incredible job alluding to things musicians like but communicating it in a way casual music fans can appreciate just as much. 👏
I wish you guys had talked about the lyrics a bit, because they're pretty awesome. I could see by the facial expressions that you were reading them and reacting to them, so I wish you had commented a bit about them. One of my favorite lines: "Carved upon my stone, 'My body lies, but still I roam'". That line and the "Under wandering stars I've grown, by myself but not alone" are both great, great lines
Merry Christmas y’all. Great album. Dyers Eve is a cut it’s heavy but great lyrical dramatics that everyone can relate. But the song Ride the Lighting is a monster song with great lyrics concept. And I’m bias too the Ride the Lighting album saw that tour. Amazing
That song is so underrated, it sounds so good live as well. Maybe take a listen at some of the more long songs Metallica has: “bleeding me” , “inamorata” and “outlaw thorn” . It’s a bit more complex than normal.
Weirdly when I bought Load all those years ago I never really got into Bleeding me.. Then I heard it live in Birmingham on the load tour and it's been one of my favourites ever since. Plus the lyrics 😁
its the "purists" its possible to love ALMOST every album from them (minus St Anger for me). I love all albums other than that one :) love the reaction boys!
The song was oddly prophetic for them. It’s starts with “and the road becomes my bride.” Subsequently they went on to do something like 300+ shows on this tour.
Since you thought this was an instrumental at first you should check out To Live Is To Die if you haven't already.... one of my favorite tracks from Metallica by far...
I agree, but here’s a funny story. When I got back to Germany from Desert Storm, one of the guys who wasn’t able to be deployed with us & had stayed back in Germany, greeted me by telling me Metallica had a new album out. He then proceeded to play “Nothing Else Matters” first. I thought he was messing with me & I didn’t believe it was Metallica. 😂
Always appreciate the authenticity and energy and banter and humour. Hands down the best reaction channel and even though you have tons of views, you're not selling out or keeping it simple. :)
Hearing you guys talk about metal and what you like about it has helped me refresh my own approach to writing metal songs. Thanks for sharing such thoughtful commentary!
This song foreshadowed their next 3yrs on the road from non stop touring on this album! "And the road becomes my bride" as a touring musician, you're figurely and literally married to the road! 🤘
Back in the day, I had people around me that were a part of the "sell-out" group, that were saying that as far back as them making a video for "One", on the previous album. The evolution of James Hetfield not only as a songwriter but as a singer as well, is actually just a really cool trip to be along side of. "Metallica is the gateway drug to metal..." 👌
Actually, they were accused of selling out as far as the RTL album with Fade to Black having a (gasp) acoustic guitar in it. 😂. Metal gatekeepers are funny, man.
How you guys havent cracked and just listened to this whole album in your own time takes some serious dedication to the 'first reaction' ethos of the channel. Salute 🫡
My favorite song from the black album! Ozzy and Lemmy said they are the new Black Sabbath because of the transitions that's high praise. A legend Bob Rock produced this album and the whole band had their say and it really sharpened their production and sound on this album. No sell-out here they took it to the next level Rock God level Hall Of Fame Level!!! Great review fellas Merry Christmas!!
@@satanlaffing I wasn't the biggest fan of this CD when it first came out. The last day of my Jr. year in HS, my classmates were blasting Sad But True on the radio. It grew on me from there. The first 4 will always be my favorite.
I remember as an 11-year-old boy sitting and listening to it for the first time in my life in 1991. I sat as if hypnotized. Today I'm 42 years old, and this song still hits me every time.
The production on this album is peak Metallica. The style is definitely more accessible than their earlier works and, as much as I love the early stuff, you can't deny it's a masterpiece.
This album brought in a whole new legion of Metallica fans while alienating alot of the old school fans (myself included).It wasnt til years later that i learned to appreciate what they did with this album.This album was a monster for them and was able to bring metal to the forefront of music with constant rotation on radio and MTV.Kudos to them and Bob Rock for making it happen.
A lot of times we don't look at artists & understand they are people who grow. They paint a picture in audio based on how they feel at the time. They cannot recreate those feelings & if they try, they will be stale & not as vibrant as the authentic feelings that made the songs you love. Like when Slipknot started adding more melody & musicianship in their song schemes, people called them sellouts & said they went soft (after Iowa). Corey Taylor responded in an interview saying "we arent those angry 30 year olds that wrote the first album, we are in our mid 40s now & we have grown" so the music will obviously reflect that. I personally loved a lot of the later Slipknot stuff but I have a special affinity for them as they are the ones who got me into metal as a music genre (thanks to Nu Metal using turntables which I loved DJ music).
"YOU DON'T JUST GET TO FUCKIN'".
Wise words
Ikr, but the follow up about Astro glide 💀
💯🎯
I laughed so hard when he said that but then I wondered “wait, did he really say that or did I mishear it?”. Thanks for confirming. That was a great line.
THIS entire mix is brilliant. As a retired pro audio engineer (medical reasons), I am convinced this song is the best mix on the record. Possibly the best of their entire discography. Between the unique instrumentation, the incredible blend of different layers of guitar/amplifier combinations which are CONSTANTLY in motion-shifting in and out of audibility, subtly vying to be the dominant guitar tone at the appropriate moment-as well as the incredible number of bussed harmonising vocal tracks (both overdubs of Het, AND tracks of Jason’s reverb-drenched, otherworldly growls and shrieks) which also move strategically in and out of the mix to emphasise different lyrics with different vocal moods and textures… I’m trying to imagine what this mix would’ve looked like if it were all charted out on the mix window of Pro Tools or Logic Pro. It would have had to have been absolutely mad. Just legendary. But the best thing about it is that NOBODY snapped it to a goddamned grid, or auto-tuned any of the vocal tracks. Despite all the wizardry Bob Rock accomplished at the mix desk, it STILL sounds-somehow-like an organic band. The studio effects are subtle and insidious.
I did not fully appreciate the mix of this track till I heard it again after an (unintentional) ~10yr hiatus from listening to this record as I studied more eccentric, abstruse, and abstract musical styles and artists, during which time I’d ALSO ,coincidentally, been professionally trained as an audio engineer and had in fact worked for several years for an indie label just outside of Nashville. I just happened to be at a party at a mate’s place on a (rare) Saturday night off, and this song popped up in his iPod playlist just as I was exiting one conversation and gearing up for another. (Read: ‘I was quietly sipping a quadruple Scotch, away from the others, whilst enjoying one of my custom high-nicotine cigarettes and debating whether to take another Dexedrine to keep me in the game, or whether to instead pop a Klonopin to start taking the edge off all these damn Dexedrine capsules and begin winding down for the night.’) The point is, it was a moment of quiet with just this song and I, alone together on my pal’s fire escape for the first time since (probably) my mid-teens.
The thing that first grabbed my attention ( I missed the intro ‘cos it was a party, but I remembered it well enough that I knew even back then that some of those sounds in the beginning (especially the ‘anvil’ tone…it actually sounds more like a heavy carbon-steel mallet striking an anvil, mixed with a recording of a 20kt atomic blast from ~ 2.5 km) were absolutely brilliant samples) was the snare, which actually made me jump briefly (remember: days without sleep; full of speed) because they sounded-for a moment, like gunshots. The song suddenly had my full attention, and I realised I’d never listened to it with my newly minted professional ears (I’m talking about training, of course. I naturally have ‘superhuman’ hearing, which has been a gift and a curse throughout my life. Even now, in my 40s, though I’ve lost a couple dB/kHz of (very) high frequency, and a couple dB/Hz of bottom end, I still have better hearing than the average 18-yr-old male human. Even though I’m no longer a pro engineer, I still record my own music, so I still keep the same ear-cleaning routine I did when I was a pro, and I have my old studio headphones, and I sometimes just spend an afternoon or evening analysing mixes as a for of meditation and as a means of preventing my skills from lapsing.
Also, this is one of my favourite of Lars’ performances. He kept the rhythm steady, but he would also hit those stellar accents on cymbals, and use those snare rolls during the chorus sections to shift between the more vigorous section of the chorus (‘I’ll take my time anywhere;’ etc.) and the more sparse, reflective-sounding bit in which James says, ‘Wherever I may roam / Where I lay my head is home’. The overall composition is very nearly perfect.
Hate that you wrote this book to get no likes, so here! What's the ear cleaning technique? I'm bout deaf nowdaze.
"at the appropriate moment".
This is the key and why the mix sounds so coherent. Easily my favourite Metallica tune.
I ain’t reading this book tf
Sir I appreciate your comment and using the word abstruse in your comment made me read the whole thing. I am glad you enjoy listening to music again.
By far my favorite track off the Black Album. It’s just so badass.
Of Wolf and Man too, so underrated
Have they did Sad But True?
@@princebowie9950 Yeah they did that one way back when they started the channel
@@grogu1986 100%
@@JWH808 W, elite shit
I love how hype Ryan gets during Metallica reactions. You can just see the genuine enjoyment.
Right!
Yeah, but he just wants to groove, never willing to go into upspeed.
@@TheReincarnatedDeath Groove is in the heart😏🤷😂
That applies to him, but it's not their former 'free thinking' credo anymore, they betrayed that or faked it before, to make the channel blow up first@@kajabrill2404
Ryan is excellent at wording his descriptions of songs!❤
The snare sound in this song is incredible
The drums on this album are all killer.
yup for sure, the mix in this album is amazing.
Still to this day one of the best mixed albums of all time.
Best ever?
@@majesticpbjcat7707Aja of metal
The entire band was on their A game for this song. Some of James’ best lyrics. One of Lars’ best drum performances. Some of Jason’s best bass playing on both four string and TWELVE string. And not one but TWO of Kirk’s best solos ever.
Yep. Lars takes a beating, sometimes justified, but he really was a great drummer, and this song proves it. Lots of nuance, yet smooth.
And a badass riff.
This song proves nothing . More ultra beginner drumming. The band carried him in every song. @@paleguy9975
@@paleguy9975 Lars is not great a drummer from a technical/skill perspective, but he's a great drummer from a songwriting perceptive.
That 12 string bass crack in the beginning of this song is awesome!
Thanks for keeping up with the Metallica Christmas tradition! Hope you guys had a great holiday 🤘
I'm a professional belly dancer, and I actually choreographed a dance using this song. Metal isn't my first choice when selecting my dance music, but this song stood out to me. I thought it was cool that you mentioned belly dancers in the opening of the music!😘💕
My Friend Of Misery off this album is a perfect example of being different while staying in your lane, album-wise. The bass is up front and is heavily featured, it’s a slow-cooked rock epic that builds and builds until it pops with an amazing bass solo.
Inamorata is another good one.
Too long songs
@@dudee499 What are you on about? My Friend of Misery is literally 5 secs longer that Whenever I May Roam.
@@lovelylemonfactory Perhaps not in time or seconds, but MFOM gets boring in my opinion. Good hook, but could be 1-2 minutes shorter
Arguably those are a part 1-part 2 songs
@@dudee499long? it may be, but boring? No way.
Kirk's solo when it slows down with the waaahhhhh. Just still to this day... Impeccable feel.
Love it.
Oh and when James sings "I ASK NO-ONE!" ❤
It's one of my favourite solos by kirk. It's wah overload but is so perfect for a high-energy song like this. Always gives me goosebumps.
Kirk got into blues a lot more around this era, and it would carry on from Black Album to Load and Reload.
I went to see Metallica in Central Park in 2022 and during this song when James says “By Myself But Not Alone” I was the only one in the crowd who yelled “ I ASK NO-ONE”. Everyone looked at me like if I didn’t know the song 😂😭cause James don’t say it he lets the crowd say it lol
@@abelardoconcepcion3189must have been the stranger things crowd
@@Loftus4345 It fits the song so well, just like in Where The Wild Things Are, where Kirk also goes wah overload (on both solos).
One of the greatest Metallica songs ever, in my opinion
Wholeheartedly agree
Top 50 Metallica song for sure
Yes!
@@shmick6079 understatement of the year
Facts
Hetfield is just a Riff Master i love the fact you guys really appreciate the work James puts into his songs
15:38 All Bob Rock's influence tbf
Ride The Lightning is a must reaction at some point.
i agree, been waiting for years lol
George has always defended Lars. Doubt he would know but Lars came up with the intro riff for that song. Which is pretty bad ass in ma book.
By far there best album imo
my fav metal album for sure, changed my life
I agree. Master of puppets gets a lot of credit (rightfully) but Ride the Lightning is my favorite.
Alone on a desert highway (CA, AZ, NV) at dusk on a Harley, staring at the horizon. This is what I picture when I listen to this song.
they went from being the biggest thrash metal band in the world to one of the biggest bands in the world EVER with this album. Song is fire.
Metallica is the swiss army knife of metal. To have dabbled in as many genres as they have and still be the most successful metal band is impressive.
They're are also a really good cover band
You guys hit the nail on the head in regards to the Black Album having more of a groove than their previous albums; the songs were less thrashy but still heavy in a slower way. Great reaction as always, and Merry Christmas!
Bob Rock influence
A happy medium between the early albums and the later haircut albums of the 90’s that many thought were too corporate.
It’s the load and reload and at anger that we’re awful
@@JamesEvans-uh7nu Load & Reload are decent to me. Just not Metallica sounding. Would be considered good albums from another band imo. St Anger is unlistenable
2 words…
Bob. Rock.
I love when Ryan REALLY LOVES a song hahahahaha. It makes a mediocre day amazing!
This is one of my favs from this album.
My favorite Metallica song hands down! So raw, so original, such a vibe. The lyrics are just beautiful. So primal, so powerful, forever imprinted on my soul. “Roamer, wanderer, nomad, vagabond, CALL ME WHAT YOU WILL” 🤘🏽🤍
Definitely slacked on looking at the lyrics on my part, I didn't realise that's what he said. So thanks lol
Rover
Rover, Wanderer, Nomad, Vagabond
Whew! Faith in humanity restored with these comments correcting the “Roamer” bit. 🙌
Yes, the lyrics are great. Personal favourites: "The less I have, the more I gain," and "My body lies, but still I roam..."
Watching y’all react to Metallica is the closest experience I’ve found to hearing Metallica for the first time! Goosebumps again.🎁🎄 The Metallica of reaction channels🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻🤘🏻
As a long haul trucker this song has always been special to me
Thanks for doing what you do 🤘🏼
Do not listen to this song while driving without cruise control engaged....guaranteed speeding ticket....hell....I would probably have to press the pedal even with cruise on....
I travel for work around the country for construction and this song definitely has a special meaning to me with how often I’m sleeping In Random hotel rooms across the nation. This song can generate a mindset that is perfect for sustainability being away from “home.” “Where I lie, my head is home” is actually a beautiful quote that anyone can take and apply to their life
As an office worker, same here
@@riffhousestudios96 you’re welcome
13:42 man, this part always gives me the bloody chills.. "carved upon my stone, my body lies, but still I roam, yeahyeaheaazhh !"
This is rock’n’roll and metal at its finest here, being so free than even on death, your spirit is still there, freely roaming !
Great reaction. Has always been my favorite song on the black album. You're right they did keep it groovy and more palettable to more ears to expand their fan base and get on the radio more. Which is why they sold the most records and sold out more concerts after this. Merry Christmas guys! Thanks for what you do.
One of the best selling records of all time I believe
They weren’t trying to sell more records. After Justice their goal was to go for songs with simpler arrangements with more groove.
Also the overall production and mixing was just phenomenal. Having Bob Rock on to produce the album was their golden ticket and truly made it amazing.
It’s a dark song, but “The God That Failed” is an underrated gem that goes hard AF from the Black Album in my opinion.
Not to pick apart your words, but I respectfully disagree that it's a dark song. It's my fav on the album and I feel it conveys a feeling of freedom.
Nah
Hard to believe that Metallica would write a dark song lol
By far my favorite on the album.
its a great song
I still remember the controversy caused by this album, coming as it did a few years after the greatest metal album of all time, And Justice For All. A totally new sound, new direction, it really split fans. It also gained them millions of more fans across the world, and precipitated one of the longest world tours ever. I wasn''t a massive fan initially - I don't like change! --- but looking back, it was the right decision for them to make. It propelled them into a new stratosphere of fame, and propelled metal into the 21st century. The band is very special.
Couldn't of put better myself and totally agree.
I agree mostly, except And Justice For All is extremely overrated.
@@hat8918 I would say it's underrated
@@hat8918MOP is. Not ajfa
Well said
One of the 10 best Metallica songs in my opinion. A hymn that I still listen to repeatedly today and never get sick of it. 🖤
Two things:
1) Christmas Day? Must be a Metallica video on Lost In Vegas. Reliable as Mom's Christmas ham.
2) While I am one of those fans that prefers earlier albums, there's no denying the power of this album. It's maybe not a very good "thrash" album, but it's a phenomenal rock album. This thing is massive and classic in a way that a lot of hard rock albums just can't be, because of their limited mass-audience appeal. And that's what a lot of headbangers like about heavy metal - it feels like outsider music for outsiders, and if you grew up an outsider, that can mean a lot to you. But it's short-sighted of my fellow metalheads to not acknowledge that an album like this, by the biggest metal band to ever exist, did more to sustain heavy metal as a genre and inspire new metal musicians, than anything else. That's important. And even if I might prefer the thrashier stuff, there's no denying that some of the songs on the Black Album are absolutely savage - and "Wherever I May Roam" is one of them. Check out "Of Wolf And Man", if you haven't already.
This song has some of the most creative and catchy drum fills ever put onto tape. Say what you will about Lars, but he plays only what the song needs. Always.
This is the cherry on top of Christmas for me. Belly full, gifted and socially full. Now to unwind to the GOAT of reactors do a new Metallica song. Merry Christmas guys ❤
Facts❤
This song is one of the most perfect songs I've ever heard. The feel and the lyrics match so well, and it captures what being a musician on the road feels. You can tell this one wrote itself. So smooooth.
Metallica Army since 85 🤘James had no idea how dedicated hardcore Metallica fans took him by his word. He said they would never make music videos but little did he know the first video shoot was already scheduled before he knew anything about it. Later on at one of their concerts, someone spit in his face and called him a sellout. The Black album tour lasted for two and a half years before they realized they had been around the planet 3 times and came home to empty houses because their wives had filed for divorce. "AND THE ROAD BECOMES MY BRIDE" Sometimes we write about our future and don't even realize it.
Really? Who got divorced ? I thought they got married only afterwards
@@VCRider kirk for sure
The articles say that the Metallica members divorced their wives and Hetfield filed for another one in '22.
@@seanemmett2983james was the only one not married and didnt get divorced while touring on the black album
@@jacobfischer8385 I think he was referring the road crew as well
6:06 🤣 hahahahahahha man, Ryan, I couldn't hold my ribs bouncing from laughter. The way "he slid in" hahahahah agreed. Infectious.
The black album was so clean and heavy. Master class. They used the same gear setup as motley crews Dr feel good album.
Lost in Vegas is the one and only channel I subscribe to, and the only reason I use TH-cam. I love Metallica and I love you guys!
This song is so mighty and comforting for a Metallica fan.
The thing with The Black Album is that it was their first time working with producer Bob Rock, who had worked with David Lee Roth and Motley Crue, and had a mind for radio play and singles. He refined Metallica's thrash perfection (in terms of sales, at least) in to total commercial marketability, and is probably the biggest reason this album has sold like 30 million copies to date. It definitely was Metallica's transition from thrash to hard rock, but I'll be goddamned if it isn't a total banger of an album from start to finish
This album is metal
Bob Rock could work miracles. The making of this album is a must see. He knew how to bring out their best.
This very song was my gateway to Rock. Thanks, Metallica! Thanks, guys.
Ride the lightning was my get into thrash metal
I forgot how big this whole album sounds. Production value is the gold standard imo.
Yall got to hit The God That Failed off the Black Album. Lars and Kirk have amazing interplay through the solo. Also The Outlaw Torn.
I know they’ll love the bass on that track
Oh I think these guys would love The God That Failed so much, it's groove has their taste written all over it
Outlaw Torn is on Load, but it's a great tune.
They absolutely would, and they would love that bass riff in The Outlaw Torn, as well as those grooves at the end.
It’s always so great to see someone appreciate a song I love.
Bob Rock was masterful when it came to producing this album
Videos like this are why I like reactions. Seeing others watch for the first time, helps remind why the song was dope in the first place.
To me, this was the album that Metallica really figured out the perfect formula to meld their heavy riffs with songwriting that would appeal to more than just their hardcore fanbase. You mentioned "gateway drug to metal" earlier in the song and you are 1000% right! I feel like if you don't currently listen to metal, then you listen to the Black Album and you don't like it - pretty damn good chance that metal just isn't for you.
After a few years of doing metal reactions they've already graduated to metal head status. 😊
Imo
The black album is a noticeable drop off in song quality from the first 4 albums. It has watered down riffs, worse songs and over produced by Bon Jovis producer
But it has 3-4 pretty good songs and this is one of them, but it doesn’t have anything close to the great songs from the first 4
@@zwan2133Right there with you. Terribly overrated album of accessible metal- two words that should never go together in the same sentence. This is their 'Dr Feelgood', their 'Hysteria'-not going into the whole 'they sold out' thing, but a band that had changed into something that many of us didn't recognize anymore- and didn't want to. Their subsequent albums proved that.
To be fair, James never sounded better. Unfortunately, the material had turned a corner many of us wish it never had. They weren't going to top the first four albums anyway, and for those first four albums, they deserved the massive success that came to them during this period.
@@zwan2133 I'm not gonna sit here and act like I think the black album is better than their first 4, but dude, EVERY Metallica album until the black album had big mixing/production issues. It being "over produced" is simply not true, it was, by far, the best mixed Metallica album at the time.
@@zwan2133oh shut up
Production values on this album were next level. A classic.
Speaking of production values, your channel is my absolute favourite of the reaction TH-camrs.
Great set up, well edited, but most importantly you guys feel it.
You give any genre it's dues, and can appreciate art.
Keep up the awesome work guys
One of my favorite reactions from these guys - their pure joy in experiencing this song for the first time, and the in-depth conversation and head nodding that follows is just brilliant!
Absolutely lol this was my first time hearing this some w them 😂 song is just badass its def playlist staylist i need them to react to moth in to the flame next dope ass track from the same album spit out the bone was on
I was a senior in high school when this came out. Went to the record store and waited in line the day it came out. What a great time to be alived. When this album came out it was very easy to drink to. I have tears in my eyes wishing I could go back.
Absolutely love the solo that fades out at the end of the song
Bob Rock went above and beyond producing this album, this one sounded head and shoulders above any metal produced up to that point.
For sure! A production that is one the highest regarded amongst musicians, producers and engineers alike.
I dunno, Rust In Peace and Cowboys From Hell sound pretty good.
Hard to find someone who DOESN’T like this track. One of Metallica’s best
"My body lie, but still I roam". Gotta be one of my favorite lines.
I love this song. Such a sick groove.
You guys need to check out the S&M album they did back in 99'. It was done with the San Francisco Sympathy Orchestra (composer Michael Kamen), double album with this song and a bunch of others that are better then the originals. Battery on this album is the best live performance they have ever done.
I couldn't agree more, I LOVE the Black album but the S&M album was life-changing for me
Merry Christmas guys! Definitely check out "Through The Never," "Holier Than Thou," and "My Friend of Misery." Great tracks that sound different from one another with killer riffs, grooves, hooks and fun solos.
I feel like "The Good That Failed" also belongs on that list.
They'd probably like the majority of this album tbh. It's the moss accessible of all Metallica's albums and easier on the ears for a first time listener. Automatic Playlist for this album for the boys
The whole album is great
These guys should react to this album along with all of Ride The Lightning.
Through The Never is SO GOOD. Primal thrash, I love it
BOB ROCK Produced a masterpiece.
To this day i havent heard a heavy rock metal album as good as this,i have been recording and producing for over 30 years
Awesome reaction video as always! You guys need to check out the Load and Reload albums to really hear how much more experimental they get!
The best reaction channel out there! "Wherever" may be THE best pick of the album. Certainly, the best drum swing.
Metal Christmas and a Heavy New Year to both of you guys and all metal fans 🎉
Love the way you’re both nodding and swinging your heads in unison in the same way as each other in the grooves!😁
Used to listen to this album a lot when I was a kid and this is for sure one of my favorite songs
Great band period.... whole lotta love.... here in BOTSWANA, AFRICA! Kudos
This is one of my faves off this album. Thank you guys for keeping the Christmas tradition going. Love the work you guys do. Merry Christmas!!!
I was just thinking to myself today that you guys should react to this. Wild coincidence.
Glad you enjoyed it! Great reaction, as always. You guys do an incredible job alluding to things musicians like but communicating it in a way casual music fans can appreciate just as much. 👏
Such a great song. Glad you guys loved it!
You guys picked an incredible song! Love you guys! Merry Christmas!
This album is so amazing!! They crushed with this tour!!🤘🏻🤘🏻
You guys have so much energy and get me fired up every time! Really appreciate the videos!
Hopefully you guys can get to something off of Load. "The Outlaw Torn" would be a fantastic pick
They’d love that. One of Tallica’s best.
A classic
Bleeding Me
Yes, Outlaw Torn and Bleeding Me. Including the first S&M versions.
That album has a lot of sleepers on it.
Thanks for making me re-react to this hidden jewel from the Black Album. It still is a fantastic song that clearly has survived the test of time.
I wish you guys had talked about the lyrics a bit, because they're pretty awesome. I could see by the facial expressions that you were reading them and reacting to them, so I wish you had commented a bit about them. One of my favorite lines: "Carved upon my stone, 'My body lies, but still I roam'". That line and the "Under wandering stars I've grown, by myself but not alone" are both great, great lines
I LOVE this reaction! One of the most underrated songs in the Metallica arsenal and it's even better live (esp when Jason was there)
Merry Christmas y’all. Great album. Dyers Eve is a cut it’s heavy but great lyrical dramatics that everyone can relate. But the song Ride the Lighting is a monster song with great lyrics concept. And I’m bias too the Ride the Lighting album saw that tour. Amazing
Oh God that drums sound, legendary. So good with the bass, groovy and heavy!!! The verse are so good, beautiful and powerful.
That song is so underrated, it sounds so good live as well. Maybe take a listen at some of the more long songs Metallica has: “bleeding me” , “inamorata” and “outlaw thorn” . It’s a bit more complex than normal.
Definitely don't listen to any of those songs
Why???
Weirdly when I bought Load all those years ago I never really got into Bleeding me.. Then I heard it live in Birmingham on the load tour and it's been one of my favourites ever since.
Plus the lyrics 😁
kevanthompson2288 It wasn’t my favourite until I bought the first S&M cd in 2000’s , and I have it in the car since then, it’s so good!!!
Thank you. I appreciate the shout-out you guys gave me. My cousin is a huge fan of your channel and told me you guys did this today. God bless. 🙏
its the "purists" its possible to love ALMOST every album from them (minus St Anger for me). I love all albums other than that one :) love the reaction boys!
The song was oddly prophetic for them. It’s starts with “and the road becomes my bride.” Subsequently they went on to do something like 300+ shows on this tour.
Since you thought this was an instrumental at first you should check out To Live Is To Die if you haven't already.... one of my favorite tracks from Metallica by far...
Man i can't describe how amazing it is to see someone discover these songs.. it's like reliving my childhood..
The entire album is good. I can’t think of a bad song off the top of my head.
Check out “Through the Never”!!
I agree, but here’s a funny story. When I got back to Germany from Desert Storm, one of the guys who wasn’t able to be deployed with us & had stayed back in Germany, greeted me by telling me Metallica had a new album out. He then proceeded to play “Nothing Else Matters” first. I thought he was messing with me & I didn’t believe it was Metallica. 😂
Always appreciate the authenticity and energy and banter and humour. Hands down the best reaction channel and even though you have tons of views, you're not selling out or keeping it simple. :)
Yesssss finally more black album stuff, this album is made for you guys.
Hearing you guys talk about metal and what you like about it has helped me refresh my own approach to writing metal songs. Thanks for sharing such thoughtful commentary!
Shadows Follow!! Please do this one some time. Slow, heavy and full of groove
The whole black album is great btw
This song foreshadowed their next 3yrs on the road from non stop touring on this album! "And the road becomes my bride" as a touring musician, you're figurely and literally married to the road! 🤘
Back in the day, I had people around me that were a part of the "sell-out" group, that were saying that as far back as them making a video for "One", on the previous album. The evolution of James Hetfield not only as a songwriter but as a singer as well, is actually just a really cool trip to be along side of. "Metallica is the gateway drug to metal..." 👌
Actually, they were accused of selling out as far as the RTL album with Fade to Black having a (gasp) acoustic guitar in it. 😂. Metal gatekeepers are funny, man.
How you guys havent cracked and just listened to this whole album in your own time takes some serious dedication to the 'first reaction' ethos of the channel. Salute 🫡
My favorite song from the black album! Ozzy and Lemmy said they are the new Black Sabbath because of the transitions that's high praise. A legend Bob Rock produced this album and the whole band had their say and it really sharpened their production and sound on this album. No sell-out here they took it to the next level Rock God level Hall Of Fame Level!!! Great review fellas Merry Christmas!!
S&M album with the San Francisco symphony orchestra is unreal. “From whom the bell tolls” and “Outlaw torn” 🔥
Ride the Lightning is "the one you have been missing!" You must hear it, I'm begging you!
Such a good song
🤘
Merry xmas guys! 🎄 knew you’d love this track! How can u not? The belly dancer had me rollin 🤣 ps MORE KISS!! 🤟😝😎
I think this will be you guys' favourite Metallica album.
Cheers guys 🤘
I'd like to see them react to something off Load/Reload too at some point, there are some groovy as hell tracks off those albums as well.
@@WhenOne8Becomes2Zeroes I've been asking for years 😅🤘
Love the reactions. Now for the next phase, live Metallica!!!
Such an epic album ❤ I was 16 when this came out, could it have gotten any better?
Same! 48?
They should do this whole album honestly, one of the best selling records in history
Junior year of HS.
That's funny....this came out on my 16th birthday......8/12/91.
@@satanlaffing I wasn't the biggest fan of this CD when it first came out. The last day of my Jr. year in HS, my classmates were blasting Sad But True on the radio. It grew on me from there. The first 4 will always be my favorite.
I remember as an 11-year-old boy sitting and listening to it for the first time in my life in 1991. I sat as if hypnotized.
Today I'm 42 years old, and this song still hits me every time.
One of the best produced albums
Seeing the immediate head nodding in unison makes me smile. Love the channel guys. Happy New Year
The production on this album is peak Metallica. The style is definitely more accessible than their earlier works and, as much as I love the early stuff, you can't deny it's a masterpiece.
I could hang out with you guys all day, listening to music and discussing it.
Love it!
Not a fan of Lars, but good God this was so well produced. The drum sound was incredible. Bob Rock made this sound happen.
This album brought in a whole new legion of Metallica fans while alienating alot of the old school fans (myself included).It wasnt til years later that i learned to appreciate what they did with this album.This album was a monster for them and was able to bring metal to the forefront of music with constant rotation on radio and MTV.Kudos to them and Bob Rock for making it happen.
A lot of times we don't look at artists & understand they are people who grow. They paint a picture in audio based on how they feel at the time. They cannot recreate those feelings & if they try, they will be stale & not as vibrant as the authentic feelings that made the songs you love. Like when Slipknot started adding more melody & musicianship in their song schemes, people called them sellouts & said they went soft (after Iowa). Corey Taylor responded in an interview saying "we arent those angry 30 year olds that wrote the first album, we are in our mid 40s now & we have grown" so the music will obviously reflect that. I personally loved a lot of the later Slipknot stuff but I have a special affinity for them as they are the ones who got me into metal as a music genre (thanks to Nu Metal using turntables which I loved DJ music).