Guns N’ Roses guitarist Slash was among the many hard rock musicians that spoke to Spin about the influence Metallica‘s 1991 “Black Album” had on our culture. Metallica’s just-released “Deluxe Box Set” of its “Black Album” includes 14 CD’s, six LP’s, six DVD’s — and much more.
Slash shed light on the album’s influence, explaining, “I think any Metallica album is a given for a hard rock/metal record collection. They are the pinnacle of that style of music, and they were among the first bands to revolutionize that particular style and sound.”
He went on to say, “The ‘Black Album’ crossed over in a way that made them a household name and they achieved that while maintaining their sonic integrity, songwriting and attitude. They took their signature style and recorded an album that became universally accessible, but still f***ing cool. That is no small feat and maybe something that artists like Metallica might not even want to do — but it happened on this record. For them, the ‘Black Album’ legacy will live on forever.”
Guns N’ Roses with openers Mammoth WVH performs tonight (September 16th) at Chicago’s Wrigley Field:
Metallica next plays on September 24th and 26th in Louisville, Kentucky at the Louder Than Life at Highland Festival Grounds at the Kentucky Exposition Center.
FAST FACTS
- Metallica‘s “Black Album” was released on August 12th, 1991. The set debuted at Number One on the Billboard 200 albums chart and eventually sold more than 15 million copies in the U.S. and 22 million worldwide.
- It is currently the biggest selling album of the SoundScan era of sales tracking.
- The “Black Album” cost $1 million to record and had to be remixed three times before release.
- Three members of the group — drummer Lars Ulrich, guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Jason Newsted — went through divorces during, and possibly as a result of, its making.
- The disc yielded six hit singles, including “Enter Sandman,” “Sad But True,” “The Unforgiven,” “Don’t Tread On Me,” “Nothing Else Matters” and “Wherever I May Roam.”
CHECK IT OUT: “Metallica Reads One-Star Reviews Of The ‘Black Album'” on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live!: